# new puppy....major potty training issues



## thach8 (Nov 28, 2007)

Hi everyone! So, this is a bit of a rant/cry for help....
Well, my father suddenly decided to bring home a 4 mth old maltese out of the blue a week ago. Suffice to say, no one was read up on how to pottytrain/housetrain a maltese.

Initially, when she was brought home she knew to go on the pads to potty. However, the last few days she has been having accidents all over the house. She refuses to use her pads. Everyone in my house will follow her around for hours, because we know she is due in for a potty (we see her sniffing). So, we'll bring her to the area, but she will refuse to do her business. This can go on for 4-5 hours at a time. When she does go, she'll choose somewhere else. Recently her favourite spot is our family room rug.
I have tried my best to research what I can on short notice. I've read conflicting stuff about how to teach your dog to potty in the correct spot. i.e. When she has her accidents should I get her to smell her pee/poo and say "No, Bad Girl"...then bring her to the pad and say "poo/pee here"
She has QUITE a bit of space to run around in, which I fear might be part of the problem. My parents are reacting quite negatively to the whole situation, where a lot of screaming, grabbing and yelling is involved.

We have gone the crate training route, but yesturday she pooed in the crate. Normally she would bark to let us know she had to use the potty. yesturday she did not. That also worries me as well.

Should I restrict her freedom in our house until she's better potty trianed? If so, what can I leave in the area (her bed, toys etc?) I'm just worried because I read that dogs dislike pottying in the same area that they sleep. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm a bit worried about my parent's behaviour towards the dog and about her anxiety levels. I just need to know that things might get better. I'm pretty sure my parents are at their breaking point already (this is their first dog ever, and I know they were probably not ready for her). 

Thanks so much in advance!


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

Hi & Welcome

You've come to the right place for advice, there are many here who will be able to help.

I trained both of mine to go outside, so I can't offer any pee pad advice sorry. What I will say is that I am ALL about positive reinforcement, so I would praise her like there is no tomorrow & offer a treat when she does go where you want her to go (the pad), if I caught her 'in the act' of going where she shouldn't, I would not speak, but just pick her up (mid stream if necessary) and take her to where you want her to go, then praise again for going on the right spot. I would never scold for not going in the right spot, especially if I didn't catch her in the act.

If ever either of mine has an accident (when I'm not here & they can't go outside), I just go about my business of cleaning up, and pretend it never happened - there is nothing I can do about it after the fact, and if I scolded them, they would have NO idea what I was on about given it probably happened hours ago! Not to mention I don't have a clue who the guilty party was! LOL

You are on the right track in thinking about restricting her 'freedom' - I can't offer advice about crates either sorry, I've never used them. I've read here before that you may need to keep her on a leash attached to you so she can never be out of your sight while she is learning.

Potty training can be a challenge, but consistency really is the key - be consistent, use positive reinforcement & just be patient 

Good luck!


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## Luna'sMom (Oct 7, 2007)

I agree with Jacqui, 
getting angry at a little puppy for having an accident achieves nothing except making the puppy scared of its owner or of going to the bathroom in front of people (maybe thats why she runs around and won't go to the bathroom in front of people?). At puppy school they said we should restrict their access to a smaller area or keep a long leash on the puppy so she has to stay near you. 
Also you might try giving her a treat right after she has gone in the right area and lots of "good girls" in a happy voice. 

As said before just ignore accidents especially old ones as she won't understand why your angry, only that you are angry. 

Do the pee pads your using have attractant on them? that might help? or try and get some of hers on it?


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## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

Yelling/grabbing is not a good way to train.... in fact I fear it may instill fear and the training will be all the more difficult. My little Naddie is a rescue and came with major potty-issues. She was afraid to 'go' in front of people so it is assumed her early training involved punishment of some kind that had a negative affect on her. Even outside she wouldn't 'go' ( held 'forever' rather than have someone see her go). She felt she had to go secretively for fear of strong reprimand. We don't know if she was actually punished or simply yelled at rather than positive reinforcement.

Once the 'deed has been done... there isn't much you can do about it. Hollering or taking to the spot after the fact will do no good. Though my training for pups has always been to the outside, I think pee-pad training would be about the same technique.

Keeping confined to a small area ( x-pen or bathroom for instance) with her bed, toys, water and pee pad) then using positive reinforcement. Once she has gone you can let her out for family interaction BUT someone needed to have their eye on her at all times! You can even keep her on a leash so there is no way she can drift off to secretly go. When she has gone where she is supposed to...give lots of praise.

With naddie I had to keep her 'in-sight' at all times. Took her out every couple of hours . Due to outside training I had to put her on a long lightweight rope to give her 'privacy' yet be able to see her 'go' so I could praise her...let her know what she was doing was going to bring praise and reward as opposed to punishment. In a short time I learned her 'body-clock' so the outsdie trips were extended, but at specific times.. and soon she learned what 'pleased-me' and she would hold till the designated time came. she always got positive feedback for being a good girl. Eventually she learned to even come 'tell' me of she had to 'go'.

Also you need to realy clean the spots where she has already soiled to get rid of the scent so she won't be attracted there again.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

If she's free to wander all over the house, that the biggest part of your problem. You have to watch her with your full attention when she is loose so that you can spot when she's getting ready to potty, take her to her pads, praise her like crazy and give her a treat when she goes where she is suppposed to go. Some people even leash the dog to themselves just so they can watch her.

Dogs have very short attention spans so yelling, screaming and chasing her around does nothing except scare her. Unless you catch her in the act, she will have no idea what you are so mad at.

Dogs are attracted back to where they have gone before once their scent is on the rug, etc. You'll have to get a good enzyme cleaner like Natures Miracle to remove the old stains. You probably willl need to get one of those "stink finder" black lights for finding old urine stains.

It really helps to either get pee pads with a built in attractant or, what works even better, blot up a small amount of her urine with a new pad when she goes. Each time she goes, touch a new pad to the wet spot just enough to "scent" the new pad. It will train her that is the place to potty.

Everyone needs to take a deep breath and calm down. Bringing a puppy into a home without notice is very stressful. She will pick up on this and it will only make it harder to train her. Remember she is still a baby and is depending on you to teach her manners. How about having a family meeting and developing a plan of action?


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

You have gotten some great advice here. One suggestion I would make...put the pup on a schedule. Keep her crated during certain times of the day and restrict her area of free roaming until she proves herself. It really does help. Don't be too discouraged by an occassional accident in the cabana (we don't like to use the other "c" word) because she is still a little pup. When we were training, I found a wonderful book "Crate Training for Dummies". It even had suggested schedules to follow! Within a couple of weeks we were accident free. You can find this book at any large bookstore or even at your local Petsmart. Good luck and please keep us posted. And WELCOME TO SM! :aktion033:


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

Your getting good advice. Youv'e come to the right place. 

As everyone has said. Too much freedom is a big issue - Small spaces and schedules are good for puppies. 

Please don't yell I'm sure you will quickly find that your puppy will enjoy pleasing you tremendously and try very hard to reproduce any behavior that will get a positive result. 

I wish you much patience and lots and lots of puppy kisses

Leslie and Izzy


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## ShilohsMom (Jun 25, 2007)

Sounds like first of all she has too much freedom within the house. I trained both of mine within one weeks's time to go outside using the crate training method. As far as the pads maybe she is mixing up the softness of the pad with the theory that she can go on any soft surface. What were her pottying arrangements before she arrived at your home? Alot of imprinting goes on before 4 months old. Personally if she is using the house and her crate as a toilet I would attempt outdoor training taking her out every 15 minutes after eating or drinking until she goes and then praising profusely as well as offering a rewardfor success. You will need to deep clean the rugs as soon as you can because the smell retained can be sniffed out by any dog and will be a temptation. I agree with the above yelling only makes it worse. What is her feeding schedule? A dog that is hard to train should be fed at the specific same times every day and not free fed. Good luck to you you have received alot of helpful advice above.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

1. Schedule. Your pup should get up, eat, potty, play, etc. on a schedule. The same times every day. Make a check list and go through it every day. Be sure you are feeding meals (3 times a day) and not just leaving food down. Meals will help make when she has to go more predictable. BE CONSISTENT every day. 

2. If you want to use pads then put them in ONE spot. I usually put a small pen around them so I can stand there with my pup on the pad. You can also leash her and take her there. Go to the potty spot at her scheduled times. Potty = yummy treat and praise. If she doesn't go, put her up in her crate for 5-10 minutes and try again. Repeat. Do not let her free if she has not gone. 

3. Keep her restricted. If you are not watching, she needs to be crated or penned (if you pen, you can put the pads on one end and a bed on the other). When she is out with you after you know she has pottied, either keep her restricted to the room with you or leash her to you. No wandering off to potty. 

4. Praise, praise, praise! Reward her for good behavior. When she has an accident, calmly say "uh oh" and put her up while you clean it up. Think about what happened....you missed taking her to the right place to potty. Why? Were you off schedule? Did she have too much freedom? Did she show she needed to potty and you didn't notice? 

5. BE CONSISTENT. Schedules, rewards, etc. Be very consistent for her.


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## thach8 (Nov 28, 2007)

Thanks everyone for your replies!  
I'm overjoyed to find a group devoted to maltese. 

I have tried to tell my parents to not harshly scold the puppy anymore. I personally find it pointless to scream at the poor little thing for something she has no choice but to do. I just praise her when she's done something right.

I've taken everyone's advice and tried to board up a small part of our house for her to stay in. I know she whines and cries a bit being in there. She seems a bit bored, but she does go potty on the pads more often. (though, she's doing her biz in her bed as well).

We've started keeping her on a feeding schedule, but most importantly, we take away her food at 8 pm now (instead of letting her eat till 11 pm).

I've also just bought a leash and a harness. That has also helped me keep track of her as she's at the most 5 ft away from me  

She still continues to use her "cabana" :biggrin: as a potty area, so I'm very worried about that. But, like everyone said, she's just a puppy. I will definitely look out for that book "crating for dummies" and see if that might be able to give some helpful suggestions.

I want to start training her to go outside, but it's snowing here and pretty cold. I don't know if the cold and snow will turn her off from going outside.

She's stubborn. I sat with her for 45 mins yesturday trying to get her to go potty, but she just refuses to do so (I caught starting to go, and immediately put her on the pad.....in which case she decided to not go!) I don't mind spending the time to get her to go potty, I'm just worried I might be hurting her.

Thanks again for all the advice. I'm slowly but surely learning everyday what works and what doesn't!


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

I must apologize, the correct title of the book is "House Training for Dummies". Good luck! 
One additional thought, if she is still going to potty in her cabana it could be that it's too big for her. You might try to either find a smaller one or block part of it off to limit her space. It shouldn't be a big roomy space just yet...only big enough for her to turn around in comfortably.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Its sounds like you have made some real progress. You are obviously stepping up and taking responsibilty for this little girl and it's paying off. Just continue to be consistant and follow all the advice you've gotten and I know you'll be successful!


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## mpd (Jun 2, 2005)

Have you taken her to the vet to rule out a urinary tract infection? I would really have it checked. The book I found most helpful was "How to Housebreak your dog in 7 days" by Shirlee Kalstone, it is simple and has scheduled for different circumstances. Brief and to the point!!! 


http://www.amazon.com/How-Housebreak-Your-...9136&sr=8-1

You mentioned it is snowing where you live. Do you have access to a garage? Some of us in the forum use a "potty tray" either wizdog, puphead, petapotty, or something homemade. Since I work and sometimes my schedule I also keep a tray in the laundry room where they can go to do their business if they cannot hold it. Now that they are over 2 yrs. they hold it 99 percent of the time until any member of my family comes back. 

Good luck! Warning: Beware the hypnotizing power of maltese dogs!!!! They do become your Masters!!!


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

The only thing I can add to all the wonderful advice you have been given so far is to again say it is all about postive reinforcement. It amazes me that vets and trainers do not yet realize that different breeds react differently. The Maltese breed is sooooo sensitive. All dogs want to please, but it seems with Malts, their little hearts are just crushed when they are yelled at or know you are angry at them. And some babies are more sensitive then others. A harsh word, "scary" grabbing, yelling can have very damaging effects. I get sooooo frustrated by people who say "I have had dogs all my life, and this is how it is done!" They obviously don't know that there are different tempermants for different breeds and you need to train appropriately for each breed. Good Luck!! The thing I found most helpful, since my one little guy had seperation anxiety and I couldn't crate train or keep him in a confined area, was to clip his leash to my belt loop so he was always in my range of view. It doesn't take long before you figure out his schedule! LOL


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## Roxygirl13 (Dec 7, 2007)

Well potty training takes lots of time and patience...i know it will feel like you have been working on it forever!! but the day will come and you will slowly see improvement. One thing that worked for me was not to use the pee pads except for when she was going to be alone for a long period of time but then again I wasn't trying to train her to use pee pads either. Also, if you find a mistake after the fact theres not much you can do, catching them in the act is best. A quick grab and telling her "no", take her outside and right away and keep repeating the phrase you want to use...I use "go potty" and "outside" alot. Last, is praise...get really really excited when they do right...find some small treats, break them up in little pieces and EVERY time you take her out bring them along as a reward...bring those treats everywhere just in case. She will learn to expect them because she knows she did right! Just remember you have to watch them like a hawk in the beginning, follow her around or keep her on a leash near by w/ you all the time. It worked for my Roxy and she is now 100% housetrained.


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## thach8 (Nov 28, 2007)

Thanks everyone for taking such an interest in this issue. It's so difficult to deal with when you're on your own. Support is so key!

An update:
Diamond is doing great so far. She's peeing/pooing on the pads WITHOUT our supervision now. She'll bark to let us know when she needs to get out to do her business. Obviously, she'll pee just off the pad if she's pissed at us/we're not paying enough attention to her. But that's about it. She won't pee somewhere else now. 
We put her in a pen, along with her crate and some toys. We put a pad in there for her too just in case she needs to go badly. She'll sometimes use the pads in there, but I think she prefers to call us and be let out.

The advice on this forum was fantastic. I've just given her love and praise and most importantly....treats! It's worked wonders. Also, the suggestion of putting a leash on her was such a great point. I did that for a very long time and my goodness, it paid off. I was able to monitor much better.

Now......getting her to go outside. That's the new challenge! I'm so afraid, because she's good right now. 

Of course, any input is always appreciated. I'm so excited to see the progress


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