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ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > House breaking my gsd fail....Help!!! (20 replies)
House breaking my gsd fail....Help!!! by cookiedam on 18 November 2011 - 13:00 |
| My gsd is 12 weeks. I tried training pads just purchased pup head dog potty which she will use if I lead her to it. If im not around shell go any where and use her pup head as a bed. I tried the crate but she seems to think anywhere outside the crate like my living room is ok. This morning she pooped in my living room. So I put her out, im considering keeping her out since I have kids. Please help me whut should I do?? |
cookiedam by Rass on 18 November 2011 - 13:58 |
| First of all, this puppy is too young to expect to be "house trained." You cannot let her out of your sight.. EVER.. at this age. Tie her to you or supervise her. If you cannot uspervise her, crate her (but only for short periods). Second, if you have not already done so, feed her on a strict schedule. 20 minutes to 1/2 hour after eating, take her out on a leash and be with her. When she pees/Poops, praise like crazy. I say a word while the dog is peeing and I say a word when the dog is pooping. While they are going in the appropriate area (outside) I stuff some food in the dog's mouth. I want the dog to associate the relief of peeing and pooping outside with another pleasant thing.. FOOD. Third, you need to take this dog out every 3 hours at this age (maximum) and during/after play, after eating, after a nap in the crate and so forth. When the dog sniffs around and looks like she might go, you need to get her out. Reward reward reward for going outside. Last, if you catch her in the act, INTERRUPT her and get her out.. PRAISING her for going outside. NEVER punish her for going in the house.. all she will learn is to be afraid of you and she will learn not to go to the bathroom if you are present. The result of this is that she will sneak off somewhere to go (inside or out). NEVER let her out of your sight. She is too young and you are expecting too much (a common issue with puppy owners doing house training). |
by GSDloyalty on 18 November 2011 - 14:10 |
| Dont give up, like Rass said keep a close eye on your pup at all times. The pup is still a baby. I took my boy out every 2 hours over to the same spot and every time he used the bathroom I praised him and he caught on quickly. I know my neighbors thought I was ready for the nut house when they heard me but it paid off. Consistency is key! Your pup is to young to give up on it. |
by Rasenhof on 18 November 2011 - 14:29 |
| You raise a puppy like you raise children. A child wears a diaper until it is potty trained. Pups would tear off a diaper so outside is best for a puppy. Or inside in a crate, or on a leash with a responsible person (adult ?) on the other end. You have a fenced yard (I hope). Here it can play, chew, romp, pee and poop to its hearts content. If you have prize begonias, fence them off or cross fence your yard so the pup has a nice dog area. Houses are reallly for humans. A dog has the privelage of sharing it with you. A full sized crate, at least 500 for a male, 400 OK for a small female, will give the pup its own place in the house to chew on a toy or sleep in comfort. A pup has to pee within 10 minutes of waking up. So if pup makes a noise in the crate, put it outside immediately. Leave for an hour if necessary. Bring inside when wanted, hook the leash to your hand or belt and pay attention to what it does. Pups chew everything, so do dogs sometimes. When the pup is about 6 months old it can last about 8 hours in a crate. So you can finally sleep all night (maybe). I talked to a person who said a crate wasn't any good for his pup. When he put his pup in it for the night, it made a horrible racket. He banged on the crate to shut it up, and was surprised to find the crate full of poop in the morning! I told him that the pup made a noise because it needed to go potty. He had not thought of that! Sigh! There are lots of books about training pups and dogs. With many great ideas for housebreaking a puppy. I best i read was have a 'fenced' space near a door to your back yard. Put wall to wall newspapers. If it has to go potty and you are not there or paying attention, it only needs picking up newspapers. Of course put the pup outside. Then back in the newspaperd space. (with toys etc). Gradually shrink the newspapers down to the area where the pup chooses to do its business. Then move the newspapers gradually toward the door, next to the door, halfway under the door with the other half outside, then just outside the door. You can gradually move the papers across the yard to where you want the poo to be. And the pup is trained! I you pay attention. I really recommend having the pup an outside pup until it is about 6 months old. Bring it in last thing at night, put in crate or tie it in a tiled place. Go to bed, and first thing in the morning let the pup outside (before you go potty yourself) and the pup is trained in 2 weeks. Of course you can bring the pup inside during its first 6 months if you pay attention. The pup will still chew, but that is another issur Have fun. Alice |
by cookiedam on 18 November 2011 - 16:24 |
| Thanks for the advise im a research freak I look everything up my problem is I have to be at work most of the day. I had seen videos and seen it in books but you guys are right it is to soon. |
by Fenrir on 18 November 2011 - 16:41 |
| I will tell you how I potty trained both my Shepherds to great success, it is pretty much what has been said already with a slight twist. First off this pup is too young to be corrected, please do not be harsh on this pup you can devastate the dog and its confidence if you are hard on it, not saying you are just stressing the point. Start off by making sure the pup is crated when it is not supervised at night, while you are running errands, etc... I let my pups run free for most the day and what I did was to set up a kitchen timer for every hour, yes every hour. Obviously I did this on days I was home all day like Saturday. When the timer goes off walk to the exit to where you pup goes potty and get really excited, I taught my dog the word "Outside" meaning we were going to go outside and then "Potty". I would get excited and say in a high girly voice wanna go outside! and made a big deal of it, then I opened the door and let them run out, about 90% of the time they would do something, go pee at least. Then it was reward,praise,reward, it was a huge deal. You have to make sure to reward the second the act is finished. The reason for every hour is it lessens the chance of an accident while simultaniously increasing the chances to reward the behaviour I am looking for. When they did have an accident they would come running up to me for their good girl treats and would not find it. I would simply go to the door say outside and walk out there with them, normally I would wait about 10 mins out there and give them a chance to "try again". It did not take long at all for them to learn potty inside = no reward, potty outside = awesome, because I made the word "Outside" so exciting it makes it so that my dogs go into a higher drive and pace by the back door exit when they need to go potty which makes it wonderful. By the way it took them almost no time at all to get potty trained, any accidents after were all and have all been my fault. |
Fenrir by Rass on 18 November 2011 - 16:51 |
| I got a single puppy a year and a half ago. Because I live alone and have to go to work and I live too far from home to come home and get the dog out, I built her a "puppy palace" in the Furnace Room of the walk out basement. I took 42 inch wide chain link fence gates (pre fab) and laid them on their sides (4 of them) and zip tied those together. I attached two of them to her crate so she could go in her crate or in the pen area. I laid News Papers down out side the crate (cheaper than puppy pads). She never pee'd or Poop'd in her crate (no.. I did not put a bed in there.. just the tray.. it is a wire crate). She did use the papers. I would come home and get her right out (first order of business) and then she would usually pee/poop outside and get lots of praise. Then I gathered up the soiled papers and washed the floor down with vinegar and let it dry and laid down fresh papers. I called this my "puppy palace" and she was only in it if I had to be away for more than a couple of hours (longer as she got older). When I was home she was tied to me or in sight all the time and on a schedule of every hour out to pee and to poop. I also watched her and took her out as I indicated above. She is now 17 months old and has NEVER pee'd or poop'd in the house other than the "puppy palace." If she needs to go out she goes to the door and looks at me (so I have to pay attention). Eventually she no longer left any pee or poop in the puppy palace either. Most GSD's do not like to soil their living quarters so be sure to never leave her in a crate so long that she must go there. Besides being very cruel, it will take away the dog's natural desire to stay clean and eventually the dog can become a 'dirty dog' peeing and pooping and laying in it. At that point, house training can be a LOT more difficult. |
by Abby Normal on 18 November 2011 - 18:37 |
| I really recommend having the pup an outside pup until it is about 6 months old. Bring it in last thing at night, put in crate or tie it in a tiled place. Go to bed, and first thing in the morning let the pup outside (before you go potty yourself) and the pup is trained in 2 weeks. I don't really agree with this part. If you aren't with the pup when it goes to the toilet outside to praise it, it isn't learning anything. When you bring it back inside after 6 months it still doesn't know inside is off limits for toileting. Also I would never 'tie' a puppy up anywhere unattended. JMO. For me, having a pup outside for the first 6 months would also be missing most of the best of his puppyhood - such a fun time (apart from the peeing etc LOL), and he would be missing such essential learning experiences and companionship in the family environment. I don't understand that. Each to his own, but it wouldn't be my way. |
Abby Normal by Abby Normal on 18 November 2011 - 18:37 |
| I really recommend having the pup an outside pup until it is about 6 months old. Bring it in last thing at night, put in crate or tie it in a tiled place. Go to bed, and first thing in the morning let the pup outside (before you go potty yourself) and the pup is trained in 2 weeks. I don't really agree with this part. If you aren't with the pup when it goes to the toilet outside to praise it, it isn't learning anything. When you bring it back inside after 6 months it still doesn't know inside is off limits for toileting. Also I would never 'tie' a puppy up anywhere unattended. JMO. For me, having a pup outside for the first 6 months would also be missing most of the best of his puppyhood - such a fun time (apart from the peeing etc LOL), and he would be missing such essential learning experiences and companionship in the family environment. I don't understand that. Each to his own, but it wouldn't be my way. |
by cookiedam on 18 November 2011 - 19:08 |
| Wow just the extra personal expirience I was looking for. Great ideas fenrir I will try a timer on my day off. I will have to use your Idea RASS my pup has a lil play are on my porch, which isn't such a good idea since its a walk way to my house. So in conclusion I will build one in my back yard thats where I want her to go when she gets older makes a great deal of sense. I was ponderring on it but tought I was going crazy. |
by Fenrir on 18 November 2011 - 19:17 |
| If you can get the dog amped up and very excited anytime you say "Outside" or whatever word you choose it will make it so when they are older and they need to go potty they get very excited and kinda hyper over by the exit making it very hard to miss the dog needing to go outside :). The reason I say the hour timer (and I am very on top of it because it taught both my dogs to be potty trained in only a couple of days) is because you create so many positive oppertunities for the dog to succeed and you kinda put potty training on your time, with little guessing, you literally are always there when the dog is going to do its deed. I think in puppy dog training setting up the puppy to succeed is key, no one likes to fail especially very young animals or humans. Plus they get to feel like the king of the day every hour which they think is awesome. |
by Rass on 19 November 2011 - 01:53 |
| She also pees and poops on cue. She has a little "pee pee" song and a "Poop Poop" song. The pooping part you DO need to be about the time when you know she needs to go. You start by saying the pee or poop word when she is going outside and you are giving her food and making pooping and peeing outside a huge party. It becomes associative. Pretty soon you say "pee" and she will and, if the timing is correct she will poop for that word. The really nice thing is the word tells the dog she has permission to go. If you take her different places she will learn that is is OK to go on that "strange grass" because the word gives her "permission" to use it. It sounds silly and people may look at you funny. That being said, I have gone to the park and put my dog through her obedience paces and people have watched and appreciated a great Drop on Recall.. but what I get MOST praise for is when I tell her to "go pee" and she does. |
by LOVE THY SHEPHERD on 19 November 2011 - 04:41 |
Boy, I've heard it all now. You can have the puppy totally housebroke in 2 weeks, if you are consistant and watch her/him. When a puppy is not housebroken you don't let them run all over the house. Try and confine 1-2 rooms that don't have carpet. You have to watch them closely, they go to the bathroom after waking up from nap, when they are excited, after playing and as soon as they eat. The crate is a wonderful thing to have. Don't punish them ever and put them in there. The main thing is this: YOU HAVE TO WATCH THEM WHEN THEY ARE OUTSIDE GOING POTTY. IF THEY GO POTTY OUTSIDE THEN THEY WON'T COME INSIDE AND GO. ACTUALLY SEE THEM GO POTTY. MOST OF THE TIME IF YOU LET THEM OUTSIDE TO GO POTTY AND THEY PLAYED THE WHOLE TIME AND YOU EXPECTED THEM TO GO POTTY, WHEN THEY COME BACK INSIDE THEY STILL HAVE TO GO. THE TRICK IS SIMPLE SEE THEM GO POTTY OUTSIDE SO THEY DON'T GO INSIDE. BY THE WAY USE "OUTSIDE" AND THEY GET USE TO THAT. MY DOGS PRACTICALLY PEE ON COMMAND. THEY CAN LEARN POTTY JUST LIKE THEY CAN LEARN SIT. |
LOVE THY SHEPHERD by Felloffher on 19 November 2011 - 05:22 |
| Take your dog out every 20-30 min. when it's free in the house or in the crate and when it relieves it's self lot's of praise with a pee command. No food or water a 3 or 4 hours before you go to sleep. Take the dog out just before you go to bed, wake up once in the middle of the night and get up early and let the dog out. It's a pain, but it works well if the pup needs to be in the house all night. If you do this for the next month or two your pup will probably be good for life. I didn't read anyone elses suggestions, so if it's already been said sorry. |
Felloffher by hexe on 19 November 2011 - 07:17 |
| LOVE THY SHEPHERD, it's true that one can have a puppy conditioned to eliminate outdoors, on cue, in a short period of time--IF one doesn't have to go to work outside the home--but that hardly constitutes 'housebroken'. A puppy under the age of 5 months is probably going to need to relieve itself at least once during the course of 8 to 10 hours, which is the length of most people's typical work day if they have a full-time job; 'baby' puppies in the 8 to 14 week range will probably need to go at least twice during that time frame. Personally, I'm a proponant of starting a puppy off with paper-training for two reasons: the first being the need to go to work full-time and not having anyone who's at leisure and can come let the puppy out midway through the morning, at midday, and again at midafternoon; the second reason is because it's extremely helpful in an emergency situation if the dog *will* relieve itself indoors when absolutely necessary if provided with an area designated for that purpose...which the newspapers will still indicate to the dog long after it's matured and is fully housebroken. There have been a few storms over the years that were severe enough that letting the dogs outside was either impossible (snow drifts preventing the doors from being opened) or too dangerous (gale-force winds with large objects flying around, and a lot of ground-strike lightening)...it was a blessing that my girls both had been papertrained when puppies, and willingly used the 'potty station' I set up for them in the basement during those times instead of them having to be miserable because they needed to go and couldn't get outside. |
by amysavesjacks on 24 November 2011 - 15:43 |
My rules of housebreaking....
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amysavesjacks by hunger4justice on 25 November 2011 - 22:42 |
| In 30 years of having dogs, I have never taken more than two days to houstrain a dog. When I buy a puppy, even when I was on active duty, I took off a week to start the puppy off properly. After the pup starts going inside, it is MUCH harder to housebreak him/her. Ok, first, NEVER scream, yell, use a rolled up paper or anything else or you will just teach the dog to think going potty is bad and/or doing it in front of you is verbotten. This will result often in a pup that will avoid going even outside and then will hide inside and go there when you are not looking. The best way to housebreak a puppy is to not even bring it in the house until it has to go. That might mean a little walk (be careful of exposure to Parvo) or playing in the yard until they need to go. Lots of praise (not loud) and give it a label..e.g. "Good pee outside" or poo, if that is what the dog did. When inside, (use a label ...go "in the house", or just "inside" ) after feeding or even several hours, again outdise and praise. Catch them doing what you want and PRAISE. If they are circiling in the house looking around, they probably have to go. Take them out. If you catch them squatting, pick them up and praise when they finish outside. Soon the dog will know the word for outside, for poo and pee. Very useful. If you have already scared the dog into not going in front of you, then I have no idea how long it will take. The crate training etc all will help. I sleep with my pups the first days so I know when they need to go. Avoiding accidents the first day or two and catching them being good by praising potty outside before they set foot inside will save you A LOT of aggravation. And pads etc..newspapers are all not good unless you WANT them to go inside. |
hunger4justice by Stumpywop on 25 November 2011 - 23:22 |
Quoted by Rass : "Most GSD's do not like to soil their living quarters so be sure to never leave her in a crate so long that she must go there. Besides being very cruel, it will take away the dog's natural desire to stay clean and eventually the dog can become a 'dirty dog' peeing and pooping and laying in it. At that point, house training can be a LOT more difficult. " I have just taken on a 6 month old pup who isn't housetrained. I've only had him since Tuesday night and on Wendesday I spent much of my time cleaining the floors in the living room and kitchen (no carpet downstairs fortunately). Yesterday it was about half the time and today he's had only 2 accidents inside. These were my fault for not managing to let him out in time. Already he is asking to go outdoors. Now even though he wasn't trained he does have the advantage of seeing where the other dogs are going to eliminate. Also, he's very quick on the uptake as are most GSDs (IMHO) and he sussed very quickly that if he went outside to toilet he'd get a reward of a little bit of chicken. If he did anything inside, I ignored him (didn't reprimand him, didn't say a word) and just cleaned up. So, in 3 days he's gone from a pup who seemed quick happy to lie, sit and roll in his own pee and poop to one who asks to go out almost every time. I'm very proud of him and would go so far as to say that he'll be fully housetrained in one week. I believe that whatever method is used, you have to stick to it. So long as you do so religiously and the dog knows what is expected (particularly if rewards are used), it shouldn't take very long at all and should never be much of a problem or issue. |
Stumpywop by Stumpywop on 25 November 2011 - 23:26 |
| @ amysavesjacks : It looks as though there's a noose around your pup's neck! LOL! I know it's only the way the piccie looks though. Very apt though considering how people can get so frustrated over something that others find so simple to resolve. |
by amysavesjacks on 26 November 2011 - 01:13 |
| LOL @ stumpywop ... at the point when I took that photo I certainly was READY to put a noose around his neck! (it's a rope way in the background... but it sure DOES look like that!) He has been an absolute ANGEL for the last week. So now after he goes out at 5:00 am, he is allowed to come to bed with me for an hour instead of going back into the kennel... and boy does he love that! |
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