suggestions needed for housebreaking

This is my first day at pets.ca. I need help with how to deal with my 12 week old german shepherd female. She will not go poo outside.i walk her and she will not go.i wait for sometimes 30 minutes for her to go.Tried setting up scheduled times. As soon as she is in her kennel and i am out of sight, she goes. Every time. We have tried treats, praise, "good girl", and lots of loving. this is driving me crazy and it seems she is doing it on purpose. Am considering giving her back to breeder.This is breaking my heart because i don't understand what to do. Please someone have another suggestion.

first of all, it takes months to fully house train a dog. It's just too soon.

waiting 30 minutes may not be enough time. A strict schedule is in order too. I have heard that you may have to stand with the dog for an hour or more outside until they do their business, completely ignoring them until they do, then praise like crazy when she does!

Also, don't let the dog out of your sight. if you can't watch her, put her leash on and tie it around your waist so where ever you are, she is and you can watch her. As soon as she shows signs that she is about to poop, make a loud noise to distract her (like a loud bark or clap your hands) then immediately take her outside to do her business. As soon as she does, praise her like crazy.

first of all, welcome!

it may SEEM as though she does it on purpose, but trust me, she doesn't. don't give up on her because she hasn't learned yet - she's a baby, she needs your love, patience, and understanding. She'll get it, but it doesn't happen overnight, or in a week, or in a month. Puppies have accidents, they don't poop on command, and they don't understand why you give up on them when they are just being puppies.

Welcome! My experience with housebreaking surrounds extreme scheduling control (Pags said it best in another thread) and not "forcing" them to go. By forcing I mean when Simon and Peach first came home, Simon was practically wild - no manners, no training, just a mess. We set up a very rigid schedule (thankfully I worked close to home at the time) and stuck to it. While on our walks (morning, lunch time, late afternoon and night), we worked on simply enjoying the walk, no hovering or using the known "poo commands". When Simon did his thing, we praised and treated and told him he was a great boy for picking his spot. I won't say this was easy, by all means getting him to understand that the kitchen wasn't his dumping ground wasn't easy. But I did find that if I hovered on him or was rushing in any way or trying to get him to pick before he was ready, he wasn't gonna go until we got back home. My ex and I both maintained this routine since consistency is the hallmark of any training exercise. Good luck and don't give up - I know it's tough and frustrating and I'm positive you'll get great advice here that will help. :pawprint:

I agree with RainGirl, just wait it out outside, and if its too cold, bring the pup in by keep an eye on it. If you're watching closely, you'll be able to tell its about to poop so you can then say NO and rush the dog outside. Something you might want to try is moving the poop from the house to the yard so the pup gets the idea...

It might take a few times, but once the schedule it set you'll be better able to predict when the dog will need to go. And remember the pup is just barely old enough to know if has to 'go' more a than a few seconds in advance. Be patient and consistent you'll get there!

Also remember puppies usually need to do their business right after eating, hard playing, or after a nap. Make sure you take her outside at these key times.

I notice that you say you walk her for 30 minutes... so she is always asked to go to the bathroom on a leash? If so, that may very well be your problem. Some dogs are not comfortable pooping in front of people when pups. I know it sounds odd but this may very well be the reason. Do you have a fenced in backyard? If so, I would suggest taking her out, strolling around ignoring her until she finds a good spot and does her business. I had a Berner pup who would not poop on a leash or in the back yard but would wait until he got in to do it. He was 5 months old when we achieved all poops outside. I would walk outside with him and pretend he didn't exist until he pooped, then praise like the dickens and play ball for a few minutes. It worked.