# Help Lexi & I Please



## txgrl4lf (Jan 24, 2006)

Ok, I bought my first Maltese the first of January. I absolutely adore her, and she is wonderful. I can't express to you guys how much of a joy she is. However, I am at my wits end with her and her potty habits. I will take her outside, bring her back in and she will poo. I haven't caught her pee'ing in the house in 4 weeks, but she poos all the time. I am ready to find her a new home because obviously I'm not doing something right. I keep her in her crate, let her out every 2 hours and sometimes i let her lay on my desk with me or leash her to me. I feel bad for leaving her in the crate for so long. My Shih Tzu would NEVER dream of poo'ing in the house, and I never crate trained her. Someone pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee help me out. I'm out of ideas. I was thinking I could find someone to potty train her in my area, but I have no clue how to go about doing that. Please, I'm so desperate and I can't stand the thought of getting rid of my baby.

~Amy


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## Skippy4Us (Feb 20, 2006)

Hi Amy, I'm sorry I wish I could help you but I'm going through something similar..My Skippy will not go outside at all..it's like he's afraid..of course it's freezing so the vet says it may take a while..I have wee wee pads by the door and he'll pee on them with no problem but poop he won't do..that he does all over the place..Well good luck and if you do find the key to sucsess please share it with me!













> Ok, I bought my first Maltese the first of January. I absolutely adore her, and she is wonderful. I can't express to you guys how much of a joy she is. However, I am at my wits end with her and her potty habits. I will take her outside, bring her back in and she will poo. I haven't caught her pee'ing in the house in 4 weeks, but she poos all the time. I am ready to find her a new home because obviously I'm not doing something right. I keep her in her crate, let her out every 2 hours and sometimes i let her lay on my desk with me or leash her to me. I feel bad for leaving her in the crate for so long. My Shih Tzu would NEVER dream of poo'ing in the house, and I never crate trained her. Someone pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee help me out. I'm out of ideas. I was thinking I could find someone to potty train her in my area, but I have no clue how to go about doing that. Please, I'm so desperate and I can't stand the thought of getting rid of my baby.
> 
> ~Amy[/B]


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Oh my, don't give up on her yet, she will catch on and I know it's frustrating when we feel we are failing but I am sure she just needs a little more time to learn. Have you thought of using an e-pen? You can keep her in there with a pee pad and a tarp under so any mess won't go onto the floor, that's what we did with Scooby till he was fully potty trained. We would take him outside after a nap and after a meal and it didn't take him long to learn that his potty habits were outside. You can put her feed and water bowls and some toys and bed or her crate in there with the door open. I just wouldn't give her the freedom to roam the house just yet and an e-pen isn't quite as small as the crate and you shouldn't feel so bad about having her in there for long periods of time. You can still crate her at night, but just let her be in the e-pen during the day when you need to do things and can't watch her.


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## txgrl4lf (Jan 24, 2006)

I've never used the potty pads, as I've always been told if you start with pads then you confuse them when you take them outside and expect them to go only out there. I love her guys, she's so sweet and this is breaking my heart. I did think of trying a baby gate, but if she is not right with me, she cries. If her crate is in the tv room and i leave for a bit to the den, she flips out. So the baby gate would probably cause her stress. I have thought about a pen. I'm going to my mom's in 2 weeks and she has a pen that I might borrow. This is killing me.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

You don't need to let her go inside. 

1. Set up a schedule of times to go out, crate time, play time, meals, etc.

2. If she goes out and does not defecate, put her in her crate for 15 minutes, go out and try again. Repeat until she goes outside. Prevent her from making a mistake.

3. Praise, praise, praise for going in the right place - make sure she gets a treat each time. 

4. If you aren't actively watching her, crate her.


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## txgrl4lf (Jan 24, 2006)

I had a long talk with her a few minutes ago, and we are going to start allllllll over in the morning.







We have the pee'ing down, but we are going to act as if we don't. Pray for us both...we need it. If she wasn't so dang delicious, this wouldn't be so stressful. Thanks for all of your wonderful ideas and support, I'll keep you posted.


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

> I had a long talk with her a few minutes ago, and we are going to start allllllll over in the morning.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good luck! Here is more info from JMM in this thread ... she's our expert in training around here!!

SM Thread - 4 Months Today

FROM JMM: "He is not having accidents, he has no idea that he has to go outdoors. 

1. Every accident is really your fault for not getting him outside in time. 

2. Playing puppies may need to go every 10-15 minutes. Sleeping puppies can usually go for 1 hour more than their age in months during the day, but for toy breeds with little bladders it can be a bit less. 

3. If your dog has the opportunity to have an accident, you gave it too much freedom. Crate time when you can't watching and leashing your puppy to you are the ideal ways to ensure supervision. Crate time is especially important so that dogs learn how to hold it for brief periods of time. 

4. Motivate your dog to go in the right place. Give good treats and praise when he goes outside every time. Go out with him on a leash each time and praise him. Ignore accidents in the house. Do not punish him. 

5. Set a schedule, especially for feeding and play time. This will help him to need to potty on a schedule. Wake up, outside, eat, outside, play, outside, nap, outside. Eating on a schedule will tend to have him defecating on a schedule which can help aid in housetraining."


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## Fenway's Momma (Dec 6, 2005)

I am in the process of housebreaking outside as well. He is getting better, but if he poos in the house I pick it up and bring the poo and him outside and I show him and leave it there paper towel and all. I will bring him to that spot for the next couple trips outside and say 'go potty' or 'go poops' he is really getting better and hasn't pooed in the house when I am home with him in two weeks ( he did once while I was gone though). Sometimes he pees right away and then starts to play but I repeat the "go poops' command and if he starts sniffing I'll wait until he does it, if he starts playing with sticks I say inside and pick him up to go inside.
I give him a treat him after he goes both and praise him a ton. I also keep him on a leash outside now, which when I first brought him home I didn't







And he would really play alot. I also am limiting the play time outside so he knows he must do his business when he goes outside. we have had him almost a month and he is doing really well but he still is not trained. I am still watching him and keeping him on a schedule and keeping track of what he does. He can't yet grasp telling me somehow when he needs to go out but we are trying the bell training. 
Good luck and don't give up, some people here have doggies that took months to completely potty train. And others no time, every dog is different.


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## Dutymum (Jan 3, 2006)

Madeline is 6 months and she has only popped in the house once since she was 4 months, and that was Christmas day and her schedule was all out of wack. I take her outside on the extendable leash and she always poops first thing in the morning, just before lunch and after dinner guaranteed. They always go afer eating, depending on the age, when they are really little not long after eating but as they get older they can hold it much longer. You have to stay outside with her longer sometimes they can take there time, they like to sniff around and find the best spot, if you tell her hurry up go poo, and when she does it, tell her she is a good girl, she will catch on to what you want her to do really quick. This same thing is happening with my friend who has a 6 month old she says that she lets her out in the morning, she pees, then comes in goes straight upstairs and poos, and I told her dont let her back in till she poos, because it is guaranteed she will have to go, you are just letting her in to quickly.


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## Laceys mom (Nov 12, 2004)

I used the exercise pen with the peepads in the pen. Lacey just turned 2 on Wednesday and she has no problem going outside or using her peepad. It took a while but she got it. It seemed like forever when she was a puppy with the training. Lots and lots of work. I watched her like a hawk and when I couldn't I put her in her exercise pen. Lots of her favorite toys keep her busy. She is still just a baby so give her lots of time. At first Lacey spent so much time in her exercise pen...more in it then out my husband and kids called it a prison. I would take her out and if she didn't do her business back in the pen. Good luck.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

I use wee pads with both of mine, and trust me it was frustrating as well for a while.
I promise though, one day, it just clicked with both of them (a little longer with Neyland)...
Now Neyland is just now 6 months old, and I would say he is around 90% or better...
It will come. Just be persistent, yet patient.
Good luck! I KNOW it is frustrating...but don't give up!


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## txgrl4lf (Jan 24, 2006)

Today was a success! We made it in the entire day without an accident. Although I think she was traumatized at the vet's office, she still did a great job today. I know she will get it, but I've never had one that has taken this long to "get it." It was too funny though today at lunch a lady was about to go into Chili's and I noticed she had a Maltese in her car. I, of course, had to goo and ga over her and asked her how old. Come to find out hers is the same age as mine. We were discussing the potty habits and they are having a problem with her poo'ing in her crate at night. I was like wow, I had taht same problem but ever since i started letting her sleep in her crate in my room, she's been accident free. It was then that I realized Lexi has come a very long way. Afterall, she's just a baby.

Thanks for the support and encouragement. I appreciate it. Now if I could just post some pictures of her ... LOL


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