# Advice Needed.



## Hattiee (Nov 28, 2012)

Hi there, we've been having some problems with our 5 month old GSD puppy, namely toilet training.

He will NOT go to the toilet outside. We have taken him out on the hour every hour, taken him out 20-30 mins after meals etc, basically tried all of the normal advice given around the net. We've even tried commercial sprays and bringing one of his used pads outside with him, nothing will work. He can be taken on a 2-3 hour walk, and will just hold anything in until he gets home. We were not able to get him a crate after purchasing him, possibly leading to this problem.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as we're at our wits end trying to think of possible solutions.
(Image is almost 2 months old!)


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## balloons (Aug 18, 2012)

Does he have a crate now?


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## kelina (Nov 17, 2012)

A crate has nothing to do with the fact that he pee's inside and not outside.

You ever tried yelling at him when peeing inside and treating him with treats when peeing outside? That is what we did with our two german shepherds. 

You should scold him then treat him when doing the right thing, or simply saying "GOODBOY!" running up to him and petting/kissin him..

he is gorgeous!


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

So you used pee pads? That can be part of the problem-it teaches dogs that it's okay to go in the house...
I would make sure that he doesn't ever get out of site-tether him to you if need be. When you start to see signs of him needing to go, sniffing around, etc, take him out right away and praise him as soon as he goes. If he starts to go in the house, since you'll see him, make a loud noise to startle him (I wouldn't yell at him, that could make him afraid to go to the bathroom in front of you, even outside-so just make a loud noise) and immediately take him outside and praise him when he goes outside-throw a huge party each time. Also, put a command to it as he's going say, go to the bathroom, or potty, or whatever you choose.


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## Hattiee (Nov 28, 2012)

No, he currently doesn't have a crate but we are thinking about getting one. We've never yelled at him when hes gone inside on his pads but have moved him to his pads if he's peed elsewhere inside. He's never ever gone to the toilet outside so haven't been able to praise him for it he just holds it in until he gets home, it's so frustrating.


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## balloons (Aug 18, 2012)

I'm no expert by any means, so someone correct me if this is a terrible idea. I would try getting him a crate, and if he doesn't pee in the crate, then this might work if he's anything like Piper. Get him nice and full of water, then put him in the crate. He will probably whine to get out of the crate, wait for that to stop. The next time he starts whining, take him immediately outside. If he doesn't potty, re-crate him and begin again until he potties outside. Once he does, make sure he thinks that this is the greatest achievement EVER. PRAISE, LOTS OF TREATS, AMD LOVE ON HIM. Then bring him inside and play with him!  wait a while, then repeat the process.

He should, quickly, begin to associate going potty outside with good things and being able to stay out of the kennel. I would use this in combination with tethering him to you when he's out of the crate to make sure he doesn't have an accident inside.

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## kelina (Nov 17, 2012)

Hattiee said:


> No, he currently doesn't have a crate but we are thinking about getting one. We've never yelled at him when hes gone inside on his pads but have moved him to his pads if he's peed elsewhere inside. He's never ever gone to the toilet outside so haven't been able to praise him for it he just holds it in until he gets home, it's so frustrating.


You really don't need a crate, i don't need one.. and I have TWO pups! they are kind of useless for me.. you can always leave him out if you are not home OR leave him home alone, there might be some oopsies coming back but just scold,point and take him out lol.

Yes peepads can definitely teach your dog to pee inside home! It is definitely frustrating, I can tell you have rugs, will at least in that picture.. and the pee stains the dang rugs and stinks up the whole house! 

I have used so many products to try and get the stench out of the rugs but... it is no success! Gladly my father rip the rugs out hehe 

Definitely take away pads, he pees on the floor and you HAVE to yell at him right away!! if you miss a second he wouldn't even care. He will still love you and care for you the same. you just need to set boundaries for your pup : ).
-Some people here are on the fend about scolding your dog.. but oh well, thats the best/fastest way the know.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

IMO, every dog should be able to tolerate being in a crate. If there's some sort of emergency and the dog must be in a crate, at least it's not going to be traumatizing to it.
They keep your house and your dog safe, and can facilitate house-training.
Puppies are taught from mama to potty outside the "nest" (where they sleep) and crate use plays on that.
Dogs also need a spot to call their own, where they can sleep and chill.

Get a crate, either new, or off craigslist; chances are you'll find housetraining much easier and faster.



> but oh well, thats the best/fastest way the know.


Crating is one of the fastest and one of the best ways there is, you'd not be spending your time yelling at your dogs if you crated :thumbup:


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

kelina said:


> You really don't need a crate, i don't need one.. and I have TWO pups! they are kind of useless for me.. you can always leave him out if you are not home OR leave him home alone, there might be some oopsies *coming back but just scold,point and take him out *lol.
> 
> Yes peepads can definitely teach your dog to pee inside home! It is definitely frustrating, I can tell you have rugs, will at least in that picture.. and the pee stains the dang rugs and stinks up the whole house!
> 
> ...


Please don't scold your dog for this-dogs live in the moment and cannot make that connection-they will think you are scolding them for whatever they are doing at that moment.

Also, crate training is very important-not just for housebreaking. When dogs get into a chewing stage, crating them is for their own safety. And like msvette said, being able to be in a crate for an emergency situation is important. Also, if you ever plan on taking training classes or trialing in anything, being crate trained is important.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Hattiee said:


> Hi there, we've been having some problems with our 5 month old GSD puppy, namely toilet training.
> 
> He will NOT go to the toilet outside. We have taken him out on the hour every hour, taken him out 20-30 mins after meals etc, basically tried all of the normal advice given around the net. We've even tried commercial sprays and bringing one of his used pads outside with him, nothing will work. He can be taken on a 2-3 hour walk, and will just hold anything in until he gets home. We were not able to get him a crate after purchasing him, possibly leading to this problem.
> 
> Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as we're at our wits end trying to think of possible solutions.


You don't need to yell at him. If you catch him going, make a sharp noise to startle him and stop the stream but you don't need to yell and scold him. That will only teach him to be scared of you.

First, get him checked for a UTI. Trouble housebreaking can be caused by a UTI. 

Unfortunately, using the pee pads taught him to pee inside. Now you have to chase his mindset and retrain. When he does go outside, treat him and make a huge deal out of it. 

I would buy a crate. You need to start housebreaking from step 1. Take him out, if he doesn't go, put him in the crate. It might take 2-3 days for him to get the idea and you might spend a very long time outside with him but he'll get it. 

I had an adult foster that refused to go outside and as soon as we stepped in the house he went on the floor. Luckily it was summer so my daughter was able to stay outside with him until he went. Then we were able to take him back to the same spot so he knew to go there.


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## kelina (Nov 17, 2012)

Jax&mikko- Scolding at your dog is not going to make him afraid! Honestly, if you ever see the way my dogs are so in love with me, even AFTER scolding you would pee YOURSELF! lol...

But IMHO, scold! Startling him is cool and all, but you need to set boundaries! Your dog/pup needs to know whose in charge, who is a boss and etc. So, the whole "Dont yell at him/her" is complete BULL! Do it!

your dog is not going to love you less! You have to be dominant when owning a dog... thats just how things are going to have to be.

Crate::

I don't use a crate and my dogs are house trained.. so you don't NEED a crate. maybe i got lucky? I dont know but you really don't need one.
What do you do when you first started crate training and the dogs peed? Ohhh just cleaning it up like the dog didn't do crap? ha! thats being way to nice to your dog... just clean it up without getting one single yell in? I guess you all just think its lovely to have your dog piss in the crate for those "2-3 days".. BUT basically you are supporting the peeing by not even yelling at the dog anyways..


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

Since he's been trained to use the pee pads...I would (besides crating) place the pads outside...maybe that will create the click in his mind to going outside..


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

kelina said:


> Jax&mikko- Scolding at your dog is not going to make him afraid! Honestly, if you ever see the way my dogs are so in love with me, even AFTER scolding you would pee YOURSELF! lol...
> 
> But IMHO, scold! Startling him is cool and all, but you need to set boundaries! Your dog/pup needs to know whose in charge, who is a boss and etc. So, the whole "Dont yell at him/her" is complete BULL! Do it!
> 
> your dog is not going to love you less! You have to be dominant when owning a dog... thats just how things are going to have to be.



Well that's great that your dogs aren't afraid, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen. I foster rescue dogs and so have trained many dogs over the last few years and it's pretty obvious which ones have been scolded for going to the bathroom inside. I also have a decent amount of experience housebreaking foster dogs.
Also, as I said, scolding them after they go isn't going to accomplish anything-dogs live in the moment and think you're yelling at them for being happy you're home, or sitting, or whatever they are doing.
I think that you might do good to sit back and read a bit on these forums, take classes with your pups, learn a bit more before handing out some of the advice you give. I know it's done with good intentions, but please realize when you're wrong, someone else is depending on it.


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## kelina (Nov 17, 2012)

I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO said:


> Well that's great that your dogs aren't afraid, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen. I foster rescue dogs and so have trained many dogs over the last few years and it's pretty obvious which ones have been scolded for going to the bathroom inside. I also have a decent amount of experience housebreaking foster dogs.
> Also, as I said, scolding them after they go isn't going to accomplish anything-dogs live in the moment and think you're yelling at them for being happy you're home, or sitting, or whatever they are doing.
> I think that you might do good to sit back and read a bit on these forums, take classes with your pups, learn a bit more before handing out some of the advice you give. I know it's done with good intentions, but please realize when you're wrong, someone else is depending on it.


Um no, You scold in between the pee.. But thats good to know that that worked for you, but The way i did it worked perfectly for me. 
-thanks.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

kelina said:


> Jax&mikko- Scolding at your dog is not going to make him afraid! Honestly, if you ever see the way my dogs are so in love with me, even AFTER scolding you would pee YOURSELF! lol...
> 
> But IMHO, scold! Startling him is cool and all, but you need to set boundaries! Your dog/pup needs to know whose in charge, who is a boss and etc. So, the whole "Dont yell at him/her" is complete BULL! Do it!
> 
> your dog is not going to love you less! You have to be dominant when owning a dog... thats just how things are going to have to be.


Science and years of learning have shown that scolding your dog works against you in potty training; especially if done after the fact. 

It is a completely antiquated idea that you need to be dominant with your dogs. My dogs and I (4 currently) have a mutually respectful relationship, not domination required.

OP, unfortunately pee pads just teach the dog that going in the house is OK. Best thing you can do is get the dog on a strict schedule. Take him out every hour, lots of praise for going outside. He should be crated and/or tethered to you whenever you can't watch him 100% to prevent mistakes. The more times he is able to potty in the house, the harder it will be to break him of the habit. Also, get a really good enzyme cleaner to clean up any spots where he has already gone.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

kelina said:


> Um no, You scold in between the pee.. But thats good to know that that worked for you, but The way i did it worked perfectly for me.
> -thanks.


You specifically posted that when you get home if they had an accident, you scold them, point at the accident, then take them outside.



> you can always leave him out if you are not home OR leave him home alone, there might be some oopsies *coming back but just scold,point and take him out *lol.


This is incorrect and bad advice. Just because something has worked for you, does not make it correct. Please, please, please take a puppy class, you have a lot to learn.

And in regards to scolding them during the pee-please refer to gsdraven's post.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> Your dog/pup needs to know whose in charge, who is a boss and etc. So, the whole "Dont yell at him/her" is complete BULL! Do it!


You don't need to terrorize your dogs, and be a bully to them to let them know who is "boss". You're teaching the dog nothing by yelling at it.
Very sad you'd recommend that to others, let alone do it yourself.

A few things - if the puppy pees in the house, guess what? It's YOUR fault, not the dogs' fault.
You should have been watching the puppy and not giving it chances to fail.

If you reduce space so puppy doesn't have a lot of room to wander -an X-pen, baby gates, or leash the puppy to you, it won't be wandering off to piddle.

Do those things and you won't have to resort to scolding or yelling.

Mind Games (version 1.0) by M. Shirley Chong is a good way to reinforce your position as leader with your puppy or dog.


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## kelina (Nov 17, 2012)

gsdraven said:


> Science and years of learning have shown that scolding your dog works against you in potty training; especially if done after the fact.
> 
> It is a completely antiquated idea that you need to be dominant with your dogs. My dogs and I (4 currently) have a mutually respectful relationship, not domination required.


Proof please?
Because this is mine..
9 Lessons from "The Dog Whisperer" : Dog Tricks : Dogology : Men's Health.com
STATES::::: 

* On Training *
Your dog needs exercise, discipline, and affection, in that order. Anything else will confuse him. So the best gift you can give your dog is a long walk. Then, when you get home, assume the dominant position. * If you don't, your dog will.*


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## kelina (Nov 17, 2012)

I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO said:


> You specifically posted that when you get home if they had an accident, you scold them, point at the accident, then take them outside.
> 
> This is incorrect and bad advice. Just because something has worked for you, does not make it correct. Please, please, please take a puppy class, you have a lot to learn.
> 
> And in regards to scolding them during the pee-please refer to gsdraven's post.


i was going to fix that too, but i got lazy lol..

but... you never answered my question about the crate thing?


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

ASSUME THE DOMINANT POSITION?? 
Does it say "yell at the dog" to "assume" that position?


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

kelina said:


> Proof please?
> Because this is mine..
> 9 Lessons from "The Dog Whisperer" : Dog Tricks : Dogology : Men's Health.com
> STATES:::::
> ...


Ah yes, of course- I need to YELL at my dog as soon as I walk in the door so that he knows I'm dominant. Makes PERFECT sense- gee thank you so much for linking this and for sharing your wealth of knowledge. I will make sure to tell all of my certified dog training friends about this- they will definitely want more of your advice, so I'll refer them to you!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Cesar Milan is your proof? You have two puppies....

GSDRaven has fostered many.
msvette2u has fostered and rehomed dozens
Mikko- experienced foster

I think you need to stop talking and start reading more than one theory. Cesar Milan is NOT the person that came up with the dominance theory. That was by one man who spent time studying captive wolves who has since said his whole theory was WRONG. And last time I saw CM assume the "dominant position" he got himself a very nice dog bite.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

In that same article, he says giving your kids "nothing but affection" will make your kids dominate over you.
BRILLiant...sigh...didn't know CM was a kid expert as well


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

kelina said:


> i was going to fix that too, but i got lazy lol..
> 
> but... you never answered my question about the crate thing?





> I don't use a crate and my dogs are house trained.. so you don't NEED a crate. maybe i got lucky? I dont know but you really don't need one.
> What do you do when you first started crate training and the dogs peed? Ohhh just cleaning it up like the dog didn't do crap? ha! thats being way to nice to your dog... just clean it up without getting one single yell in? I guess you all just think its lovely to have your dog piss in the crate for those "2-3 days".. BUT basically you are supporting the peeing by not even yelling at the dog anyways.. __________________


I didn't see this. Well, first of all, none of the dogs I've ever had have had an accident in the crate unless it was MY FAULT for leaving them in there too long. Would you want someone to yell at you if you were locked in a crate (or even a room with a toilet for that matter) and you had an accident? Dogs don't want to go in their crate because then they will be lying in their own excrement- crates use the dog's natural instinct to not go where they sleep. 
Myself and others mentioned other reasons why crates are important, but you ignored those. Your pups are just a few months old-you have a lot to learn and would be much better off taking some of the advice here from people that have a lot more experience and knowledge about dogs.

kelina, realize you are not just giving the OP your opinion, you are giving them training tips-of which you are clueless. This is bad advice and can lead to major problems for people. Giving your opinion is saying, gee I choose to feed such and such food because it's made in the USA and I like that. Please stick to opinion topics and learn more before you give advice. 
And seriously take your dogs to puppy classes- YOU can learn SO MUCH!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

OP - quick reads on the "dominance" theory

Dominance and Dog Training

ClickerSolutions Training Articles -- The History and Misconceptions of Dominance Theory

De-Bunking the "Alpha Dog" Theory - Whole Dog Journal Article

Coming from a person who spent two years training with compulsion (prong only, very little reward), I can tell you from experience that dogs respond to positive reinforcement much better than compulsion in any form.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

If you want to mess up your own dogs, when you admittedly have no idea how to housebreak a dog, that is your own business. 

But if you come on here and tell others to do so, as well, we're going to say something, thus saving another owner from messing up _their_ dogs.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

Jax08 said:


> OP - quick reads on the "dominance" theory
> 
> Dominance and Dog Training
> 
> ...


I really hope you take this advice-there is no person better equipped at understanding the difference than someone like Jax who has trained using both. I had a K9 deputy at work tell me this too-he said many K9 units are moving toward positive reinforcement for many aspects of training and as someone who used both kinds of training, he felt the dogs responded much faster to the positive reinforcement training and that the relationships with the dogs was better.

*To the OP*-sorry this has gotten SO off track! I hope some of this info has been useful. I think the general consensus is to start crate training, crate when the dog cannot be watched-watch the dog like a hawk when outside the crate. Make a startling noise if the dog starts to go in the house, immediately take outside and throw a party when they finish out there. Personally, I would toss the pee pads-too confusing for the dog.


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## kelina (Nov 17, 2012)

Before I seriously just leave this website for good, Just making a quick statement

-The advice I gave was actually what I taught my first dog, Worked fine. A boxer with total control on behavior, she was great! She listened to everything I said, She walked amazingly, She lived a happy life until forming cancer.. Anyway, I learned to scold at dogs for peeing and it never fired back at me, if it does then, awww thank you for the before-advice. But it hasn't since '97! So, I don't know what type of things people learned in this generation, but I was taught my way and my way only.. Just because you guys said "Oh don't scold" doesn't mean I'm going to listen because I was taught this and it always worked. 

I never used a crate, As i said don't need to. Not everybody needs to 'crate' train. I don't even clicker train, oops. I guess i need puppy training because I make my own decisions for my OWN dogs.

My advice was to scold between peeing.. I'm not saying omg hit your dog quick! and you did point out if I did say when you come back home scold, but that was a mistake and i apologize for that. 

Its funny how you say, I'm messing up my dogs. Thanks ! When i clearly wrote my dogs are house trained lol. good job with the comeback.

Now a bit advice on HUMAN PERSONALITIES :::: if you want people to agree with your post/statements/opinions please write this in a friendly matter and not try to attack anyone. Just for the future. Because try that in 'REAL LIFE' and you will get told so fast..

I wish i can literally delete my whole entire page but can't. 

-Now i am FULLY leaving.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

Well Kelina, a lot has changed in the dog training world. It's too bad you are so unwilling to learn about it. Many professional trainers have updated their training methods-but I guess you're too good for learning. Really it's your loss.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

A good "ahh ahh!" is about all that's needed with most pups, then rush out the door. Ideally, prevent accidents from occurring, by being proactive and taking puppy out every hour and after every meal and naptime!


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

:headbang:


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I"m sorry...in another thread you stated you were 18 years old. So in 1997 you would have been 3 years old. You trained a Boxer when you were 3 years old? Good Job! You must be a prodigy.

As far as being rude and human personalities...if you behave the way you do in "real life" you won't get far. You need to go back and read through your posts where you are the one that started arguing with people. We stated our opinions and you called us (me and Mikko) out by name to say what we were saying was "complete bull". Many of us on this thread that have responded are professionals with a higher education. There isn't a single person here who hasn't expanded their knowledge and learned something. I would advise you open your mind a little bit and not think you know everything.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I had a hard time potty training mine too, but being consistent pays off. The crate is a God send. If a crate is used correctly, there is no need to yell at a dog for having an accident. Potty training falls on the human, if there is ever a screw up, it is the owners fault. I had to completely start over with mine, because my patience just stunk. Once I followed a schedule, became consistent, and watched mine like a hawk, it all clicked and she has done wonderful ever since. A crate is also a good place for most dogs to go if they want to relax. My GSD never liked her crate, but she got used to it. She now has full run of the house and I don't have to come home to a stinky mess. Who wants to let a dog that isn't potty trained to have access to the house? I could never live like that, the smell has to be nasty and you can only clean it so much before everything has to be replaced. Go with the crate and you will be satisfied with the results.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Hattie/OP - what is that puppy?!??! :wub: I am seriously having a little squee fit here over him. His ears make me so happy. 

So he holds it until he gets IN the house? To his potty pads? Is he proud of himself like look at me! I did it! Has there been any reward in the past for doing it there on the pads? 

I have a dog that took 7.5 months to housetrain due to a brain injury, and had another dog take 5.5 months because of breed mix. And because I wasn't always tethering or crating - I would let them go play in another room and ta-da! Potties! 

Pee pads can backfire. I just adopted out a dog who would pop a squat in her crate if I wasn't around to let her out - she had been trained on pee pads for quite a while (hadn't been in a yard actually!). She got better too. So there is hope that you can reverse this. 

Another thing - boy dogs get crystals and stones - if he is only peeing in the house and not pooping, that might be something to think about. One thing that can get those things going are the grocery store treats with all the additives and colors - my aunt had a whole closet full of those for her Bichon puppy (they get those stones as a breed) and he developed stones. She stopped giving him those treats and voila - gone!

Anyway - those questions I asked - let us know and we can go from there, along with the ideas of crating and tethering. One last thing - if you have a friend with a dog, having them come over and mark the yard (whoa, the dog not the friend) while your pup is inside - or if it is a dog friendly dog that your pup would be okay with they can do it together maybe, lots of times they can learn by watching. 

I am going to leave all the back and forth in this thread - some good links and information. Plus I think leaving some things out in the open are helpful when people go back and read comment histories.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> One last thing - if you have a friend with a dog, having them come over and mark the yard (whoa, the dog not the friend) while your pup is inside - or if it is a dog friendly dog that your pup would be okay with they can do it together maybe, lots of times they can learn by watching.


I never would have thought of that. You are brilliant, Jean!


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Why, you made my day!

Yep, one of the rare times in life that we hope for a peeing contest. :rofl:


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> . One last thing - if you have a friend with a dog, having them come over and mark the yard (whoa, the dog not the friend) while your pup is inside - or if it is a dog friendly dog that your pup would be okay with they can do it together maybe, lots of times they can learn by watching.


Wait....Are you saying that I could bring a friend over and have him potty _IN_ the toilet and that could help train hubby to aim better? 

Over thirty years of pounding him with a newspaper..to no avail. This...could...work....


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## Marc (Oct 25, 2012)

kelina said:


> Before I seriously just leave this website for good, Just making a quick statement
> 
> -The advice I gave was actually what I taught my first dog, Worked fine. A boxer with total control on behavior, she was great! She listened to everything I said, She walked amazingly, She lived a happy life until forming cancer.. Anyway, I learned to scold at dogs for peeing and it never fired back at me, if it does then, awww thank you for the before-advice. But it hasn't since '97! So, I don't know what type of things people learned in this generation, but I was taught my way and my way only.. Just because you guys said "Oh don't scold" doesn't mean I'm going to listen because I was taught this and it always worked.
> 
> ...



I must say this is a completely negative attitude, both in general and when it comes to dog training.

When we train our dogs, we need to understand why they are doing a certain behaviour, if your dogs are doing the right behaviour, then great, if your dogs are doing the wrong behaviour, find out WHY, and then attack the problem. I imagine it this way; If I have a serious physical problem that I know about (and is treatable), do I simply use pain killers to get rid of the pain? no, I attack the underliying issue regardles of what it is.

The same is true of our dog. The OP's dog, has an issue of ONLY peeing inside, this is INCORRECT behaviour and the root cause of it, is that the OP has inadvertantly taught the dog to only go to the toilet inside, by using pee pads (bad pee pads!!!!). Now, the op needs advice on how to train his dog out of this mode, and not simply scold the dog, for a behaviour that the OP has encouraged.

Before getting so defensive on a subject, try to see that people on this forum are trying to HELP YOU AND YOUR DOG by giving upto date advice and not simply tossing you ideas that "Worked for them". If your dogs are perfectly trained and completely obedient and you see no reason to grace us with your presence on this forum any longer, then I wish you the best in your future. However if you would like to stick around and expand your knowledge for YOUR OWN SAKE and the sake of YOUR DOG, then please try to be a little more respectful of other peoples knowledge and experience. If you dont agree with something, try to offer evidence, rather than saying "Thats what worked for me" because the majority of the time, it wont work for other people.

Now in order to address the issues of the OP, I will simply re-iterate what has already been said by some very knowledgable people on this forum, and explain why it is important.

1. Crate your puppy overnight.
Dogs HATE going to the toilet where they sleep, so if they are confined to a small area, they are more likely to hold it until morning. Once you do this, take your puppy out in the morning and take it straight to the spot where it is suppose to "Go". repeat this EVERY morning.

2. Tether your puppy to you during the day.
If your puppy is tied to you, you can see when it needs to go, and promptly take it outside, or if it goes when you dont realise, you can spot it, and interupt it abruptly. Try not to scare your dog, but make a noise so it thinks "WHAT THE **** WAS THAT?"

3. get rid of the pee pads.
They cause more harm than good and just make your home smell of amonia (to your dog). Make sure to get some odur newtraliser, so as to break down the amonia, from when you dog does go in the house.

4. Dont scold your dog, at all.
The reason NOT to scold, is two fold. Firstly, your dog may not make the association of going to the toilet, with the the scolding (especially if any amount of time has passed, for example a few moments), and secondly, even if he does, he may not realise that your only shouting at him for going inside, he might think that going to the toilet AT ALL is bad, and so will hide it from you (this is the worst case because if you cant find "accidents" and clean them promptly, your house will be covered in germs, which is no good for anyone). 

5. (personal suggestion) Try leaving a few urine soaked tissues, in the spot (outside) where you want your dog to go.
This may or may not work, but if your dog smells the amonia from the tissues, he will automatically think that he needs to go. This is the same premise that pee pads use, so may work well for your dog, if he is already used to using pee pads.

6. VERY REGULAR toilet trips outside.
Until your pup realises he is suppose to go outside, you must take him outside VERY freaquently, and especially if you know he really needs to go, do not bring him into the house WAIT and wait, and wait, and wait, until he DOES go outside, until he cant hold it any longer, and when he goes, have treats and hugs and kisses ready. Hopefully this will lead him to believe that toileting outside is not only ok, but is fantastic!!!

I wish you the best of luck in your potty training.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> The OP's dog, has an issue of ONLY peeing inside, this is INCORRECT behaviour and the root cause of it, is that the OP has inadvertantly taught the dog to only go to the toilet inside,


Good post Marc!
I wanted to add something that may help the OP and others - peeing is actually a "correct" or "normal" behavior for a dog.
_Where_ you want it to pee is the issue.

I find scolding dogs for doing normal things to be pointless and detrimental. 
Instead the concentration must be pointed to where you want the animal to do such-and-such or what you want the animal to chew on (for instance).
Both of those things are as normal to puppies and dogs as breathing, and thus, should not be scolded.

Instead, be a teacher to your puppy or dog - gently redirect from the couch to a kong toy, gently redirect from pottying inside to pottying outside.

Dogs are going to do what dogs are going to do - teaching them how and where we want it done is the key.

It's a paradigm shift, perhaps, but one folks must make


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## martinaa (Jan 5, 2012)

As Marc implied, the puppy obviously has control if it can hold it through the walk until it gets back in the house. It 'just' needs retraining on how/when to excercise that control.

We had a somewhat similar issue with our current puppy. Only a few actual accidents in the house (primarily obsessive vigilance but yes, a crate is helpful as well). But he held that bladder until both his eyes and legs were crossed when he was in the approved doggy bathroom zone. All the while gazing longingly at the surrounding lawn. Turns out he had become accustomed to doing his thing on grass when he was at the breeder and our doggy bathroom has bark mulch. I transplanted a small chunk of grass into the middle of his bathroom and suddenly everything was easy.

Solving little canine riddles like that isn't always easy but it can be rewarding and is a lot better then unintentionally teaching him to hide his souvenirs in the closet of your spare bedroom.

Kelina is a fountain of bad advice. Ignore her.


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## Hattiee (Nov 28, 2012)

Thankyou for all the helpful advice! Going to put all (apart from Kelina's) advice into action as this confirms what I thought might work, I'll keep you updated!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

you've gotten lots of great advice, I just wanted to say WHAT A CUTIE!!!!!!


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

Let me solve this problem for you. Get a small crate. Probably smaller than you think is appropriate. Small enough that if he choses to soil it, he has to lay in it. Then, feed and water him, in the crate, or at least immediately put him in the crate after. Go away for 30-45 minutes. Then take him outside. He will use the bathroom and receive over the top praise for it. If he doesn't, he goes back in the crate... repeat in 30 minutes. You will, with certainty, win this way. If he uses the bathroom in the house outside of the crate, well thats really you screwing up not him... you failed to teach. Puppies don't get scolded. And dogs don't get scolded for doing something you didn't teach them not to do.

In the off chance he's a pig and doesn't mind his own filth, post back and we'll solve that, but there is a 1% chance he is *that* dog.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

kelina I don't understand you. Here you say you don't need crates - in the therapy thread you say "My pup is a hella puller for the time being, so im correcting this performance with a prong ATM  after a months of use and still no improvement, I will throw the therapy dog out of my mind! So no prong use during testing!" and that your dog used to be afraid of everything.

the advice you gave for house training is unecessary negative training . 

OP that is one cute dog !!!! Are you able to put up even the smallest little kennel so that your dog is put out unitl he relieves himself . Only then can he come inside. 
For people with small yards you can train your dog to use a designated area to potty. You can make a little sandbox , put your pee pad into that and he will get the idea . Easy to clean up after the dog . No problem in accidently stepping into a poo pile .


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