# Potty Training Questions



## lucida.ann (Feb 18, 2006)

Dear Good People of Spoiled Maltese,

I realize that Deanna just asked a crate-training related question, but mine has a slightly different bend and plus I don't want to take over her thread, hence I am posting a new thread.

Against my better judgement, I purchased a 5 and 1/2 month old female chihuahua last night. I know this is a maltese forum, but the two dogs are similar in size and they are both intense companion dogs, so I would hope it's okay to ask this here. 

Bear, the Maltese I temporarily "fostered" for a coworker whose parents had two Maltese and were divorcing, has been graced with a "forever" home that can take *both* of their Maltese and not just one, so he has moved on to his new life. I bring this up only to say that Bear was two years old and potty trained, so there was never a need to crate train Bear. This little one, however...

I indicated it was against my better judgement to get this dog. As some of my recent posts have indicated, I had been visiting the local pet store over the past few months in order to spend time playing with the pets and showering them with affection that they otherwise were unlikely to get. This little female chihuahua had stolen my heart every time. So last night, when she was finally reduced to $500, I did the unthinkable and took her home. Let me to tell you right now how NOT happy my husband is about that. He doesn't want anything to do with her care right now but I know him and within a week this little girl will be wrapped around his finger. Anyhow...

She is nowhere near potty trained, and actually she was anti-trained by virture of being caged 24/7 for her whole life thus far. I don't feel I have any other option than to crate-train as I simply cannot watch her every moment to prevent accidents. As you can imagine, crate-training has not been going so great because no matter how small I make the partition, she will potty in there. I have been taking her out every half hour to potty and at times, she will come right back in and cop a sqaut in her cage to answer nature's call.

At 5 1/2 months she weighs a little over two pounds. I cannot understand why she was still there above her other compadres, except perhaps that she was originally the most expensive of them all. 

At any rate, she and my daughter adore one another (phew!) but I still have to be very careful about watching how they interact because I could easily see my daughter unintentionally stepping on poor Luci (short for Lucida







) and seriously hurting her.

Andy advice would he greatly appreciated. Anyone's opinion is welcome but at the same time I should warn people that unless the counter-opinion to current practice presents a compelling argument for an altetnative method (such as crate traininq, indoor potty pads v outdoor), all that good stulff - I will probably be unlikely to implement my current plans.

Thanks so much everyone!


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## jude'n'jools (Apr 6, 2006)

Congrats Lucida









The only advice i can offer is that she will learn soon if you keep up the work you are already doing! Take her to potty after every feed, sleep & playtime! Keep an eye out for little circle sniffing motions as this is an indication that she needs to potty.

As you know this is a whole new experience for her & she is just used to go potty in a cage already. Dogs are very habitual so you keep up the good work & i guarantee it will work.

Oh & praise her when she does it where you want her too & either ignore an accident or tell her NO!

Good luck.


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## angelsugar (Apr 22, 2006)

*The same good guidelines always apply:

Make a schedule. 
Keep it as best you can!
If she messes inside the crate, take her out to where she should be going.
Praise, praise, praise (and treats) when she does the right thing in the right place.

It ain't easy, but it does get better.*


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## Guest (Jul 29, 2006)

Hi, We have had two Malteses and both were outside potty trained. Each time we had a Maltese, we also had a larger dog. We found that when we let the large dog outside to go potty, we also took the Maltese puppy out and hoped he would watch and learn from the large dog. Yes, we had accidents in the house, and yes it is a pain to go outside in bad weather, but the puppy finally got the idea of what to do and housebroke within a few weeks. He learned to "hold it" and very frequently did he "mess" in the house or crate. I had better clarify somethimg I said before. We had one Maltese and a larger dog, only 2 dogs at once. Then when their lives had passed we got another Maltese and rescued a larger dog. Perhaps if you take both dogs out at the same time things may improve as far as "messing" Just a thought. Good Luck.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Patience, patience, patience is the best advice I can give. Since she (what is her name BTW?) is a pet shop puppy, she is most likely from a puppy mill and has spent her entire life in a cage going potty in it. The theory that dogs will not soil their own dens(crates) doesn't apply to these poor souls who have had no choice. 

JMM always suggests leashing a puppy to yourself if you are having a problem housebreaking. You might want to try that if the crating isn't working.


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## lucida.ann (Feb 18, 2006)

> Patience, patience, patience is the best advice I can give. Since she (what is her name BTW?) is a pet shop puppy, she is most likely from a puppy mill and has spent her entire life in a cage going potty in it. The theory that dogs will not soil their own dens(crates) doesn't apply to these poor souls who have had no choice.
> 
> JMM always suggests leashing a puppy to yourself if you are having a problem housebreaking. You might want to try that if the crating isn't working.[/B]


Hi Marj,

I am still deciding her name. Either Pixie or Lucy but since she is so small Pixie seems to fit better. I am fortunate to have a neighbor who owned lots of small dogs to ask for advice. I have no doubt she is from a puppymill because I looked up her breeder. So yes, her natural instiincts to not soil her den kind of go out the window.


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## wagirl98665 (Jan 5, 2006)

I really can't add anything that hasn't already been said, but I do wish you luck with your new puppy. I like the name Pixie also.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

> Dear Good People of Spoiled Maltese,
> 
> Against my better judgement, I purchased a 5 and 1/2 month old female chihuahua last night. I know this is a maltese forum, but the two dogs are similar in size and they are both intense companion dogs, so I would hope it's okay to ask this here. . . . .[/B]


SM doesn't have any rules about not discussing other breeds but those posts wouldn't go in the "Maltese Training" section, but rather would go in the "Anything Goes" section.


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## lucida.ann (Feb 18, 2006)

> SM doesn't have any rules about not discussing other breeds but those posts wouldn't go in the "Maltese Training" section, but rather would go in the "Anything Goes" section.[/B]


Thank you for telling me this, and just for the record, I didn't think it was a problem to post this here because another user posted a training question regarding a different breed in this forum and I did not see any indication while reading through the responses to her question that it was inappropriate for this forum.

However, I would be more than happy for the thread to be moved to it's proper location, and equally happy to have similar guidance in the future, so long as the same guidelines apply to everyone that posts here. If I am not aware if I have the capability to move this thread to "anything else" but at the same time I would have no qualms if someone else who *does* have that authority moves it there.


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## lucida.ann (Feb 18, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=230643
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What I meant to say this that I don't have the power to move my thread or edit it's title (that I am aware of) but I am more than willing for someone else to follow-through on that. I understand that commiunity rules are made for a reason and I resect your rules.


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## lucida.ann (Feb 18, 2006)

Update:

She's such a good little girl! She goes potty (#1) outside now and all I have to do is take her out and tell her "Go Potty." Then as she goes I say "Good Potty" over and over again and give her a treat. She isn't to the point of going to the door yet to tell me, but so far the only accidents she has are when she is in her crate and they are always #2's...So I am on my way to the store to get some doggie litter. She hasn't had a single accident outside of her crate. If it turns out that she goes #2 in a litter box for a while until she learns to do BOTH outside, I am a happy camper. For a puppymill dog that's spent her whole life in one crate or another, she is GREAT! She runs up to the neighbors wagging her tail. She loves everyone. I am going to do my darnedest to keep her well-socialized.

Now husband, who was furious with me for bringing Lucy home, just for the first time today put her on his lap to comfort her during the thunderstorm we were having. It was the first time he wanted anything to do with her since she came home Friday night. Maybe he's coming around?

Anyways, I just wanted to update that things were looking pretty bleak potty-wise when she came home, but now - by George I think she's got it.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

A few more thunderstorms and husband will sleep with her


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