[erinG]

We need help with potty training! Fresh perspective or ideas or something!
I've trained all of our previous dogs(7! some came to us as not house-trained adults) no problem, only one was a Chi.

Our current dogs are Fiona-adult house trained, Midnight-9 months house trained, Cowboy-5 months NOT! house trained, and Diva-6 months NOT! house trained. We have only had Cowboy and Diva for a month and a half so I don't expect perfection but I feel as though we have made no progress.

Our current set-up is a 48"x30" crate in our kitchen it contains their cat house with bed in it, water dish, pee pads and toys. For the pee-pads we have tried covering the whole back half, using just one, using a tray to hold it, and a litter box with pee pad and tiny bit of litter. We have tried all these different things because they dig, shred, and play with the pee pads and then just go on the floor of the crate.

At night they sleep together in a small crate in our bedroom and hold it all night just fine.

At this point they can only be out while we are holding them or outside or a few minutes in confined areas because as soon as they feel the urge they go wherever they are. I'm spending most of my day managing them and it's making me crazy.

I would love if they went outside all the time but every other Friday night the kids and I are gone from 12pm-9pm at the earliest. While my DH would let them out I worry about how long they can hold it, he works from home and can get wrapped up in problems and not realize how long it has been.

So... Help?!

 

[erinG]

Also Diva and Cowboy are not spayed/neutered yet. Diva goes in to be spayed tomorrow and Cowboy will be going in soon.

 

[20887]

I let my dogs go inside on a pad. I first kept them in a playpen while I was gone, with a pee pad at one end. Then they went in the bathroom as they got bigger. At first I had to lay out a few pads at the end of the bathroom, just to make sure they went on the pad. Now, they can have free run of the house because they always go on the pad.

Give them plenty of opportunities to go on the pad. Every time they eat, play, wake up, etc. Take them to the pad and encourage them to potty. It is important that you praise them for going potty every time. When you can't watch them, put them in their crate/playpen/whatever. Can you put a potty pad somewhere in your house that they can use while out playing?

 

[erinG]

Can you put a potty pad somewhere in your house that they can use while out playing?

We do put out a pee pad when the are out but they won't use it. Even if you catch them in the act and try to move them onto it they will do everything they can to get off it before finishing.

 

[jesuschick]

My girls know how to potty outside but they are inside pad trained. To avoid the issue of shredded pads, I switched to washable hospital bed and chair pads. They go on them with no problem and I just grab them and throw them in the washer (well, poo is picked up and flushed). I have not purchased paper pads in months. I still have a giant bag of 100. I keep thinking I will save them for travel.

 

[MiniGrace]

Are they on a schedule for their meals? I find that helps. I am working with a 4 1/2 old pup so I feel your pain. With her the hard part was getting her to understand what I wanted. She likes to sleep in my lap and I know she's going to go soon after she wakes up so I put her in the pen and stand there and watch her until she goes, then praised her and made a big fuss about what a good dog she is. The first time I did it, she looked at me and cocked her head like "what's the big deal". She is still learning but I think at least she understands what I want now.

 

[MiniGrace]

My girls know how to potty outside but they are inside pad trained. To avoid the issue of shredded pads, I switched to washable hospital bed and chair pads. They go on them with no problem and I just grab them and throw them in the washer (well, poo is picked up and flushed). I have not purchased paper pads in months. I still have a giant bag of 100. I keep thinking I will save them for travel.

I never thought about using the washable hospital bed pads if they are shredding the paper ones. That's a great idea and one I wish I had thought of when Charlie was younger. He shredded paper like crazy. Where'd you get your hospital pads?

 

[jesuschick]

I first got them on ebay. Then once I discovered ebay sellers, I go directly to their own sites. That way I get 10% off codes and such that I would not have known about through ebay.

For the big girls, they go on chair pads that are smaller like 23" x 17". The new, little one gets larger pads (I think like 23" x 34" give or take) for training. The larger pads are also what I leave in their room when we are at work.

The first 2 were pad trained in 2 weeks. They were weeks old puppies. Eden was 8 months when we got her and it took her 6 weeks to be trained. I do pad train with treats (I know not everyone believes in this) because I love my nice carpet and rugs and for us it works beautifully!

 

[MiniGrace]

I first got them on ebay. Then once I discovered ebay sellers, I go directly to their own sites. That way I get 10% off codes and such that I would not have known about through ebay.

For the big girls, they go on chair pads that are smaller like 23" x 17". The new, little one gets larger pads (I think like 23" x 34" give or take) for training. The larger pads are also what I leave in their room when we are at work.

The first 2 were pad trained in 2 weeks. They were weeks old puppies. Eden was 8 months when we got her and it took her 6 weeks to be trained. I do pad train with treats (I know not everyone believes in this) because I love my nice carpet and rugs and for us it works beautifully!

So they don't have any trouble telling the difference between the pads they are supposed to use and the carpet or rugs? I'm seriously thinking about getting some of these and giving them a try. Also I might try giving treats to Taz - she's very food motivated.

A fresh perspective is great, isn't it? Even for something that seems as basic as housetraining. My husband really didn't want another small dog because he thinks you can't housetrain them. I would really like to prove him wrong but I'm not entirely successful yet.

 

[erinG]

jesuschick thanks for the idea! and I too am wondering if they are able to tell the difference between the washable pads and other stuff. My kids and husband are constantly leaving dirty laundry in the floor

MiniGrace- they don't have specific times for every thing but we do have a routine like the same order of wake up, potty, feed, potty time, out to play, etc. everyday. We are homeschoolers and my husband works from home with varied hours so none of us are great about exact times
Do you think exact times rather than a routine would help?

 

[omguthrie]

Is there a specific reason you want them pad trained to go inside or do you just want them house trained? Since they do so well in the crate over night, not pottying, etc, and are tearing up the pads constantly, I would be inclined to say train them to go outside to potty and not worry about having pads around at all.

Treat them like any other puppy or older dog: crate them when you can't watch them, take them outside often, praise like crazy when they potty outside, rinse and repeat. If they are out of their crate they are attached to you by a leash so they can't make a mistake by wandering off and pottying somewhere else in the house. If one starts sniffing around then take them out and give them the chance to go. They should also go out after every nap, play time, chew time, meal, etc.

If you are consistent they should get it!

 

[MiniGrace]

jesuschick thanks for the idea! and I too am wondering if they are able to tell the difference between the washable pads and other stuff. My kids and husband are constantly leaving dirty laundry in the floor

MiniGrace- they don't have specific times for every thing but we do have a routine like the same order of wake up, potty, feed, potty time, out to play, etc. everyday. We are homeschoolers and my husband works from home with varied hours so none of us are great about exact times
Do you think exact times rather than a routine would help?

I have had more success with doing things at the same time while training at least. I think once they are trained the timing is then not as important. If there is a schedule for what goes in, you can better predict when it's coming out. You could try having specific times for meals and potty breaks. It can't hurt and it might help. Also I have an exercise pen fully lined with pads so I can just pop them in the pen, close the door and wait for them to go. That way they can't go off the pad. I leave the door to the pen open the rest of the time.

 

[erinG]

No specific reason for the pee pads I just worry about the length of time they could be alone.
They will always be crated when I'm not home. My 86 year old grandmother lives with us and while it's okay for her to let the big dogs out and forget them until one of the kids or my DH notices I'm not okay with that happening with these guys.

 

[Vampy Vera]

When we got JJ he used to ignore the pads and go where he wanted. He was confined to the living room, so at least his range was limited, but still.
What I did then was put the pads not where I wanted them, but in his favorite places to pee. We had three pads down at the beginning. Also, at the beginning I'd soak up the pee from when he went in the wrong place onto the pads so that he would follow the smell when he wanted to go next, and go on the pad. It was a slow process but it worked. We went down to two pads. Also, every time he went on the pad he'd get treats as a reward. 1 for pee, two for poop. The latter is trickier though because he's one of those that walks when he poops, so he's start on the pad but end on the floor. Only one treat then: half credit! So he learned that to get treats he had to pee in the right place.

 

[erinG]

Thanks for all the help!
I think we may have turned a corner with Cowboy, Diva was off being spayed yesterday and just came home now. Cowbow has been hanging out with the big dogs and going out with them!

I think I'm going to go to small crates in an x-pen completely covered with washable pads for when I'm not home.

I just hope Diva will cooperate