Seems the house training not going a well as I thought?

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shadowboy

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How long did your puppies take to 'get it'? Mishka has been here since the 27th November. We've had no poo accidents and hadn't had a wee accident for about a week until I came to sit on the sofa and found a big wet patch :( she must have done it without anyone noticing. Fed up. I'm so tired getting up in the middle of the night and following her round the house - no rest for nearly 4 weeks and then when you think she's 'safe' and you can sit and watch t.v she lets one go. I didn't even notice so I didn't tell her no. Nanook was so easy - within 2 weeks he knew the score. How long did your pups take?
 
My six month old adult rehome took a month to be reliable in the house for both poo and wee, I'd be cutting a pup some slack for a few more weeks yet I'm afraid! How old is she and what methods are you using?

Anecdotally I find that crate trained dogs are dry quicker, those trained to use pads indoors take the longest.
 
I haven't had a puppy for years but wouldn't expect a rescue dog (which in my mind is equivalent) to be 100% in that timescale. I am just wondering why you are following the puppy around the house at night? Surely it is a matter of putting the pup outside every time she wakes up/is fed/shows any signs?
 
Our last pup was a Lancashire Heeler and we used the crate, the number of times she had accidents you could count on one hand, I couldnt believe how quick she just got it, we got our crate/puppy guide from Cayla and followed it to the letter. Give her a pm and ask for one, we sent her a donation as a thank you.
 
She is crate trained. But once she's out I don't trust he to tell me she needs out so I basically have to sit with her all day- she just squats and goes. We take her out straight after food and when she gets up and like I say I thought is cracked it but now she'll even go on the sofa whilst sat next to me - I'm now lost where to go from here!
I don't follow her at night but being 12 weeks she can't go the full 8 hours at night so it means a 4am wake up to let her out = shattered!

Nanook was much easier!
 
Personally I would tether her to you when she isn't in her crate so you can see when she needs to go, take her out every hour on the hour and to be honest give her more time to get it completely, every pup is different.
Also have you had her urine checked for a UTI just incase, I did when we got our last pup as I did not think it was normal for a pup to pee that much every hour, just turns out his bladder control was very poor for a lot longer than any of the others!
 
I don't need to tie her to me lol she's with me all the time as I don't trust her - especially as she went on the sofa whilst she was sat next to me hence why I'm shattered and was wondering how long this will take!
 
She is still only a baby and there's no point comparing any two pups in terms of how quickly they learn.
I would take her outside immediately every time you take her out of the crate. Just make that part of her routine.

You sound a bit fed up and frustrated and if this is associated with toileting, then she may be picking up those vibes and trying to hide it from you. If you are following her around/are with her all the time and feeling a bit grumpy about the whole thing, that could be stressful for her, dobes can be sensitive souls.
 
We do let her out as soon as the crate door is open, after food, after play and before bed etc etc. i think I'm just so incredibly tired. I feel like I can't rest and having not had a full nights sleep for well over 3 weeks I'm caned. She's asleep on me as I type so there are no bad vibes I just feel like ive failed now she's going on the sofa.... I'm not sure how to fix that as she was just sat next to me - no sniffing the floor or disgorging signs that usually occur?
 
Awh don't worry it's always darkest before the dawn. I've had breeder pups and young rescue dogs and all different. Some get it right off but one rescue i had took months as he'd grown up in a rescue and never learnt that doing it inside was wrong and outside was right. He even went in his bed as that's all he'd known coming from a concrete pen with little room, poor guy :-(

But they all come right in the end and each end up horrifed at a new puppies ignorance and look at a new pup like it's a barbarian lol!
 
Re vibes - I can feel them from your posts (you are tired, frustrated) your dog will def feel them (but not understand the nuance). This is not a criticism of you, we're all only human! You haven't failed, mine had an accident in the house at about eight or nine months old when I wasn't paying attention. You will get there - think how long kids take to learn to stay dry, when we are supposed to be the intelligent species!
 
I've had 7 puppies through the years, and as I recall it, some probably weren't housebroken until somewhere between 7 and 9 months old (it was many years ago, and I'm not quite sure at the details any more), but my last two puppies was housebroken about 3 months old. Personally, I think the biggest difference have been myself, because I think I've done more or less the same with all of them.

I use the newspapers on the floor method. I have a quite large puppy pen the first few weeks during night time or when I can't keep an eye on them, with newspapers on the floor in one end of the pen. Night puppy pen in my bedroom, that way I have a chance at waking up if I hear them being awake at night. If that happens, I stagger out of bed, scoop up the pup and out in the garden, if nothing happens within a few minutes, we go in again. And I try to be outdoors in the garden as much as possible during day time.

I've rarely wasted time on telling them off for doing it indoors, just a lot of voice praise for when they do it outdoors. Maybe I've also got better at noticing when they need to go out and not, but as said, I think that the biggest difference have been myself. The more puppies I've had, the more relaxed I've been, the less I've worried about getting them housebroken, and the more I've had the attitude Nothing to worry about, they'll get housebroken sooner or later. And the less I've stressed about it, the more relaxed the puppies have been and the faster they've been housebroken.

However, if the next puppy I get (whenever that will be) needs more time than the last two puppies, I still intend to keep my relaxed attitude. It is so much more comfortable not having to worry about it, accepting that there will be a few accidents on the way, but the puppy/dog will eventually be housebroken, sooner or later, it will take whatever time it takes.
 
shadowboy said:
We do let her out as soon as the crate door is open, after food, after play and before bed etc etc. i think I'm just so incredibly tired. I feel like I can't rest and having not had a full nights sleep for well over 3 weeks I'm caned. She's asleep on me as I type so there are no bad vibes I just feel like ive failed now she's going on the sofa.... I'm not sure how to fix that as she was just sat next to me - no sniffing the floor or disgorging signs that usually occur?
Click to expand...

But maybe there is nothing to fix? She's just a young puppy, maybe she just didn't notice that she needed to pee herself, until she had to go at once. As they mature, they learn to recognise the signs of needing to go to the toilet better, making accidents less likely to happen, and they get better at holding themselves. But actually, even housebroken dogs are not as stupid as humans, they don't hold themselves until their bladders bursts, as I've read that humans actually can do.

I understand that you're worried, and being tired often does make things/situations seem worse than they are. But remember, one time is no time... And even if it happens a second time, getting stressed up about it doesn't solve anything, you just waste your energy, and your puppy will still be housebroken, eventually.

I also want to add that I've read that puppies averagely are housebroken about 6 months of age, but averagely means that some are housebroken earlier than that, and some are housebroken later than that. Neither is wrong or right.
 
Loads of good advice above, I have been lucky as GSDs seem to house train very easily, and our other dogs learned from them, but as said every dog is different. When she is outside do you go with her and give lots of praise when she does do something? Cayla's guide is great so if you haven't got it I would recommend dropping her a pm. I am sure you will soon get Mischka sorted and be able to get a decent nights sleep, but be warned if you ever have children, my daughter took 2.5 years to sleep through the night! :)

!
 
Only 2.5years MM! My granddaughter is 3 and its still hit and miss! Babies are far more tiring than puppies but at least you don't have to stand out in the cold, dark and rain to wait for them to go!!
 
our pup is 6 months now and just about reliable although we missed her asking last week and she peed on the carpet. We never got up at night, she was clean and dry from 8 weeks overnight, I don't believe in training them to pee through the night! She has been clean pretty much since day 1, probably about 2 accidents ever. I think it is very early days if you only had your pup a couple of weeks and she is only 12 weeks!
 
Dont worry, everyone has examples of puppies being house trained early, they all end up being house trained eventually. Its a lot like potty training and that can turn into a bit of a competition with other mums, I always remember my mum saying no child ever goes to school wearing a nappy.

All this will sort itself out and will become a distant memory, you have lots to look forward to so dont worry.
 
Our schipperke took about two years! He would often pee in the kitchen overnight, despite late-night walk and early morning start. Then he appeared to decide he wasn't going to do that any more. And never did. I could even have a lie-in and he'd hold it all in. Most odd. I never worked out why. But he is a most contrary character.
 
MANY years ago we had a rescue lab. She was nervous of everything. Every night, without fail she would wee and poo, then shred her bed sheets and drag them through the mess. Didn't matter how long you left her for, she did it. Nor did it matter that she 'went' outside only moments earlier. After many weeks of this, got so fed up with it, that we literally threw her out the back door (while we cleaned up). I mean we threw her. Frustration leads to things that we shouldn't do, and wouldn't normally do. Never done it with any of our other dogs who 'take a while to get it'. BUT, either by coincidence, sheer luck or that we threw some sense into her, she never messed in the house after that. Turned out to be a really good, loving family dog.
Meanwhile, back in present land, my 9yr lurcher 'forgot' (normal for her type!) to 'go' the other night, (expect it was raining) so I was presented with a pressie in the morning! Part and parcel of having any sort of pet... we pick up the mess!
Sure your pup will get there, just think of the positives of having such a cute family member!
 
Feeling Merry said:
MANY years ago we had a rescue lab. She was nervous of everything. Every night, without fail she would wee and poo, then shred her bed sheets and drag them through the mess. Didn't matter how long you left her for, she did it. Nor did it matter that she 'went' outside only moments earlier. After many weeks of this, got so fed up with it, that we literally threw her out the back door (while we cleaned up). I mean we threw her. Frustration leads to things that we shouldn't do, and wouldn't normally do. Never done it with any of our other dogs who 'take a while to get it'. BUT, either by coincidence, sheer luck or that we threw some sense into her, she never messed in the house after that. Turned out to be a really good, loving family dog.
Meanwhile, back in present land, my 9yr lurcher 'forgot' (normal for her type!) to 'go' the other night, (expect it was raining) so I was presented with a pressie in the morning! Part and parcel of having any sort of pet... we pick up the mess!
Sure your pup will get there, just think of the positives of having such a cute family member!
Click to expand...

I've heard of and known several other dogs, that have done what your rescue Labrador did. Peeing and pooing near to or on her bed/bed sheets, makes it smell hers. To mark territory with their scent, do not always have to do with dominance, for some dogs I would say that it seems to comfort them, assure them about that they're allowed to be where they are, and for some dogs it seems to be simply a way to release stress.
 
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