# I'm failing at potty training, please help



## CaliShepherd (Jun 24, 2015)

Hi all,

I need some advice with potty training, as it's currently going terrible. I have a male GSD puppy that is 3 months old. My current routine so far has been to take him out every hour or two, and about twenty minutes after he has eaten or drank anything. 

I keep him in an ex-pen, but he seems to have no clue not to go pee in the pen. I don't know if there's a way I can teach him to alert me that he has to potty? I thought of bell training, but he doesn't have free reign of the house and when he's not with me he is in the exercise pen. If I put it in the pen I can't help but think he would just try to play with it.

For instance today, I had just played with him outside for about 45 minutes, at the end of the session he drank some water, and then pottied. I put him in his ex-pen, checked twenty minutes later, and there was a pee puddle.

I never yell at him for pottying inside, and I reward him when he goes outside, but he doesn't seem to understand that pottying inside is a no-no.

Can I have some help with this process?

(Attached is a photo of my cute little stealth pottier)


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## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

Holy cow he is adorable!!! Does he ever have incidents outside of the pen/when with you? If not he may think this as a "legit" potty spot. Wick also thought this so we actually just moved it outside to encourage pottying out side and instead chose to either crate him inside or watch him like a hawk. For you it may be even as simple as removing the pen and switching to a baby gate in another room or something similar. If he has learned the behavior to go in that area you will need to make sure he doesn't have access to it or he will keep going there


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## Ayce (Feb 23, 2013)

Hi Cali,

Have you cleaned up the accident spots inside the ex-pen with a solution that's specially formulated to remove all the odors? If not, your puppy might be picking up on the smell and continue pottying on the spot where he smells his mark. Also, it might be an idea to keep the dog with you-maybe on a leash at all times so you can keep an eye on him. When you can't keep an eye on him, maybe put him in his crate, most pups won't soil their sleeping area.

Here's a video from Training Positive on YouTube that might offer some helpful tips:
http://youtu.be/aRcAKOFE60M

Good luck!


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## CaliShepherd (Jun 24, 2015)

Wick, Thank you! . I think you're right and he is thinking of it as an actual potty spot. I'm going to take your suggestion of moving the pen outside.

Ayce. I have nature's miracle, but I think I need to do a more thorough job with the cleaning. Thanks for the video! I'm a big fan of training positive and zak george too.


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## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

Try putting something over the area too like a chair or table or keep him away from it or he will probably still try to go there  they are really smart like that haha. We had to baby gate Wicks old exercise pen area of for about a month until we were sure he was fully potty trained because he would go over there and start to do the poo dance if I didn't notice his subtle door glances quick enough!


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## WesS (Apr 10, 2015)

if you are not crate training and using just the play pen I think you need to reconsider your potty method.

Taking him out and rewarding will probably eventually work. But there will inherently be mistakes. So we want to make those mistakes non mistakes, so what we want is clear to the dog.

I would suggest the newspaper/pad method. Place pads all over play pen. He will always go on pads when he has an 'accident'. You slowly remove the pads. Starting furthest away from sleeping/feeding area. If he does consistently goes on pads without missing you slowly take away more pads. If he misses you start again. 

Eventually he should always go on the pads even on a single pad. Then place the pad outside. You can continue what you are doing with taking him outside and rewarding when he goes.

Other solution is a couple of days, of strict crate training.

The thing with an ex pen.. Is that the dog does not naturally not want to go. He has enough room to go comfortably. 

You can google newspaper/pad potty training. Method is described extensively on the Internet.


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

Just my experience... my male dutchie did the same thing. Would go in his ex-pen. And while he took longer than my other dogs, by 16 weeks he was/is bomb proof. Maybe keep it up, be consistent, and he is just a late bloomer?


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## Jake and Elwood (Feb 1, 2014)

Our boys did the same thing in their x- pen.... too much space.... they didn't have accidents in their kennels... maybe it's a bit too soon for the pen.


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## lexiz (Apr 4, 2015)

Like the others said, I would work more on potty training and crate training before you let him loose in a space that large.  He will get it! Good luck!


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

CaliShepherd said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I need some advice with potty training, as it's currently going terrible. I have a male GSD puppy that is 3 months old. My current routine so far has been to take him out every hour or two, and about twenty minutes after he has eaten or drank anything.
> 
> ...


Because there's already some confusion for him Cali, I'd try to be very clear about why I'm taking him out. I'd be very direct about taking him to potty and not mix it with anything else. Something like out to potty, right back in for a few minutes, then out to play. Isolate the potty time to make it clear.


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## KMH (Jul 24, 2013)

I love the Leerburg.com site. I've used Ed Frawley's methods to potty train and was very successful with 2 dogs now. There are free videos and articles you can search for and read regarding potty training. I also use the potty bells. If your dog gives only very subtle clues it needs to go out you can miss them. The potty bells takes the guess work out of it. He (and you) will get it down.


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## Findlay (Jan 8, 2015)

Hi Cali. Before we brought out puppy home, I got the Monks of New Skeet book,
The Art of Raising a Puppy And followed their potty schedule exactly as outlined in the book (right down to the times I took him out).
Their ideas are similar to what Steve Strom suggested.

I also followed their recommendations for crate training.

We've always owned dogs but Finn was our 1st pup, so I had no idea and was getting conflicting advice from well meaning family and friends.
For me the book had a common sense approach for potty training and crate training ideas.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Until I got Barker the Younger the Second, I would have proffered much advise as I had never found it particularly difficult. BTY2 was over 1 yo before we got it down. I couldn't get her to ring the bell to go out. To this day she wails and carries on when we get ready to go outside whether she has been in side 8 hours or 5 minutes. Will she go to the door and wail to get let out to toilet? That's right, the answer is a resounding "no!"

All I have for anyone now is a lot of sympathy.


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## CaliShepherd (Jun 24, 2015)

Thanks for the advice everyone!
We have been potty accident free for 4 days, hooray!

I cleaned his ex-pen really well with enzyme cleaner, we have been working on crate training more, and I've upped the amount of times I take him out to use the bathroom. So far things seem like they are on the right track.


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## Ayce (Feb 23, 2013)

Awesome news Cali! Keep up the good training!


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## ela (Aug 6, 2015)

We keep our crate in an enclosed den and I found that if we don't do strict crate training (only out of crate to play with us or to go outside) then there are accidents. Dash still has a problem distinguishing between outside being outdoors. For her outside of the crate is outside. No pooping but quite a few accidents so I put my foot down with my family who wants the puppy to roam around... not yet. My Daugher tried it once and the puppy pooped in a living room. Definately not ready to be our of a crate and even in a small space like a pantry.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

After washing the area, a finishing rinse with a mixture of 1/2 vinegar 1/2 water works to remove odors. Better yet, it removes any chemical cleaner you used and it's absolutely safe for your pup. Kills 94% of germs too. I lived with a bottle of that in my hand when I was potty training (pads/newspaper).


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## kimkayak (Jan 28, 2014)

Steve Strom said:


> Because there's already some confusion for him Cali, I'd try to be very clear about why I'm taking him out. I'd be very direct about taking him to potty and not mix it with anything else. Something like out to potty, right back in for a few minutes, then out to play. Isolate the potty time to make it clear.


I also couldn't believe how long it took my G.S.D. to only go the bathroom outside. My Golden Retriever only had two accidents in its life, my G.S.D, too many to count. Eventually she got it and has never since. Just be patient, it will happen.


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