# Another potty training question



## xerosis (Apr 28, 2012)

Hi,
I have a question regarding our 4.5 month little boy.

We have made a little place for him in the bathroom (it is like a flower pot area; quite big for him to walk and roll around in) and want him to potty there. He is starting to pee (only when we take him at the exact time) there, but if we dont take him he will just pee anywhere he is ready to go.

Regarding pooping, he always goes all the way to the front door and poops right there, every time, as much as we keep him over 50 minutes in the pot and don't let him out he will hold and go to the front door again. Also it is unclear when he will poop; sometimes 1 hour after eating other times 3-4 hours after eating so we don't know when he is ready.

We do all the procedures mentioned in the forums, when he pee's we award hi m and immediately let him out of the pot.

What are we doing wrong? How long will it take for him to actually go pee in the right area himself? What about the other?

If you could please help us. Thank you from us and the little boy below:


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## Charlie'sMom (May 12, 2012)

Hello Leo:wub:.
Aren't you the cutie-pie:wub:...congrats on your adorable little boy.

Unfortunately I won't be much of a help, because I don't know much about the area/ crate training.
When we got our Charlie, he was 10 weeks old. I took 8 days off work (I work mostly at home) in order to spend a time with him and to house-break him.
After each drink and a meal I took him out - about 20 times a day:w00t:.
I praised every drizzle of pee and every poopie like a mad woman.
Treats didn't do any good, because Charlie doesn't like them (weird, right?).

I used to own 2 doggies before and it worked with both of them.
I just think it takes a bit of time for them to understand and after they do, it's automatic.
I can honestly say, that Charlie was house-broken after 12 days - he never actually pooped inside of the house and he only had maybe 4 pee accidents alltogether. On the late afternoon of the day 12, he actually scratched on the door - my husband-to-be almost fell off the chair. He said " Is he really asking to go out???"...LOL. I suspect he didn't believe I could train such a tiny puppy....ehm...

The fact that Leo poops in front of the door means a lot. In my opinion he already knows, that he's supposed to do these things outside.
Do you want him to learn to do his business in that designated area, or do you ultimately plan on training him to go only outside?
I would definitely stick to your routine of praising him and showing him where to go. If you want him to pee on that area in a bathroom, you can get one of those drops - you put few drops on the training area and the puppy will go there to pee. The drops smell like a urine though...

I hope someone will help you more with your question.
I just wanted to stop by and say, that your boy is soooooo very cute.

Katie and Charlie


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## xerosis (Apr 28, 2012)

Thank you so much for the help. Your little Charlie is so adorable.
Because we live in Dubai (where it is very hot) and we live in an apartment it is very difficult to let him go out and poop therefore we created a place for him inside (it is not ideal but it is OK at least for now).

I think we had a bad start (due to lack of experience) and pooping in front of the door has become a habit for him that we need to change. I actually use the drops and he does smell it and pees when needs too in the pot but he won't go and pee there by himself, we actually have to carry him and take him or else he just pees anywhere in the house where he is ready to go.

Unfortunately he also does not like treats at all and all we can do is praise him as much as possible.

Thanks again.


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## Charlie'sMom (May 12, 2012)

Oh, well in that case, if he returns at one spot in front of the door, I would move the "bathroom area" over there. 
Try to put the paper on the poop spot and the next time he poops over there, praise him to the high heavens. Clean the poopie, but leave the training pad there.....try to get him to pee and poop over there for now.
It looks he prefers that area and that's a good sign. For now it doesn't matter where the area is - all it matters for him to learn he can go ONLY to that area. 
Later on when he gets used to go to that area, I would try to move the whole thing back to the bathroom or where you'd prefer him to go. That way he'll follow his little portable potty:w00t:.

Don't worry, you are not the first nor the last one with this problem. My friend's toy poodle took his time, too....it actually took her over 7 months to train him, so don't feel bad. Malteses are smart, Leo will learn it, too.

Kiss your little boy for me...he's so cute:wub:.

Katie & Charlie


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## lmillette (Apr 23, 2012)

I just love that pic of Leo!! Such a cutie pie!!

So when I first got Opey I wanted to box train him in the house so he didn't have to hold when I went to work. He would pee in the box but he would not poop!! I gave it some time but then started to take him outside and he would pee and poop in the grass. He only wanted to go outside!! So I gave up on the box. I know that isn't ideal for you so you may want to try it if you can. Otherwise I agree with Katie that maybe moving his potty to where he poops now is a good idea.

It definitely takes time! Now it took us 2 years to train my Basset Hound!!! Don't let that scare you though, Basset Hounds are known for that and being so stubborn!!!! And let me tell you, she is stubborn!


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## brendaman (Mar 7, 2006)

With our beloved Shayna, it took two years for her to be completely housebroken. That seems like it's a long time, and it was frustrating at times, but in the end, she was so well trained to go on her pee pad that sometimes when we said, let's go outside to go pee-pee-potty, she would run to the pee pad and do her business!:wub:

We always thought Shayna was the smartest little girl, except with potty training. To be fair, she was already trained to go outside when we got her from the breeder. Then we started training her to go on pee pads and I think that confused her. I think because the pee pad was soft compared to the hard floor, when she was on a carpet (in the living and dining room), she would think that the carpet was a pee pad. We started the pee pad training by puppy-gating her in one of our bathrooms, and she would need to stay there until she went pee or potty. We would reward her, then when we think she had learned and was potty trained, she would have an accident on the carpet. We diligently cleaned the area and sprayed special pet deodorant/cleaner. Then our dog trainer said to feed her in the area where she would have accidents, so would prepare a favorite meal (wet canned food mixed with dry) and then feed her in the cleaned-up area where she had the "accident." I did this for a while and she learned not to go in this area, and she would do her business on the pee pads were. But then a few days/weeks later, she would pick another area to have "accidents." :smilie_tischkante: So, we repeated the same exercise of feeding her in the "accident" area. I would even keep her food and water bowls there. We did this for about 2 years, and then one day, we realized she wasn't having any more accidents and that her food bowls were back in the kitchen. 

I did share my problems here some years ago but at the time, it seemed that most SMers didn't have the problems we had. I kept thinking I was doing something wrong. There were some that said for me to stop training her on the pee pad. My advice is to be consistent and diligent. your little one likes to go near the front door, then start feeding him there. Dogs don't poo where they eat (although from a recent post I think there may be some exceptions). Don't get frustrated. One of these days, weeks, months, you'll suddenly realize Leo is housebroken!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

The biggest issues I see are lack of confinement and supervision along with lack of a schedule. 
Puppies thrive on a schedule. Their bodies will actually begin to need to go potty on your time table. Write out a schedule - from the time you wake up, feeding, play, potty, etc. Put it in a readily visible place and check things off as you go each day. 
If you are not actively looking at your puppy he needs to be confined or leashed to you. If he has not gone potty and you know he needs to, do not let him out of your sight. You can use leashes and baby gates to keep him close by. 
It helps many dogs to walk to the place they go potty. This builds a pattern of the dog walking to the potty place. That means put a leash on and walk your dog to the location each time. Set a timer and give your pup 2 minutes to go potty. If your pup does not go, confine him and try again in about 15-20 minutes. Repeat until success.


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## xerosis (Apr 28, 2012)

Thanks everyone.

Jmm you are correct we have now set a schedule for Leo and trying our best to stick to it.
The problem is that even when we know he has to pee we put him in the pot he will just sit there for over 30 minutes and the instant he comes out he pees somewhere on the floor and i grab him instantly and put him in the pot (where we put pads and use the spray) he just does not understand this is the pee pee area.

How can we make him understand this? Thanks.


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## Kaiser (May 10, 2012)

Lots of repetition, consistency and patience is really the key to housebreaking. 

I'd say you're doing the best you can already. Just stick to your schedule and know his body language so you can anticipate when he's about go to. You may also want to consider crate training him, if you haven't already. By instinct, puppies know not to use their sleeping/eating areas as a potty place. They don't have a very good bladder control though so you have to be quick to move when you notice him doing the 'doggy dance', as my trainer calls it. I also agree with Jmm's advice. Once you bring him to the potty area, set a time on how long you're going to wait for him to go potty. If after that time passes and he doesn't go, bring him back to his crate/play pen and try again after a few minutes. That way he doesn't get distracted with exploring/playing and forget that he needs to do his 'potty business'.

I have to say though, your little Leo is so adorable! He looks like he's saying "Mommy, you still love me even if I pee in the carpet right?" :innocent:


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

This is part of the problem with confining a dog to the potty area. I confine my dog to an area with no access to the potty place and then take him to the potty place only for going to the bathroom. If I train to pee pads, I cover a 2x4 area with pee pads and put an x-pen around the 2x4 (so the dog can't mess up). I give them their 2 minutes. If they go I immediately open the pen and let them out for a cookie. If they don't go I confine them away from the potty place and repeat in 15 minutes.


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## Noah (Jan 6, 2012)

jmm said:


> This is part of the problem with confining a dog to the potty area. I confine my dog to an area with no access to the potty place and then take him to the potty place only for going to the bathroom. If I train to pee pads, I cover a 2x4 area with pee pads and put an x-pen around the 2x4 (so the dog can't mess up). I give them their 2 minutes. If they go I immediately open the pen and let them out for a cookie. If they don't go I confine them away from the potty place and repeat in 15 minutes.


Yes, I have done this, along with a consistent schedule, with every dog I have ever had. Most have been trained in 3-4 days.


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## xerosis (Apr 28, 2012)

Hi,
It just is not working for us. I know he has to potty I take him to the pot he just sits in it, immediately when I let him out he starts peeing somewhere on the floor, by the time I pick him up and take him back it is over.

His poop schedule is also very odd, sometimes he poops 1 hr after eating sometimes 3, and we are now on a schedule for his food completely. He also ONLY poops near the front door. I want him to poop in the terrace again in the pot.

For some reason he will not do either in the pot.

If I put a pee pad without the pot the chances of him peeing there are much higher.

Help please


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## Noah (Jan 6, 2012)

It sounds like he doesn't like the "pot". I am not sure what that is exactly, but why not use the pee pad if he will go on that?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Put the pee pad in a separate area. He only goes there for potty. He's never left alone. If he doesn't go he is confined to a space with no access to potty pads and try again in 15 minutes. NO FREEDOM if he hasn't gone. Simple as that.


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## xerosis (Apr 28, 2012)

Can you please explain what "confined to a space with no access to potty pads" means? Does it mean keep him in a small area that is closed and he can not get out? And again put him in on the pad 2-3 minutes later?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

A confined space could be a crate, a small pen, or a small room. The key is it has to be a place where the dog will not potty. If they have too much space, they may potty somewhere you don't want to.
I give the dog 2 minutes in the potty area. If they do not go try again in 15 minutes.


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## xerosis (Apr 28, 2012)

Oh! Now I understand, thank you so much. We will try this.


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