# Housebreaking problems with a 6 month old - Help!



## mickeychick (Jul 19, 2012)

A few suggestions:

Teach her a word or command for going potty. With Liberty I say "go pee" and she does. When we first got her as a puppy, I'd take her out and repeat "go pee" until she went. Then I'd say "gooooood go pee" and reward her after she did it. She understands the command now and will pretty much go on command. Same thing for pooping. Teach a command for it like "go poo" and if and when she does it, make a BIG fuss so she will learn to understand that that is what it means.

Also, I know when they are younger, there are certain times they need to go more (not so sure about 6 months, but worth a try). Usually right after sleeping, playing or eating. Take her out any time she wakes up, eats, or has a playtime. Tell her the command (as mentioned above) and when and if she does it make a BIG fuss so she knows she did the right thing. 

IF she is going in or near the same spot,it may be because it now has the scent of urine on it and she may think it's okay to pee there. I would either buy a urine removal product or really scrub it with vinegar and water. That is supposed to take out the urine smell as well. 

One last suggestion. I'd take her to the vet to make sure she doesn't have a UTI. Sometimes they can't control it if that is the case. 

PLEASE don't find other living arrangements for her. She just doesn't understand what you want from her. She isn't doing it to be naughty. It is up to YOU to teach her to do the right thing.


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## Mayve (Aug 21, 2012)

Do you use a crate. Is she peeing right in front of you or when you don't have your eyes on her???

If you aren't using a crate, x-pen? I would suggest possibly trying it. Use it when you can't keep your eyes on her the whole time, and if she doesn't pee when you take her out, put her in the crate for a bit and then try again.

I would also have her checked for a UTI, and the suggestions on potty parties and potty commands is a solid one. And yes clean her spots she goes, if you haven't.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

"We recently got a 6 month old female golden retriever puppy. She was still at the breeders and living in a kennel, but she did very good for the first week or so and only went outside."

Potty train her as if she was an 8 or 9 week old pup. When she wakes up/when she eats and drinks/when she plays after each take her outside on a leash and ask her to potty. If she does reward her right there with lots of praise and something really yummy. Besides all that take her on leash every 30 minutes while awake outside. If she is getting this training method then you can adjust your time in increments of 15 minutes. So after a few days of the above instead of every 30 minutes make it 45 minutes. 
Every time she potties in the house makes the training period longer. It is up to you to make sure she is successful.
If you take her outside and she doesn't potty bring her in on leash and put her in the crate for 5 minutes. Then try again.

"If we cannot get her to stop quickly, we are going to have to find other living arrangements for her. "

This absolutely makes me cringe! Puppies are a lot of work and a lot of time is put into the training to get each individual dog to have good potty manners and good house manners. These skills do not happen QUICKLY and if you don't have the time to invest in training this puppy please contact the breeder and give her back or if it was a breeder that isn't responsible contact a rescue that will find a home that will put the time in to have a great dog.


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## Dwyllis (Nov 22, 2012)

She is still just a puppy at six months old ...just a big puppy. So as with a smaller puppy, she will need training to help her understand what you want her to do. That does not happen overnight. It requires patience, gentleness & a lot of hard work. If I understand you correctly, this young girl has not grown up in a family situation, so this is all very, very new to her. You really cannot expect her to fit in with you that quickly. You need to go right back to basics in training her ....treat her as you would treat a seven week old puppy joining your family. Surely, you would be more tolerant of a small baby having accidents indoors so soon after joining you? So please, please understand that as she has not grown up in a family situation, she needs to be treated the same as you would treat a much younger puppy.As soon as she understands what you want of her, she will pick it up quickly. 

As you would with a small puppy, you need to watch her closely when she is indoors with you. The moment she begins to squat, make a noise to distract her, which will stop her, & then lead her quickly outdoors & stay with her until she poops or pees. Then lots of praise & reward her straight away with a yummy treat (always have treats with you whilst training, because you must reward immediately she does the required behaviour, so that she begins to associate toileting outdoors with nice rewards. Initially, give high value treats while she is learning ...I use small cubes of colby cheese or cooked sausage whilst training new things. Once she begins to get the idea ...& she will do ....then you can start giving the command you want to use ...Go pee etc ...followed by reward & lots of praise when she achieves it. 

If she toilets indoors, don't make a fuss about it. Just clean it up & scrub or wipe over area with white vinegar, which takes away the odour, & dogs do not like the smell, so won't want to go there again. She is bound to have accidents, but soon you will find she is going more outdoors, as she knows she will get something nice, but if she goes indoors, she won't get anything. Dogs are smart! 

Please give this girl a chance. Surely she deserves it. She will reward you with many years of love, fun & companionship. But you need to be patient & diligent. As my mother used to constantly tell me as a child ....."nothing in life comes easy, but hard work is rewarded ....anything good in life, is worth working for". You will be rewarded a hundred times over if you put in the hard work right now. My puppy is just over four months old & he is hard work at times, but totally adorable & I cannot imagine being without him.


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## Glassbuttercup (Jan 22, 2012)

I agree with the above posters that you need to give her time to learn what you want. It is very important to understand that even though she is 6 months old, if she has spent her life in a kennel she has not learned how to be house trained and you need to start from the beginning just like you would if she was a small puppy. Another thing to keep in mind when you have a dog that has gone from doing well in the house to peeing often is a possible urinary tract infection. I hope things work out for you and your girl!


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

I got one of my pups back at 8.5 months... Definitely not housetrained. She was harder to house train than an 8 week old pup.. She is now 3 years old and has been perfect for several years. The problem is that when a dog looks adult, you treat it as such. As many have said, treat it like it is a young pup...


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