# Normal housebreaking process or not?



## Mini Pearls Mom (Mar 4, 2011)

Can someone can give me some hope regarding Pearl's not being a "potty girl"? I guess I'd like to know that this difficulty is all part of the process and not permanent...that she WILL _eventually_ come through to 100% trained. I have a lot of patience and love to give her but I really would like to know if it's sometimes a normal part of housebreaking to take many months. She is one yr. old but was not at all trained (neglected totally) when we got her at 10 mos.

She's being trained to pads and I'd say 90% of the time she is doing the right thing. About every other day she simply goes elsewhere one time - even in the middle of the room where the pads are. I've been working with her since her rescue almost 4 months ago. I remember what you all directed me to do...take her to the pads at intervals, confining her much more, etc. When she hasn't gone for awhile and I know she's due, she's confined to the kitchen where her pads are along with her open crate, food, toys, water.

I think what I have here is a "special" case. You see, she was crated for so many long hours previously that she has learned to s-t-r-e-t-c-h that little teeny bladder (she's 8 lbs., not that tiny) forever! She goes as much as 15 hrs. sometimes (night, usually, but we've actually woken her to go at 5 am and nothing, back into the crate till 9, then doesn't go till perhaps 10-11- from 7-8 the night before!) So confining her constantly is mostly what's happening. I know that's what needs to be. It's just hard to gauge how to teach a pup who doesn't think she has to go yet.

Oh...and let's not forget she's a poop eater to complicate things.

Thanks so much for your ears/eyes. This is tough and I adore her. Just a good think she's so adorable.:wub:


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

Your so right when saying she's adorable.......she's precious !
Going 15 hours without urinating can cause a urinary tract infection. You say she's confined in your kitchen. If she is in a crate in the evening can you leave the door to the crate open so she will be able to urinate when she wants. This is what I do. I have my malt in our family room. Her crate, toys and pee pad are in a toddler playyard. I leave the crate door open if she needs to urinate during the night. Potty training seminars are great too.. Petsmart has them all the time.
Sorry I have no advice regarding the poop eating.:mellow:


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## Mini Pearls Mom (Mar 4, 2011)

Thanks _so much_ for your reply! And your suggestion would be a great one except I forgot to mention that Pearl's IN HER CRATE - closed - in our bedroom all night. I think she might be ok in the kitchen as you suggest but I would miss her being with us. Am I wrong to do that?

Here's the good piece of this: lately I can grasp some kind of schedule because she seems to be going as soon as she leaves the crate (AFTER she eats breakfast) in the morning. Otherwise, I'd never have her schedule to learn and work with. My point is that when I take her to the pads she simply holds it in and doesn't always use it. Sometimes though.:smilie_tischkante::smilie_tischkante::smilie_tischkante::smilie_tischkante:


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

Personally, I would get a small x-pen like the Iris 4-panel and line it completely with puppy pads. Follow a schedule and take her to this pen at each "potty" time and give her the "go potty" command. Obviously praise, praise, praise. If she doesn't go right away, and you know she needs to, I would leave her in the pen with the door closed for a little while until she goes. As soon as you catch her going potty, make a huge fuss over her and give her a treat. After a while, she will start to go in her pen by herself to use the puppy pads...eventually you can take away the pen. 

Note: this is just my opinion of what I might do in a similar situation...I'm not a professional trainer though, so maybe someone with more experience can help.


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## gill5444 (Apr 3, 2011)

i use the scent spray to encourage pop to go, a couple of squirts just before i take her where i want her to go sometimes works , good luck, house training maltese dog seems quite hard work, more so than previous breeds i have experience with.


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## Mini Pearls Mom (Mar 4, 2011)

gill5444 said:


> i use the scent spray to encourage pop to go, a couple of squirts just before i take her where i want her to go sometimes works , good luck, house training maltese dog seems quite hard work, more so than previous breeds i have experience with.


*gill5444 - Can you (or anyone else reading who knows) provide me with the name of a scent spray you've had good results with?

Thanks! That might entice Pearl to pee more often...maybe?
*


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## socalyte (Nov 15, 2010)

I got Cozette when she was almost six months, and things were a little tough at first because she didn't seem to get that the potty pad was the only place she was allowed to go (at the time I didn't take her outside-- it was a very wet and cold winter). I would make a huge fuss and give her her very favorite treats when she would potty on the pad. Now if I tell her to go potty, she will even if she doesn't "have" to. Sometimes she'll give me a look like, "Mom I don't hafta go!" but she'll go even if it's a drop, LOL.


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