Potty train a dog

[klpca]

We adopted an adult rescue 13 years ago. She is still going strong at the approximate age of 15.

Potty training her was a total challenge. It took a full year. She had clearly been an outside dog and to this day she prefers to be outside. She rarely will "go" on a walk, even after all of these years. Sometimes she went outside, but sometimes she went inside. She was a stealth pottier - we never saw her do it, we just discovered the evidence. So frustrating!! What ultimately happened is that I managed to catch her twice - once just after she had piddled, and once when she was on her way to piddle (she had her favorite spot - in the middle of the dining room. Ugh.) The first time that I caught her I asked her "Did you just go potty? Doggies potty outside!" - and outside we went. It wasn't a week later that I was in the kitchen and saw her slink into the dining room - I yelled "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Doggies go potty outside!" - and outside we went. She never had another accident. It was like the light finally came on in her head. Once she truly understood what we wanted, she was golden.

I don't have any specific advice to offer - my limited experience has been that every lab that we have ever owned (3) has been very easy to train, and that Miss Mia (rescue - cattledog/sheltie mix) would try anyone's patience. We had to replace our carpet. It was pretty awful. I'm pretty solid on training a dog, or so I thought, but I found potty training an adult dog to be a real challenge.

In my mind, this advice seems very good (not that it worked with Miss Mia, lol):

Agree with staying outside WITH DOG until business is done, then a big ole party "GOOD PEE PEE OUTSIDE!" and pop a treat into dog's mouth RIGHT THEN. Don't wait to get inside for the reward, have it in your pocket.

Routine is super important, make one, stick with it.

Good luck, and thank you for rescuing!!

 

[stmartinfan]

Taterhed,
Sophie is a very lucky dog to have found you!

 

[taterhed]

Taterhed,
Sophie is a very lucky dog to have found you!

Well, technically, I think we are very lucky to have found her.

We love our dogs. Thanks.

Our Rat Terrorist Rescue, on the other hand, reminds us how lucky we are every morning about 8am. good morning...hello...time to get up!!
SQUIRELL!!!! :zzz:

 

[presley]

She was a death-row dog due to her breed. She had been in a tiny, sub-standard concrete 4x6 cell (she's a big dog). The first time we saw her, she was frantically pacing the pen, covered in feces and urine, had severe nervous diarrhea and was a real candidate for euthanasia.

If only more people would look past that stuff and realize a little food, love and medical intervention could completely change everything.

One of my dogs was 9 when we took him in. He had already been adopted out 3 times and returned. A different rescue group took him at that point and that's where I met him. He needed a lot of medical help, but everything he had was treatable. After having all but 3 teeth pulled, cataract surgery and getting on medication for Cushing's, he's much healthier now at age 13 than he was when we got him. Last year the vet said that most people would have put him to sleep by now. I said I'd do that in a heartbeat if he had something that wasn't treatable, but since everything has been fixed by surgery or medication, there hasn't been any reason to do that. Sure, it's been a lot of work, but it's been worth it. This dog is my husband's soul mate.

P.S. I'm jealous you get to sleep in til 8! My old man wakes me up between 4 and 5 every day so he can go outside and poop.

 

[taterhed]

If only more people would look past that stuff and realize a little food, love and medical intervention could completely change everything.

One of my dogs was 9 when we took him in. He had already been adopted out 3 times and returned. A different rescue group took him at that point and that's where I met him. He needed a lot of medical help, but everything he had was treatable. After having all but 3 teeth pulled, cataract surgery and getting on medication for Cushing's, he's much healthier now at age 13 than he was when we got him. Last year the vet said that most people would have put him to sleep by now. I said I'd do that in a heartbeat if he had something that wasn't treatable, but since everything has been fixed by surgery or medication, there hasn't been any reason to do that. Sure, it's been a lot of work, but it's been worth it. This dog is my husband's soul mate.

P.S. I'm jealous you get to sleep in til 8! My old man wakes me up between 4 and 5 every day so he can go outside and poop.

I do shift work. Up most days a 0321 in the am. On my days off, especially that first one, I like to sleep till 8. My dogs--not so much. :>

 

[kembjkk]

dog training

With our golden doodle we kept him in a crate a lot, he was happy in it. They won't poop where they sleep, will keep it clean. We let him out regularly to poop outside, which he did, we then gave him lots of praise and attention and treats. I think it helps to take the dog to the same place and then he will smell it and it will help him go. Also saves the lawn! When we took him back in we played with him and then put him back in the crate. It wasn't long at all before he knew to go potty outside. Hope that helps.

 

[VegasBella]

She doesn't like to go peep and poop outside of the house whenever we go walking. As soon as we come home, she does it.

I have three rescued dogs and I've fostered and babysat a few others. This particular behavior suggests to me that your dog is a bit on the submissive side and that's why she's not going during her walks. She doesn't want to compete with the other dogs she smells along her walk by leaving her scent. I have one dog just like this. But the walks are good and keep doing them. She needs the exercise AND they do stimulate defecation (just like chewing).

So when you get back from your walk, take her to the back yard (I hope you have one) and just stay out there with her until she goes. It might take a while the first few times but eventually she'll get it. As soon as she goes, give her a praise and a treat. Act excited about it (like potty training a toddler).

Another suggestion if you can do it is to tether her to you whenever she's not crated. Learn her signs of when she has to go and take her out immediately. Then praise and treat and repeat.

 

[myip]

We got the dog on last Sat 8/22. It is a little dog that was rescued from Korea Meat Truck. It flew into US on Friday along with several other rescued dogs. We adopted her on Sat. She is pretty well behaved. We just have potty issue. We feed her tonight at 4:30pm and took her for 1 hour walk. (no peep or poop). We left her in the confined area backyard while I am reading a book for 2 hours now and still no peep or poop. I will walk her again around 8:30pm to see what happen. Hopefully, it will come out. It seems kind of strange for a dog to have only 2 peeps and 1 poop a day. I have a dog previously that peeps all the time whenever we go out for a walk. It is a boy. This one is a girl. I also make an appointment with the vet on coming Sat just for a general check up.

 

[VegasBella]

I also make an appointment with the vet on coming Sat just for a general check up.

Good idea.

My girl only likes to go potty in our yard. She will go on walks but it took maybe a year or so before she started doing that. And still, she only goes potty on walks when she really can't hold it any longer. And it's rarely number 2 on walks. The first week or so we had her she was so nervous she would just hold it longer than she does now.

Our girl was a stray. She was living on a construction site and was kind of a "junk yard dog" that the workers fed on workdays. So our girl was living outdoors for a while and being a "pet" was all kind of new. It's possible your girl prefers going potty indoors because that's what's familiar to her. I don't know where dogs raised for meat usually live but if it's anything like how pigs and chickens are raised for meat in this country then it's commonly indoors.

 

[myip]

It's possible your girl prefers going potty indoors because that's what's familiar to her. I don't know where dogs raised for meat usually live but if it's anything like how pigs and chickens are raised for meat in this country then it's commonly indoors.

The more I think about it. The dog is mostly a pet as a puppy since it is well behaved and doesn't begged for food at dinner time. She just sits nicely while we have dinner. She sleeps very quietly in a crate and doesn't complain. In Korea, most dogs lived inside an apartment and not much outdoor play. It may be used to indoor potty. Once the dog is abandoned, it is very hard to re-home since it is not a pure breed. It is sold for meat.

The good news is that she finally peeps outside tonight at 9:00pm.

 

[Passepartout]

Once the dog is abandoned, it is very hard to re-home since it is not a pure breed. It is sold for meat.

The good news is that she finally peeps outside tonight at 9:00pm.

Wow!, now THAT'S what I call a rescue. Bless you. Once you get recognizing the signs that she's scouting a place to go potty and you can get her outside, I'll bet she catches on. Good Luck

Jim

 

[geekette]

I have three rescued dogs and I've fostered and babysat a few others. This particular behavior suggests to me that your dog is a bit on the submissive side and that's why she's not going during her walks. She doesn't want to compete with the other dogs she smells along her walk by leaving her scent. I have one dog just like this. But the walks are good and keep doing them. She needs the exercise AND they do stimulate defecation (just like chewing).

Not sure about this. My girl is submissive (rescued at 8 weeks) and almost always poops on a walk. I figured it was more exciting than pooping at home. I generally have several baggies on a walk, because she rarely leaves a pile, more like a log here a log there, a log everywhere she can manage...