my dog is 10 months old and is still not house-trained. any ideas?

Question

Does anyone know the best way to stop my dog going in the house?

Answer 1

The first thing which you have to remember with house training, is that breakdowns can happen at anytime at any stage.

No matter how early or far into training you are.

With training in general there are no rules, and this definitely applies to house training.

You need to begin with a puppy toilet schedule immediately, in order that your puppy quickly becomes into the habit of doing his business outside.

You will be pleased to know that dogs are animals of habit, and your aim is to get your dog into the habit of doing his business outdoors.

Once he gets into this habit, you will quickly find that your dog is uncomfortable with doing his business in doors.

Start with puppy training the moment you bring your dog into your home.

Generally, you will have had to travel slightly to collect your new puppy. Therefore, by the time you are back at your house, you puppy with soon be due a toilet visit.

I recommend that as soon as you get home, you take your dog into the garden/ the area you have chosen to be his 'toilet' effectively.

Make sure that the chosen area remains, as by chopping and changing where your puppy can do his mess, you are only causing confusion for him, and may prove to become difficult for the both of you.


Puppies tend to be happier and more readily able to do their business on short grass rather than concrete. This can be disastrous for your lawn, therefore if you want to prevent your lawn from damage, you could try and tempt your puppy to use the flowerbed, or pick out a designated corner.

You could even corner off a particular area with some low chicken wire. Leaving a little entrance section for him to get in easily.

Remember that particularly with bitches, their urine is very acidic, and will therefore damage your grass a lot quicker than with a male.

Let your puppy walk himself to this area, have him follow you and find his way. By doing this, you are immediately having him learn the route to his special area.

Once your dog is outside - wait.

Don't play with him or cause him any distractions.

Eventually your puppy will squat or carry out the action of urination or defecation.

If you catch him sniffing around, you will find that he will soon be about to mark his new territory!

As soon as you see this, use a word that your dog can later associate as your call in order for him to do his business on command.

Words such as 'be quick' or 'business' are the better choice of words, as you will find that with some words you can make the mistake of picking something which is generally used in day to day conversation. This could become confusing for your dog, and you could even end up with a few mistakes on your carpet.

Once you have chosen your word, you will need to use this consistently, and this must be used by all family members.

As soon as your puppy has finished with his business, go absolutely crazy with joy and make it stick in his mind that what he has done as been outstandingly clever.

You are trying to make sure that a connection in his head is made by him doing his business, and the praise.

Be very careful not to get overly excited at the point where your puppy is still doing his business, as this could distract him from what he is doing.

It is absolutely certain that your puppy will have accidents in the house. How you deal with these accidents are extremely important.

If you come home to find mess on the floor, it is wrong to punish your dog for this, as he won't be able to make the connection due to the time space. Instead, he will connect his punishment with something that has just recently happened, such as him picking up a toy, so this really isn't any good. Your dog could even begin to fear you, and begin to associate getting told off with you returning home after having been out. This is a definite area to avoid like the plague!

If you do physically catch your dog doing his business in-doors, at this point you are able to punish him. But, you do literally have to be there and tell him off immediately, as in now, not 5 seconds later.

At first you would have to say 'No' in quite a firm, low tone!

The best form of reprimand then is to leave your puppy on his own for half an hour at the most. This is the worst form of punishment for a dog, therefore he will quickly learn that what he is doing is wrong, and will therefore prefer to do his business outdoors where he is praised for doing so.

As an alternative measure if you were unhappy to do this, it has also been successful practice to quickly pick your dog up by the scruff of his neck (as how his own mother would do) and take him to the area in the garden where he should be doing his business.

Be careful not to be too rough with him as he may have an accident en route to the garden with fright or being upset.

The myth of rubbing your dogs nose in his own mess is still around today and used by people throughout the world.

This is an absolute horrific thing to do to your dog and will be 100% no use at all.

You will only be teaching your dog to be fearful of you and perhaps other humans too.



Getting into a routine

At the beginning, you will need to take your dog out to do his mess all of the time, because you can never be sure when he really wants to go.

It is also better to take him out and be sure he has been, rather than be sorry.

In the morning, as soon as you wake, you should go downstairs and let your dog out. He shouldn't have to 'wait' an extra 10 minutes while you sort yourself out and by this stage he could be bursting.

Even if you find that your dog has messed during the night, it is still vital that you allow him outside immediately, as he could very well be ready to go again.

Leave the mess until you are back in-doors.

Throughout the day, it is extra important that you let your dog outside about 20 minutes after he has had a feed, or after a long drink of water.

Also when he has woken up from a nap is another good time.

These are generally the most likely times that your dog will need to do something.

At the early stages, especially while his bladder is still small, you should go outside with him hourly as he wouldn't be able to hold himself for very long as it is during the early stages of puppyhood.

Try not to give your puppy any treats after 7pm, and do not leave his water-bowl full to the brim.

Make sure that your dog goes to the toilet last thing at night, before you set off for bed.

Ensure that he does actually do something, as the night could be long for him.

Note: You can leave a small amount of water in his bowl incase he gets thirsty throughout the night. But don't go overboard.

Remember to give him a large, fresh bowl of water in the morning!

As your puppy gets older, you can gradually take him out less during the day for his hourly visits. But you should continue to take him out after meals and naps especially during the first few months.

You will generally find that it is once he is 6 months that his bladder can hold for longer, and therefore at this stage you can begin to set schedules which are more convenient for you. This being in the region of having roughly 5 visits each day, and this would now last throughout the rest of his life.

It is vital that you don't sleep in on Saturdays! Eight hours is long enough for your dog to be waiting around, as he could be on the brink of messing himself.

Imagine how awful this must be for him, especially if he has already been holding it in for the past hour!



Cleaning up

To clean the area, it is important that you don't use anything such as bleach, or anything containing ammonia, as this will attract your dog back to this area to do his business again in the future.

It is usually best to purchase something specifically designed to thoroughly clean the mess and remove any traces of the odour altogether.

If the dog’s odour remains lying, this again will attract him back to do his business there.

Remember that the nose of your dog is extremely sensitive, and the markings are their scent which is something they rely heavily on.

It has been noted that Vinegar is an aid which can also be used to remove the scent left behind.



What to do overnight

First of all before bedtime, you should make sure that your dog does his business.

It is best that you stay with your dog, as you need to be certain that his bowls are empty. You also need to get him into the routine that he must do his business before bedtime. After a few weeks you can eventually leave him to his own devices, once he is eliminating without any problems.

Try not to give your dog a big drink before bed time either, as this will lie on his stomach for a while, and then shortly afterwards he will be bursting to go, and inevitably end up with mess on your kitchen floor.

With regards to leaving newspaper on the floor overnight - it has been suggested that this may be an open invite for your puppy to think he is allowed to do his business on it. This stems back from when he was in his litter, you will find that the majority of puppies would have slept and spent most of their time in a newspapered area.

Of course, they wouldn't at that age have been taught right from wrong. Therefore in the dog’s mind, messing on newspaper isn't a problem.

With no paper around, it is immediately less inviting for the puppy to mess there.

We don't want to associate newspaper with your dog doing his business

It is your decision as to whether to leave your dog in the kitchen overnight in his bed, or whether to have him in a crate.

Wherever you leave your dog however, you need to remember that the bigger the area you leave him in, the more likely he will find a toilet area within the area.

You will find the toilet area not to be near his bed, as dogs like to keep their sleeping quarters clean.

By doing this, your dog isn't learning to control himself, he is just finding a spot where he thinks he can do business.

This is because he has been given too much responsibility too soon.

If you find that your dog cries during the night, you may give him the benefit of the doubt and give him the chance to do his business outside.

Do not offer this on the first two nights that your puppy is while you, as he will generally be homesick and crying for other reasons.

However, if you do offer this then make sure that it is strictly business and make sure that you offer no playtime or treats afterwards.

By rewarding him for this, your dog will begin to cry during the night regardless of whether he needs the loo or not!

Paper training

The goal of paper training is to have your dog relieve himself in-doors and on the paper. I firmly believe that your dog should be trained to eliminate outside otherwise he never firmly becomes house trained.

This may only be a good alternative if you live in a flat, or spend a lot of time out during the day.

However, if you are rarely at home with your dog, you should thoroughly be questioning yourself if you are suitable for a dog, not if a dog is suitable for you.

If you do want to use the paper training process, you would leave paper in a designated area of where your dog is kept.

If at first you find that your dog does his business is a completely new and different area, in future move the paper to his preferred area.
Once your dog uses the paper to do his business, give him praise and make sure he connects that this is a good area to do his mess.
After a few days of praise, your dog will have accepted that this is the correct place for him to do his mess.
Very gradually begin moving the paper to the direction of the back door.
Ensure that you do move it slowly, as your dog will recognise a dramatic change and do his mess in his preferred spot.
If you now want to train your dog into doing his business outside, once you have successfully and gradually completed the move of the paper to the area of the back door, you can now place the paper outside.

It is best that you do this when the weather isn't bad
Once your dog moves to the outside location and successfully does his business there, you may remove the paper altogether.
You have to remember to keep the change minimal and do it very slowly, a small step at a time. Otherwise you may need to start again from the beginning!
Watch out for warning signs, if you have moved your paper to outside, yet your dog is looking for his paper near to the doorway, you have moved too fast and you will need to keep the paper at the doorway for a little while longer.

Note: It is a common problem that puppies in particular don't like the feel which newspaper gives them on their feet, especially with dogs that move around in circles before relieving themselves. You could find that your puppy tries to steer clear of this area, or tries to move the paper away before getting down to business.

In this case you could consider using training pads instead, which will be available from your local pet store.

Signs

Your puppy will often give off signals that he is about to do his mess, so if you're sitting in the lounge and see any of the below, you can quickly escort him to the garden where you must give him praise once he has relieved himself outside.

These signs are generally sniffing, circling, looking around and even giving off a slight cry.

If you notice any of these things, do not continue to watch your dog as it may become too late!

Take him outside immediately as these signs most definitely were to tell you something in the first place.

Problem Solving

You find that when you take your puppy outside to do his business, he doesn't do anything.
Make sure that he isn't allowed to play or wander.

Sometimes he may just stare at you, as if waiting for an action from you.

Only in extreme cases, I would recommend that you perhaps turn away

and walk back into the house, leaving him alone outside.

Make sure that you leave him for no more than 10 seconds, before

returning and starting again.

When you go out this next time, tell your dog to 'be quick' or say 'business'

and try to keep your eyes off him.

Never play with your puppy in the garden until he has done his business.
You need to get him accustomed to doing his mess first, and then

occasionally play will follow.

If you get your puppy overly excited, you run the risk of him losing control of his bladder. This is quite common and this will fade as he grows up and his control mechanism’s mature. You should not punish your puppy at all in the event that this happens, as it is realistically beyond his own control.
If this happens especially when you have visitors come to the house, have

your puppy meet them outside until his initial excitement calms down.

Puppies who are insecure may urinate whenever you approach them. The term for this is called Submissive Urination.
In the event that this is happening with your puppy, you need to remember

that this is not a problem with his house training whatsoever.

To overcome this problem, make yourself softer, gentler and smaller by

way of your body language, your approach, and your voice.

You could even approach your puppy with a toy his is fond of, or a tasty

treat.

Help him to overcome his insecurities, although if you find the problem to

continue you should speak to your Vet who will be able to put you in touch

with someone who is able to offer you professional advice.

As your male dog gets older, do not worry if you find he hasn't yet started to lift his leg during urination.
This will come to him naturally, and you do not need to assist him in

learning.

If you find that he doesn't urinate in this way, it is not uncommon and do

not worry in the slightest.

You will find that if you have your dog put into Kennels while you go on holiday, especially for more than a week, your dog will become used to doing his business in his run. This will show on your return home.
Don't worry with this, give your dog reminders on how his business is to be

conducted whilst at home. You will find that he resumes to normal very

quickly, and you don't need to worry about teaching the whole house

training process from scratch.

Some male dogs find themselves wanting to prove their ranking and masculinity by way of 'marking' their territory throughout the household.
To overcome this problem, make sure that your dog becomes aware of

your position. Make sure that you keep him in tow and not let him get

away with trying to run the roost. When you give him commands,

whatever they may be, ensure that he isn't allowed to ignore you or question your position.

When a puppy has had a good run and play about, you will find that he will need to do his business. At the early stages of house training, try and have your puppy only go wild in the garden. Prevention is always better at these crucial stages.
You must take into account that dogs are like humans and therefore if you have nothing but complaints with your dog in this department, you need to check the possibility that your dog doesn't have a problem such as cystitis. If you have a female dog, has she been spayed quite early on, as this could cause her to have hormonal problems? Most Vets offer free puppy visits up until your dog is a year of age. Take him along, don't be afraid to ask them questions! Its better to have them give the all clear for any physical or medical abnormalities, rather that you assuming in your own mind.


Remember that whenever your dog gets it right, you should never fail to let him know how well he has done!

House training can be very demanding and hard work ~ with sometimes the fear that you will never succeed.

As stated, it can usually take up to 6 months to get it right, and even then you may still have the odd mishap.

Answer 2

Dogs learn quickly and well through lots of positive reinforcerment. What you need to do is not give your dog the chance to make a mistake. While you're training you need to keep the dog in the room you're in so you can keep an eye on it. When it gives signals that it's looking for a place to go, after hard playing, a long nap or it just hasn't been out for a while, take him out. You need to go too and the split second he pees, give lots and lots of praise and come straight back in. This way your dog learns to differentiatew between potty time and play time outside.

The key is lots of praise for doing the right thing and no opportunity to make a mistake. Your job will be easier given your dog is 10 months old because he now has bladder control.

Before you start you need to do a thorough cleaning to get all the smells out or he will keep going in the places he's gone before.

Also, while you're re-training, you should confine him to a crate when you're not home or at night or you'll just be defeating all the work. Good luck!

Answer 3

You might have already acquired some excellent advice here. Basically begin over from first principles that the dog is not going to prefer to foul its crate or bed discipline. Anticipate when it desires rest room and get to it first. Eg. Get it up previous in the morning, put it outside after eating (even feed it outside - but now not where it toilets - for a while.). Put it out final thing at night time and wait unless it 'goes'. I've constantly proficient mine to have a bathroom 'nook'. Do not punish it for 'errors', its mind doesn't work like ours in the experience that we would be taught some form of tricky lesson. The pup will just suppose he is being punished for the reason that you came throughout him wherever he was and that you're only a nasty mean human that lashes out at little doggies. You would end up with it toileting even quicker within the unsuitable position in order that you do not get a risk to punish it! As an alternative use reward simplest, then the instances which you can present reward will slowly broaden; as soon as the 'toilet nook' has been marked in general enough then the hindrance will probably be solved.

Answer 4

Have you taken the trouble to show him where the toilet IS rather than just making him guess? Make a dog toilet in your back yard. Clearly mark it, such as with 4 planks laid in a square.
On the hour every hour put him on the lead and say 'do you want to go out?' then walk him to the toilet, put him in their and patiently wait a few minutes.
At some point he'll have to go; when he does point at the ground and say 'busy' and reward him.
Eventually it will click with him, this is the spot to use.
Its called target training and it works in the ame way that potty training works with a toddler. You don't leave them to guess what they're supposed to do, you show them.

At the same time it will speed things up if you use crate training. He needs a bed for a den, somewhere to go to feel safe. The house rule must be 'don't bother the dog when he's in his bed.'
The bed is in a crate because most dogs won't soil their bed unless they're sick. So it teaches them to hang on.

Answer 5

Although dogs shouldn't be attributed with having human characteristics, they are intelligent enough to be able to understand the concept of, and execute, certain actions that their owners require of them - if these actions are asked in a way that dogs find rewarding. So, with this rule in mind, owners have to be clever as well and find a way of training their dog that actually works quickly and efficiently. The eBook I wrote explains how to achieve this ideal - how to speak “dog” so that you’re able to communicate effectively with your four-legged friend.
As with any training, the best time to start is as soon as you get your new pet. The fundamentals for successful housetraining are:

- Crate training is very important so it should be mastered.
- A schedule is required for feeding and exercising.
- Be vigilant and patient throughout the training period.

House training is most likely every dog owner’s top concern. And it should begin as soon as possible. That's the very first day your dog comes into your home. If you've adopted a new furry friend and spend months in the home without aiding him/her achieve success when it comes to training then s/he’s going to set a precedence that you now need to change. So, concentrate on prevention as opposed to cure. House training comes down to one
rather simple skill - being a good dog time manager. And this means managing your pup's time so that you let them have as few chances as possible to make house training blunders.

If you want a free copy of my ebook just send an email to: [e-mail]

I'll send you immediately the book and some tips on how to live better with your dog.

Answer 6

It gets more difficult as they get older but the best training tips I can think of are to put him/her outside straight after a meal and straight after they wake up from a nap.
First thing in the morning and last thing at night are also good. When they're still young these are the times most puppies wil need to go. If you notice the dog pacing around this can sometimes be a sign of needing to go.
Stay outside with him/her and offer lots of praise when they actually go to encourage this to become learned behaviour.
Don't tell off the puppy if you find an 'accident' in the house as they will not associate you telling them off with what they've done. It can be a long process but stick at it and he/she should get there eventually. Good luck!

Answer 7

you house train it. After getting a vet to check he doesn't have a bowel or bladder infection, take the dog outside every hour and watch him. When it goes, praise him, play with him and take him indoors again. Take it outside when it has eaten and if you see it looking around and sniffing for somewhere to go. If it does it in the house say nothing. Do not punish or yell as it will only confuse it.
I can never understand how anyone cannot housetrain a dog. In nearly 30 years of keeping dogs, taking them in as rescues etc, I never had one which I could not housetrain in a week with the above method.

Answer 8

How closely are you watching your dog? You need to keep an eye on him 24/7 if he's in the house. Don't let him out of your sight because you need to catch him as soon as he tried to go potty. You tell him no, in a stern voice and quickly take him outside where he needs to go. I dont know if you have a yard, but I know it's easier that way. You can leave him there (and I peek through the curtains) until he's finished. He might pee, then sniff around and then poop, so wait until he comes back to the door, and if you dont have a yard then you'll need to stand around and wait, and be sure he's finished. Clean the spot inside thoroughly. Reward him when he goes outside by telling him good boy and petting himor giving treats. I also took him out after meals but the most important thing is to watch him at all times. You doesnt help if you find it later you have to see him do it. If you work, or cant watch him, then he needs to stay that time outside or in a crate (which I dont like for long periods of time).

Answer 9

Some dogs just refuse to be house trained. I have a 2 year old hound mix that absolutly refuses to be house trained, therefore she stays outside now. My problem with her was I would take her outside to use the bathroom, and she would, but she would come right back in and go in the floor all over again. Have you tried using the puppy pads that you can get at the Wal-Mart or pet supply stores? My sister has had pretty good luck with those, but some dogs will chew them up instead of use them as they are meant to be used. I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 10

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Answer 11

you have already have been given some stable suggestion right here. incredibly initiate over from first concepts that the domestic dog won't prefer to foul its crate or mattress section. assume while it desires rest room and get to it first. eg. get it up till now contained in the morning, placed it outdoors after ingesting (even feed it outdoors - yet no longer the place it lavatories - for a mutually as.). placed it out final element at night and wait till it 'is going'. i've got constantly knowledgeable mine to have a rest room 'nook'. do no longer punish it for 'errors', its recommendations does not artwork like ours contained in the experience that we'd desire to learn some sort of complicated lesson. The domestic dog will only think of he's being punished when you consider which you stumbled on him everywhere he became into and which you're basically a bad propose human that lashes out at little doggies. you will possibly desire to finally end up with it toileting even swifter contained in the incorrect place so as which you do not get a raffle to punish it! extremely use compliment basically, then the circumstances you may supply compliment will slowly strengthen; as quickly as the 'rest room nook' has been marked in many circumstances sufficient then the project would be solved.