Help with potty training

[boosiebutt]

Hi, I've mentioned this in the introductions forum, but I'm a first-time dog mommy, and I'm having a little trouble potty training Peanut. He potties in his crate if I leave him in more than just a couple of hours (I only ever leave him in there for 4-4.5 hours, coming home at lunch and after work).

I put him in my bathroom with a baby gate, but he's a little Houdini, and has escaped twice, once yesterday and once today. While I like having a dog to greet me at home, I'd rather have him greet me from BEHIND the baby gate.

So pretty much, he still potties (and poos!) inside half the time.

We had a cat when I was younger, and my dad kind of scarred her for life when she was just a wee little kitty by pushing her nose into her messes, and generally getting her all primed for a life of biting humans.... So, needless to say, I want to do the potty training right with mine.

So, any advice? And don't be afraid to start me with the basics, after all, he is my first!

[kendalyn]

How large is the crate? Can he poop or pee in it and still be able to avoid laying in the mess pretty well? His crate may be too large. You only want it large enough for him to sit upright, and turn around in. Get the smallest size crate that still enables him to do those 2 things.

If the crate is of proper size and he's still going in his crate, then you probably won't be able to use it to housetrain him. Somehow he's decided that this is an OK thing to do which is kind of unusual... Did you get him really young or from a really dirty situation?

Again, if the crate is of proper size and he's still peeing in it, I would consider putting him somewhere else while you're gone. Can you leave him in the bathroom with the door closed? It would be better if he's not laying in whatever mess he just made. It probably will take longer to potty train him this way because he won't learn to hold his urine like he would in a crate, but you can still do it.

Just make sure that when you are home you are watching him like a hawk and take him outside or to his wee wee pads whenever he seems ready to go. And of course make a HUGE fuss over him when he pees or poops in an appropriate place. It would probably be a good idea to put some of those pads in the bathroom also.

[boosiebutt]

He just in the last couple of weeks started to potty in his crate. I don't know if 4 hours was maybe just too long for him, or what (I originally had him at this puppy day care for 4 weeks, where he got socialized to the max, and had just start crate training him about 3 weeks ago). Maybe he's getting himself so worked up about me leaving that he goes? I'm not sure... he's not a submissive urinator though... My aunt and uncle had one that peed everytime someone new went to pet her.

I moved him to the bathroom, and he totally stunk up the place. I don't know if scared-alone pee smells different than regular pee or what, but I opened the window, shut the door, and let the fan run for a couple of days to air it out. He seemed to be getting more used to that, but just since yesterday, he's started to climb over the gate.

I have one end of the bathroom covered in newspaper and a potty-pad, and the other end I have some toys, and the blanket that he likes to sleep on.

So, I guess the plan is to find an escape proof baby gate, so he can't jump out while I'm at work. I read somewhere that baby gates are the way to go, something about the dog doens't feel as closed in when he can see out into rest of the house?

Also, I read somewhere about hooking a leash to my belt, so that he doesn't sneak off and potty when I'm not looking. Does that sound like something I should do?

Thanks for the help!

[ObedienceGrrl]

Umbillical training is wonderful! Also, the dog forms a bond to you too. He will NEVER be out of your sight.....and you will never be out of his.

It gets frustrating.....but keep up with it. When I visited my in-laws for 2 weeks they had a 4 month old sheltie that just pottied all over the house. Well, after one week I couldn't stand it anymore. So I did umbillical with him. For the second week, he was an angel. But guess what? The day we left, they didn't keep up with it.....so I bet you can figure out what happened? Yup.....a dog who is a few years old now and NOT potty trained!!!!

[Liz]

What is he peeing on in the crate? Blanket? Crate pad? Have you made sure that they are thoroughly washed with a good enzymatic breakdown formula cleaner? I have also heard that it's not a good idea to put thick blankets or pads in the kennel because some puppies will pee on it once they realize the pad or blanket will absorb it. That is just an idea. I always had Bogart's crate loaded with blankets (wanted my baby comfy :)) and he didn't have a problem. You said he just recently started peeing in the crate so possibly a UTI could be creating the prob?

[Guest Anonymous]

well for while your gone have you ever thought of putting up two babygates on top of each other so he can't jump over it? we did this with Zoey. we got teh wooden gates that we knew couldn't fall cuase you cam make thema little biger and they will cram in tot he doorway. it worked great she coudln't get out and t era up the house or pee and poo everywhere.... just an idea

[imported_Kat]

Make sure that he is taken out regularly. I personally think its a bad idea to let dogs wee in their crates or any other part of the house. Too many owners just get used to lifting up newspapers after their dog wees and don't actually progress to outside or at least putting the papers by the door and this leads to an adult dog that messes in the house. He is only little and will have a small bladder capacity so you need to be in charge of taking him out regularly as much as possible and tell him a command like "hurry up" or similar when he is outside on the grass. Say this before he wees and when he is actually doing the activity. Give him lots of praise and tell him hes a good boy and he will crack the idea soon enough.

[boosiebutt]

DAL, I had thought of stacking baby gates, but the worry then is- If he can climb one baby gate, maybe he can climb the other, then he just has that much more of a drop on the other side... I might be going with a clear plastic baby-gate that I saw in walmart, with no paw holds for him to climb up.

So I've gotta crate that seems just the right size: just his length, wide enough to turn around in, and high enough to sit up in.

Liz, I had been putting a pad thing in the bottom that was about an inch thich with foam put in a little case with faux sheepskin on top and a nylon cloth on the bottom (from petco, if that jogs anybody's memory). So it definitely could be the case that he figured out the absorbancy of the pad and thought it'd be ok to go in there.

Now I have a faux sheepskin rug that's really thin, with a rubberized backing, that I'm going to cut up to put into the bottom of his crate... that way it'll be comfier and slip free, but not giving him any ideas about going potty in there.

We're going to try this out, and I'm going to make sure to be extra careful about making sure he goes before going into the crate, which might be one of my problems. I'll let you know how it's going!

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