Un house-breakable dog - Page 2

I have only had this problem with one (1) very lively bitch. During later puppyhood she would occassionally have an accident when crated for the night, and later she would occassionally do the same in the house.

She was bit unique as her poop was softer and lighter in colour than normal, and I suspected pancreatic insufficiency. She is also the only one I ever had that ate her own poop and this was no doubt caused by insufficient digestion. Foul girl, to say the least. It was impossible to keep weight on her due to her high activity level and she looked more like a coyote than a GSD.

It took more than two (2) years for her to mature to the end that she was 100% trustworthy in the house. During this time her poop became more normal, she stopped eating it, she put on very nice muscle mass, and her body finally caught up with her massive skull. She is a wonderful bitch, but was worrysome when young. And she was always treated with parasite preventatives and checked at least annually. Her bloodwork was always correct. I do think that while she demonstrates high intelligence that she was a "slow bloomer" when it came to psychological and physiological maturity.

She was the only challenge I ever had regarding housebreaking. All of the other dogs had an occasional accident when being conditioned, but that is very normal. I tend to start with the crate, then a small room, a successively larger room, and then the entire house. And some dogs are successful in a very short time. I do think the size of the dwelling has a lot to do with housebreaking; for if a room or house is large enough the dog will think it can poop in one corner and play in the other. This may explain why some of the "toy" breeds are harder to housebreak, i.e. the ratio of the dog's physical size to its surroundings.

Regards,

Bob-O

>I do think the size of the dwelling has a lot to do with housebreaking; for if a room or house is large enough the dog will think it can poop in one corner and play in the other. This may explain why some of the "toy" breeds are harder to housebreak, i.e. the ratio of the dog's physical size to its surroundings.

I was training a spunky Yorkie terrier in NY once: Too large a crate just gave the dog space to mess on one half, and frolic on the other. I see this fairly often when owners buy adult-sized crates for their dogs, then don't put in a crate divider to limit the amount of space the pup has while its still small.  -Normally!- the dog won't mess at  the same side she lives on. The dog that started this thread was the only exception I knew. Even outdoor dogs rarely mess in a crate.

Also you have to figure, the bigger a house or the smaller the dog, the more places a pup can sneak off to for acts of hygenic indiscretion. Plus small dogs leave little puddles and piles thatt aren't noticed as quickly as a GSD-made mess ^_^

Interesting that the dog will go potty where she sleeps, usually that is not the case, hence why crates are so wonderful for potty training.  One thought, is that this dog, might do better living outdoors.  If it seemed that she seemed to hold it outdoors only to go potty indoors.  Give her no choice but to go outdoors.  So, will she still go to the bathroom in her crate? 

I too think that in the right hands, this dog can be housebroken.   If the dog doesn't care about being dirty, it does make it a lot more difficult though.  Plus this has become a very bad habit. 

I'd assume the dog still messes in her crate. I know she's up for adoption -again!- and it sounds like it's housebreaking problems still.

I had a pomeranian the same she would go in her bed and crate in fact anywhere.I do think small breeds are hard to house break.I havent encountered this problem in a gsd.

It seems that the dogs behavior needed some modification.   I have had dogs poop in  there crate because they were disgruntled at me.  But, a little punishment for the wrong behavior corrected it.   I would have let her know that peeing or pooping in the house only gained a negative consequence.    If the dog was smart enough for basic obedience , she could be trained to not potty in the house.    It would have become an obedient behavior to go outside not inside. 

In the middle of an accident is the best opportunity to imprint on your dog that the behavior of peeing or pooping is not what we do in the house or crate.    I  rush up to the dog grab either side of the neck and repeat NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO ,    as I drag the dog out side and take it to the yard and then say go potty OUT side.        Usually once or twice is all it takes for the dog or puppy  to realize that I don't like them doing there business in the house, and they will at least get whinny or circle alot to let me know that they really have to go potty, but don't want to do it in the house because of the  Negative  Consequence it will yield. 

If I am crate training and they don't seem to be bothered by peeing in the crate, then I will watch them like a Hawk and either have e-collor on them or I will rush up to the crate Saying NO NO NO NO  again while shaking the crate, and then reaching in and dragging them to the yard again and tell them to potty outside.   Then clean the crate and put them back in, and an hour by hour potty break until they finally go outside.   When they do , they get a ton of prays and a treat. 

They learn real quick that the safest and most positive place to go potty is outside. 

Some dogs work great for positive re-inforcement,  other  work for the absence of the negative consequence