Pet Lovers

[panda1234]

Our golden retriever is four months old and STILL not trained. She is taken out every hour on the hour, any suggestions.

[Grade1Teach]

We welcomed an Australian Shephered puppy into our home at the end of April.  She took FOREVER to potty train and it was very frustrating.  We were as consistent as possible with letting her out, looking for her potty "cues" (walking around in circles in her favorite pee spot in the house!).  She also seemed to have to go to the bathroom right after running around or getting overly excited while playing indoors.

It is recommended that puppies be crated most of the time at first.  As soon as you let them out of their crate, you are supposed to take them straight to the backyard to do their business.  They also have sprays you can put in certain spots where you want them to go.  A trainer recommended soaking up a paper towel or old towel with their urine on it and putting that outside as well.  We tried all of that an nothing worked.

Just when we had given up all hope, she became fully potty trained out of NOWHERE when she was 8 months old.  I am a teacher and went back to work in September.  We had to put her in her indoor pen while at work.  It seems that did the trick!  She obviously didn't want to soil where she spends her time and started holding it.  She has not had one accident since then and is amazing about letting us know when she has to go out.  We still can't believe how that happened.

If you are not crate training to help with potty training, maybe you should try.  If you are, then keep doing what you're doing.  I don't think there is a magic answer (although we wish there was!). Your puppy will eventually catch on.  It just might take longer than you expected it to.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Lucky you!  We have a Golden Retriever.  They are the best!  This struggle will be a distant memory one day.  

Crate training, and keep a schedule.  Remember that a tired puppy is a good puppy.  Lots of exercise will make her sleep more = less chance of accidents and/or destructive  behavior.

Also, don’t let your frustration get the better of you and let it out on the dog.  No yelling or shoving her nose in her accident.  Lots of praise when she does her business outside and then she earns more time out of the crate.  

[nyc1]

Be patient and repeat repeat repeat.   We hung sleigh bells from the front and back door and every time we took our puppy out we hit the bells and said LET'S GO OUTSIDE TO DO BUSINESS. We hung them low enough so that she too could reach them when she wanted to let us know she had to go out.  Eventually our puppy got it and hit the bell with her nose when she had to go.l  PRAISE too is key.  Praise and patience.

She'll get it before you know it. 

Good luck.   Keep us posted.

Edited to add.   We were and are also big believers in crate training.  

[m0rgan]

We used treats.  After she goes  "Good girl" and treats if only a couple of her kibble.  Some puppies are food trained but with lots of praise.  It just takes time.

[Shanus]

@panda1234   Beagles are stubborn to potty train, too. Crate training is necessary when you can't be with your pup and I don't think anyone's mentioned the importance of cleaning up house accidents w/ proper sprays to get rid of any scent where the spot occurred. The dog will surely go back where it sniffs it went before. 

Dogs are creatures of habit and do best on a schedule...their schedule which sometimes has to be co-ordinated with ours as they get older. Potty breaks every time a puppy wakes up, comes out of the crate, finishes a bit of chewing/playing, after meals, before going into the crate each time & very important to take away the water bowl about 6-7PM.

Rewards are key. With beagles or other breeds that tend to become overweight, I used praise...happy voice, loving them up, so they associated that with peeing where they should instead of on the rug. All pets want to please the "Mama". Just keep at it. 

[Carmie]

I take puppies out on a leash and walk them around and to the spot I want them to go.  I say " hurry up". I just stand with them in the general area until they go.  When they do, I give praise and take them back indoors. You can also give a small coveted treat when they go.

You do not have to take a dog out every hour.  That is way too often and they don't understand. Once they go, always take them back to the same spot and always use your code word " hurry up" or the words of your choosing. Don't go back indoors until they go.  They might sniff around and take a while, but they will go eventually.

My dogs associate "hurry up" as their cue for going.  It is great when I needed them to go because it is raining or I need to go someplace.  it teaches them to go on demand.

It is not in your best interest to just open the back door and put your dog out.  Using a leash works much better.  Always take the dog out after a nap or waking up in the morning and after they eat a meal.

Try to take them out on a schedule.  For instance, mine go out first thing in the morning...we actually take a walk.  Then a quick potty break around 11 am and 2pm.

We do another walk after dinner.  Around 9pm a quick potty break and again before bed.

Most the time now the 11 A.M. break is not taken anymore.  I can spend my day away from the house from morning until around 3:00pm easily and even up to 5:00pm if I have to.

The early morning and after dinner walk are the most Important potty breaks of the day.

We never have any accidents and I don't crate.  My oldest dog gets extreme anxiety in a crate or cage of any kind.  I used to use gates, but do not need to any more.

Best of luck.  It is a real pain to train on a leash, but the rewards are pretty quick and it works. Don't give up.

[KathyM23]

I think@Carmie  has offered the best advice on effective potty training, yes taking your dog out every hour is too much.  They never associate going out with time to potty that way.  I have had many dogs and all were potty trained fairly easily.  (except for one who was rescused from an abusive situation - she would have accidents out of fear during storms.)  Was OK with going outside other than she could not control her fear of storms and I understood that she knew better but could not control.

I took them out on a leash at first on a schedule.  My last two dogs only went in one place in the yard.  They get two good walks a day and do their major business then and they have picked their spots where.  I think dogs want to go in one place, except when they are marking on their walks.  In good weather when we are outside, they are outside too.  Back yard fenced, but again my last two dogs will not leave the front unfenced yard on their own.  I didn't have to teach that, they decided that on their own, thank goodness.

I also do not crate - never have and never will.  Always had a place (open door inner door with locked full window storm door,  back of sofa, my largest one could just stand on the floor and look out the window)  where they could look outside.  I think it makes them feel secure that they can see what is going on when they hear things outside.  Keeps them from being anxiety prone. Also, there are interesting things to see outside.   Have their own very comfortable beds in bedroom, family room, and anywhere we gather.   That is their safe space when no one is home and their comfortable space when they want it.  My current boy gets in one of his beds and watches supper being prepared.  It's cute watching him thinking of what scraps he may get!  Don't believe in crates they can't get out off. 

Of course it takes some time before a pup can control his need to potty but going out on a schedule and much praise and rewards definitely help.  After meals or play time may be going outside in addition to scheduled time. 

[Fressa]

Each dog trains at their own pace. What has worked for us to take the dog out first thing in the morning and last thing at night in addtion to after they eat/drink. Wait about 20-30 minutes for their system to start processing. Just like humans, dog systemsdue not process instantly. Watch for "signs" from your dog. Some dogs whine, or sit near the door or become restless when they have to potty. 

Hope some of this helps you and your pet.

[NickNack]

@panda1234   It's not unusual for a puppy to not be housetrained at four months old.  It can take 6 mos. and sometimes up to a year.  Don't give up, and definitely don't get mad at your puppy.