# Is this too much crate time?



## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

Personally, I would bring her back in the house and watch her like a hawk, taking her outside for potty breaks every hour or so while you are home. The garage might feel too "outside" to her, and confusing her potty habits further.

If she is peeing in the house, then it couldn't hurt to have her checked at the vet for an infection.


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

Who is in the garage with her when she is crated and when she has free time. IMHO I would be worrying about her time in the garage more than her time in the crate. Why cant you keep her crated in the house and during her free time in the huse keep her gated off the carpet? I dont think any dog belongs in a garage.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

This may sound harsh but this is my perception.

Free time in the garage is just another way of putting the dog out in the yard alone/tying a dog to a rope away from its family.  Or am I wrong and you are all out in the garage during free time. If so you need to be more dilgent in supervision even there and more frequent potty breaks.

When are you spending time teaching the pup to live in your home. The pup won't learn how to act in the home if you are not supervising and training in those situations.

I do agree that you may want to have a vet check to insure that she doesn't have an infection that makes her have to go more often.

Remember our pups are constantly learning. She is learning to occupy herself alone in the garage. 

You need to be actively teaching her the skills to be with the family in the evening in the house. If you get a healthy report from the vet you need to just make the effort to be more dilgent in your supervision and give her more frequent potty breaks in the evening.


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## jweisman54 (May 22, 2010)

I have to second what Solinvictus says. I think you might be creating a "monster" by leaving her in the garage. Why do you not crate her in the house?
Is she or has she been going to obedience/puppy classes?
She is never going to learn if she is just being "punished" by being in her crate or the garage and being let out for short, specific periods of time.
I would think the reason you wanted a dog, especially a golden, would be to have her as part of your family. A 5 month old puppy is still learning. My pup is 15 months old and she is still learning. My pup stays in the house by herself when I am at work from 8-2 daily with the bedroom doors closed and has had no accidents since she was about 8 months old. A 5 month old pup can't be expected to go to the door if she needs to go out. You need to initiate and take her out every couple of hours.

Sorry if this is coming across as being harsh but this is just my opinion.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

I agree with everything that has already been said. But if a dog was previously pretty good about not urinating in the house and then starts to urinate in the house, you need to have her checked for a urinary tract infection. And if she is defecating in the house, that is so predictable around feeding schedules... so you need to be more vigilant. Goldens need to be living with you in your house!


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## Retriever123 (Jul 6, 2011)

I totally agree with everyone, you puppy wants to be with you, she is part of your pack, and does not want to me alone, I would never put a puppy in the garage, isn't it hot in there also, that can't be good for her.


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## rhondas (Sep 10, 2010)

I totally agree with everyone's response. Your puppy needs to be part of the family not isolated in a garage being used like a yard.


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## aerolor (May 27, 2011)

Hello Pensgirl
You ask if it is OK for your golden to spend so much time in a crate and I would say no it is not OK. At 5 months she should be spending less and less time in a crate and more and more time settled with you and your family in your house. She would normally be expected to be just about reliably toilet trained at 5 months. In reality the free time in a garage is not much better than the crate, particularly if she is left on her own. It is no surprise that she has taken a backward step - she is learning nothing spending so much time on her own. She has probably got used to "going" in the garage because she is not being shown where else to go. The garage is not like her crate, her crate is also her bed and she will be reluctant to soil her crate. Once they have toileted in an area, even after ordinary cleaning, the smell still remains and dogs will go back to the same place again. 
If she were my dog I would be keeping her close to me, spending a lot of time with her so that I could show her what is expected. It is very time consuming having a puppy, very much like having a child and needing to show/direct what they can and cannot do, but the time is so well spent if you want to have a family dog you can be proud of.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I don't think there's much more to say, I agree with the others. Your sentence _"She seems so sad"_ kind of doesn't get out of my head though...I think she doesn't understand the link between going potty on the white carpet and being banished to the garage. How would she? The only thing she sees it that she is not with her people...I feel sad myself when I read this...


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## jweisman54 (May 22, 2010)

I must comment again. I also feel very said re-reading these posts. Maybe if you don't think this pup is right for you, you may want to think about re-homing her. Fellow forum members please don't bash me for saying this. If she went to a home that really took the time to train her and love her then wouldn't that be better for the pup rather than being punished constantly by being put in a garage or in her crate. Sorry, but shame on you Pensgirl.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

This post makes me so, so sad.  How awful to restrict your dog to the garage REGARDLESS of what she's doing? For all you know she could have a UTI and be very sick. I don't want you to feel antagonized, but this is really borderline animal abuse in my opinion. If you can't find time to potty train your dog, then please surrender her to a rescue where she will get the proper training she needs.

ETA: Reading my post again I realize it is very harsh. I understand you are coming here for help, and you should be applauded for that. You obviously want to find a solution. I like what others have suggested - first and foremost, rule out a UTI. If that comes back negative, then please please get her out of the garage and re integrate your dog back into your house. Start from scratch - set the kitchen timer and take your dog out ever 30 minutes, on the dot. If she doesn't go out, set the timer for 15 more minutes, and let her out again until she potties. Praise her like crazy when she goes. And watch her like a HAWK when she is inside. Crate her if you can't watch her. 

Good luck!


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## embreeo (Aug 19, 2006)

How about putting her on a 6 ft. leash and tying it to your belt loop when she is in the house with you. Since she will always be near your side, you can keep a close watch on her - dogs usually give a signal when they need to go potty by sniffing the ground or going in little circles. As soon as you see her doing this, you can take her out immediately. I know at 5 months she is probably pretty big but I've found this technique to work really well with very young puppies. It is also helpful to give a command like "Go potty" when you take her out. Once she is trained, this command will come in very handy if you ever want her to go when YOU want her to.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

I'll just chime in to agree with all that has been said. This post made me SO SAD. I can't imagine treating Sawyer like this for 10 minutes, let alone making it his life. Living between a crate in the garage and "free time" (whatever that means) in the garage is no life for a dog. My heart breaks for your dog. If you don't have the time to work with her and to make her a part of your family and train her, than I agree that you should get her to a rescue that will be able to find her a suitable home. Dogs don't inherently know what you expect of them and they certainly don't know the rules about white carpet without being patiently trained. Now the dog is being punished for the owners not being willing to invest the time to train it. Sorry, I've just heard a lot of stories lately that make me so sad and upset regarding the mistreatment of animals. In my opinion, that is what this is - mistreatment.

I just have to add - "We have white carpet so we were forced to move her to the garage." You weren't forced to move her to the garage, you chose to make your white carpet more important than a living, breathing, feeling, creature with emotions.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

First of all, I grew up with not reliably house trained dogs. The big black stains on my mom's hardwood floors are a vision that has stayed with me my lifetime. I vowed I wouldn't live like that nor would I have dogs like that. Having said that, I have house trained 9 golden retrievers personally.... and they have all been very different. Some were so easy and some were so trying. Probably the worst was the most recent. Basil was returned to me at 8 1/2 months old. She was probably mostly kept in a kennel situation. When I got her back, I was told, "We let her out a lot." IMO that was code for she isn't house trained. Because of how she was raised for 6 1/2 months, she wouldn't do her business(even urinate) on a leash... a little tricky when she is at work with me all day and can't be loose because the road is very busy. She still is reluctant to toilet on a leash, now, 1 1/2 years later. Anyway, that was only one of the issues. The other was that she didn't get that toileting in the house was not ok. I have never with the previous 8 goldens had a golden that would defecate in the house. Of course, this was all compounded by her issue of not pottying with any human close by(or dog for that matter as she came deathly afraid of other dogs). So she was trickier than most to house train. She also enjoyed wood eating... the whelping box, the window sill, TV tables... But, it didn't end there. I lost an Oriental rug in my family room to her as well as the throw rugs in there. Most of this was done with me being around as she was crated when we were out. And she has always been a dead calm dog, so it wasn't hyperactive energy that made her do these things. Well, anyway, I am here to say that at 2 years of age, she is out of a crate, day or night. I replaced the Oriental rug with a cheapo rug from Walmart which is a more golden retriever compatible color! And she chews on her dog toys instead of the wood. She was the worst, for sure.

And the other thing that comes to mind: I have clients who when they see my dogs, they want a golden retriever. I counsel them that if you are a Martha Stewart and don't want a breed of dog that will impact your house, do not get a golden. I have talked people out of getting a golden for that reason.


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## cory (Aug 23, 2010)

I just wanted to say that Dakota went through a stage where it seemed she regressed with her housebreaking and it turned out that she had a UTI so please get your pup checked out for that.


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

The garage is confusing her..she doesnt know where to potty or where she "fits in" with your family. Get some baby gates and block her in the kitchen so on her "free time" she can be with the family...as far as crate training, i caved into the whining the first nite i had Oakley and he has never been crate trained, alot of outside potty breaks but he was pretty much trained by 12 weeks.. you need to gate him off in the house with you not in the garage, i feel bad for her..I just threw out a $400 area rug as he has peed on it while potty training him, but it is what it is, we will get another carpet, they are replaceable but my puppy is my child, i dont even leave him outside alone i have to be with him all the time. He's my baby.


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## Bella's Mama (Jun 12, 2011)

I suggest investing in some area rugs. Ours is huuuuuge from Overstock and only cost 180. We have white carpet and thanks to catching accidents early, no stains. I use three different cleaners on my carpet and that does the trick.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

First off, I think you should take her to the vet. Second, I feel our goldens are part of our families and that being said, you should train her like she was a puppy (if everything checks out at the vet) take her out every 1/2 hour..also after she wakes up after each meal, after playing etc...
Please let us know how she is doing..how sad for that poor dog to have to be in the crate or in the garage...poor baby


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

To answer your question - yes! It is too much crate time and too much alone time. Dogs are not born knowing human rules -you have to take the time to train her. Accept that there could be some setbacks, and more often than not it is not the dogs fault -we sometimes expect too much from our furbabies. Having a dog is a lot like raising a child, until you teach it, it does not know, if it does not know -it is your failure, not the dog's or the child's- it needs your love, attention and guidance to learn what is expected. 
Bring your dog back into your family, teach her the rules, keep her off the rug until she can be trusted and remember dogs are not spiteful, they don't do things to upset us - they aim to please - we just have to show them how!


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## jweisman54 (May 22, 2010)

Pensgirl, I think we would like to hear back from you. You have been given some very useful tools here.

If you truly choose your white carpet over your pup, then PLEASE turn her in to a Golden Retriever Rescue in your area. I am sure there are members on this forum who can help you in that respect.

You are truly abusing your pup by confining her the way you are. Golden pups NEED human socialization.


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## KatieBlue'sMidnightSky (Feb 22, 2011)

I will chime in here too, in support of moving your sweet dog OUT of the garage and back INTO the home. I agree with all of the the previous posts. You've been given some fabulous ideas-

Tethering
Baby Gates to keep off carpet
Letting outside more often and treating for correct bathroom behavior

I hope you and your family are not punishing her for these accidents (albeit garage banishment seems like punishment to me). Go back to square one with her potty training and keep it as positive of an experience as possible. 

You are not a bad doggie-mama, and there is nothing wrong with your dog! (Although--perhaps a vet visit?? My 4 yr old Golden started doing this, and she died from kidney failure. I seriously doubt it's anything like that...but since I experienced this unusual thing--it always is in the back of my mind)

You can do this, and get her back on track!


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## caseypooh (Dec 30, 2010)

Maybe this is not a good time for you to have a pup, they need a lot of love and companionship. They do not want to be alone, please think about this.


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## KatieBlue'sMidnightSky (Feb 22, 2011)

I'm sorry--this post is really weighing heavy on me for two reasons:

1) I feel so badly for your Golden-girl
2) Although your current decisions on how to raise your Golden go completely against what most of us on this forum believe a Golden needs, I feel badly that you've received a few really harsh post responses. (I'm pretty sure they came from the right place, but they were pretty harsh none the less, IMO)

Having said that, please be aware that your dog is telling you something in doggie language. She isn't happy. Many goldens have that coo-coo time each day (my last girl did), but it sounds like your girl might be having more extreme sessions due to a lack of social interaction and really great exercise. 

Additionally, around 5 or 6 months, typically, many dogs will "forget" what they've learned and begin to act like they never learned something. It's common. 

Again--I am going to encourage you and support you in making some changes for the betterment of your Golden-girl, you and your family. Bring her back into the family fold and try some of the suggestions mentioned above, including more one-on-one play time (not just training), as well as more exercise throughout the day. 



pensgirl said:


> We have been having some potty issues with our 5 month old. I have went back to crating her again like when she was 8 to 16 weeks. She was doing very well no accidents for weeks. All of the sudden she started having accidents. She stopped going to the door and would just go at will during her crazy run in circles episodes. I have white carpet, so we were forced to move her to the garage. That just made it worse. Now she messes in the garage all the time, not just during crazy spells. This was her 20 week schedule.
> 4 am. out of crate to potty. Free time in garage.
> 5:30-6:30 am out for potty and walk and training. Breakfast & Free time in garage.
> 7:30 last potty break and in crate until lunch
> ...


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I have to agree with what's already been said. But I want to echo loudly a couple of points.

First - take her to the vet and have her checked for a urinary tract infection. It is highly common for puppies to get them and if she has one she has NO control over the accidents.

Second - HOW HOT IS IT IN YOUR GARAGE? Unless it is fully air conditioned you are jeopardizing her life with heat stroke. Even if it is a/c, banishing her from the family is a very sad, lonely life for her. Please, please bring her back in the house, babygate her in a tiled area when you need to and keep her leashed to you other times, but please stop putting her in the garage. (crating is fine as needed but not all day.)

If she doesn't have a UTI, then you just need to back up on the house training, keep her on a leash with you, take her out every 30 minutes and encourage her to go potty, then praise and treat like you are at a party.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

I hate to point this out, but the OP made a post about a week ago asking for help with potty training her dog and no one replied:

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...887-please-help-potty-issues-21-week-old.html

If we could keep offering good, solid suggestions for how to help her potty train Sadie, I think that would really help at getting the dog out of the garage and making the OP more comfortable with letting her in the house.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

pensgirl said:


> We have been having some potty issues with our 5 month old. I have went back to crating her again like when she was 8 to 16 weeks. She was doing very well no accidents for weeks. All of the sudden she started having accidents. She stopped going to the door and would just go at will during her crazy run in circles episodes. I have white carpet, so we were forced to move her to the garage. That just made it worse. Now she messes in the garage all the time, not just during crazy spells. This was her 20 week schedule.
> 
> 4 am. out of crate to potty. Free time in garage. how long out? 15 min 30 min?
> 5:30-6:30 am out for potty and walk and training. Breakfast & Free time in garage. no more free time, so how long out? 15 min? 30?
> ...


If we assume she is getting at least 30 minutes out each time, that's only 4.5 hours per day out of the crate now since you eliminated even the free time in the garage.


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## jweisman54 (May 22, 2010)

You shouldn't be listing a schedule like that. Why not just take her out of the crate in the am, take her outside to do her business, play with her, let her stay with you in the house maybe on a leash.

You seem to want to relegate her to a precise schedule. Life is not a schedule, it is to be lived.

IMO


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

It's a shame that she posted and no one answered. I did not see her post at all. But, really, being on this board, reading prior threads, and thoroughly researching the breed before you make an adoption should be sufficient to know that what has been done isn't the right solution. I do wish that the OP would post to update and to share what the planned course of action is. My heart has been sad for this poor dog since reading this post.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Sophie_Mom said:


> It's a shame that she posted and no one answered. I did not see her post at all. But, really, being on this board, reading prior threads, and thoroughly researching the breed before you make an adoption should be sufficient to know that what has been done isn't the right solution. I do wish that the OP would post to update and to share what the planned course of action is. My heart has been sad for this poor dog since reading this post.


I agree, and I noticed that she was on the forum since she made this post, but perhaps she was taken aback by some of the comments here (including my own) and didn't want to say anything further.

I do think that this is a person who genuinely cares about her dog, but maybe just doesn't understand that relegating Sadie to the garage is the wrong way to go about potty training her. Sadie will never be housebroken if this schedule continues - she absolutely NEEDS to be with her humans so they can properly instruct her what is appropriate and what isn't.


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## WendyS (Apr 6, 2011)

Quite frankly, we will prob never hear from the OP again, which is sad. No one likes to feel "attacked" when they are asking for advice, or being told they are being cruel to their dog, even if it seems that way. :no: Just reading through these posts, my originally thoughts were "ouch"! This is a new puppy owner who is struggling right now. PensGirl, I hope you do read all these postings and take the information given to you (there was a bunch of great info posted here). If you are afraid to post on here again, I am sure you can Private Message any of the posters who have given some good advice that you would like more info on. Good Luck to you and your puppy. I have a 5 month old golden pup right now so I understand what you are going through...


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

As a few others have mentioned I would have your dear pup checked by a vet to rule out a possible infection. When my Golden girl, Baylee, has a UTI she just can't hold her urine very long at all and is more prone to accidents until the antibiotics regimen is completed.
I wish you the best. You must be so frustrated.


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## pensgirl (Apr 18, 2011)

Whoaaa!!!! Sorry I have not been able to read until this morning. I am very busy with my PUPPY, 2 girls and 2 jobs. Chatting is not a priority for me. I agree with all of you about locking her in the garage is the same as forgeting her. This is not the case with us. First she was in the down stairs living room. The hang out for the cold and rainy seasons. Now it is summer we rarely go down there. The living room is not an option, white carpet and not easy access to out doors. The kitchen is too small for a crate. The garage is more of an outdoor living space. We do not park our cars in nor do we use it for storage. The only thing in there are the Kids bikes and the dog. It is attached to our kitchen. There is a gate at the kitchen door. So when I am working in the kitchen she can see me and I can keep an eye on the girls and her. Free time in the garage is not unsupervised. When I mean free time it is when we are in there with her. When she has her accidents it is when she gets all crazy. I'm sure you know what I mean. The burst of energy spinning in circles, grabbing one of the girls shoes and running with it ect. She will just stop in the middle of what she is doing and go when I am trying to get a leash on her to take her outside. She was only in her crate when she was unsupervised. When I was cleaning the house or getting kids ready for bed or work. That is what I meant by sad. I put her in her crate when we were in the garage and trying to take her out every half hour. She has not #2 in the house/garage since she was 10 weeks old and no pee accidents since she was around 14 weeks until she was 19. Since the weather has gotten much nicer we play with her in the yard more than indoors. So she goes when she feels like it. I think she sees the garage the same way. I would like to know how I can teach her that the garage / living room play area is not the same as the yard. It is the same as the family room. I tried using the bells like in the family room. But she goes to the door and barks to go #2 so I don't think it will work for #1. Please don't think I am abondoning my baby. That is not the case.

For all of you who don't pass judgement, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. I am taking her to the vet on Monday. That may be the problem. She shown now warning just goes and is very good about #2. The others, we take her somewhere new almost everyday. My DH takes her on an hour long unleashed run out at his hunting camp several times a week. We are enrolled in obediance classes and she is doing very well. If you want I will give you the contact for my trainer. She commented on how well Sadie is doing for her age. As for the white carpet. It is a formal living room hardly ever used only on special occasions. I am sure there are many on here that have off limit areas for your pets also. So please in the future, think before you type. You may not understand the entire situation.


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## Bellapuppy (Jun 18, 2011)

I really think she came here looking for answers. I also came here looking for answers about potty training Bella because she kept urinating everrrrrryyywhere. Not a little - a ton and then turning around playing in it and jumping around in it. Granted, she's a wee pup and isn't 5-6 months old yet, but it was still a bit frustrating. I took everyone's advice and crated her and she's doing beautifully. We let her out more and more from her crate, but we still use it quite a bit. I think the garage was a last ditch effort for this lady. I know a few people that lived in cooler climates (Idaho) that used to do this too. I don't agree with it and think dogs need to be with their family. The Pup's probably really confused about the training. I think maybe we need to know a bit more info. She could possibly not have a bladder infection, but maybe she's being left at home too long during the day by herself. From what I've read about young pups around her age, you still have to helicopter around them when they are out to ensure they are pottying outside. She might have gotten into a good habit but lost her good habits somehow. Maybe there was a really big change that caused her to want more attention or something. 

I hope you stay on the forum and try to work it out with your puppy. I am sure she is a good puppy that needs redirection. I agree with the crating idea when you can't watch her in the house, but it needs to be minimal at her age. When she goes outside and potties, give her really tasty treats and lots of boisterous praise; that way, she'll know she's doing the right thing about going outside. I'm going to echo about the carpet. She doesn't know it's white or even carpet. Is it a new addition after you got the dog? Because Bella doesn't understand carpet. We took her over to my mother in laws place and she thought it was a place to potty because of the texture. 

Make sure to get a good odor-out cleaner like Nature's Miracle. Maybe she's smelling the places she's wet before and going back to them.

Sorry for the long post. GL and I hope you can use some of these options others have suggested.

Just saw you posted again right after I did! Thanks for coming back and clearing things up a bit


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

She doesn't have enough understanding of not pottying in the home and garage.
She needs to be trained as if she is a new puppy. That means you are not to just wait for signs that she has to go to take her out. You have to take her out on frequent potty breaks just like when you brought her home. After eating, before and after playing and if play time is to long for her in the middle of play time.
She isn't generalizing that the garage is the same as the family room. 
When a pup that is doing good all of a sudden goes backwards in their training you have to look at what is different or exactly what caused it. So, as long as she is okayed by your vet that she is healthy just go back to potty 101 from the garage just like you did with the family room. She will probably get it pretty fast if she was solid with the earlier training with the family room. 
I still think she needs to be interacting with the family so if you are all hanging out in the garage great if not then you need to spend more time supervising her where you are and giving her less garage time even if you can see her in there.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

I do apologize if my post sounded harsh, I know that it did. Your second explanation of your dog's situation was FAR different than the first. As I said, I knew part of my reaction had to do with spending time at our Humane Society and seeing/hearing about some very sad stories. I wish you nothing but good luck with training your puppy so she can freely join your family again. I hope that her vet appointment goes well. Best of luck!


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

I hope the vet appointment goes alright, good luck! Keep us posted!


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## Mirinde (Jun 8, 2011)

Is there a sticky somewhere with a reminder that tone and intention are generally not very well conveyed over the internet (for us regular posters) and a reminder to provide as much information as possible because we do not share each other's lives (for new posters)?

i.e. "Puppy is in the garage", to me, is different from "Puppy is in the attached garage to the kitchen with the door open and a gate between us because it is a safe environment where we can see each other". It's different for me because my garage is attached to my basement, and I only ever visit my basement when I'm doing laundry. I don't remember the last time I went in my garage. 

I hate seeing posts like this spiral so quickly into a negative direction since we're all generally very positive and helpful people.

Good luck with the vet, OP... UTI's have been a common culprit in things like this. Hopefully you can get everything squared away and start from the basics in order to get your puppy house trained.


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## caseypooh (Dec 30, 2010)

Me too. I'm sorry too, I just love our Goldens so very much. I'm glad you came here for help, there is so much knowledge here.


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

Any word from the vet?


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## aerolor (May 27, 2011)

If my post was thought a bit harsh Pensgirl then I too apologise. Sometimes posts are not interpreted as they are intended. Keep up the good work with your golden - all the effort is so worth it in the end. Best wishes.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

I hope the trip to the vet goes well and gives you soe answers and help. Please let us know.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

I have no issue with having 'off-limits' areas for a dog but the only real way to keep them out is to physically block it off. Texture is a big 'trigger' when it comes to pups peeing - it 'feels' like grass/outside. You mentioned that she pees when she is playing or when you are trying to put her leash on - sounds like she is super happy and can't control herself when she is like that - control comes with maturity-just like children.
For her playtimes, try to keep them outside or accept that she could have an accident if she gets too wild -it is not her fault - it simply happens.
Work on putting the leash on as a low key event. Desensitize her to the leash,for a while, just carry the leash around with you, hook it in your belt loop or wherever, so that she can see that the leash is not all that exciting - she is not necessarily going somewhere when the leash is out. Teach her to sit to get the leash on, if she gets excited when you pick it up or attempt to attach it to her collar, put it down until she is 'calmer', then try again. As long as she is calm you can move 'ahead' but if she gets excited everything 'stops' until she settles. It takes some time and effort, but you will be surprised how quickly she can learn to be calm (and not pee) when getting ready to go for a leashwalk.


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## jweisman54 (May 22, 2010)

Pensgirl, I too would like to apologize if I came across harshly. That was not my intention. Have you asked your trainer for any pointers about her pee situation (assuming it is not a UTI)? If she doesn't like her leash on, then maybe try to desensitize her with at as one of the other members suggested. I also think we all have certain areas of our homes which are off limits to our pups. Are you taking her right out after she pees in the house to try to signal to her that this is where she has to do her thing and not in the house? Please keep us posted on your progress.


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## pensgirl (Apr 18, 2011)

Thanks to all for your aplologies. Sadie does not have a UTI. Good News. What the vet told me to do is to stop playtime in the garage and watch her like a hawk when she is in there. She is confused about the yard and garage. We have a designated spot for #2 but not for #1 and have been leaving her off leash in the yard more and more to work on distance recall (Which is the reason for crazy spells with the leash.) That combined with less praise and treats for potty outside confused her with the garage. I take her out at lunch time and get her lunch and water but started leaving water for her in her crate while I am at work so that may have put her potty schedule off. Now I have attached her to my hip (quite a challange with a puppy who can now counter surf) and went back to heavy treating and praises and designated a spot for #1. No accidents since. We are going camping this weekend. I hope that it doesn't set her back. He also suggested I stay away from forums.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Thanks for the update. Glad she doesn't have a uti.  It sounds like your vet gave pretty good advice. All accept staying away from us. 
Camping will be another fun place to learn.


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