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Home > Advice... puppy refuses to housetrain!

Advice... puppy refuses to housetrain!

April 5th, 2008 at 03:57 am

Okay, I have heard several different pieces of advice lately, but I thought I would ask my SA friends too.

I have a 5 month old Great Dane puppy, who is a total sweetheart most of the time. It's also my opinion that he is pretty darn smart, learning to sit and lay down in about 2 days. He also has learned random things like the fact that he can put his paw to the outside door of our building and push it open to go outside.

So if he's so smart, why can't he get housetraining?!?!?!

This is what we've done so far, tell me where we went wrong:

We got him when he was almost two months old, and immediately started using puppy pads for about the first week. Then, when I moved and could take him outside easily, I started putting his leash on and taking him outside any time I saw him circling the ground like he was about to go.

Within about a week, I thought he had the gist of it. There were even a few times when he would go to the door and look at it, wanting to go out.

But then, a week or so after that, it all suddenly stopped. I would try to time when he would need to go by when I would give him his food/water, but it never works. I wait 30 minutes and take him out, but then we end up out there for 20 minutes and he acts like he just doesn't have to go. But when we come back in, five minutes later he is going on the carpet.

I use a crate for during the day while I'm at work and can't come home, and he does really well with it. He never goes inside, and when I take him out as soon as I get home, he goes outside easily.

Sadly, it's when I'm AT HOME that his accidents happen. I've tried everything, puppy pads, catching him in the act and trying to interrupt and take him outside, yelling a stern "NO" when I see him, pre-emptive trips outside after eating, etc...

Now I am afraid my brand new apartment is going to start smelling like dog pee! Plus, all the Spot-Shot is costing me a fortune, I go through at least a bottle a week cleaning up after him.

Any advice, suggestions, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated. I am all out of ideas at this point, but I can't imagine going on with him doing this!

3 Responses to “Advice... puppy refuses to housetrain!”

  1. baselle Says:
    1207367701

    It sounds like your puppy is indeed smart, and he loves you very much. And it doesn't sound like he has any physical issues. He has linked peeing inside with attention from you. He pees, you make a fuss, he likes the fuss you make.

    My suggestion would be that you make a fuss and reward him with attention if he holds it and pees outside. The next time he pees inside, you put him in his crate, not roughly, but no friendly patting, no voice raising, just neutral. You leave him in his crate as you clean up and ignore him. When you finish cleaning, uncrate him, take him outside for a walk. When he pees in the appropriate place, make a fuss, pet him, "good dog" him, give him something he likes.

    Every time he does something you don't like - neutral expression. Every time he does something you like or want him to do - positive attention.

  2. Ima saver Says:
    1207406467

    This is how I house broke my little Holly. I would say, let's go potty, Holly and take her outside very often. When she went, I said, good potty holly, now you get a cookie. I would give her a small piece of veinna sausage when we got inside. Within two weeks, she was licking her lips when she pottied, knowing she was going to get that piece of sausage!! She quickly learned that the word potty, meant she would get a "cookie"

  3. Amber Says:
    1207411872

    I wish I had some advice, but I have no clue...I know that pet smart in my neighborhood has a training class. Good luck

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