How can I stop my puppy from peeing in the house?

Question

He is an 8 month old West Highland Terrier, and has a doggie door which is always open to him. Please give me some ideas.

Answer 1

Even if he was potty trained prior to this you are going to have to start all over in a way. Somehow he has gotten it in is head that he can potty inside. Read below.

You will want to crate train him. When there is no one available to constantly watch him, you will want to put him in his crate. Now, he can't be expected to hold his potty overnight or while you are at work all day so you need to make sure that they crate is large enough for a place to sleep (old towel or blanket) and a place to potty, so that the puppy won’t have to sleep in it. A dog will potty where it sleeps if it has to go and cannot hold it. You don’t want the puppy to have to lay in potty all day. A lot of people might disagree with this and say that the crate should only be large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around and lay down. This is not the case. Once it again, it isn't realistic for us to expect a little puppy to hold their potty for that long. If the dog is loose in the house and does have an accident all that you should do is clean it up and go on with life. Do not punish the dog. It is your responsibility to not let the dog have an accident in the house. Make sure you are using an enzymatic cleaner for the carpet or soiled bedding like Nature's Miracle to remove the enzymes from their potty, otherwise they will smell it and return to that spot. When you take the dog to go outside (which should be 15 minutes after eating, sleeping, playing, or drinking) go with the dog. If you are just letting them outside there will be no way for you to tell if they have went to the bathroom or not and being a puppy they will lose focus of the task at hand. In other words, they will get outside and chase leaves, play in the dirt, see squirrels, etc. and then get back inside and potty. After they have gone to the bathroom outside, in the most exciting voice you can muster, praise them. I always try to remember to grab a treat before I go out, that way they can be rewarded. Make sure it is a soft, bite-sized treat, that way when you give it to them they don't forget what they are being rewarded for while they are eating it. I hope this helps. Be patient and consistent, potty training can be difficult!

Answer 2

Please whatever you do, don't listen to the people who tell you to rub your dogs nose in it, or stick them next to their accident and hit them. All this will do is make your dog afraid of you. It will teach them nothing about pottying.

Once a dog has done something, a few seconds later it has no memory of having done it. You rubbing your dog's nose in it's mess means nothing to the dog. All it says to the dog is that this crazy human is rubbing my nose in something that's kinda stinky. And now they're hitting me. Why? The dog has no clue.

The only time you can correct a dog who is going in the house is when you actually see them doing it. When that happens, get their attention somehow (I usually say "No!" and accompany that with a hand-clap), and escort them to the door. Take them outside (you have to go too) and when they continue with their pottying, wait until they finish up then IMMEDIATELY the very second the last drop of pee hits the ground, throw an enormous puppy party. Treats, kisses, playing, the works. Likewise, when you are home, every hour or so, take the dog out and if the dog pottys, throw another huge puppy party. If not, just ignore the dog and bring him back inside.

When you can't supervise the dog, crate him or her. Most dogs will instinctually not go in the same space that they sleep and eat in.

Doggie doors in my opinion are really bad ideas. They give the false impression to dog owners that their dog can just be self-sufficient. Dogs can't. As far as the dog is concerned, inside and outside might as well be all the same, though outside might have some more interesting sounds and smells. Unless you are around to train your dog to know the difference, he won't. Also, there's a family with a dog-door in our neighborhood, and any time of the day or night, it can go outside and bark to its heart's content. Not good.

Answer 3

He is still a puppy and needs to be taught just like a child he doesn't know what exactly to do so I would suggest paper training show him where to go and if you have a fenced yard you can show him by watching when he seems like he needs to go take him out side then show him the doggie door. Also if there is a Petsmart they have a dog training program for puppies.

Answer 4

put him in a little cage with a whole bunch of newspaper, take him out often, I mean OFTEN! Every time he goes outside reward him with either treats or by petting him. You have to be very, VERY patient when it comes to training a puppy. After he starts getting the hang of going outside, then try to get him to use the doggie door. But you can't expect him to get it right off the bat. He needs a lot of patience and attention.

Answer 5

Learn about clicker training. Join yahoo group Clicker Solutions. Give a reward when he goes potty outside. Don't let him have access to the house when not supervised. Be vigilant about making sure he goes potty. Go outside with him for a few weeks to make sure he goes, and give the reward right there, on the spot. Buy Dr. Ian Dunbar's book Everything you need to know before and after you get your puppy.

Answer 6

As disagreeable as it is, pups are like kids, you ought to use a little discipline to teach them. Tell her NO in an angry voice, and smack her on the rear whilst you capture her peeing inside of. Or for those who just in finding the spot later, rub her nose in it whilst announcing NO. Attempt to take her outside as regularly as viable as good, and provides her smalls treats and numerous reward when she finishes 'going' external. Trust me, you need to try this the correct way now, otherwise you would grow to be with a dog thats by no means real housebroken. To go even further, in the event you dont correct the main issue now, perhaps in 2 yrs you'll get in poor health of it and send her to the safe haven, when it will be your own fault to start with. "spare the rod, ruin the little one" simply ignoring the quandary doesn't make it go away with a dog any more than ignoring another variety of quandary would make it go away.

Answer 7

Remember: dogs are not born knowing they go potty outside, not on your rug.
Crate train and when she is not in her crate watch her every second. Dogs go through a routine before they eliminate, some sniff, some circle... when you see that pick her up and run outside and say hurry up (whatever you want the cue to be). If she goes outside, praise her ton. Not just a "good dog", throw a party, run around in circles, give her a piece of cooked hotdog.
Obviously you must take her outside often, I would say every hour, but dogs must go after they eat sleep and exercise. Take her out, say hurry up, when she goes praise and go inside.
If you take your eyes off of her and she goes and you don't see her doing it, that is your fault, do not punish her because she will not know why she is in trouble. If you catch her in the act, make a loud noise to stop her and rush her outside. Praise her after she goes. Don’t smack her if she pees in the house, she may just try to hold it forever and develop bladder problems, something you really don’t want.
I cannot tell you how helpful a crate has been in housebreaking my puppy. He has never had an accident in his crate and when I get him out of his crate we go directly outside (I carry him) and he pees.
I do not recommend pee pads or paper training. When you use pee pads, you are teaching your dog to go potty in your house. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my dog peeing anywhere in my house, pee pad or no pee pad.

Answer 8

as disagreeable as it's, dogs are like children, you have got to use slightly field to coach them. inform her NO in an indignant voice, and smack her at the rear while you capture her peeing within. Or for those who simply discover the spot later, rub her nostril in it at the same time pronouncing NO. Try to take her external as on the whole as feasible as good, and provide her smalls treats and plenty of compliment while she finishes 'going' external. believe me, you wish to do that the proper method now, in any other case you might grow to be with a puppy thats by no means real housebroken. to head even extra, for those who dont right the crisis now, possibly in two yrs you can get unwell of it and ship her to the safe haven, while it might be your possess fault to start with. "spare the rod, destroy the little one" simply ignoring the crisis does not make it depart with a dog any longer than ignoring every other style of crisis might make it depart.

Answer 9

lauren has a good answer. i disagree about the pee pads though. put them inside for a couple days and slowly start moving them a couple days at a time, towards the door until the pad can then be placed outside in the designated pee area. keep the pad there for about a week and then take it away. and reward her if she pees there.

Answer 10

look for signs that she wants to go (like sniffing around in corners). When that occurs take her outside right away. When she does go potty outside, give her a lot of praise and a treat. When she goes inside, just ignore it (but obviously clean it up).