Puppy potty training - desperate for help!

[RascalsMom]

I feel like I'm doing everything wrong - I'm so frustrated with MYSELF. I've trained so many dogs before, for my parents, friends and family. I don't understand why I can't get through to these dogs. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong!

On June 1 my boyfriend and I adopted two little dogs from the pound - chihuahua and min pin mixes. The pound estimated them at 3 months, the vet I took them to a few days later estimated them at 5.

I can tell that their first home never took them outside much, if at all. I know she lived in a rented place before she got rid of them so maybe she kept them inside. They were TERRIFIED of grass, and would seek out things like blankets, towels, rugs, in the house to potty on.

We got them used to outside and now they LOVE it! Right away, day one, we started the routine of taking them out at least like every half hour, rewarding them for going potty outside (small treats) and saying "NO!" If they go inside, and taking them out. They are also scooped up and taken out if they look like they are sniffing around.

I thought they were doing better. It seemed after about 2 weeks, maybe, they were making no pees inside, and pooping sometimes outside.

But they refuse to continuously poop outside. They know they aren't supposed to inside - they out their head down and run and hide as soon as they do.

The past week or so they've seemed to have gotten worse. They had been on the routine of boyfriend taken them out when he got up for work, them both peeing, and I would take them out a short bit later and they'd pee and poop. Now I get up with boyfriend, they'll pee outside, and come inside and poop immediately! Not always the same spot, and I scrub if its on carpet. I also sprinkle baking soda before each vacuum and vacuum daily. Morning used to be their best time for no accidents, so it's a bit discouraging to have them doing it then, too.

The past couple days they've even peed a few times inside - sometimes right after coming inside!

I don't like locking dogs up but I can't let them free roam when we aren't home, so they get the bathroom. They have never gone in there, pee or poop, regardless of how long they are left.

Today they somehow got out of the bathroom (I guess I didn't close it all the way, the door you kinda have to push hard on) and they pooped all over the downstairs (baby gate in front of steps, luckily) and peed so many spots in the living room that I have to shampoo the whole carpet as I don't want the house to stink and I'm scared of missing spots, the carpet is kinda dark and I was just walking around finding all these dark spots of pee!

My sister said I should get a crate and crate them when they go in the house, but that seems cruel, especially to pound dogs. They do get a stern "NO!" When thy go, and sometimes they are told to go lay down, and they can tell we are upset, and they slouch down and act all guilty and pathetically cute.

They also sometimes trick me, I swear. They will poop one small little poop outside, run over to me for a cookie(treat) and as soon as we go inside, they poop a big pile!

We do try to keep a strict watch on them to try and catch them BEFORE the go. But they are MASTERS at hiding. They aren't allowed to go upstairs alone. But as soon as something like, for instance, I'm stirring dinner in the kitchen, they'll sneak and run and poop.

Sorry this is all kinda rambling, I'm just upset at myself as I feel I'm failing them - and also typing this on my phone so it's a bit hard.

 

[Freesia]

I saw something on TV about lining the ground with those plastic baby changing sheets and then coating with newspaper, and then gradually moving the whole deal closer to the door until they are trained to go on paper, then you can sort of work on them out the door. It helps to have a hard floor though, I imagine it would be hard with carpets.

It sounds like they have probably not been trained at all by the previous owner. I think they will get trained in time, but it might take longer because of their early experience of living in an apartment. I am guessing their owner was probably not very consistent with training them or taking them outside.

 

[RascalsMom]

I never did that with dogs as it can confuse them - training them to go in the house in just one spot, then wanting them to not go in the house at all. I've potty trained lots of dogs, and have always had quick success
So I just feel like I'm doing this all wrong

I actually thing they may have been puppy pad trained and that may be why it's so hard to outdoor train them - and why they tend to favor things like rugs, blankets on the floor, etc. (they've never gone on a bed, just random blankets all over the house for the dogs)

They understand the concept, too, because they hide when they do go.

Also when they are locked up in the bathroom, (which is kinda spacious, tiled floors, they get food water, toys) they don't go at all, ever, so it's not a problem of them not being able to hold it - and we try to take them out a few times an hour, anyway.

 

[Freesia]

http://www.wikihow.com/House-Train-a-Puppy

Except for the part about crating them. I personally think it is good to provide something to sleep in but I dont understand the whole thing of shutting them inside it.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I'm no expert with dogs and I thought that crate training seemed cruel at first but putting my JRT on a crate training regime was the only way she was toilet trained and it took months for us as she refused to go outside and even now she "holds it" when we go for a walk. I think some small dogs have more of a problem with this issue.

I bought a pen rather than a crate, which had an open top so she wasn't too restricted but I kept her to a schedule from a book I bought on Amazon on toilet training, (How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 days) it advises taking the dog out first thing in the morning and then having a very regimented food and water routine. It worked for us anyway.

 

[Freesia]

I never did that with dogs as it can confuse them - training them to go in the house in just one spot, then wanting them to not go in the house at all. I've potty trained lots of dogs, and have always had quick success
So I just feel like I'm doing this all wrong

I actually thing they may have been puppy pad trained and that may be why it's so hard to outdoor train them - and why they tend to favor things like rugs, blankets on the floor, etc. (they've never gone on a bed, just random blankets all over the house for the dogs)

They understand the concept, too, because they hide when they do go.

Also when they are locked up in the bathroom, (which is kinda spacious, tiled floors, they get food water, toys) they don't go at all, ever, so it's not a problem of them not being able to hold it - and we try to take them out a few times an hour, anyway.

Well it depends. Our old dogs were trained on newspaper and gradually brought outside and it worked fine. But they were medium sized breed dogs who had been adopted straight from the mother dog home, so it was a simpler process.

 

[kibbleforlola]

You are right for not putting them in a crate when they are "bad" - good instincts. Crates are supposed to be comforting spots, like "dens" - a place they know they can go and be safe and not be messed with - so to put them in a crate and lock it when you are mad sends a very confusing signal.

It took us like, 6 months to potty train Lola, and we taught her how to use the dog door as soon as she came home. I've never had a dog take so long to potty train - but she was just still a puppy. Part of the problem might be that they are so young. Youth + inconsistent training w/ previous owner = very confused pups. I'd just keep doing what you do - taking them out regularly, keeping an eye on them, and firm "no!"s when they potty inside. Just be consistent and they'll get it, eventually.

It's a pain in the ***, but they'll learn eventually. You're a good doggy mommy.

 

[RascalsMom]

Thank you I know I need to be patient - but it's hard to not be hard on myself and think I'm doing it all wrong!

 

[Forster]

You are right for not putting them in a crate when they are "bad" - good instincts. Crates are supposed to be comforting spots, like "dens" - a place they know they can go and be safe and not be messed with - so to put them in a crate and lock it when you are mad sends a very confusing signal.

Exactly crates are their safe places/dens (which is why they don't want to go potty in there). When I go to work the dogs know and they go lay down in them no prompting at all.

 

[RascalsMom]

They definitely have that with bathroom! Which is good.

 

[Freesia]

Some ideas I have which may or may not work:

- Play with them quite a bit more outside, ball games or with toys etc. It sounds like they are a little phobic of being outside, it could because they are small and the outdoors looks like a scarily big space to them so it might take them a while to feel truly comfortable outside. Perhaps when they were really little, before you got them, something frightened them when they were outside or they had a bad experience outside, so it may take a while for them to learn that their yard is a truly safe haven.

Another thing to do is to dig some spaces like a sort of square area and put sand on it and then put some of their droppings there and keep it there so when they go outside they get used to seeing it there and they come to visually associate outside with bathroom stuff.

Another idea is after they pee, mop it up with something and then immediately go outside and rub it all over lower branches of some plants, and some patches of grass, which they can sniff at and realise that because outside smells like pee, that is a good signal to do so. Also it may comfort them to have their yard smelling like them as it may make them feel like it is their territory.

And meanwhile keep cleaning up inside and perhaps invest in some stuff which washes pet urine enzymes out of carpets etc.

Perhaps you have tried these things already. Anyway I am sure they will adjust in time, they sound like very well behaved dogs.

 

[Everleigh]

It sounds as if you are doing everything possible to train them correctly.Only problem is they have already been trained once by their former owner who trained them incorrectly to use rugs,blankets,ect...to go the bathroom.Maybe possibly the dogs are experiencing some anxiety from this first training and are now confused.Also this link has some other suggestions which may be useful to you http://www.foundanimals.org/pet-care/ask-experts/house-soiling

 

[RascalsMom]

We do play with them a lot outside and have given them treats outside, etc, and now they have loved it outside for the past few weeks and love going outside to play. That was the first hurdle. They won't play with any toys outside, but they do run around and wrestle.

I have another, older dog, (Rascal), and I think he did a lot of help with them learning to pee outside because they started by peeing over his spot.

I was hoping they'd copy him poop more, but so far it's not consistent, and they do like to poop in the house better than outside it seems, lol.

Thank you everyone for your advice and reassurance!!! It does make me feel a lot better. I guess we will just keep it up and hope they catch on well

 

[shyvas]

We do play with them a lot outside and have given them treats outside, etc, and now they have loved it outside for the past few weeks and love going outside to play. That was the first hurdle. They won't play with any toys outside, but they do run around and wrestle.

I have another, older dog, (Rascal), and I think he did a lot of help with them learning to pee outside because they started by peeing over his spot.

I was hoping they'd copy him poop more, but so far it's not consistent, and they do like to poop in the house better than outside it seems, lol.

Thank you everyone for your advice and reassurance!!! It does make me feel a lot better. I guess we will just keep it up and hope they catch on well

Awww hopefully they'll get guidance from their big brother. You seem to be doing a wonderful job and I admire you for your patience and all the love you are giving them.
I don't have any advice as I've never had a puppy. Hopefully the advice given will do the trick. Good luck.

 

[Spang]

Crate training has worked in my experience and I endorse the method.

 

[LuvOurMother]

Sometimes dogs do this for a few weeks after being re-homed or after stressful situations. Chi's and pins are usually territorial, and that has a lot to do with peeing.
Leaving them alone also can cause stress that leads to going pee/poop in the house.

Just stick with your routine and give them time.

 

[RascalsMom]

It's 10 pm and neither have had an accident today

 

[KLS52]

Good news!

 

[shyvas]

Bless the little mites. from 'auntie' Shyvas.

 

[RascalsMom]

They've been doing so well the past 3 days! I have a feeling there might be an accident today, though. It's raining REALLY hard and they don't want to potty in the rain.