# Just Adopted Need some HELP!!



## Orion78 (Dec 28, 2010)

Hello there Im a newbie here. I just adopted "Orion" a 2 year old GSD and he is not house broken. I finally got him to go pee outside and reward him when he does so.. However he will not poo outside. I take him out every 10 mins for 10 mins at a time and he will not go. As soon as I bring him back inside WHAMOOO theres poo on the carpet.

What should I do to get him to stop going inside and do his business outside.


And the other issue I have is the day I adopted him 12/26 ever since I brought him home he will NOT leave me side. Wherever I go in the house he is right on my side, I cannot even go the bathroom or take a shower without him having to be with me. If he cant see me he goes crazy and starts to whine. Dont get me wrong I like having a loyal dog however I want him to learn to do his own thing and not always have to be on my side so I can get things done around the house and such.


Hope someone has some ideas that can help..


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

_"Hello there Im a newbie here. I just adopted "Orion" a 2 year old GSD and he is not house broken. I finally got him to go pee outside and reward him when he does so.. However he will not poo outside. I take him out every 10 mins for 10 mins at a time and he will not go. As soon as I bring him back inside WHAMOOO theres poo on the carpet."_

Take him out every hour. 

What should I do to get him to stop going inside and do his business outside.


_"And the other issue I have is the day I adopted him 12/26 ever since I brought him home he will NOT leave me side. Wherever I go in the house he is right on my side, I cannot even go the bathroom or take a shower without him having to be with me. If he cant see me he goes crazy and starts to whine. Dont get me wrong I like having a loyal dog however I want him to learn to do his own thing and not always have to be on my side so I can get things done around the house and such."_

GSD's are "velcro" dogs, they want to be where you are at all times. My GSD is glued to my hip. I am not allowed to go to the bathroom without him. You get used to it after a while. My GSD is my partner in crime, wherever I go, he goes.


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## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

Ha ha ha- get used to the velcro dog thing. 
As far as getting him to poo outside, I have found that if you want results sooner try getting him to move around around a little if you think it is "time" for him to go. If he's just eaten you don't want him to get too rambunctious though. Work on getting to know his pattern- if he doesn't need to go right after eating crate him for a little while and then take him out. This sets him up to succeed. Wait-do you have a crate?


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

Yep following you is part of being a gsd, doing homework before deciding on breed is a must.

If he is going in the house, when you clean up the poo take it outside where you want him to go and leave it. Next time he needs to go he will pick the scent up there. At 2 yrs he is probably only going (poo) twice a day, first thing in the morning and late afternoon or early evening.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Take him out like you are. If he does not go, he goes directly into a crate. Repeat until he goes. 

Get a good cleaner, or use white vinegar and water, to thoroughly clean any spot in the house where he has gone.

Once you have a dog, or a child, your days of going to the bathroom in peace are OVER. :rofl:

Let him in or ignore the whining. He's in a new place and he's scared. He's probably terribly confused over the changes in his life. It will take a couple of weeks for him to settle in. Just ignore the whining. He's whining for your attention. ANY attention you give him will reinforce it. As soon as he is quiet, reward and praise him.

ETA: he's probably never been in a crate so you'll need to crate train him. NEVER put him in there when you are angry. He will view it as a punishment. He needs to learn his crate is HIS place to go. And do NOT ever let him out when he's whining to get out.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

I would start crate training him. It will help getting him used to being away from you, and it will help with the house-breaking. 

Taking him out every 10 minutes is great, I admire your dedication! It will take a few days for you to get his potty schedule so you can set him up for success. There will be a period of hit-and-miss at first, don't get discouraged. 

I would start a schedule and stick to it whether you are at work or at home. Feed at certain times, take out at certain times, crate at certain times, exercise and play and train at certain times. He is insecure right now, being in a new home, so a solid schedule will help him understand that the world is a safe and predictable place, and he can trust you to be there for him and provide him with what he needs. 

With feedings on schedule, his potty routine will get on schedule too. It will take a few days for his system to get on schedule, so be patient. Once you have a pretty good idea of how often he needs to go, and when, you can build his potty outings around that. I would try and spend more time outside, not bring him in as soon as he pees. Get him running and playing, and then take him for a walk - that should stimulate him to potty. If he does not, put him in his crate. Do get him used to the crate gradually, start feeding him in there to associate the crate with good stuff. 

Thanks for adopting! He looks gorgeous! It's a shame that his previous owners could not take the time and effort to house-break him, but with consistency I'm sure he will be fine.

Edited to add: Ha! Everyone else posted while I was typing up my response!! Great to see that everyone is on the same page with this!


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## JustMeLeslie (Sep 15, 2010)

As far as the following you around goes--you will get used to it. You will no longer be going to the bathroom by yourself. GSDs follow their people EVERYWHERE. If it is too much to take then crate him when you need time alone or to work. You could also teach him to down,stay in a certain area, but I highly doubt that will work once you are out of his sight. The crate is your best bet. Plus the crate will help with housebreaking.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Welcome to you and Orion!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I would take him for a walk to get things moving. And keep him leashed to you or crated in the house, just like you would a young puppy. I have housebroken older dogs before and they usually catch on pretty quickly if you're consistent and remember to treat the whole process just like you would a puppy. 

Also, be sure to clean the area where he's pooping with white vinegar and water so that the scent isn't there. 

I have to agree that if you don't like having someone with you at all times then you chose the wrong breed!


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## Orion78 (Dec 28, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions.. I guess im gonna have to crate train him.. Ive tried most of your suggestions already and they dont seem to work.. 

I am picking up a crate tonite hopefully that will work


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

One thing that works well for a lot of dogs who are transitioning into a new home is to establish a schedule for walks, potty time, and feedings so the dog knows on what schedule things happen everyday. A lot of them do really, really well with a routine because it takes away some of the uncertainty of being in a new environment more quickly than a "routine" that always changes.

Another thing you can try, if you have not already, is to take the poop from when he poops inside and place it outside in the area where you would like him to go, then take him to that area the next time you take him out. A lot of the time, their smell will attract them to keep going into one area for pee/poop and having located the poop there, maybe it will help in teaching him that you want him to go there.

Do you have a specific area of your yard where you want him to go, or a specific area in your neighborhood where he can go consistently? If so, I would work on always taking him there and encouraging him to go in that area, so he will understand that THIS area is for going potty and he should be going potty when he is there.


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## WVGSD (Nov 28, 2006)

*Just adopted my GSD and need help?*

One thing that might be helpful to know is what are you feeding him and how often? Is he fed free feed style or at the same times morning and night? Establishing a routine helps with toileting on a schedule. 

I just adopted/rescued a GSD from a shelter that has never been a house dog too. My adoption took place on 12/22/2010, so I am going through the exact same challenges. With six other dogs, however, I never expect to be alone in my home . We are starting crate training with my boy and are working hard to supervise him at any time he happens to be loose in the house. So far, we have had decent success, although there have been three accidents so far. My male only poohs twice daily, so I have more of a challenge with urination than bowel movements.

If I can help, please just let me know. 

Shannon


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## fiorellita9 (Aug 12, 2010)

Good luck! Dagger did that for a few days while getting used to the house. We taught him how to ring a bell when he wants out and now we have absolutely no issues. Yours is older though so you have to be more patient. About the velcro-dog thing? when I got mine I got told say goodbye to ur personal space n time haha he has backed off a lot since he got used to our house and routines. As for his anxiety when he doesn't see you, it can be heartbreaking to hear them whine but they have to get used to you not always being there. When I leave the house I don't make a big issue of saying goodbye, just give him a treat and I leave the radio on. He does great! I hope things turn out good for you and keep us updated!


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## Dave (Nov 28, 2010)

Definitely helps to get on a schedule. Try and feed twice a day at the same time. Duke will usually go about a half hour or so after he gets up in the morning and I take him out around ten at night. I feed twice a day. Early a.m. and around suppertime for us humans. When i first got Duke I took him out every 30 min. I also take him to the same place to "go" and I don't let him "sniff" around until we get there. Then he knows it's time. I hope this helps. 
Duke is around two and is kind of a rescue himself. Definitely velcro at first but has eased up as he's gotten used to our routine.


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## dogs_dolls (Apr 27, 2001)

Pooping on leash can be a big adjustment for some dogs. We have always adopted adults and they have NEVER been house trained. I usually keep them leashed to me in the house for the first several days (and nights). Aside from that ...routine, routine, routine. And all the above suggestions and advice are great. Let us know how the crate training goes...that is something I have never been very good at but I fully realize the value of.


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## ponyfarm (Apr 11, 2010)

I rescued a husky mix that was literally running wild in Ohio. First thing he did when he walked in the house was to lift his leg and pee on the dining room table. Whoops!! I kept him leashed with me or in his crate with a kong. He was heart worm positive..so he spent awhile resting. 

He did not want to poop on-lead. We don't have a fenced yard and I did not feel comfortable letting an adult husky rescue off-lead. What worked for him was to get a long line..tie him near a brushy spot..pretend not to watch . Not watching was the key. It took at least a year (really) before he was comfortable pooping on a shorter lead.

The key was keeping a schedule, keeping him leashed in the house, then letting him have his privacy when it was his time.

Good luck


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## SARAHSMITH (Sep 19, 2010)

My puppy follows me in my shower! Then he licks my legs when I get out - Yuck! He's learned to jump on the handle to open doors so we have to lock them if we want any alone time. I must admit, I actually like that he follows me everywhere.


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## FriendtoFido (Dec 27, 2010)

Does he push the curtain back while you shower, or just has to be in the bathroom? If he doesn't push the curtain back- you've got your "alone time" 
My Lab-Shep has done this for 8 years- it's on the last year that she is now content to check on me, and then go lay down on her dog bed in my bedroom- directly next to the open bathroom door. 
I like it.
As for the housebreaking- give it time. And I highly recommend vigourous exercise.
Take your dog out, I dont know what your weather is, but jog your dog, or bike with your dog until the dog poops. I do this with my fosters and it works like a charm.
Don't give up. If for some reason you HAVE to come in before he goes-you are freezing or you have to use the bathroom yourself...Crate immediately, take a 10 minute break and then go back out.
But really- exercise is the best way to get a dog to poop- and a long leash.


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## heatherr (Jun 5, 2010)

Whenever I go into the bathroom, one cat is on the floor by the heater, the other cat is perched on the railing next to the door, and my dog is laying in front of the door.

Whenever I go into the basement, that is gated off from the pup he stays at the top of the stairs looking down the whole time, and the cats are almost always in the basement, or at the ledge by the top of those stairs.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I would think that taking him out every 10 minutes is way too frequent. I do think you should keep him leashed to you in the house all the time (until you get the crate up) Then if he starts to defecate, you can quickly move him outside. 
Another thing is to remember to not be upset at the wrecks. Treat them matter of factly or he will find it very interesting (and rewarding) that you get so excited about it (& therefore think it is a good thing to do.)
It will probably also help if you have an area outside where he can be off lead. Another thought is to take him back out once you come in (before he has time for his little prize for you) - and to just wait him out outside.
[Did someone tell you this was going to be fast?]


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

There are dogs that won't potty outside on leash. When the leash is off inside, they potty. Is he on leash or free? A long enough leash so that he cannnot feel it could help.


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