# House training an older Maltese



## swimsrf (Apr 2, 2013)

I rescued a Malt, Fiona, about three months ago and was told she was six years old. A few weeks later when I went to change her microchip I found out she is actually nine, so I'm a bit concerned that I might have trouble getting my attempt at crate training her to stick.

I'm pretty sure Fiona was pee pad trained by her previous owners. It took a while for me to get her used to even the concept of going pee/poop outside, but I think she is finally getting comfortable with that.

So I am currently putting her in the crate while I'm at work, and taking her out to go to the bathroom periodically (never more than 3 or 4 hours in the crate). I have another dog who is trained to use a dog door to go to the backyard, but Fiona hasn't really caught on. I'm working on the house training, but am running into some issues:

*She has to walk through the kitchen and then the laundry room to go outside, and that's about 15 feet or so. And she has to go down some steps and then push through the doggie door. She can do all these things, but my concern is that - in the heat of the moment - is that too far?

*She seems to prefer to go potty when I'm not looking. I thought maybe it was because she got yelled at or punished by her previous owner, but my mom's Malt does the same thing so I'm wondering if it's just something with the breed. They prefer privacy?

*Right now I periodically put her in a pen on the grass in the backyard so she doesn't immediately run back inside, and I walk into the laundry room so she has the illusion of privacy, and then as she's going to the bathroom I praise her through the open window. :aktion033: When I watch her, she usually is distracted by me or...something! She always goes potty as soon as I turn around/walk away.

I'm wondering if this is going to work because of her age - I am changing a lot of deeply ingrained habits, I imagine, and I do not know how long I will need to work on this (I was thinking a month). I'm concerned that because I put her in the pen that she won't associate this with her voluntarily going through the kitchen, down the steps, out the dog door and peeing on her own.

:blink:

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

I'm sure others have much more wisdom to share on the subject. I would probably just allow her to continue with pee pad training, since this is what you believe she may have done previously.


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## IzzysBellasMom (Jan 16, 2013)

It takes a puppy up to 6 months to be fully trained, my Izzy will be 1 year old this month and is fully pee trained but will poop in the house if not let out as soon as she asks. Just think about it that way. If you were starting from scratch I would expect at least 4 or 5 months. Since you are having to retrain her I think you should expect at least 6 months or more. Please be patient with her.


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

Bump


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

At nine I think it might be too much to expect to completely retrain her. Can you keep pads down, but take her to potty outside with your other dog? To me, cross trained to do both is perfect. Both Lady and now Bailey use both.


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

I agree that having her use pads and learning to go outside is a good thing. Its hard at nine to retrain her to just go outside but maybe it can be done. My Zoe uses pads and goes outside.


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## swimsrf (Apr 2, 2013)

Thanks. I have a this big backyard and a doggie door, and it's a shame to have a dog who doesn't really go outside and use it, but I understand she might be too old. She also confuses rugs with pee pads, so I might have to start putting plastic carpet runners on top.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

swimsrf said:


> Thanks. I have a this big backyard and a doggie door, and it's a shame to have a dog who doesn't really go outside and use it, but I understand she might be too old. She also confuses rugs with pee pads, so I might have to start putting plastic carpet runners on top.


All rescues come with baggage. At nine she is a senior and will require more acceptance than a younger dog would.

Having to re housetrain a rescue is normal. 

It can be much more difficult to deal with a rescue than a puppy with no history, but very worth it. Patience is the key.


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## farmgirl (Jun 2, 2010)

My dog was a 5 yo retired breeding dog when I got him who was only neutered a week or so before he came to me--talk about challenges. He had been allowed to go anywhere in his x-pen, I think, which must have been fully padded, and had a diaper on when anywhere else in the house. So he had no concept of the littlest part of potty training. 2 (3?) years later, he's still not perfect, but usually only pees inside if he's scared of something (like the vacuum) or left alone too long. So, I make sure to take him out before I do something that makes him scared, and I put him in the guest room with a baby gate and potty pad (and food, and toys, and a bed, and water, etc.) if I'll be gone more than 3 hours. Pooping was the easiest, after 2-3 months he rarely made a mistake, unless he has a bad tummy and then he just goes anywhere  However, the last time he had a bad tummy he woke me up to say he needed to go out!!! :chili:

Remember that she has to get used to several new things--recognizing that she has to go, recognizing it in enough time to get where she's supposed to go, remembering where to go, learning the new surface on which she is to go. 

That just takes time and encouragement. I was taught to bring him outside on a fairly regular schedule coinciding with when he might have to go (every 3 or 4 hours) and when he went potty say "good go potty" or "good go poops" (I have a different word for each) and make a huge fuss, treats, etc. Not sure about the shy thing--mine isn't, but he did get distracted at first, so I waited until just after he finished. I also left a pad down in the house in case he couldn't hold it. And I picked up most of my area rugs... Some people will also put the pad down outside at first so the surface feels the same to their paws.

I slowly moved to giving the command when we hit his spot. Now, if I tell him to "go potty" or "go poops" he does it on command anywhere--great in the rain and on car trips! 

It really just takes time and consistency, and taking her out BEFORE she can make a mistake. Tyler only gives me the tiniest clues still, but they're there. Sometimes he'll just glance at the door, then I know I have 30-60 seconds to get him out! It DOES get better, but it does take time. Remember--right now, she doesn't have any idea WHY she can't just go anywhere whenever she has to. It doesn't make any sense to her at all. That's a hard idea to get across to a 9 yo.

Good luck and bless your heart for rescuing her!


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## swimsrf (Apr 2, 2013)

Hi all,

I just wanted to update you that last night my dear little Fiona went outside on her own! She walked up to me, and I saw that her paws were dirty, so it appeared that she had gone outside. So I went out to the backyard, and saw that she had pooped! Hooray! :chili: I will keep up the crate training, but I'm really proud of her, and I went nuts with the praise so hopefully she will keep it up! :aktion033:

Thanks for your feedback, everyone.


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## KAG (Jun 1, 2006)

My Crisse, whom I adopted from the Humane Society of NY, was anywhere from 8-10 yrs old when she came home with me. Oh, they told me she was pee pad trained. No she wasn't! Lol. It took a year, but Crisse learned to go on the pads and outside as well. I'd sing to her, pee pee paper, good girl pee pee paper. Crisse would wear fancy pants, with a sanitary pad inside the pants, during times I had to leave her for awhile. Crisse was my Queen, I was lucky to have her for 7 years and 7 days. My girl passed in her sleep 6 months ago.

Plenty of love and praise. Oh wow, I just read your most recent post. Yeah baby! 

Congratulations and enjoy your little Queen!
Xoxoxoxoxoxo


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