New puppy Mom is exhausted!

JanS

JanS

Forums Regular
Beau Dalton just made 4 months, still a baby but! House training has been doing pretty good with a few oops here and there, mostly because I was not paying close attention. Today he is hyper! He played outside this morning, had a good nap, went potty then had lunch. I took him back out but he would not go. Brought in and put him in the pen so I could do a few things. Finished quickly and sat on couch. Beau looks at me with favorite toy in mouth, turns and plays. I took my eyes off for a couple of minutes to watch a local news story. Look up and he had pooped! Made a mess with it as well! So, get him clean, wipe toys as needed and proceed to clean pen area. Beau intently watching the whole process. I told him that Mommy wasn’t happy to go play with his toys. All cleaned up. I sit down for a minute and Beau goes to get a drink. I think, time to take him out. Before I could stand up, he looks me square in the eyes and pees! I am now exhausted and Beau is in his crate! What am I to do? Sorry, had to let it out somewhere and chose those that may or may not have dealt with the same issue! Oh yes, he had his last round of puppy shots yesterday, may or may not matter. Maybe defiance? Help!
 
JanS said:
Beau Dalton just made 4 months, still a baby but! House training has been doing pretty good with a few oops here and there, mostly because I was not paying close attention. Today he is hyper! He played outside this morning, had a good nap, went potty then had lunch. I took him back out but he would not go. Brought in and put him in the pen so I could do a few things. Finished quickly and sat on couch. Beau looks at me with favorite toy in mouth, turns and plays. I took my eyes off for a couple of minutes to watch a local news story. Look up and he had pooped! Made a mess with it as well! So, get him clean, wipe toys as needed and proceed to clean pen area. Beau intently watching the whole process. I told him that Mommy wasn’t happy to go play with his toys. All cleaned up. I sit down for a minute and Beau goes to get a drink. I think, time to take him out. Before I could stand up, he looks me square in the eyes and pees! I am now exhausted and Beau is in his crate! What am I to do? Sorry, had to let it out somewhere and chose those that may or may not have dealt with the same issue! Oh yes, he had his last round of puppy shots yesterday, may or may not matter. Maybe defiance? Help!
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You are not alone on this issue and you are not doing anything wrong. My Laddie has repeatedly shown exactly the same behavior that you are dealing with in your Beau Dalton. I do think the vaccines may be related as Laddie has regressed on housebreaking after every vaccine. I know this is discouraging when you are doing everything possible but cut yourself and Beau Dalton some slack...he will become fully housebroken given time. Unless you actually catch him in the act, don't scold...if you do catch him as he pees or poops give a sharp "NO", pick him up and take him outside and stay with him until he hopefully finishes what he started inside and you can praise him. I have had Sheltie pups who were 100% reliably housebroken by 3 months old...but have had others who took much longer...but all made it.
Trini
 
I agree with Trini - think of how yucky you feel when you aren't feeling 100%. So I do think vaccines play a role.

Also, I think the push is far too quick to feel that our puppies are potty trained and man, it gets STRESSFUL!!!! but with time, they learn, they grow, their bodies mature and they get it. While I do think that some puppies potty train quickly and easily, there are many who don't. Some times it is puppy who is trained, other times it is the human involved that is on a scheduled more than the pupper who is potty trained. And I do feel that girls mature quicker and are more in tune with mommy or daddy's feelings. Little boys want to play and have very short term memory and it takes them a while to clue in on stuff. Regardless, they all get it, or at least most do! Shelties are a smart breed and they do like to be clean so I think it makes training easier.

Deacon is now 24 1/2 weeks old - he will be 6 months on the 15th. He started really cluing in on the whole potty training thing about 19 weeks, went 2 weeks, then daddy let him in our carpeted family room without bringing him outside first and he peed, he hasn't had an accident since but I don't considered him 'potty trained' just doing really, really well and hasn't had an accident. Do I think he will never have another - nope, I am quite confident that if I backslide, he won't hold it. We have slowly opened up the main floor for him; he now has access to most of it except for the living and family rooms. He does come and bark and jump at me if he wants to go, he hasn't gone to daddy to bark and jump yet though - mommy takes him out most.

Beau Dalton will get it! It just may take time! Do get it settled too that he will have a rebellious period - a 'teenager' stage. He will be reliable, the out of the blue he might start having accidents. Brodie was 9 or 10 months old if I remember, had NEVER pooped indoors, and for about a week pooped right in front of our tv. Back to crate training he went for a few days and he got over that stage. When he went through his second fear stage around 16 months old, he yet again pooped - this time in my daughter's room upstairs. A day or two of crate training and he got over that as well.

Stick with it momma! You're doing great and it will come in time!!!

Edited to add - I have read not to allow puppy to see you clean up their messes, but I don't remember where or the reasoning behind it. Someone here most likely knows.
 
Ahhh puppies....having had 3 puppies in 6 years I can attest to what Trini said! They’ll make you smile and they’ll make you want to scream lol. Consistently is key, if he’s not letting you know and having accidents then go back to the beginning in your training. Your not doing anything wrong, he’s just forgetting and puppies forget all the time, over and over. So no freedom, if he’s having accidents in his pen make it smaller and lots of treats and praise. If he starts to show you again when he needs to go out don’t increase his freedom too much.
Blueberry at 5 1/2 months will bark at me when she has to go out and it’s still quite often, sometimes every half hour with playing but she will go in the house if I make her wait (my fault, not hers) but I did catch her one day having a poop in the living room and she didn’t let me know that time...big NOOOOO and outside she went, hasn’t happened again.
Blueberry is my first girl in awhile, both my boys took way too long lol but as Trini said they did get it eventually!
 
Four months is young yet, they don't have full bladder control until at least 6 months. It's tempting to think they are being defiant or "playing" you, but they are just babies. Meadow finally had her last accident at 5 months and is now solid on her house manners. it will come. I know it's tiring but outside every half hour to hour until you are back on track, and yes in the pen when you can't watch him directly. This stage doesn't last forever, I promise!
 
I bet if I looked back I could find a post I wrote identical to this one when Fillion was a baby :) First puppy in 30 years, thought I was gonna die of exhaustion LOL. The kind folks on here said the very things you just read above--and they were right! It clicked finally, we made it--and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Few years down the road you're gonna be missing the puppy days--promise!
 
Margi said:
I bet if I looked back I could find a post I wrote identical to this one when Fillion was a baby :) First puppy in 30 years, thought I was gonna die of exhaustion LOL. The kind folks on here said the very things you just read above--and they were right! It clicked finally, we made it--and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Few years down the road you're gonna be missing the puppy days--promise!
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Yup...that’s why I usually wait 3 years to get another...takes me that long to forget the bad and miss the good hahaha!
 
Thanks everyone for the encouragement. He was certainly acting out this morning. He has always waited to get outside first thing in the morning - not today. As I was unlocking the door he peed. Got him out and he did more so he got a good boy! Put him in the pen so I could get dressed - cleaned up three piddles in 20 minutes! I’m praying the shots caused all these issues and that we get back to “our” normal. Glad to hear I am not alone with issues. He goes to day care today (in with other puppies). He has been, but kept in isolation until he got his rabies shot so today will be a big day for him. I am praying he does well, gets really tired from playing and comes home a bit calmer - wishful thinking! Thanks again! I’m sure I will be back with more questions and vents - LOL. I keep thinking ‘he will out grow all this one day’!
 
Oh I so feel your pain. I always say it's a good thing puppies are so cute and lovable because if they weren't we'd lose patience a lot faster!

One important thing I always tell people is that a puppy's muscles that control elimination are not developed until they're 6 months old. So although you may think puppy is trained, it's really just luck and timing. They may know, and even get it, but the control isn't there. Of course at least once after six months I've always had puppies regress and go through an I've-never-been-trained period, so you have that to look forward to also! Just keep going back to square one when that happens.

Like others here, I've had puppies that weren't completely trained until well after one year old. Like with toddlers, it's a process. Don't get discouraged, just keep Beau on the program of praise, treats and consistency and one day you'll realize your boy is trained!
 
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