Toilet training a 8 month old pup

B

Biglets Mummy

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 October 2012
Messages
320
Visit site
Hi all, Could I ask for a little bit of help again please.
I have posted previously about my dear friend who became ill very quickly and we had to re home her pets so I have welcomed to my little family a gorgeous 8 month old Golden retriever bitch. She had a few problems early on but as she has been here 4 weeks now we are pushing on through and making real progress except for an issue with toilet training.
She was kenneled quiet alot with my friend I think and she seems to think my kitchen floor is an extension of that !
Our routine is that she sleeps beside me in a crate at night as she was fouling through the night. This has worked brilliantly and she sleeps straight through until the mad rush to get outside first thing. They are all let loose in the garden for 20 mins while I turn the horses out and then come in for brekky. Then I leave a break of about 30 mins and then we all go for a long walk. She will wee no problem but in the time she has been here she has only poohed once while on a walk. I have to be at my desk for 9 so we are out for about 45 mins. She will never poo on this walk. That delightful smell will waft up the stairs to my office at some point during the next hour...I think she holds it until she gets home.
I can sit with her for 4 hours straight waiting for that first sign that something will happen so I can whisk her out but she will wait till I am not in the room until she does her business.
I take her out every hour and a half and do all the lots of praise when she wees but it doesn't seem to click with her that she can poo outside as well !
I am thinking of bringing her back up with me and the other 2 whilst I am at work and put her in the crate whilst I am working to see if that works. Currently they all flop out in front of the rayburn where its warm.
Any ideas?? I am a bit rusty with this puppy business and was totally spoilt with my 2 when they were little as they were so easy to house train.
Thanks in advance for all your help.
 
Hmm, sounds like maybe she is worried that you will catch her pooping and tell her off perhaps, so she's hiding it from you? I think it's probably best not to make any fuss at all when cleaning it up - no talking, no shouting, just scoop, clean and done. Then she can learn that if she goes outside, a fuss is made and it's nice!

How about keeping some of the poo and putting it in a corner of the garden or where she normally wees, so she knows that's where she can go?

I haven't had to train an older dog (only puppies so far) but whenever I see them poo, I always say the code words which in our house are 'go poop'. Then you can start using it as a command when they make the association, then the usual fuss and treat if they have gone where you wanted. I can now ask mine what they want as they know a number of code words - if the little one does, he barks when you reach the right word! Don't see why this wouldn't work on an older dog too.

May the smells soon be a thing of the past!
 
SadKen said:
I can now ask mine what they want as they know a number of code words - if the little one does, he barks when you reach the right word! Don't see why this wouldn't work on an older dog too.

May the smells soon be a thing of the past!
Click to expand...

This . . . both of mine bark when they want something and then we run through the various words . . . treat, outside, ball, food, etc., and they bark when I say the right word (but they're collies and rather too clever for their own good ;)).

I also like the idea of putting some of her poo in the corner of the garden or where she wees so you give her a big fat clue that it's where you want her to go.

P
 
Great idea about putting the poop in a private corner of the garden. I am very quiet when I clean up after her as don't want to upset her further and my 2 have code words of poobee and weebee so I will go back to really using those again. Thanks guys!!! the poop is a great idea.
 
I personally would crate her when you get home as you say you're in your office so you can't keep an eye on her. Unfortunately golden retrievers are notoriously stubborn creatures and can hold and hold their poos until they do it when they want to! Until she's clean and trustworthy in the home, I'd keep her in her crate with some toys. Pop down regularly and give her the opportunity to go so you're teaching her to go outside, and give her lots of praise. Then start weaning her out of the crate.
 
Echo24 said:
I personally would crate her when you get home as you say you're in your office so you can't keep an eye on her. Unfortunately golden retrievers are notoriously stubborn creatures and can hold and hold their poos until they do it when they want to! Until she's clean and trustworthy in the home, I'd keep her in her crate with some toys. Pop down regularly and give her the opportunity to go so you're teaching her to go outside, and give her lots of praise. Then start weaning her out of the crate.
Click to expand...

This ^^ for some unknown reason i have a 20 month old bitch who has suddenly decided to do the same. today she has been crated all day and out every hour.. she still hasnt been!! It could be a long night....
 
I fostered a 2 year old dog which had been born in kennels and lived most of his life in kennels, he was rehomed 5/6 times since last February until he came to me in October as a foster dog from a rescue. Not only was he unbelievably nervous he was not house-trained.

I crated him the whole time I couldnt supervise him, he was walked twice a day and had ample garden time as well as supervised free time in the house. It took a long time but I tried very hard to set him up for success so he never got the opportunity to poo in the house. If he had performed whilst walking I could take my eyes off him in the house, I never scolded him if he had an accident but just cleaned up without a word. He has now spent 3weeks in his new home and apart from one accident on the first day he is absolutely fine.

OP there are no short cuts, you just have to make sure your dog never has the opportunity to poo in the house, every time she does it undermines your training, good luck, it will take as long as it will take, I would hope as your dog is young she wont take as long as my foster dog. You will become an expert on your dogs pooing habits and when one was brewing, I know I was with mine lol.
 
Dobiegirl said:
I fostered a 2 year old dog which had been born in kennels and lived most of his life in kennels, he was rehomed 5/6 times since last February until he came to me in October as a foster dog from a rescue. Not only was he unbelievably nervous he was not house-trained.

I crated him the whole time I couldnt supervise him, he was walked twice a day and had ample garden time as well as supervised free time in the house. It took a long time but I tried very hard to set him up for success so he never got the opportunity to poo in the house. If he had performed whilst walking I could take my eyes off him in the house, I never scolded him if he had an accident but just cleaned up without a word. He has now spent 3weeks in his new home and apart from one accident on the first day he is absolutely fine.

OP there are no short cuts, you just have to make sure your dog never has the opportunity to poo in the house, every time she does it undermines your training, good luck, it will take as long as it will take, I would hope as your dog is young she wont take as long as my foster dog. You will become an expert on your dogs pooing habits and when one was brewing, I know I was with mine lol.
Click to expand...

also agree totally with dobiegirl.

We had success at 11pm last night, they must have heard my OTT praise in the next county and little dog was utterly delighted with herself.Not sure she quite clicks why i was so chuffed yet lol. The other thing i thought of is to be absolutely on top of what she is fed. An old rule of thumb is 2 meals per day = 2 poos. Make sure she isnt getting snacks in between and make sure she in on good quality food (with minimum waste fromt he back end;) ) and then her motions will be more predictable. Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top