| 9/1/2008 8:02:41 AM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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evelinefen
Windsor, ON
age: 49
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I have always had problems with my first dog Charlie(Jack Russell,border collie mix)
He runs up the stairs and poops and pees in the bedrooms. I have tried everything I put him in a cage for two weeks, I took him out to go relieve himself and some supervised playtime and he did great. About two days after I started letting him out of the cage more he starting going in the house again. Now three days ago I got a Sheltie,Corgi mix ?. Roxie is a sweet little girl but she is also doing the same thing. Any suggestions.
Charlie will be 2 in December and Roxie has an approximate age of 2 they were not really sure. She is definitely young though.
[Edited 9/1/2008 8:04:18 AM]
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| 9/1/2008 4:09:22 PM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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fishingmom
Lake Alfred, FL
age: 54 online now!
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Im glad Im not alone in this.. sometimes my male Bichon will use his puppy pads other times he uses the floor. What kills me is, he will come to me, paw at my leg when Im sitting, to tell me he went... then the hunt begins.
I did the cage thing too, and all he did was poop any way and roll in it, so every day was bath day. Put him in the bathroom, he would poop all over even when I had newpaper down, then jump on doors and walls, so every day I was scrubbing walls and floors. I was in tears every day. I hate to give him up, but I too am at my wits end.
The vet did tell me of some meds to give him, thinking its anxiety cus Im at work. Thing is he does it when Im home too!!
Try the puppy pads though, they do work, if your dog isnt as stubborn as mine. 
Id appreciate some advice too, other than give him away. 
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| 9/1/2008 7:59:48 PM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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evelinefen
Windsor, ON
age: 49
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Thanks but I think Charlie would rip them up he likes to tear paper.I had a cat and he used to use the litterbox but he still used the floor too. Pretty soon I think I'm going to buy diapers. A friend of mine said her dog doesnt do anything in the diaper and waits to go outside. Of course hes just a little Pom and my dogs are a bit bigger then him.
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| 9/1/2008 8:04:43 PM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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lostinmilw
Milwaukee, WI
age: 42
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The dog should be in a cage or confined to a room unless supervised until he can be trusted. 2 weeks is not long enough to break any bad habits. The pads are not a good idea because you are just teaching him that it is ok to go in the house. You are going to have to feed him at a regularly scheduled time and take him out after. If you leave food out all the time you won't be able to get him on a schedule to go outside because you won't be able to predict when he has to go. Its just like housebreaking a puppy. As long as you are consistent you should be able to get it done.
Also the new dog is probably going in the house because it smells where the other dog is going. Get you carpets cleaned professionally or if you know all the places he has been going you can get a product like Nature's Miricle and clean the areas throughly yourself.
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| 9/1/2008 8:15:21 PM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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jaziej32
Templeton, MA
age: 33
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I agree with lostinmilw, if you had a cat or dog going in the house the dog is marking his or her tearatory and will continie to go in those spots or spots he or she is going in, you need to clean those spots really good and fallon animal clinic help me train my 2 year old black lab with a cage at night. A dog will not tend to go in it's living area and will let you know when he or she has to go. so the best thing is to clean areas and put the dog in a cage at night. I didn't like my dog in a cage but it did work and remember to reword your pet for going outside with a treat and the pet will reward you
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| 9/1/2008 8:15:44 PM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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craftygirl002
Tacoma, WA
age: 40
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Here's the steps:
1) Get rid of the puppy pee pads. It makes absolutely no sense to teach the dog to 'go' in the house, if the one thing you don't want them to do is 'go' in the house.
2) Get rid of all traces of urine and feces in the environment. There are special cleaners you can buy at pet stores which break down the enzymes in urine. Other cleaners don't get rid of the underlying problem, so the animal can still smell the urine and still uses those areas as a restroom.
3) Put the animal on a feeding schedule. Controlling when they eat gives you better control over when they will eliminate. It also helps establish your dominance in the pack. One disclaimer here...I free-feed my dog because he poops 2x per day. The first time he goes out in the morning and as soon as we get home from work. (My dog goes to work with me.) If your dog can free-feed and eliminate reliably, it's ok to free-feed.
4) Put the dog on a potty schedule. If it knows when it will get to go out next, it's less likely to have accidents. At first, the times are close together. You can gradually start increasing the time between outings when the dog becomes reliable.
5) Reward the dog for going outside. I hang a soap dish with built-in suction cups on my sliding glass door. It's a great place to put a small container of treats for rewarding my dog for going outside & it's really convenient to be able to grab the treats and get out the door quickly.
6) Avoid rewarding your dog for going inside. When your dog tells you it just went and you start searching for the accident, you're inadvertently being suckered into playing a twisted game your dog has devised to get your attention. Stop rewarding the behavior and the behavior may stop.
7) Don't give your dog an opportunity to have an accident. I've had to use an umbillical leash with particularly stubborn dogs. I either get a leash with a hook on each end, or use a carabiner, and attach the leash to my belt loop. The dog stays with me when it isn't in it's crate until it can be trusted. Their world is slowly expanded room-by-room, until I can trust them in the entire house.
Hope this helps.
Good luck
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| 9/1/2008 8:29:01 PM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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craftygirl002
Tacoma, WA
age: 40
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By the time I had finished typing my response, there were a couple of comments regarding crates. Dogs are naturally 'den' creatures. Crates give them security if used appropriately. All of my dogs have loved their crates. There are even times when my dogs will take themselves to their crate & shut the door just to take a nap, play, or have quite time. I have a crate at home for Chester's bed (next to my bed) & one at work for him (next to my desk). He doesn't choose to take toys in his crate at home, but loves to roll around with toys in his crate at work. I don't lock him in either crate without a reason (although I lock his crate at night), so he's free to come and go, but he's been know to spend a couple of hours contentedly playing in his work crate.
Chester also has a bedtime. He goes to bed at 7pm. I don't usually go to bed until 9 or 10. Once I take him out for his 'last run' and put him to bed, I don't hear from him again until morning. I can even peek in on him when I go to bed to be sure he's ok. (He hasn't been feeling well this weekend.) He'll let me know he's ok, but won't make any movement to be let out, he's content where he is.
All you have to do is make it their comfortable, safe place.
One other thought....if you had a house fire in the middle of the night, would you know where to find your dog? I would. He would be locked in his crate next to my bed, with his leash on top & an emergency stash of food in the compartment on top.
[Edited 9/1/2008 8:34:07 PM]
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| 9/2/2008 6:02:02 AM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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oh45
Saint Clairsville, OH
age: 45
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You need to have your carpets cleaned to remove the sent. Crate works but takes 4-6 weeks to be effective if not longer. When you take the dog outside once it does its job give it a treat each time and tell the dog how good it was. Also watch the dog in the house when it starts to go use a newspaper to spank and tell it how bad it is and take the dog outside immeditly till it does its job then reward and praise it. That has worked for both of my dogs. But accidents will happen.
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| 9/3/2008 10:03:21 AM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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trublu5ft2
Columbia, TN
age: 51
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You can train an adult dog as easily as a pup. He potties in the bedrooms because that is where he always has done it. Feed him once in the am and once at night only. Take him out 15 mins after eating. Put him on a leash and take him out the same door each time. Walk him to the spot you want him to " go" in... whether it is a certain tree or corner of yard. Do not let him back inside til he does his business. It's a repetitive act but he will quickly learn where he need to go and he will begin to go to that door when he needs out. If you are away from the house, crate him as they will hold it in til you come home. They won't potty where they sleep or eat.
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| 9/6/2008 6:01:45 AM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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alicekathleen
Fresno, CA
age: 63
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I think you have received some great responses. I was going to suggest paying for a consult with a professional
trainer. I did with my shorthair collie, and it was very helpful. It cost 90 dollars for a 2 hours consult . Your vet
may have some insight or be able to suggest someone if the ideas posted above do not work.
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| 9/21/2008 9:55:06 PM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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rlds
Ogden, UT
age: 49
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Craftygirl said it correctly when it come down to housebreaking any canine........that's how I've done it with mine......and it works perfectly. Constant monitoring is the key. Good luck. R
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| 9/22/2008 6:52:21 AM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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coppermare
Grady, AL
age: 48
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I agree with crafty but wanted to add. If your dog is a puppy remember he is just like a toddler. He may have to go more often, his attention span is shorter, and he will make mistakes. The biggest factor in housebreaking is TIME. Be willing to spend the time to do it and get it done right! If you don't have the time then don't expect results. Once it's done, don't provide opportunities that weaken the dog such as staying gone for 12 hour stretches. How would you feel? And yes, I have owned dogs that will pee or poop on the floor out of anxiety or spite. I had a professional dog trainer tell me they wouldn't and all I can say is "yeah right, come on and I'll show you one that will". LOL
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| 9/23/2008 9:54:49 PM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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trublu5ft2
Columbia, TN
age: 51
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I agree with crafty but wanted to add. If your dog is a puppy remember he is just like a toddler. He may have to go more often, his attention span is shorter, and he will make mistakes. The biggest factor in housebreaking is TIME. Be willing to spend the time to do it and get it done right! If you don't have the time then don't expect results. Once it's done, don't provide opportunities that weaken the dog such as staying gone for 12 hour stretches. How would you feel? And yes, I have owned dogs that will pee or poop on the floor out of anxiety or spite. I had a professional dog trainer tell me they wouldn't and all I can say is "yeah right, come on and I'll show you one that will". LOL
They most certainly will do this out of spite or anxiety. Had a basset that would do so if I Went outside and she thought I was leaving. I could take her out to doher business 5 mins before I was ready to leave.... leave, come back inside 60 seconds later cuz forgot something and she would have crapped in every single room! I know damn well she was just saving up to get back at me for leaving
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| 9/24/2008 12:29:23 AM |
How do I housebreak grown dogs. |
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th6231
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
age: 61
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The thing to remember is that dogs are creatures of habit--and they have a habit of finding a "CAVE" or a place to call a cave. To you it is a bedroom. You need to limit the access for a while--how long depends on the dog and the ability to learn that they must go out for relief. Taking them out a lot is another thing to remember. a new home is strange territory to them. they can smell the scent of an animal that lived there years ago. It can trigger all kinds of reactions. we have the ability to think and reason and figure out things--dogs are just reactionary creatures. they remember where the food is--they can remember to go out to relieve themselves. they know their toys-- so they can know the yard and what it is for. YOU are in charge. Positive reinforcement when they do good. positive readjustment when they make a mistake. they do not understand NO or Yes--they have no conception of time. They are animals--not humans. Good luck to you.
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