Guys! I need help! If this isn't solved soon we're going to sell our puppy!?

Question

Okay so Misty is a year old and we still can't seem to have gotten her housebroken. I'm at a loss. I really don't know what to do anymore. We take her on walks in the morning and at night, but she doesn't go like the other dogs. We also have a dog door open 24/7, yet she still manages to keep peeing on the floor. Its ruining the wood floor and my mom's done. We tried crating her and she just soiled the crate. Another additional problem is that when we try to scold her for it, she pees more and its hard to praise her because she doesn't like treats.
Help!!!!

She is a Mini Australian Shepherd. Please guys help! I really don't want to get rid of her.

My other dog is her mother. We've had her since she was born.

Answer 1

Take her to the vet, first thing.

The next thing is to not scold her for something done in the past. It only makes them afraid of you.

Housebreaking is usually a problem with the owner, not the dog, so you need to spend more time with her and pay more attention to her. Put her on a leash and take her out every half hour ALL DAY. You can't expect her to use the doggie door if she doesn't want to.

If you bought from a good breeder, call or e-mail them about this. They will try to help you through it. Also, contact your breed club. Even though Mini Aussie is not an AKC breed, they still have some reptuable breeders out there who would probably be willing to help you. It's part of being a good breeder - you help a dog in need.

If all else fails, give the dog up to rescue. And don't get any more pets that could even possibly have an accident.

Answer 2

Hey there. I agree with the above poster : no hitting, scolding, hard stares, any "dominant" behavior on your part towards her. This will not work. She does sound like a soft dog and thus you see her peeing submissively when you scold her.
If I had been to the vet with this dog and gotten a clean bill of health for her - that is, that this is purely a behavior/training issue and NOT a bladder infection or anything medical, then I would not feed her regular meals at all. Take a big pouch of her most favorite food - chicken, roast beef slices, smoked salmon, whatever it takes - and when she potties outside, give her a big jackpot of treats. This will be super exciting for her as she'll be hungry. Repeat this for a few days - don't worry, she won't starve; but be sure the message of "potty outside" is very, very clear. You can do this without punishing the dog. Please take a little extra time to read about crate training - it's possible you may have missed a step somewhere. Links below.

Answer 3

Misty is at the age when almost every dog regresses in it's potty training. It's a teenager thing. It gets better after 14 months of age.
The thing that stuck out most to me is when you said you tried the crating thing but she soiled the crate.
You must absolutely continue the crate method. It will take awhile, but you have to remain consistent in the training. If she makes a mess in there you will have to clean it up, but she will eventually catch on if you stay consistent. Because she has had no consistent training to this point, if you start the crating method again she should be trained within 6 months. You need to remain patient and need to keep with the one training method. Most of my dogs learned with the crating by 4 months old, but I had one that was over one year old before he cared if he made a mess in his crate. But, he is perfect about it now. Selling Misty is condemning her to a life in shelters or death. No one will want a dog that isn't house trained or won't train easily. So, please, clean up her messes in the crate and keep up with her training.
Also, when she goes outside and does it, praise her with words and actions, not treats. Use a high happy voice, say "Good girl! You're so smart!" and make her feel good about it. She will like it and will figure it out eventually.

Good luck!

Answer 4

How large of a crate did you have her in? The proper sized crate should be large enough for the dog to stand up, turn around and lay down in. Any larger and you give them room to set up a bathroom.

When crate training, you can not leave them in for long to begin with. Take her out often and learn her schedule by keeping a log of when she goes.

Also, keep her on a schedule with feeding, which will keep her more regular.

You may have to go back to the beginning with house training.
Click her and scroll down to house training:
http://www.libertydogtraining.com/frequently_asked_questions.htm

Do not hit, scold, or yell at her for going in the house, as this will only make her hide where she goes. She sounds like a "soft dog," if she urinates when you scold her. You are being to harsh for her personality.

Answer 5

We have this problem with our pit/chow mix. Every time he is in the basement he poos on the floor. If it is in the same spot all the time them try to put down paper or something, but make sure that it has her scent on it so she smells that she's went there before. Also try a smaller crate just big enough for her to sleep comfortable and beable to stand inside. And if you catch her in the act scold her with a squirt bottle. and if you see her going outside praise her so she see's that peeing and pooping outdoors is the way to go. good luck with your dog. and dont get rid of her just because of that just spend more time training. and you will have a good dog.

Answer 6

Don't sell her!! If she's peeing while you're scolding her I'd try checking your tone of voice. If you're yelling at her try just being firm without raising your voice, don't hit her. Also while she's peeing try picking her up and taking her outside. Once you and your puppy are out there, pet her and tell her what a good girl she is. Dogs don't need treats all the time and talking in a sweet voice and lavishing her with love is better than treats in my opinion. I have a Jack Russell and he was a handful to train. I did just what I told you and now he is a well behaved dog. Don't give up on her. Patience is vital in housebreaking a puppy!

Answer 7

This is a common problem. Remain calm, don't punish, keep offering her to go outside and "DO IT " Make it a fun experience with a reward if you have to. Always give lots of praise for a job well done.
Several links below try those

E-mail the dog whisperer or find a trainer, buy a book.....get on line
Dog potty training will require utmost patience since dogs are far less conscious than humans in learning this skill.

As a general rule, a dog is hard to be fully potty trained until it gets six months old. However, with greater care and patient overseeing you might make your dog a special case.

Dogs: Potty Training Subject: Potty Training Question ------------------------- Followup To ... (among other things –

Dogs: Potty Training We've had our dog for 6 months now and have tried so hard to potty train her. We took time off work initially to keep a constant eye on her and help her .

Answer 8

What kind of dog is it? How big is the crate? I would suggest first to make sure there is just enough space in the crate for your puppy to lie down, nothing else, no food no water no toys. Second, consistency is gong to break this pup. Make sure that you take her out 30 minutes minimum after she has eaten or had anything to drink, and if you have rough played with her. Otherwise make sure you are taking her out every two hours minimum. When she does pee and poop outside make sure you praise her. Have you tried dried liver as a treat yet? Dogs love it. Make sure you take her out as soon as you get up in the morning, and keep a close eye on her. If you catch her in the act immediatly take her outside. You can always keep her on a leash while you are in the house with her, so you CAN catch her in the act and correct the behavior. Just tremember to always be consistent.

So:
Make sure crate is small enough
second keep her on leash next to you while she is out of the crate
third make sure you take her out at least every two hours, but at least 15-30 minutes after food drink and rough play.
Lots of praise when she does go outside
and correct the behavior as soon as you catch her in the act(which you will be able to do while she is on leash next to you)

Good luck! Don't sell your puppy, just train it, and go to an obedience class, it's fun for you and your puppy! Plus you'll be able to share your issues with others ging through the same thing!

Answer 9

Part of the problem may be becuase she's frightened or not spayed. Treat her like a puppy and let her out every two hours, and praise her when she does go outside. When indoors and not crated you need to watch her constantly, do not let her out of your sight for a second. When she goes inside scare her with a loud noise and rush her outside. Don't hit her though, that'll make it worse. Keep up the crate, just don't leave her in it too long as she may not be able to hold it.

Answer 10

Don't give up on the crate training but maybe you need to do it differently.
Don't put bedding in the crate. The crate should be just big enough for her to stand in and turn around.
Don't put water or food in the crate.
Take her out at more frequent intervals. I have three dogs but they routinely go out three times a day. Sometimes more often.
At her first potty in the morning, take her out immediately to an area of the yard or an area outdoors where you want her to potty. Praise her when she goes there then take her back inside and play with her supervised only. When you need to go somewhere, put her up. If you are supervising her for a few hrs, take her out once more before putting her up- to the area you are training her to go to. Praise her if she goes. Kennel her and leave her for a few hours. Repeat.
In the evening, pick her water bowl up about 7 p. and put her in her kennel for the night at a regular time. Say, 10 p, after taking her out for her last potty.
Repeat the next day. Do this for a week then start leaving her for longer intervals for another week.
She should be getting the hang of it by this time.
Get her to where she is taking a break every four hours. Then every six.
Here's my dogs schedule:
They go out in the morning around 8 a. When they come in they have a slice of Lamb Log or Beef Log. Usually do both numbers in their morning outing.
They go out again about 4 pm then eat when they come in. They have an evening treat, like dog biscuits, Frosty Paws dog ice cream. They go for two regular walks a day.
They go to the dog park to run with the pack once a week.
There are sometimes variations in their schedule, but a schedule helps them to be less stressed.
None are crated now.
Some people take their dogs out only twice a day. I prefer the three times schedule.
Any time your dog indicates a need to go out in between regular breaks take her.
Hope this works for you.
You won't need the crate for long if you are consistent.