# Potty Training Problems



## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

Ella is now fourteen weeks old and I've had her for about a month. And it feels like I'm getting nowhere with potty training. This is the first time my family has potty trained a puppy. We had a shetland sheepdog before but when we got him at around 4 months he was already fully potty trained.

I started out with pee pads so Ella would not ruin the carpet and taking her out about every half hour. She normally has access to the kitchen and the family room unless no one is home, at which time she goes into her crate. I had thought she had caught on to going on the pee pads pretty quickly, within the first week. However, I had noticed that she had a tendency to normally go in the same area, right where the carpet starts between the family room and kitchen. I've been trying to transition out of the pee pads, but have been having problems. I tried moving the pee pads a little closer to the door each day, but it appears that she hasn't really been attracted to the pads but to that specific area of the floor. When my former dog was older and couldn't hold it anymore that was the same area he normally went (if he didn't go on the kitchen floor). The carpet in the area has been cleaned thoroughly. It's been cleaned with one of those carpet cleaners multiple times (I don't know which cleaner was used), and whenever Ella has gone in the area I've cleaned it up with Nature's Miracle. She always goes in the same area regardless of if there are pee pads there or not, and if the pee pads are moved at all she doesn't go on them. We've put a temporary rug over the area and she still goes to the same area.

For the last week or so when I take her outside she does go to the bathroom out there. When she goes I praise her like crazy and she gets a treat. When she goes inside I just ignore her and clean up the mess. She doesn't seem to care whether she goes inside or outside. At the times when she is in the crate she hasn't gone in there in about two weeks.

A major part of the problem with her going inside is that she does not give any warning that she is about to go to the bathroom, especially when she has to pee. For example, she just had her breakfast a few minutes ago. In the middle of eating she walked away from her dish (she doesn't normally eat it all within a couple minutes), looked like she was going to go in the family room, but just stopped and went pee without sniffing at all. She just stops mid walk, squats and pees. I had tried startling her to get her to stop and bring her outside but it doesn't work. She just looks at me and then finishes going. She also really doesn't give much warning when she poops inside, just sniff for a second or two and then go. Outside she goes through this whole running around sniffing process and then spins around before she goes, but not inside.

I've tried putting her in her crate during the day when I'm home for potty training, but when she knows someone is home unless its at night and she is exhausted she just whines and barks because she wants to be where the people are. The crate is only about ten feet from where people normally sit. When I put her in there and then we leave she appears to be absolutely fine, goes in quietly without a problem and is laying there quietly when I get back, and I haven't heard any of the neighbors saying that she barks while we're gone. She is also fine if I put her in there at night (which sometimes I do and sometimes I don't).

I'm at a loss with what to do. I keep taking her out but she still goes inside just as much as outside. Currently I've been taking her out about every hour, whenever she wakes up and whenever she finishes eating. I was thinking of getting an xpen but I'm worried that it will be the same issue as with the crate and that if she can't get to where I am she's just going to cry. Recommendations?


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Ella isn't trying to frustrate you, some how she has become confused on the rules of potty training.

First, take up the potty pads.
Second, Start over as if she doesn't know anything.
third, don't let her have any freedom to roam for now.
fourth, go back to going out on leash every 20 minutes, after each short play time, eating, drinking, napping and crating.

Somehow she has unintentionally on your part learned that it is acceptable to potty inside the house. 
Breaking it down into smaller time frames between potty breaks not waiting for her to give any signs but building the habit that all potty is outside. Right now with you being totally in control will slowly set up the good habit.

No unsupervised freedom. If you need to fold clothes, do dishes, take a shower first take Ella out on leash then put her in the crate. 
Don't expect the baby to be responsible for telling you when she has to go. Right now think for her instead. If you do this for a month or so setting up the good habit that all potty is outside not giving her a chance to make the wrong choice she should learn that lesson. Then you can slowly extend the time between each potty while looking for her to give you signs. 
If Ella has the opportunity to go in the house then you have extended the time to much or you have missed her signs. Train toward one goal at a time the first goal is building the habit that all potty is outside.

Puppy potty training is really intense and very hard work for us owners. And it takes time. Especially if some how they didn't understand what we wanted at first and believe it is acceptable to potty in the house.


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## rangerspouse (Jun 27, 2011)

How is Ella doing now with the training? I am trying to learn as much as I can as I hope to be training a pup too so if you've found something that helped, I'd love to know! (By the way, she's adorable!)


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