# House training NIGHTMARE!



## eleni (Oct 10, 2013)

If he has not been house-trained, you should probably start potty training from scratch. Taking him out every 30 minutes like you do, lots of praise and treats when he gets it right. Also, a question: I f he has been trained to use a doggy door, would that not be an option? I have always has one for my dogs and I am very happy with the arrangement.


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

I had a hard time housetraining my girls, one came to me at 5 months.
Help other people gave me that helped me were:
a) crate schedule - one hour in, one hour out - potty on the way in and out of the crate
b) watch what's going on instead of the clock - be hypervigilant for signs that potty is imminent - sniffing, circling, then rush them outside and praise a lot
c) if you can't watch them, crate them so they can't get in the habit of pottying inside
d) with Gladys it was suggested she had no way to tell me that I could understand that she wants to go out so I tried to teach her how to ring the bell; she never learned to ring the bell, but she DID learn to go to the door. Dee Dee did learn to ring the bell and now she does ring it anytime she wants to go out

I taught it by putting some christmas type jingle bells on a ribbon on the doorknob and took their paws and jingled the bells and said something like "potty" then took them out and said "pee pee" or "potty" or something.

I think dog skool teecher also said in Gladys case to be patient and give her time to adjust. Good luck.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Eight hours is a long time for a pup to spend in a crate without a chance to relieve himself, he may do better if you could arrange for him to get a break from the crate and get a chance to go 'potty' about halfway through the day. 
When you are home with him, don't let him out of your sight. Confine him to the room you are in, or you can also try keeping him on leash so he doesn't wander off. When you take him outside, ensure that you are giving him enough time to 'go', walk him around, let him sniff, and when he does 'go' ensure that you are rewarding him for getting it 'right'. Take along a few yummy treats, and a soon as he is done, offer him the treats, and give him lots of praise, and let him know what a smart boy he is! Be patient and consistent, this is a new skill for him.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

Despite what the vet said - water in the crate is a bad idea. 

I would first have him checked for diabetes. Excessive thirst and urination can be a sign of this disease.

If he is healthy, I would go back to basic puppy housebreaking. Drastically limit his free time and space to an area that can be easily cleaned. I would also limit the amount of water that he can take in at any one time. Give him the same amount in 24 hours but force him to space it out. Also watch how much he pees when he is outside. I have one girl that if I praise her midstream she will stop and come to me. If her bladder is not empty she will have an accident inside in 15 minutes. Or, he might be the kind of guy that wants to pee in 12 spots and you are bringing him in after the first spot.

Last, excessive drinking can be a self soothing behavior from too much stress. If he came from a rescue then you are the 3rd or 4th home that he has had in his life. While they are resilient, that is a lot for a young dog. I would add more exercise to his schedule. Longer walks every day can help with some of his tension.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

How long is he in the crate now? 8 hours is a long time IMHO for a 7 month old. 
I would also give more chances to go potty while outside, if they are excited about the new environment they may go peepee, get distracted with new smells and not empty the bladder until you go back inside.
Did the vet check for a UTI? We recently adopted a 4 year old flat coat. She started with accidents in the house a week later. Sure enough it was a UTI.


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