# Housetraining a 6 year old GSD



## 112233 (Oct 5, 2013)

I recently adopted from the shelter a 6 year old German Shepherd (estimated age) 4 days ago. 

I live in an apartment with a large patio. I have been trying to get him to go out to the patio with treats but he doesn't like going there for some reason. 

I give him his dog food 3x a day. He gets it once in the morning with a walk immediately after, then around 5ish and a walk immediately after, and then around 8 with another walk. He gets 3-5 walks a day. He has never urinated in my apartment but he did **** a few times. 

I'm going to start crate training him when I am not at home (roughly 8-5). At night he has never had an accident because I shut the door in my room, and have blankets right next to me where he sleeps each night. 

My question is, how long should I crate train for? 

Should I crate train him at all even when I am at home? 

When I have caught him ****ting at home, I shout out an immediate no, and take him outside. 

I'm also hoping the crate training would help with separation anxiety. Whenever I have left the house, he pounds on the glass patio door. 

Also (yes I know this is bad timing), a family emergency came up and I need to see my family for a week which is a few hours away (he is great in the car). This is from Friday the 11th at night until Sunday October 20th at night. Should I take him with me (my parents have 3 GSD), or have him get boarded for the week? I will do what is best for the dog for that week $ no object!! I want him to have a good life!


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

You may have noticed that some of the things you typed didn't show - so welcome to the board and review the rules you signed off on when signing up!  

Thanks for adopting a shelter dog - a 6 year old to boot!

8-5 (not sure if those are work hours or if travel time is also in there) can be a long time for a dog without a break - I am wondering if you are able to come home at lunch, have a trusted/dog savvy person to help, or hire a walker/sitter 1x a day. The crate may make the anxiety worse - I would test it out a bit first. 

For the poop, take what he does outside and let him see where you want him to go. Keep putting the poop out. Just calmly - no big deal, and start to reward him for pooping outside - you will need to fade that over time, but for now, things are new, so he needs to know what is good in order to do it. 

Good that he's not urinating! 

I would board a dog in a trusted facility rather than go to a situation of emergency with a new dog and 3 other dogs, as a new dog owner. 

Congrats again!


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## 112233 (Oct 5, 2013)

Oops sorry about the term I used for feces! 

Those hours include travel time and errands. I leave for work at 8 and work ends at 3:30 (I try to leave at 3:30 on the dot whenever possible!). I would say every other day I do errands from 3:30 not arriving home until 5. 

Whenever he pees and poops outside I give an immediate good boy, and give him a little treat if he poops. 

My lunch break is only 30 minutes. I could probably get it to 45 though without anyone knowing. I live 15 minutes from work. 

I can look into paying someone midday during the week. 




JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> You may have noticed that some of the things you typed didn't show - so welcome to the board and review the rules you signed off on when signing up!
> 
> Thanks for adopting a shelter dog - a 6 year old to boot!
> 
> ...


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

No problem!

This is what I would do - come home at 3:30, do stuff with the dog, tire him out, go out and do errands. When I got my first dog, I read How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend - I don't even know if it's a good book anymore, but I remember it saying how now your schedule revolves around the dog. On days it's not possible, get a really good person to help you out. 

Yep, keep doing that - I talk to the dog about what I want - hey, let's poop out here, kind of thing. They really are confused - when they are in a smaller area, they don't want to mess it, like in your bedroom - or if they don't NEED to do it and can hold it - but smart dogs will poop in the house if they need to go and don't know how to ask, have enough room to do it, etc. Using bells on the door to help him tell you helps too. 

I do a potty schedule, and the dogs seem to respond well to that - but it's great for them to be able to come get you when they have to go, and that will come with time. I have an 11.5 yo GSD who is still weird about telling me - she will stare and walk, but is not pushy enough to nudge or paw. Every once in a while at night, she will stare and walk, and I am sleeping, and she's like, well, guess I just need to go....noooooooo!  But now, my BC/Chow mix is getting me for her!!! I have a  service dog! YAY!


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## 112233 (Oct 5, 2013)

I'm an idiot. I never thought about coming straight home at 3:30 to spend time with the dog and then going out to do errands. Should I then put him back in the crate while I do errands?

Unfortunately I have no trusted person here. I relocated to a new city at the beginning of August and have no one here 

How long should I crate train for?



JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> No problem!
> 
> This is what I would do - come home at 3:30, do stuff with the dog, tire him out, go out and do errands. When I got my first dog, I read How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend - I don't even know if it's a good book anymore, but I remember it saying how now your schedule revolves around the dog. On days it's not possible, get a really good person to help you out.
> 
> ...


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Is there a reason you are feeding him 3 times a day? I feed my personal and foster dogs twice a day - morning and between 3:30 and 4:00. This gives them plenty of time to finish up before bedtime. Neither has accidents. How much are you feeding? The GSD here gets 3 cups of kibble - 1 1/2 cups each meal. He poos 2 or 3 times a day.

I agree it would be unwise to take him on the road trip at this time. Is there anyone you trust to be a house/pet sitter for you? I have done this the past few years for my pets. I LOVE it. My pets get to stay home. No change in environment or routine. Someone is there all night. Just a thought.


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## 112233 (Oct 5, 2013)

Stevenzachsmom said:


> Is there a reason you are feeding him 3 times a day? I feed my personal and foster dogs twice a day - morning and between 3:30 and 4:00. This gives them plenty of time to finish up before bedtime. Neither has accidents. How much are you feeding? The GSD here gets 3 cups of kibble - 1 1/2 cups each meal. He poos 2 or 3 times a day.
> 
> I agree it would be unwise to take him on the road trip at this time. Is there anyone you trust to be a house/pet sitter for you? I have done this the past few years for my pets. I LOVE it. My pets get to stay home. No change in environment or routine. Someone is there all night. Just a thought.


I'm feeding him 3x a day because he is underweight. I do the same amount of kibble as you. 

Like I said before, I am new to the area and don't know 1 person here yet. I don't think I feel comfortable letting a stranger stay in my home yet.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Sorry, I missed that. But...do you have a community association or anything like that? Church group? Co-worker references? I'm just asking, because that's how we get a lot of referrals in our neighborhood - dog walker, pet sitters, baby sitters, etc. References are good.

My daughters house and pet sit. They are college students. They never need to advertise. They get more work than they can handle. 

Your boy will be fine in boarding for a week. Sorry about your family emergency. Thank you for saving him. He is a lucky boy.


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## 112233 (Oct 5, 2013)

Stevenzachsmom said:


> Sorry, I missed that. But...do you have a community association or anything like that? Church group? Co-worker references? I'm just asking, because that's how we get a lot of referrals in our neighborhood - dog walker, pet sitters, baby sitters, etc. References are good.
> 
> My daughters house and pet sit. They are college students. They never need to advertise. They get more work than they can handle.
> 
> Your boy will be fine in boarding for a week. Sorry about your family emergency. Thank you for saving him. He is a lucky boy.


I will ask coworkers. Today I bought him a crate off CL for $50 and asked for a recommendation from the people. They just board. 

I found someone on CL who works at a popular animal hospital here. I'm meeting her tomorrow to see if she is normal.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

This method of crate training worked really well for my dog:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/weekend-crate-training

It is done over the course of a weekend so your dog can adjust. 

What we did was crate at first and then start leaving her out for half the day (I have a long lunch break) and finally a full day. We would not increase the amount of time she was left out unless she was flawless about going outside (however she appeared to be housetrained, so that was easy). I agree that leaving him in just one room might make it easier for him to hold it, especially if he sleeps there. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## mtmarabianz (Jan 7, 2010)

Why did you get this dog, to keep in a crate? GSD take exercise, walking, hour a.m., couple hours pm, if you have no where to run the dog.

Not his fault, handler error here
he KNOWS not to POOP inside, you are doing him dis-service.

Proper exercise, he won't need a crate while your gone. But think about not going to the bathroom for 8 hours, while you are gone, mite help your mind set.

Think peeps in this situation need a cat.

& just got the dog, 4 days ago, what confusion for the dog. Home, then person gone, doesn't know schedule, is ther one?


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## mtmarabianz (Jan 7, 2010)

After 4 days of owning, how much time have you had to spend with this dog?

Large breed dog, in an apt, balconies, WTF

If you don't have the time, your family owns GSD, how much do you know about them? Not much?


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Many people crate their dogs while they are at work, particularly dogs you are house training. It's not the end of the world ... nor something they may always have to do. I personally wouldn't try to train a dog to use the balcony as a bathroom, but that's me.


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