housetraining troubles

I've researched extensively on this topic and I don't understand what I'm doing wrong in this, but my 3 month-old (almost) puppy just doesn't seem to understand house training. Here is what I've been doing:

When I catch him peeing in the house, I give him a firm "NO" and stop him in the act by lifting him off the ground, and then I immediately take him outside. No matter how early I catch him in the act, when I take him outside he doesn't pee. No matter how long I wait out there with him... I'm talking up to an hour here.

When I don't catch him peeing and just find a wet smelly spot, I don't discipline him. I put him another room while I clean it up because somebody suggested to me that would be better for dominance issues (?). I clean it with that Nature's Miracle, which I've heard works very well, though I got a new formula recently that doesn't work as well as the old stuff (if you see orange scented stuff don't buy it).

When I do take him outside and he eliminates, I PRAISE HIM like a crazy person (my neighbours probably think I'm completely nuts). He has no problem waking me up at night to take him out to go, he's only ever had one accident during the night. I keep him right beside the bed on a leash on his bed so he doesn't wander off and pee in a corner and I think this helps (I have a crate on order).

The real problem is that even with all this, when he has to pee he runs into another room and goes where I can't see, or even sometimes has the audacity just to try and go right there in front of me, though that's rare. I don't understand what else I can do to speed this up. Is he too young to completely understand? I'm talking he has more than one accident every single day.

He's very selective about where he goes, when I take him on walks he refuses to pee or poop anywhere, he holds it till we get back to our backyard (or house), even though he's seen other dogs going in parks or on the street.

For an example of his weird behaviour, today he was out in the yard for an hour playing around on our tie-out (supervised play of course) and also to get him to go to the bathroom. He played and fell asleep after so I brought him in. The second he was brought in he peed on the carpet. I don't understand this behaviour at all.


Any and all help will be appreciated, even if you just reply to tell me what a dummy I am.

First, welcome to the forum.

Unfortunately your dog is only three months old and things aren't going to be perfect yet. It took us about five months before Jesse was completely trained. Some dogs train very easily, others are very hard to train. It was difficult for us and we felt like pulling our hair out, but it eventually worked out. Just stick with it. Your dog will eventually catch on. He's still a baby now. Just be patient. That's probably the best advice to give.

And stop with the dummy thing. You are here asking for advice, that's the smartest thing you can do! I have a motto: The only dumb questions are the ones that aren't asked! We are all here to help! :thumbs up

For an example of his weird behaviour, today he was out in the yard for an hour playing around on our tie-out (supervised play of course) and also to get him to go to the bathroom. He played and fell asleep after so I brought him in. The second he was brought in he peed on the carpet. I don't understand this behaviour at all.



Jesse's Mommy hit the nail on the head. 3 months is still very young to expect perfection (or even something close to it!). My Audrie is going on 6 months and is still not 100%. She likes to sneak off and poo in the kitty's room (our guest room). Luckily, she's stopped peeing in the house I think! Sometimes I will find a spot and not know when it happened. ANYWAY, this last comment you made about him falling asleep and then peeing in the house--in your research I'm sure you read that the common potty times are:

*before/after eating
*after playing
*after sleeping
*when you get home or someone comes over
*when anything "exciting" happens :party:

Maybe you brought him in too quickly after he woke up?

I know it's frustrating, but time, patience, and consistency are the keys to success here. Don't worry, he will get it! :fingerscr

first, welcome! second... you're not a dummy! you're doing it right! :thumbs up

No matter how long I wait out there with him... I'm talking up to an hour here.

I'd try 5-10 intervals instead of an hour. this is alot of in & out of the house, but you want him to grasp that outside = bathroom. it's a pain in the neck, but worth it in the end. when you get your crate, after the 5-10 min outside and no peeing... gently place him in the crate for a few minutes, then go back outside when you let him out.

The real problem is that even with all this, when he has to pee he runs into another room and goes where I can't see, or even sometimes has the audacity just to try and go right there in front of me, though that's rare.

Is it possible to baby gate him into the room you're in? (I obviously don't know the layout of your home, just a suggestion) or you could try keeping him on a leash, tied to you. this way he can't sneak off, and you'll notice when he's sniffing or squatting.

today he was out in the yard for an hour playing around on our tie-out (supervised play of course) and also to get him to go to the bathroom. He played and fell asleep after so I brought him in. The second he was brought in he peed on the carpet. I don't understand this behaviour at all.

I found it easier to not combine outside play w/ potty breaks. although it's FUN to play outside, I wanted my dog to understand outside is for potty first. after he went potty, THEN we could play all he wanted. but not before. the playtime is a reward for going potty outside.

good luck! keep us posted on the progress!

Isabelleo,

You could be describing my puppy, and he's 6 months old! My puppy is a cocker and they can be little babies about things like housetraining. I'm still trying to figure out how to get our puppy to pee outside when the neighbor's dogs are barking. He's a timid soul and barking really tenses him up.

Anyway, in all my years of housetraining - kids and dogs - I've never had a dog get completely trained before 6-9 months. But you know you are on the right track because it's working at night. That's always been the way it worked for me: First the night, then the day. The fact that he runs off to pee every now and then is a sign he's learning, because he's trying to hide what he thinks you don't want him to do.

When we trained our puppy, we carried a handful of his kibble in our pockets. Every time he peed outside, he would get one kibble. After a month, we reduced it to every second time he peed outside, etc. He caught on very quickly, although he is a pug and completely obsessed with food!

We have the same challenge! Melei is just over 4 months old now, and still has oopsies in the house sometimes.

She is getting pretty good at going when I take her out. I have a command to, and find it is helping some, I tell her to 'get busy' when we are in the area of the yard I want her to use. We don't play in the back yard at all...that is her toilet.

When she goes outside, I give her lots of praise...including the occasional 'happy dance' (the neighbours already think I am weird so nothing surprises them anymore:crazy: ) and if she does oopsie, I don't let her see it being cleaned up.

Our biggest challenge is getting her to let me know when she needs too. I take her out when I feel she should or if I see certain behaviors, the sniffing, circling stuff. But sometimes I miss it and then she has an accident. Her favorite place to oopsie is in the livingroom, under the coffee table.

I think 3 months is too young to expect perfection in housetraining, I am not concerned that Melei isn't perfect yet. I don't think she will be 'perfect' for at least a couple months yet, but that doesn't stop me from hoping;)

Pateince and consistency will eventually pay off...just keep at it:pawprint: