Toilet training 'issues'

[Demolition_Derby]

Its me again with another plea for help

!!

Ruby's toilet training was going well until a few days ago - this morning was a typical example, as soon as I woke up I put her out in the garden to go to the loo, she did a wee and I gave her lots of praise

. I know she has to do a poo every morning so I wandered around the garden in the hope that she would follow me - she just sat on the patio

. I called her and normally (normally being when I am not trying to get her to go to the loo) she comes straight away but she knows what I want her for

, so I get lots of her toys and wave them around - she just sits there staring at me. I was in the garden for 30 mins this morning (my plan of riding before work went out the window

), every time I went to her she either thought it was a fun game and ran to the back door wagging her tail or refused to move. So I put her on the lead and walked hr around, she just kept planting herself. Anyway I finally gave up and decided that she will have to poo when I take her for a walk after doing the horses, so we go back in the house and after about 30 secs she starts getting into the 'poo position'

in the living room - so I pick her up and plonk her in the garden - another 15 mins later she has still done nothing

. I was really late by now so I went upstairs and got changed - came down and guess what?? Yep - she had done a poo in the kitchen

.

She has been doing this alot recently - being put outside or taken for a walk then coming inside and weeing/pooing.

I have no idea what to do - I have been told not to 'show' her what she has done as she will think that I don't like seeing her mess and will therefore not do it in front of me, or 'hide' it behind the sofa etc and it will only embarrass her

but what can I do? I can only ignore it for so long and I give her SO much praise when she does it outside.

So, if anyone has any advice/tips please share!! Alternatively if anyone would like a very cute and affectionate rottie puppy to toilet train for a few weeks - let me know

!!

 

[BigRed]

Putting a puppy outside in the garden and hoping they will "go" doesn't always work. I have older dogs who won't bother, especially if the grass is cold and wet.

In my experience the best way to get a dog to "go" is to put the lead on and take them for a short walk. And that does not mean around the garden... Don't walk too fast because a young puppy may forget to go, but walking and having a sniff usually gets them to empty themselves, then the usual praise.

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

how old is she?
it is normal for puppies to go backwards before they improve again! (speaking from experience from my boy) but she will get it eventually, just persevere!
if you catch her just after she has done it, I found putting beau outside straight away, next time he seemed to twig..... might just be him, or might be just luck...
If she is nearly a year old and is just doing it because she is being sort of I want to do it where I want, I didnt punish beau when he did this, but I did give him a firm NO (just when he got into position) then straight outside.
He got it in the end...
just persevere really........

 

[CAYLA]

When u let her out, don't stay out with her, go inside and watch her from the window, this way she is not distracted by your presence, and she will explore as puppies do, movement is the key to passing faecal matter, hence why they circle, it helps push the pooh pooh out, like straining, to help with bowel movement, also puppies are much more interested in you and instead of concentrating on the job in hand pooh and running around to sniff out a good patch wee wee's

As you suggest some odgs are indeed very shy of being looked upon when passing their motions, so best to watch from the window and then as she is finishing the motion, i.e her pooh, as she is passing urine fine, so concentrate on pooh, open the door and throw a treat in her direction, and say good pooh pooh baby

When she has passed both, leave the door open for her to return and praise when she gets in.

As suggested and experienced by Lucy, at the puppy satge they will lapse in and out of a perfected routine

 

[Demolition_Derby]

Thank you very much for you replies.

CALA - if I leave her out there she just whines and scratches the door - I have (cruelly

) left her out there for 40 mins before - thinking she would get bored and start to wander off but the neighbours came round and asked what was going on...

What do I do in this situation?

She often does go in front of me so I dont think she is 'shy', and I dont think she finds me all that interesting as I can be rolling around on the floor with all her toys and she still just sits there staring at me

!!

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

Daaaaaammmn straight its experienced

hehe
Fret not about lapsing they will return to the good stage eventually, beau is now 99% perfect! (Never gonna risk saying perfect! hehe)

Thnk maybe leaving her to do it is a good idea! just remmebr to keep and eye out as exploring can sometimes = escaping! (also experienced)

My friend also says they like bark chippings, they like the smell and leads to patches good for their business!

 

[jes_nibley]

Hi Demolition Derby,

Can you give her an area in your garden which can be 'her toilet'? It doesn't have to be fenced off, just an area that you take her to to do the business.
At her age, I would still be taking her out as soon as she has eaten and pretty much as soon as you get up.

As for leaving her outside, if she scarthes at the door or whines is there anyway you can squirt some water or a (small) water pistol at her? (This is by no means cruel but use of the shock tactic, unless she watches you do it she won't necessarily realise it's you that made her wet and should quiten her down after a few go's at being noisy)

You could also introduce a command for 'toilet time'. We use "be a good girl / boy" with all of ours. Although I hjave heard 'hurry up' and 'busy busy' used before now. Just be sure not to make it pathetic or your neighbours will think you've really lost the plot when you start saying thinks like 'there's a good girly wirly, will you have a little wee wee for mumsy wumsy now then sweetie pie' etc etc. To introduce the command you need to see or be with her when she goes to the toilet. As she squat's down and start to pee / have a poo say your cammand. Don't be too exaggerated or exciting though or she will stop what she is doing to come and see you...

Hope this helps, I haven't forgotten I need to pm you either - will get onto it asap. (OH is out of hospital now but not up to mch - hence why I'm on here at nearly 11 o'clock!!!!)

 

[CAYLA]

A baby gate may help, she may be panicking that there is a solid object blocking her way back in, and she cannot see u anymore, u could maybe stick a baby gate in the door way and of course renmove when finished, a mobile baby gate for pooh time

and leave the door open, also stops her damaging the door, tell the neighbours to be lenient whilst u are puppy training

aslong as it's not night time

 

[SarahLouise83]

This is a common problem experienced by many. How old is your pup now? (I'm new to these forums so apologies if you've said this on another thread somewhere!)

As Amarillo suggested, squirting water at your pup from a window or something is a good way to stop her whining/scratching at the door (which, in my opinion, needs to be nipped in the bud along with the toilet training issue, as there is nothing worse than a ridiculously clingy dog). You might find that this behaviour with the scratching/whining only worsens as she'll associate whinging/scratching with being let in - equalling exactly what she wanted so she'll keep doing it.

So good luck with that.

As has also been suggested, lots of short walks as soon as she wakes up and after she's eaten might help - it is movement that helps so if playing in the garden doesn't work then taking her for short walks might. Avoiding the garden to walk her in though - they don't have to be long walks, just 10-15 mins usually does the job. And sometimes playing in the garden can make pups forget what they should be doing as they get so focused on playing rather than peeing or pooing!

With my pups in the past I've always said a firm "NO" followed by instantly picking them up and putting them outside the very second they squatted into weeing or pooping positions in the house. My three have been house trained within a week or getting them. So it is do-able, but obviously some dogs are just more difficult than others!

She sounds gorgeous though, I adore Rotties! So I'll have her for a few weeks!