Housebreaking help

[Jenny33]

We got a puppy about 1 1/2 months ago. She was older than usual when we got her so she is about 7 mos. old right now. We are having a really tough time training her. She is actually doing really well when we are home to watch her, but it is when we aren't there that we are having the most problem with. We put her in the crate since we have heard this is the best method, and most of all, that the dogs won't go in an area that they know they have to sit in it.

Well, our puppy seems to be the exception to that rule since she is doing everything in the crate and sitting in it until we come home. I am not really sure what to do about this one because we aren't home to stop it and I thought that the crate teaches them to hold it when they have to go. She is only in the crate for the most 4 hrs at a time since I come home for lunch - so it isn't that we are leaving her for very long time periods.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Jenny

[Mark]

Hi Jenny,

How big is the crate? Crates should only be large enough for the dog to stand & turn around. Any larger is too large and puppies will use the extra room to potty.

Also, is she taken out on a schedule? If not, I recommend establishing one that accomodates a potty trip just before the designated time of crating. Make them happy trips out with excited voice and big praises for correct action.

If the crate isn't too large and she is taken out regularly . . . hmmm, I'm stumped. There IS a reason and the other members here may have questions I'm not thinking of.

Keep us posted on your progress,

Mark

PS - What's her name?

[Jenny33]

Thanks Mark -
Her name is Dani. The cage we have for her is the smallest one they have and it is recommended for mini doxies so I think it is small enough.

As far as our schedule, we could probably work on that a bit. We have a fenced in yard and we tend to let the dogs out there a lot (we have another doxie named Borkey). So I suppose we don't keep a good routine-it is easy to open up the door and let them out. We do take them on walks at the same time each day but maybe being able to run in the yard a lot is not good for her schedule. Although it is also tough not to let her out when we think she has to go so we tend to let her out in the yard a lot. So maybe we need to work on that and that will help.

I just don't understand why she goes in the crate and just sits in it. That one baffles me. Thanks for your reply.

[Mark]

Hi again,

It sounds like a good place to start. Many people with fenced yards or in the country area's do tend to "put" their dogs out when they're too young to have developed good potty habits. I remember when each of our 3 were young that we had a schedule and "took" them out using the "go potty" command over and over until a right response . . . then lots of praise. I also seem to recall that we kept that up for a year for each of them. Even when putting them out, nowadays . . . we watch to see that they go potty most of the time.

You're welcome and I hope it helps. Please keep us posted,

Mark