Potty Training - Please Help!

[GeeHBellaBarney]

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Hi guys,

I would really appreciate some help!

Barney is 13 weeks old. We got him at 8 weeks and trained him to wee & poo on puppy pads in our flat, as we wasn't allowed outside. Since he has been allowed out, we have tried a couple of tactics to train him to go outside, but nothing seems to be working. These are the things we have tried:

1. Walks. We have taken him on lots of walks but he won't go outside. We have also tried taking him out for a long period of time so that he had no choice - but he held it in! From 9am until 2pm. As soon as we got home, he went on the pads.

2. Pads outside. When he goes over to the pads to poo, we would say 'NO' 'OUTSIDE', then take him outside. We did this continuously for 2 hours and he still refused to go. We tried putting soiled pads outside and some of his poo. This didn't work either. We had to stop after 2 hours as he kept eating leaves/dirt/bits of wood whilst we were outside and I didn't want him to be ill. We live in a flat, so it isn't just as case of picking him up and putting him outside. We have to clip his lead on, walk through the communal hall, out the door, round the back of the block and to our little garden area. We think this might be confusing him.

I have read books and done loads of internet research and all that it's doing is confusing me and confusing our pup when trying different methods. He's a Boarder Collie, so is very intelligent.

We're not keen on the idea of crate training as we have an older dog who wasn't trained in this way. He also hasn't learned from her, which we were surprised at!! Also, we don't think crate training would work with him as he has soiled his bed many times (weird!).

If anyone has any other suggestions, I would be really grateful.

 

[banana]

Hello and welcome to Dog Forum!

Oh dear - I do wonder if Puppy Pads are helpful, I used them with my most recent addition and it really confused her too!

I think you have to just keep taking him out, I know this is tricky with it being cold and wet but I really think perseverance is the key... if he ever does do a wee or poo, I would give him a treat. Collies are so clever once hes done it a couple of times he should get the hang of it.

I am not sure I would shout at him for weeing and pooing on the pad as you dont want him doing it all over your flat?

If you see him go towards a pad, I would whip him outside - carry him as quick as you can and put him on the grass.

 

[vickyjane72]

May be hard work cleaning up for a week or two, but I would stop putting the pads down. Take him out every hour, and after a feed, sleep etc, and carry on even though he may not do anything. If he goes in the house, don't say anything, just clean it up. He can obviously hold it so at least that will speed it up. Just praise when he eventually does go outside and he will quickly get the message, but I do think you need to stop using them altogether.

 

[Dizzyjenni]

Hi!

I would also suggest removing the pads

 

[eingana]

I agree with removing the pads and just keeping going with taking him out repeatedly. It's only a matter of time before he will get what you need him to do, but the key is going to be catching him doing it right so you can give him lots of praise. For this to happen he needs to do the right thing at least once, even by chance.

Is your lad from working lines or show BC lines? I've known a fair few thoroughly dim BCs which were bred for showing rather than working. If you aren't sure then you can often tell by the shape of his parents. Working dog lines tend to be slighter of build and with shorter hair than the showing line dogs. Stocky dogs with big manes of coat are usually showing line dogs and they're lower energy (still a high energy dog, but lower than a working line dog) and less tenaciously clever.

 

[sduncan1977]

hi, at least someone else is having the same problem. I have a 23 week old JRT. She is still not house trained. I can take her for walks and stuff and she holds it until she gets home.

I am finding it really stressful but we are perservering. My flat stinks!! arrgh.

 

[banana]

Poor you... There are some good tips on this thread though!

Welcome to Dog Forum - I am Anna

 

[Oreo]

Regarding the point about about shouting, all this does is scare the dog into not doing something an eventually cause the dog to do something else instead.

Although difficult, the best thing to do is ignore the bad and praise the good.

If it were me, I would remove the puppy pads, and if the dog started to go I would pick it up and take it outside and once finished I would then treat and praise. A couple of times doing that and your dog I am sure will remember and enjoy the experience rather than being scared to go to the loo.

I would also take the dog out after every meal, every time it drinks some water and also every few hours. Praise and reward each time. Sometimes it probably means waiting for a while, while the puppy runs around sniffing every blade of grass but they'll know the only place to go to the toilet is outside.

Just my two pence worth.