Advice please on housetraining

Midge · #1 22-10-2008, 11:02 AM

I would really appreciate some advice from you all.
We have had our pup at home 6 weeks now and I'm not sure we are doing this house training thing right or perhaps we are and are just expecting too much from her at such a young age.
We have read as many books as we possibly can but they don't really match up to experience whether its your own or someone elses.

We take Midge into the garden at least every hour and just after she's had her meals but we still keep getting little accidents on the floor without warning. We try to stop her and take her out straight away and when she's done what she's supposed to we praise her like mad and perhaps play a little. We did go through a rough time with her eating her poo and then coming for kisses (nice hehehe) but the pineapple trick seems to have worked on the eating part (well most of the time). She sometimes ask to go out for a poo but doesn't ask for a wee.

She is great when she is in her den at night or during the day and doesn't mess at all.

We have tried the puppy pads on the floor where she usually goes but she just tries to shred these or goes somewhere else!

I really hate to think that we are failing her and doing it all wrong but I'm not sure what else to try. Perhaps we are doing it right and its just going to take time which is fine we knew we'd have little pressies left for us.

Any ideas greatly appreciated or any reassurance we are doing it right.

Thanks

LOVEGSD · #2 22-10-2008, 11:43 AM

Hello

Sounds like you're doing right to me, how old is she now?

When Diesel was ickle, we took him out every half hour or after any play, eating or sleeping and then as he got a bit older this was then changed to every hour....you will always have the odd accident but it sounds like she is starting to get it.

We found Diesel paced a lot and sniffed the ground before he peed/poo'd, which helped us to know when we needed to let him out. We also did what you are doing and gave him so much praise for going outside...my neighbours must have thought I was a mentalist...lol...

I would say keep doing what you're doing and you will get there......

Housetraining Tips

ilsongirl · #3 22-10-2008, 12:05 PM

We had a lot of trouble with Ben when we got him. It sounds like you are doing it right but just a suggest

We used a word so when ever he had a wee we would use this word and praise him. the theory being that he will associate the word with the action and go on "command".

Also when you clean it up make sure she doesn't see and use an ammonia free cleaner as the smell may still be there.

I am sure you will get there with time

LOVEGSD · #4 22-10-2008, 12:20 PM

Oooh good point about using a word, we used "be quick"

Midge · #5 22-10-2008, 12:31 PM

Hi
Thanks for that. Midge is coming up for 14 weeks so I suppose she is still very young.

We do use "Midge wee wee" or "Midge doo doo" and most of the time she does do what we ask.

We try to make sure we clean up without her seeing but it can be a challenge. I think its the Simple Solution stuff we use to clean up I don't know if this is the best one!

At the moment she seems to be whining when she wants to go for a poo (well this is what has happened on the last couple of occassions we got caught out and didn't move faster enough lol) Is it a good idea to reinforce this and although this sounds a bit mad we whine before we open the back door to go out - will see the associate this with going out to do her business.

I think our neighbours think we are mad to as sometimes its been fuss and a quick game of football in the rain after the deed. However she wasn't very keen on the game last night when we went out on one of our scheduled visits to the apple tree as a hailstorm started - she was very confused by it all. However she liked running round it the white stuff on the ground a little later!!

I think she is going to turn into a little snow fan. Perhaps no bad thing being up here!

Janet

LOVEGSD · #6 22-10-2008, 12:39 PM

She is still very young so I'm not surprised you're having little accidents, keep being consistant and you will get there.

Diesel sits in front of either me of my o/h or the tv...lol...to let us know he wants to go out. I don't see it being a bad thing that she lets you know she wants to go out as long as the whining doesn't become her way of getting you to do what she wants when she wants it with other things - it's a fine line...lol.

Bless her being scared of the hail, she sounds like a little poppet

Sheebs · #7 22-10-2008, 12:47 PM

I'd agree with everyone else, everything you're doing is right these things just take time and patience.

It will eventually 'click', I know it did with Sheebs.

Good luck.

Sue & Sheebs x

Wooferhound · #8 22-10-2008, 02:03 PM

The only thing I would add is to take Midge out a little more frequently, the more she associates her toilet areas with her actions, the less she will have accidents in the home.

I'm not a huge fan of paper or pads to be honest, you just then have to retrain the removal, makes more sense and takes less time to take her out more often, but don't over do it with the encouragement, if Midge feels pressured, she won't 'perform'.

She's still a baby too, she'll get there, they are all different.

Good luck

Jo
x

GypsyGSD · #9 22-10-2008, 03:37 PM

I think your doing fine, she is only a baby and it does take time I agree with the other comments , lots of patience and things will turn out ok just ignore the accidents indoors praise, reward like mad when she goes outdoors colleen

Midge · #10 22-10-2008, 09:57 PM

Thank you all for the words of encouragement. I'm glad we are on the right lines. I had a feeling we were probably expecting too much from her at such a young age and she is getting better as I'm sure we aren't having nearly as many accidents as we were.

We will definately try taking her out more often and see if that helps at all.