# How I finally got Wilson 100% house broken



## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

I was telling someone this in a PM and they suggested I post it, as it might help someone else. 

We have had Wilson for just over a year, for 9 months I struggled with house breaking. Wilson is a rescue, and prior to coming to us he had been mistreated and neglected. He lived most of his life in a kennel with an out door run, so he had never been house broken. 

I couldn't take the accidents anymore, so we ripped up all the carpet in our house and installed hardwood flooring. The week that project started I began a strict routine with Wilson. Since he had been confined too much in too small of an area when he was with his other owners and has serious confinment issues, crate training wasn't an option. So for 2 weeks straight the only time he went outside was on a leash to go potty. I took him out at the same times every day and said "go potty", when he went potty he got a treat and lots of praise. For 2 weeks the only time he was allowed to leave the house was on his leash to potty. That was it, no walks, no car rides, no playing outside. I know that seems harsh, but I didn't know how else to get through to him that when we go outside he needs to potty. 

This was our routine:

5:30 AM outside on leash to potty, if he goes- treat
6:00 AM play session
6:30 AM outside on leash to potty, if he goes- treat
7:30 Am outside on leash to potty, if he goes- treat
4:00 PM outside on leash to potty, if he goes- treat
5:30 PM dinner
6:00 PM outside on leash to potty, if he goes- treat
8:30 PM play session
9:00 PM outside on leash to potty, if he goes- treat
10:00 PM outside on leash to potty, if he goes- treat

During the first week he only had one accident. It has been 3 months, he now no longer has to go out on the leash and he hasn't had an accident since. He even tells me when he needs to go out. 

I don't know if this would work with a puppy as they don't have much bladder control and need to go more often, however if you have an adult dog that isn't "getting it" yet, you might give this a try. 

Since the weather had turned really really cold Molly has started having accidents. I think it's because she is so cold outside (even with a sweater and a coat on) she can't stand there long enough to go. So yesterday I bought a bunch of potty pads and I take one outside and put it on top of the snow covered ground and then set her on it. She didn't have one accident last night! WOOHOO! So I think this might solve her issue. If not I will start the leash thing with her. She is 9 months old now, and she should have sufficient bladder control. 

Good luck, and I hope this helps!


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

That's exactly how I potty trained Boo when he was a puppy. He didn't do well with pad training & he was really too young for walks & it was early Spring & still too cold to stay out long. I took him to the same spot each time & repeated the same phrase, then rewarded when the deed was done.I did have to take him out more often though. He was outside pottytrained very quickly. So,yes it does work with puppies. I'm glad it worked for Wilson.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> That's exactly how I potty trained Boo when he was a puppy. He didn't do well with pad training & he was really too young for walks & it was early Spring & still too cold to stay out long. I took him to the same spot each time & repeated the same phrase, then rewarded when the deed was done.I did have to take him out more often though. He was outside pottytrained very quickly. So,yes it does work with puppies. I'm glad it worked for Wilson.
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That's exactly how I trained Cam as well. And I didn't even use treats--just lots of praise. I just brought him out every hour, sometimes hour and a half. I saw a gap of time you had for several hours in the day where you didn't take him out at all--I'm assuming you were at work or something...anyway, I'm a stay-at-home-mom so I didn't have to be anywhere for a while. If I did have to step out to do an errand I just put him in his crate and it was usually for only an hour or hour and a half. He never soiled his crate and would sleep all night long (8-9 hours) in the crate and never soiled it ONCE, from day 1.
Anyway, after only several days of training Cam was telling me when he had to go out. He'd either come and bark at me or he'd tug on my pants. I had just started getting him to ring the bell at the back door--sometimes he did it when he had to go pooh, lol. He was very urgent about going outside to poop. He only pooped one time in the house and it was in the first few days of having him. Never again thereafter.


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## Tina (Aug 6, 2006)

Deanna,
You should become a trainer. Very good advice. You be alpha and they will follow. 

Tina


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## doctorcathy (May 17, 2004)

congratulations!!! im so glad you were able to do it. i know a lot of people have a hard time and its only because they need to be consistant and watch like a hawk! 

i got gruffi when he was 5 weeks old, he was potty trained by 7 weeks old. this was our schedule: 

we hung a bell on the doorknob, and everytime we opened the door to take him out, we would shake the bell and say "outside". when he was 7 weeks old, he touched it with his nose. 


sooo, the schedule: *EVERY* 2 hours he went outside on leash to go potty. even at 10pm, midnight, 2am, 4am, 6am, and so on. we did that till he was 4 months old...then he would go out at 10pm midnight, 3am, 6am. 

then when he was 6 months old, it would be 10pm, 2am, 6am

then when he hit like 8months old or something, we cut out the 2am. 

it was hard, but worth it. after that, if he needed to go potty, he would just hit the bell and someone would take him out. 


he only had like 3 accidents, and it was because my mom wasnt watching him. 


we also did something similar for the girls when we were getting them to stop using wee wee pads. they still use them in the middle of the night sometimes, but it looks like they prefer to go outside.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Deanna, that is a great example for anyone struggling with housebreaking. You and Wilson are proof that it can be done with commitment and work.

Boo's Mom and Cam's Mom reinforce what you said.

Job well done, ladies!

They are proof positive that if your dog keeps having accidents, take a rolled up newspaer and hit yourself over the head with it!


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=295683
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I like that we get to hear how smart he was.. so was mine.


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