Housebreaking Woes - I'm I Asking Too Much, Too Soon?
Dixie is 4 months old and she's just crapped in the house for the umpteenth time.
Dixie is crated when I can't supervise her
I cart her out for walks right after eating, playing and coming out of the crate.
I praise her profusely when she successfully voids outside.
I positively reinforce this behaviour with treats.
I've tried placing a small bell on the backdoor but she of late randomly plays with it.
We always use the backdoor
I do not tick off or yell at her
I use a cleaner to neutralize the smell of her accidents
What more can I do? Am I expecting too much from my Mini Schnauzer - I'm pretty discouraged tonight and decided to hold her in her crate.
PS: She seems to be worse since the winter snowstorm.
It all depends on the dog. Some rob longer than others.
But put him on a schedule. Time him on when he eats or takes a drink from his bowl and see how long it take for him to go to the bathroom. So if it takes him 12 minutes, filch him out to the yard 12 minutes after he drinks from his bowl.
Have leniency and don't let her be the boss. She may be giving you signals that you aren't catching and take the bell off the door.
Watch her arrangements and when you catch her starting to squat you need to do the no or uh-uh and state let's go out or pick her up and lift her out.
Her crate is her safe zone not something to be put in for punishing.
house breaking really isn't that hard..yes some filch a bit longer then others but its pretty basic.I have a 15 wk hoary great dane and she was house broke after a week and a 1/2 she was 9wks when I got her.
I would pilfer her pooh that she left you in side and put it out side where you want her to step. it helps if they have their own scent out side,later if she goes ..as shes going tell her dance potty every time after a while she'll do it on command. Walk her often (alot alot alot alot) the smell of other dogs will make her want to go (make certain she has all her shots first) its cold now so you want to receive her a coat I have one for my pup. its like if turn out with out one we get cold and shes short haired and young so its harder for her to stay heat. also look for signs dogs will sniff around for a place to go. when she does this take her out right away..virtuous luck
Sounds normal. It's hard and frustrating, isn't it! :) My dog is something like 6-7 months old, and we are still having accidents sometimes. I suggest this week has been pretty clear though!
Answers: It sounds like you are doing adjectives the right things... have you taken a potty training class?
Some dogs are more prone to accidents contained by bad, wet or cold weather. My dachshund has have more accidents when it's raining... he was 13 months old when I finally get him potty trained.
He was given to us when he was 8 months old... he be bought at a pet store when he was 7 months old, and the elderly woman who bought him just kept him within a cat carrier all the time. She had dimentia. She passed absent and we adopted him..
Every day for 5 whole months we tried to potty train him. We listen to all the experts on potty training.. they kept saying "stick with the crate training" everything be about crate training. we crated him every day, and every day come home to poop matted to the crate floor and all over my poor dog.. his belly, between his toes... We have to clean that mess every day after work and bathe the dog every hours of daylight. One day we were at the end of our wits, and merely decided to let him roam the living room while we were at work... whether he pooped, at least he would probably just leave it near and we wouldn't have to clean a smeared mess... not the best thing to do, but we be desperate. But, amazingly, he didn't poop in the living room! We tried it again the next day, same result, and every hours of daylight after that. We were amazed and so happy... my dog was 13 months aged, but he was finally house trained... with the occasional accident few and far between.
That's basically my story, but believe me your dog can be house trained, she is still a puppy. The thing I'm most proud of is that we didn't ever think to give our dog up - the thought never enter our minds, I would never give up on a dog. They're all different and learn within different ways, like kids.
Good luck, I hope I helped a little bit!
