# Potty Training problems



## garrettsmom (May 15, 2006)

Winnie's set-up at home is as follows: Crate attached to 8 sided rectangular ex-pen. Wizdog at other end of crate. Water and food available at all times. Winnie's great about going on the Wizdog, both pee and poop as long as the ex-pen gate is closed. She was even great about running back into the pen to do her business when she was too shy to venture into the closed off kitchen. Now that she's gotten a little bolder, she seems to think the throw rugs in the kitchen either in front of the stove or by the garage door are her alternate pottying places. I've removed the stove front rug and replaced the garage door rug with a smaller one, but she again today peed and pooped on it on 2 separate incidents. It happens SO fast that by the time I get to her to say "No Winnie", the deed is over and I don't think my words mean anything. Should I make her spend more time in the confined ex-pen area? Even if I do, what's to stop her from peeing and pooping on the rugs again once I give her more room to explore?







Any suggestions would be much appreciated!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

If she's pottying where she shouldn't, she's got too much freedom. When she's out exploring, you need to be right with her so you can pick her up and take her to her pads as soon as she starts to sniff and circle. That's why leashing a dog to you (usually an older dog) is so effective. Try to think of her as leashed to you and don't let her get any further away. Also, I'd make sure she does her exploring after she's peed and pooped.

You're right, your words don't mean anything after the fact. You really have to catch her in the act so she can connect the event with the praise.


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

Hannah came to us about 75% potty pad trained. I had to remove almost all area rugs to get her to 100%. I had the same problem with Boo when he was a puppy & I tried to potty pad train him. He stopped when I trained him for outdoor potty only. When I'm confident that Hannah has it down pat, I will return the area rugs.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Although Lacie is 100% potty trained, Tilly still has challenges at night. During the daytime, she will do her potty outdoors where she is supposed to. She uses the doggie door to go in and out. At night, however, when she is asleep on the bed and needs to go, she will jump off the bed (using the steps) and will always go to the bathmat in the master (attached) bath. She doesn't seem to want to go outside when it's dark. We have accent lighting that automatically turns off at 10:00 p.m. After that goes off, she seems to want to stay inside and since she no longer wakes me up, this is her idea of an alternative. 

I've just learned to live with it because I can wash and/or change the bath mat and she doesn't use the carpet in the bedroom, just the bathmat which is over tile and rubber on the back. I guess she thinks of the bathmat as an alternative pee pee pad.


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## gottagettamaltee (Dec 1, 2005)

> Hannah came to us about 75% potty pad trained. I had to remove almost all area rugs to get her to 100%. I had the same problem with Boo when he was a puppy & I tried to potty pad train him. He stopped when I trained him for outdoor potty only. When I'm confident that Hannah has it down pat, I will return the area rugs.[/B]


thats how bentley was. when i started training him to go outside, he stopped going on the carpets and on the throw rugs in bathroom and kitchen. but i had to confine him to the bathroom for a couple of weeks so he'd get the hang of it. we've been accident free ever since! (knock on wood!)

but for garrettsmom, its what ladysmom said, she has too much freedom! i gave bentley too much freedom even after i was confident he was trained and he started having accidents and after the first time it was all the time. so you need to keep her with you at all times if she isnt in her xpen. i only allowed bentley out of the bathroom to go outside to potty and then any time i wasnt watching him, he had to stay in the bathroom! good luck, winnie will learn! consistency is key also!


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## garrettsmom (May 15, 2006)

> [ but for garrettsmom, its what ladysmom said, she has too much freedom! i gave bentley too much freedom even after i was confident he was trained and he started having accidents and after the first time it was all the time. so you need to keep her with you at all times if she isnt in her xpen. i only allowed bentley out of the bathroom to go outside to potty and then any time i wasnt watching him, he had to stay in the bathroom! good luck, winnie will learn! consistency is key also!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 OK, so if I limit her freedom, she won't have the opportunity to have an accident, she'll only be using Wizdog. Are you saying the _longer_ she's using Wizdog *only* the better the chances are that she won't potty elsewhere once I do allow more freedom? Or.....is it really a matter of guiding her on a leash anywhere outside the proximity of her ex pen so I'll have the opportunity to whisk her away once she starts sniffing and circling. I guess my question is, what is it that will cement in her mind she needs to use wizdog only .......saying NO to other places, or praising her consistently for a long time on the ONE place she should go....hope I'm making sense


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

If you limit her area and she potties where she is supposed to and you praise her like crazy, that is what will train her. Dogs respond much better to positive reinforcement that being told "no" just like people. 

I was able to train eleven year old Lady to use pee pads 24/7 after my accident when she was bascially outdoor trained only. I put an ex pen around her pee pads by the back door and put her in the pen every time she ate, woke up from a nap or asked to go out. I watched her so I was able to say "good girl" as soon as she pottied, then gave her a treat. She figured it out really quickly!


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I agree with Lady's mom. I have a rescue that came directly from a puppy mill - I got him this past December (Tinker). It was tough for the first two months, but then it was like a light bulb went off in his head finally and he said "OH - I get it!" Keep a constant schedule and praise like crazy when she does it right! Don't fool yourself - it might take a while.

BTW - my boys still have trouble remembering sometimes (???)
















But Abbey...







now the girl never makes a mistake.


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## KandiMaltese (Mar 27, 2007)

when Abbey was here, she LOVED peeing on the pads!
















Andrea


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

I agree with Ladysmom (Marj)--when you DO give her freedom, you have to CONSTANTLY watch her. Literally not turning your back for a moment. So if she does start to circle/sniff you can immediately put her on the Wiz Dog. I also taught Ollie the word "potty"--when he'd be "going" I'd say good potty or whatever and give him a treat. Learning the word potty comes in handy down the line too. When we're outside and Ollie is fooling around I tell him "Ollie go potty!" and he gets down to business, lol. I'd also take up those area rugs for now--no sense in having to worry about her wanting to go on them for now. I think all puppies do that initially so don't worry about it. We took away our doormats for a while.

BTW, Ollie is 8 1/2 months and, until recently, was not allowed to go upstairs. Too much freedom and he'd sometimes "go" up there. You have to give them freedom VERY gradually. It does take a while...


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