Housebreaking...end of rope, help!

[enigmaquandry]

We got Pidge when she was a baby and we have been crate training her and I posted a question about housebreaking when she was young and got a lot of great advice but she's five months old now and still goes inside for no apparent reason. She never goes in her crate (unless she has an upset stomach and can't help it), and she KNOWS to go outside cause she'll pee constantly outside and right away the second she's out the door. But she doesn't ever "tell" us when she has to go out when she's in the apartment and she'll go inside a half hour after she's been outside. She's out of her crate very often as we have a small deck she can be on outside whenever she wants. She goes poop and pee so there doesn't seem to be any difference...these accidents come maybe once a week, but she is not out of her crate in the apartment very much either. If she's out she's either on the deck or outside usually. They are not by the door or in any rhyme or reason. Are these just accidents or is she not learning? We have not caught her in the act these past couple times because we thought she was trustworthy...we have considered abandoning the crate and doing a pen situation when we're gone but I'm not sure if that would make things worse. Anyway, sorry about the length, I'm at my wits end (with a cat who has recently started marking his territory as well, I can hardly stand any more accidents!)!

 

[Caro]

It isn't that unusual for a dog to have accidents at that age. She is about equivalent to a child between 4-7 years old (depending on what chart you use) and at that age they can still have accidents. Remember their bladders are only tiny and the muscles are yet to develop properly.

My female sheltie had trouble holding on until she was about 18mths. She had a dog door during the day to use, but in the mornings and evenings I had to make sure I let her out regularly to toilet even if that meant going outside when she didnt need to go.

If Pidge cannot actually let herself outside when she needs to go I suggest taking her outside more often - dont wait for her to tell you. But also you can teach her to signal to tell you when she needs to go out - there are some forum members who can give you guidance on that.

Also - has the vet checked for a urinary tract infection?

 

[davemize]

One accident per week isn't awful for that age, I agree. To improve the situation, Pidge needs to lose some of that freedom. She should never be able to get out of your sight, not even for a minute. Put her collar & leash on & tie the leash to you, if you have to. Are you controlling her access to food & water? I believe that it's almost impossible to successfully potty train without this. 30 minutes after eating or drinking, take her out. If she doesn't go when out, or if she wants to play instead, put her back in her crate for a bit, then try again. Only after potty-ing for you should she be allowed play time.

I think the biggest thing here is consistency. Try for a schedule of events... feed the same times every day, so potty is about the same time every day. All of us are excited to be able to allow our puppies the run of the house. Doing it too soon, though, can create opportunities for back sliding on our house training. Duncan is 15 weeks olds, hasn't pottied in the house since April 30th, and I still don't trust the little furball Good luck!

 

[OntarioSheltie]

I doubt that she's just not learning, it could be a number of things.

A. She has trouble holding it. Not usually an issue at 5 months old but a definite possibility.

B. She's confused. Each time you clean up the accident you should be cleaning the area of the accident with an odor neutralizer that will completely eliminate the smell. Even if we can't smell it anymore dogs can and this could confuse her into thinking that peeing in the house is ok, since it still smells like pee.

C. She's having a behavioral issue. Sadie was having occasional accident too. She'd go for weeks, even months without any accidents and cleary knew where to go, then she'd pee and/or poo in the house. It took us months of frustration and a dog trainer to realize that Sadie didn't like it when I wasn't paying her enough attention, so she'd pee on the floor. Most notibly, she'd do it when I went to take a shower and didn't bring her inside with me.

Davemize's suggestions were great! You have to limit Pidge's freedom. She should no longer be let out of your sight. If you have to, crate her or leash her to you.

Go back to the strict routine that Davemize mentioned and you'll be on the right track to getting her successfully potty trained.

I know how frustrating it can be, it starts to seem like your dog is going to pee in the house for the rest of its life. Don't worry, she WILL learn and grow out of it

 

[BarbV]

One accident per week isn't awful for that age, I agree. To improve the situation, Pidge needs to lose some of that freedom. She should never be able to get out of your sight, not even for a minute. Put her collar & leash on & tie the leash to you, if you have to. Are you controlling her access to food & water? I believe that it's almost impossible to successfully potty train without this. 30 minutes after eating or drinking, take her out. If she doesn't go when out, or if she wants to play instead, put her back in her crate for a bit, then try again. Only after potty-ing for you should she be allowed play time.

I think the biggest thing here is consistency. Try for a schedule of events... feed the same times every day, so potty is about the same time every day. All of us are excited to be able to allow our puppies the run of the house. Doing it too soon, though, can create opportunities for back sliding on our house training. Duncan is 15 weeks olds, hasn't pottied in the house since April 30th, and I still don't trust the little furball Good luck!

Ditto! Ditto! Ditto!

 

[Crystal1]

Have you ever trained Pidge to ring bells or chimes near the door? It's very simple--every time you put her outside put your hand on her paw or nose and hit the bells. Eventually, she'll hit the bells herself when she wants to go outside. The only problem with our sheltie is that he gets his thrills watching us get up and down for him all the time. After a while, you can stop letting her out every 5 minutes and you'll have a better idea of when she really needs to go. Another thing is to be sure you click, treat, and praise when Pidge does her business outside. When you stop treating too soon, then they might not see the purpose in continuing to go outside. Good luck!!