Need help housebreaking fast

[Conner'smom]

Conner is now 11 weeks old and seems to be doing no better at this housebreaking thing. He is kenneled up during the day while I am at work, I have no way of letting him out during the day. During the weekend he seems to do fine by going potty outside. However sometimes he will be out there forever and not do anything and then go pee or poop right in the living room. I dont think he grasps the idea of either going outside or on the wee wee pad. I know right now that the kennel he is in is way to big for him but I have no extra money to buy a new one. And I have no idea what to use to divide it with. Even when I see him doing his thing on the floor and try to stop him by saying "EH" in a stern voice it doesnt stop him from doing it. Please help with any ideas you might have, I am sick of cleaning up pee and poop!

[Krista]

Uh well, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but Dachshunds are not typically a breed that is housetrained easily at an early age. I have heard several times that they are the 2nd hardest breed to housetrain, and I know that is often a reason that they are disposed of by their owners.

Try putting a plastic box of some sort into the crate to make it smaller.

When you go outside with him, stay with him until he potties. PRAISE lavishly & TREAT.

If he does not go when outside, put him back into his crate and try again 1/2 hour later. Repeat until he actually goes. PRAISE and TREAT.

After he has gone, go inside and play with him to let him know, when he goes outside, he gets to play inside (not sit in his crate).

Take him out every 2 hours at minimum when you are home, and everytime you see him sniffing and/or circling an area.

PATIENCE is needed. If you are diligent and you maintain a schedule it will pay off in time.

They don't even have good muscle control of their rectal and bladder sphincters until 4-6 months of age. You cannot expect them to be trained at 12 weeks like some other breeds.

I got my boys at around 4 months of age and it took them 2-3 months to be reliable. But I kept going. Now my yongest has been accident free for over 9 months and he is 18 months old.

[paws0810]

i just got a new 11 week old female mini and we are having little or no problems. this is my second doxie and i had no problem before. i got the book doxie for dummies. very informative. be consistent and stick to one plan and never take your eyes off. they do well on guaranteed schedule i found. also, see if you can get someone in 2times per day. i am paying someone 10 bucks a day to come in at 10 am and 12 noon then hubby comes home at 3. nite time sucks, as i set my alarm and go out to pee about 2 am. it is worth the hassle as in about the time she is 6 months she should be totally trained. keep trying>

[Shay]

Patience, Scheduling, and Consistency are the keys. Get the scent out of the spots with vinegar or a commercial product. Don't give up, 11 weeks is early to expect complete training. My Ginger is 6 months, and is finally beginning to go on command, but still has accidents, although they are fewer and far between as time goes on. A lot of doxies end up in kill shelters because of potty training problems, and all it takes is a little work (ok a lot of work). the idea of having someone come in during the day is a good idea. my best advice to you is that if it becomes too much for you, please contact a rescue group, and don't take conner to an animal shelter. not that i think you would do that, you can get him trained, but i also know how frustrating it is to clean pee and poop from carpet. good luck. Shay

[doxaholic]

Start putting him on a schedule take him out about once an hour and give him little bits of treats for peeing and about half a treat for pooping. As he gets better start making the time between ''potty times'' longer but don't rush and don't get mad at your puppy. Never say the word potty in the house, only outside if you say it in the house he might get the idea he is supposed to go in the house. If he doesn't go outside while you are out there don't get mad just put him in the cage or keep him on a leash and don't talk to him.After that just take him out every 10 minutes. He has to learn no potty no play. This should help, if he is going good for awhile then starts to go backwards start at the beginning and try all over again.

I hope it helps!

- Caitlin<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm11.gif" border=0> & Shadow<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm3.gif" border=0>

[Sandy]

All the advice below is great! The only thing I would like to add is that when you are home, you need to keep him on a strict feeding schedule. Always take him out 15 to 20 minutes after eating each meal, after playing and also after napping.
Put down the food and give him 20 minutes to eat. After that, pick up the bowl until next feeding time. This will get him on a regular potty schedule. Also keep a treat jar near the door. When he goes outside, go NUTS and treat!
To make the crate smaller, buy an inexpensive plastic type milk crate, like the kind you use to store children's toys and stuff. You can get them in all different sizes, check K-mart.
We adopted our Doxie, Badger, from the Humane Society and he was not housebroken at 1 year old. I think that is why he was turned in. It took me 2 months, but he is completely housebroken. Thank God! Keep the faith and just be very consistent on your days off. It will pay off! Good Luck!!