# house training a 6yr old rescue dog



## gljones63 (Dec 14, 2014)

i need help in house training a 6yr old female golden retriever that we rescued. when we are home with her we have no problems she does not go in the house or even at night. the problem is when we are gone even for an hour we come home to treats on the floor. we have set up a place for her with paper and dog pad and that is where she is going. i am afraid that we have told her that it is okay to go in the house. we tried to crate train her and she pooped and peed in the crate and had it all over her and the crate and she hurt her leg so we decided not to do that anymore as i don't want her to get hurt. we also tried to leave her loose in the basement but she opened the basement door to the upstairs somehow and was upstairs when we got home from work. we both work during the day so that is where the problem is, we are not home to take her out to train her.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Welcome to the forum!

How long have you had your girl? It often takes a Rescue time to relax and get settled in to a new home and environment, some dogs will adjust right away. My boy that I adopted fit in with no adjustment period needed, he was 2 when I got him.

I adopted my girl at the age of two, I worked with her just as I would have if she were a pup. She had been a former breeder girl, lived her entire life outside in a cage/kennel. 
I worked with her for maybe three days, within a week she was trained and never had anymore accidents in the house. The accidents she did have were my fault because I didn't get her out either soon enough or often enough. I never scolded her, I used only positive reinforcement with her. When I began working with her, I took her out on a leash, when she pottied outside, I praised her heavily. She was not food motivated when I first got her, telling her what a good girl she was worked best for her. The longer she was with me, she became food motivated and I was able to use treats as a reward.

I am not a fan of using pee pads or newspaper, most dogs often will only go on them and it takes a while to get them use to going potty outside.

Are you able to come home during the day to let her out? If not, I would suggest having a family member, friend to come during the day or even hiring a dog walker to come in and let her out. 

What type of exercise is she getting? 

I had to crate my girl for quite some time when I first got her before I could trust her whenever I was gone. Not because I thought she would go potty in the house, but more so because she became a bit destructive. She has since stopped being destructive and no longer needs to be crated. I have her crate set up with the door open, she can go in and out whenever she wants. I never had to crate my boy. 

Has she seen a Vet recently to rule out any medical or health issues?

ETA: Be patient, gentle and loving, and most of all consistent when working with your girl and your approach with her. All dogs are different in how long it will take. Goldens are smart and eager to please, she will get it in time. Set her up to succeed not to fail.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I agree with Carolina Mom and wanted to add that maybe she has some form of separation anxiety since she is probably still unsure of her environment and may be afraid of abandonment again.


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## gljones63 (Dec 14, 2014)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Welcome to the forum!
> 
> How long have you had your girl? It often takes a Rescue time to relax and get settled in to a new home and environment, some dogs will adjust right away. My boy that I adopted fit in with no adjustment period needed, he was 2 when I got him.
> 
> ...


We have had her since Oct. and we are not able to come home throughout the day as we both work out of town. I have tried to find someone local to come by and take her out but have not been able to find anyone. She has been to the vet and she has no health issues. I can tell that she wants to please as she is always looking at you with the look (am I doing the right thing) They are such smart dogs and that is why I am wondering what we are doing wrong and is there something that I am missing or not doing right. She doesn't damage or destroy anything in the house she is a great dog. Any tips that anyone can give would be a big help.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Do you know any of her background or history?

If it were me, I'd get rid of the pee pads and newspapers, she probably thinks it is OK for her to use them to go potty. You can break a dog of using them, sometimes it takes awhile to do it though. 

Maybe check with your Vet Clinic to see if they know of anyone who is a dog walker that could come in and let her out, exercise her some such as taking her for a walk and/or play with her some. 

ETA-Do you have a fenced in yard or an area such as a good size dog run with a pet door for access? I have a good size fenced in yard with a pet door for access for my two. I keep my gate locked whenever I'm gone. My girl uses the pet door and goes out whenever she wants. My boy won't use the pet door. He can usually hold it up to 7 hours, I'm not gone that long though, usually 4 hours at the most. He goes all night without needing to go out. He will be 6 in March.

I don't recommend that you leave your girl outside all day when you're gone however, I don't think it's safe for a dog to be left out when someone is not home. 

What's your girl's name, any pictures you'd like to share? We love pictures here.


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## gljones63 (Dec 14, 2014)

She was in a dog run with other dogs and had a rough life. we got her from a young couple that rescued her and they had her with another dog and they decided that they did not have the time to give to her. They had her for about a year and kept them outside during the day and inside at night. We don't have a fenced yard so that isn't an option to leave her outside. Like the other person said we are sure that she has anxiety issues and think it will just take a while for her to understand that she has a home. Just want to get pass this going in the house thing, lol.. I am getting tired of cleaning up messes. Thanks again


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I would never leave a dog outside if I'm wasn't home, I'm almost always outside with my two when they're out also. 

Hopefully you can find someone to come and let her out during the day while you're at work or maybe set up a dog run for her to use.


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## Taylorsmum (Sep 30, 2014)

gljones63 said:


> I am getting tired of cleaning up messes. Thanks again


You have been given some really good advice here. I too would remove pads and newspapers. Don't use bleach to clean up the mess either, as it acts as a trigger to go in the same place again. You can purchase cleaner from the pet store or make your own up using biological wash detergent, keep it in a spray bottle and its there ready and waiting.

I am sure that once she realises that this is home she will be fine. This is only very early in your relationship and we all need time to adjust in a new relationship. 

Good luck


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I'd suggest a great walk every morning before you leave. Make it a ritual. Also feed her before her walk, then walk her. She'll poop then on her walk. Keep her walking until she poops. If you get her into a pattern for food - walk - poop - rest, it will help her. If she is tired she will be more relaxed. When you get home repeat the food - walk - poop -rest. Once she learns the schedule it will help her. By making exercise a regularly scheduled daily event she will look forward to it. I know it can be hard when you're trying to get going in the morning to get in that walk, but it will also help her bond to you. She will also be more familiar with her neighborhood.

I would also limit her space. Keep her in one room, but not in a kennel. Having the run of the house or even the whole basement might be too much for her and overwhelming. With rescues we don't know what baggage they came with, all we can do is assume. So imagine she was confined most of her life and now she has lots of space and doesn't know what to do. If you do confine her to one room, make sure it's the same room every time.

Also when you leave the house, make sure she has plenty of things to keep her busy. Take some kongs and fill them with peanut butter. Freeze them and leave them for her. Leave a couple of bones she really likes. Chewing is a great way to burn off nervous energy. It will make her sleepy (don't forget it will make her thirsty too). 

Hope you all get the hang of things soon!


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