I have a 2 1/2 month old puppy (she's big though) and she just doesn't understand that she CANNOT pee inside!

Question

We've tried kennel training her, rubbing her nose in it and putting her outside and spanking her and putting her out. She will go out to pee and poop and come right back in and poop and pee everywhere she can! My husband and I are at our wits end and have run out of patience. He wants to put her outside but I don't want to put her out in the cold. I want an inside dog!!! how can I fix it!!! she pees and poops all the time! Most times 3 or 4 times in an hour! PLEASE HELP!

She knows its bad cause she goes and hides after she does it. The main place she's pooping is in my 2 year olds room. Thank God we have wood floors. Does the pet repellant sprays work or are they just a waste of money? Somebody's gotta have a solution I can use that WORKS!!!

ok u guys r kinda pissin me off with this 'don't spank the dog' crap. SHE DOES KNOW BETTER. would you not spank a kid for doin somethin they KNOW they're not supposed to do? NO. thats probably y all these little punks are runnin around cussin at their parents and tellin em to go to hell and havin kids at 13 years old. I need professional advice so if ur not a professional just disregard this question. thanks for your 'help' anyway. i need somethin that WORKS!

ok. nevermind the detail above.Background: I've had her since she was 4 weeks old, FOR FREE, (for all u rick f****s out there who can afford 1000 dogs and have no other life BUT to follow an animal around while she decides to pee in the floor), she's a good dog and shes not mistreated. We JUST started spanking her because of this Yahoo! Answers crap, someone suggested rubbing her nose in it. So, my bad, maybe it wasn't the BEST hting to do but thats how i've trained all the other dogs I've ever had and it worked fin...no aggression, no scaredness. So that's not the problem. Don't tell me what I'm doing wrong tell me what I can do to help her not pee in the house. Round here everybody rubs noses in poop (dog wise) and the dogs are fine. She doesn't get BEAT just popped firmly, not even hard enough to make her wine. She did good for a few weeks after kennel training her but now it's back to square one. so positive advice would be nice, its a little frustrating when uve tried evrythng.

It's not'after the fact punishment' folks! we tell her no as soon as we hear the 'pee hit the floor' it's wood ppl u can hear it!! so tell me somemore bs or tell me somethin that works dammit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Wow, what a situation. 1st are you praising her when she does pee or poop outside? She needs to know that doing it outside is a way to get your approval. 2nd does she know how to ask to go outside, does someone notice when she is sitting by the door? At 2 1/2 months I would expect a mistake or two, but 4 times in an hour seems a lot. A visit to the vet may pick up a problem that is not helping. Finally what do you clean your floors with? Ammonia based cleaners will actually encourage pets to pee, lemon or citrus fragranced cleaners will discourage it. I hope this helps, best of luck.

Answer 2

The reason why you're being told not to spank your dog is because it will cause your dog not to potty in front of you and to hide it, not teach it to do it in the house. Same thing with rubbing your dogs nose in it..it'll cause more problems than you'll ever solve with either of these unorthodox methods.

A 2 1/2 month old pup can only hold it's waste for about 2.5 hours so it should be taken out frequently.

If you're only catching her voiding in the house because you hear it... You need to re-train her...her how's it start over whether you crate train or not..forget what has worked with your old dogs in the past..keep in mind this is a different pup and might require some new techniques... but a body harness on the dog and a 5-6 foot leash on it..attach to your belt or your husband's...any responsible humans' being belt.... and anytime the dog starts circling, left lifting, sniffing..whatever it is she does right before going...walk her out immediately to where you want her to go potty...use a command word(consistently), treat immediately after she goes and lots of praise. If she immedialtely needs to go again after take her back out or stay out longer.

Howver, if you're saying she's going 3-4 times an hour..that is abnormal I would get her checked by a vet to make she has no urinary health issues..especially if you got her at 4 weeks for free..something is up since pups aren't supposed to be seperated from their moms until at least 8 weeks.

And always remember and tell your husband..any animal you care for..human, cat, or canine require patience and time. If he's not willing to do that and you guys are butting heads on the issue, please find the dog a new home where it will be given the time to learn housebreaking and other training issues.

Answer 3

Wow, I'm almost at a loss for words. Almost.

No, I would not spank my INFANT for doing something bad. And I would not consider an infant who isn't potty-trained to be "bad." That's what a 2 1/2 month old puppy is, an infant. She is NOT capable of controlling it, and she does NOT understand why you keep hitting her! She hides because she's scared to death of you.

The advice you've gotten so far is basically correct, you apparently just don't want to hear it. A dog cannot understand after-the-fact punishment. A young puppy cannot control when he goes, let alone where. The responsibility rests totally with you to take the dog outside every time he eats or drinks and when he wakes up, keep him out until he goes, praise him when he does, and constantly monitor him inside for signs that he's about to go. Even under the best of circumstances there are still going to be plenty of accidents to clean up.

If she is really going every 15 minutes, she needs to see a vet.

This is what having a puppy is all about. They aren't just cuteness and fluff, they are a lot of work, mess, and expense. It is a very serious commitment. If you aren't prepared for everything that's involved, please find a new home for your puppy while it is still young and easily adoptable. Possibly an older dog would be better for you--still a very serious commitment, but usually someone else has done the basic training already. But to be honest, from what you've written I would not be comfortable placing any dog with you.

The recommendation for the book Good Owners Great Dogs was a good one. I'm sure you can find it at the library.

Answer 4

Everyone is giving you very good advice. I swear by crate training and I will add that I have used Nature's Miracle for dog urine and it has worked for me. It will get rid of the odors [far beyond what a human can smell] so that the puppy won't be attracted to that spot again.

A puppy that young should not be expected to "hold it" for more than 3 hours - you can figure an hour for every month in age up to a year old. My adult dog is all right when I am at work, but needs to go out right before I leave in the morning, as soon as I get home 9 hours later, and then again before I go to bed at night. It is the least you can do for your pet!

Do not rub her nose in it or spank her - she does not understand that. If you REALLY want an inside dog, put some real thought and effort into making sure she can't pee inside by crate training her, and when she is out of the crate, watching her like a hawk. You can even keep her on the leash when she is inside so that you can keep an eye on her. Take her outside only to pee/poop, and as soon as she does, praise her like crazy in a high, excited voice. Then take her inside, keep her on the leash with you, and if you can't watch her, you will need to crate her until she understands.

Far better to spend some time now under controlled conditions, than having your house in an upheaval, or having to give her away.

Also, if she is consistently going 3 or 4 times an hour, I would see a vet. She could have parvovirus or some other illness. I did have a dog once who was ill with that, and he could not control his bowels at all.

I see that you asked the same question a month ago, and said she pees when she is taken out of her pen, or when she is right in front of you. She may be the kind of breed that pees when she is excited, or when she is being submissive to you. When you are getting her ready to go outside, you need to act very matter of fact about it with this kind of dog, or they will pee a little bit. Just stay calm and quickly take the dog outside.

Answer 5

She may or may not understand that she's being bad but she's too young to be able to control her bladder either way. Please do not spank her or rub her nose in it. This will create a fearful and potentially aggressive dog. Potty training can be very frustrating, but you have to be patient and understanding. You wouldn't discipline an infant for peeing in their diaper would you? Take her outside several times an hour. A lot of dogs won't go to the bathroom in their crates. You can restrict when you give her water by feeding her and giving her water (instead of keeping it out all the time), then put her in her crate for 15-20 minutes and immediately take her outside. Just make sure you're giving her water every hour or so if you do this. Give her lots of treats and praise for going to the bathroom outside. Say no and take her outside when she has an accident. Please do not keep her outside in the cold, she is a baby.

EDIT: She is a BABY. Her body is not physically able to control her bladder at this point. She may run away because she sees your reaction and knows you're about to hit her. If you didn't want to house train a dog, you shouldn't have gotten a puppy. And I'm not really seeing the connection between mouthy 13 year old kids and puppies that aren't old enough to control their bladder. If you want to compare her to a child, compare her to a 6 month old baby. Would you spank a baby for not being potty trained? I have worked at several vets and as a dog trainer. I know what I'm talking about.

Answer 6

Hi there. Quick note first...you shouldn't rub your puppies noes in it...or even spank her. Think of it like a "human" child. I had to "potty" train my son and dog - a Lab- at the same time. The biggest thing is patience. Take the puppy out often. When she does her business outside...praise her. Make a big deal about it...just like you would with a child. If she has an accident, take her outside right away, see if she needs to do more and praise again. I lived in a 9th floor apt. at the time and was finding myself outside about every 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. Your puppy is still young too. Give her some time. It shouldn't take too long. If she were a lot older, let's say 6 mos. or so, she shouldn't be having accidents, but your puppy is still very young. Again lots of patience, love and understanding and a lot of paper towel. P.S. I don't think "the sprays" will help much in this case.

Answer 7

Yes, she doesn't understand. She doesn't understand because she's a DOG! Your expectation that a 2 1/2 month old puppy will just "understand" not to pee inside is ridiculous. Right now she's still physically incapable of controlling when she goes, just like a baby. It's up to you to start training her, so once she's able to control it, she will know how to. If you just lock her outside, she'll never learn anything--although it probably won't matter, because if you leave a little puppy outside in winter you'll probably just kill her anyway.

Rubbing her nose in poop and spanking her is not training her, it's abusing your dog. She is not capable of making the connection between something that she has done in the past and the fact that you are hitting her or smearing **** on her face. At this point your dog is terrified of you because, as far as she can figure out, you randomly abuse her for no reason. Probably you are literally scaring the crap out of her.

If your dog is literally going several times an hour, she needs to see a vet. Otherwise, it's up to you to monitor her. After she eats or drinks, take her out for a walk. Don't come back in until she goes. If she starts turning in circles, take her outside. If she squats down, take her outside. Once she goes, praise her immediately, as she's going. Just like punishment, dogs can't understand praise if it's separated at all from the event it refers to. She needs to be outside/walked about every hour.

A good book to read would be "Good Owners Great Dogs."


EDIT: People ARE telling you what to do that works! What works is for you to take responsibility for it, anticipate when the puppy needs to go, and take her outside. If you won't/can't do that, don't have a puppy. Were you expecting some kind of magical incantation or something that would make it all just go away instantly? Good luck with that.

Answer 8

Patience and constant training and TIME, Did your 2 year old learn potty training at 2 1/2 months???? Probably smells the babys messes and thinks its the place to go. Hate to be harsh but I see way to many people who cant handle being pet owners and dont think about all the dedication that comes with it, I know my dog took a lot longer than that to learn. Until it learns it needs to be in a contained area (NOT OUTSIDE) with paper put down. Once it gets use to going on the paper, I moved it closer and closer to the door each time until it was outside. If you are at your wits end, then you might need to find someone else who will care for the dog and give it the time it needs.

Answer 9

Puppies don't have bladder control until they are a bit older. You REALLY need to be consistant. As soon as the puppy wakes up, put her right outside. Be sure to praise her afterwards. About a half hour after feeding she'll have to go out again. Also, make sure you feed her the same times everyday and don't leave her water out all of the time. Any time you take the puppy out of the crate, put her right outside also. I can't say enough that consistancy is most important. She'll catch on. I just went through it with a puppy of my own. As for the pet repellant sprays, they may work for awhile, but the effects will wear off.

Answer 10

First, a two and a half month old puppy is just a little baby. That's only 10 weeks old. It is physically impossible for a puppy of that age to hold its bowels or bladder for any length of time.
It takes time and patience to housetrain a puppy and it simply cannot be done in just a couple of weeks.

I stick by crate training as the best solution. Make sure that the crate you use is only big enough for the puppy to turn around in. If it is too big, many pups will potty at one end and sleep at the other. If the pup came from a pet store or some other place where she was forced to potty in a cage then it will be very difficult to crate train her. That said, keep her in the kennel except when you can keep a close eye on her. Literally--keep your eyeballs right on that puppy when she is out of the crate. Don't let her have the run of the house--keep her in one room, wherever you are at, so you can watch her. The second you see her start to squat (or turn in circles, or sniff the floor) pick her up and take her outside (take her to the same part of the yard, also--that way she doesn't potty all over the whole yard). Stay with her--preferably have her on a leash--until she potties. Then give her a ton of praise, a nice treat, and act like she's the best pup in the world.

Make sure to take her outside as soon as she wakes up in the morning or from a nap and after a meal. When she's up and playing, take her out every 15-20 minutes--we used to set a kitchen timer so we wouldn't forget. Again, if she acts like she's getting ready to go, take her out.
If she does potty in the house, do NOT rub her nose in it or spank her. If she starts to potty, just scoop her up with a firm, but not too loud 'No' and take her outside.
Again, at just 10 weeks of age, she is NOT capable of understanding what you want from her. All she understands is that you are angry and hurting her (or at least hurting her feelings!). If you are calm and patient she WILL learn and she will learn much more quickly. When she does go outside PRAISE her! It is easy to make the mistake of punishing when the animal does something wrong, but never praising when they do something right. Trust me--the praise has a much faster effect.
Clean the accident up thoroughly. There are many solutions such as Nature's Miracle, but frankly I find that a 50/50 vinegar/water solution works well.

We as pet owners (I have 4 cats and 3 dogs) are responsible for teaching our critters what we expect of them. They have no idea what we want them to do until we TEACH them. Teach, then discipline! As the weeks go on, if you are persistent, that pup will get the idea of housetraining and will do her best to hold her pee and poop till she can get outdoors. She may still have an occasional accident even then; it takes till about 6 to 8 months before a dog can hold its bladder for 8 hours. The important part is to teach her what you want her to do. Another tip is to show her, when she gets a little older, how she should tell you she needs to go out. We hung a bell on the door and when the dogs were puppies, every time we took them out we gently hit their nose on the bell, and they learned to do that when they needed to go out.
I wish you the very best of luck! It does take time but it will be worth it in the end!

added: Just had to say, after reading your latest update, that yeah, you can discipline a child (or animal) for doing something it knows it shouldn't do. But how does it know not to do that? Because it was TAUGHT first. You cannot expect a child or puppy to just magically know what it is supposed to do. A puppy has not the faintest idea that pottying inside a house is wrong, you must TEACH her that fact! And do so with understanding, patience, and kindness.
I also agree with a previous answer that a trip to the vet may be in order. She should be visiting the vet anyway for her vaccinations, most vets will take a stool sample to check for parasites, etc. If you are going to be a responsible dog owner you must take her to the vet anyway. If you do not have the patience/money/etc. for a puppy at this time (which, if you are already out of patience, I truly don't think you have the patience for dealing with a puppy--what about when she starts teething and chewing on everything? or barking too much? or shedding all over the furniture? or she gets sick and runs up an expensive vet bill? are you prepared for all that?) then I strongly suggest finding her a home with someone that does. I do not say that to be mean, I understand that sometimes a pet is more trouble than expected. Therefore please do what is in the best interest of that pet.