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HELP Potty Training and Running Away

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training
5K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  krandall 
#1 · (Edited)
HELP! Our beautiful baby (7 months old)

1- Our baby- rings a bell to go out 90% of the time but still 1x a day she either pees or poops in the house when I’m not looking. I dont want to leave her in a crate all day, but I can’t take her messing up our beautiful home. We never used a pee pad b/c the vet said then we are training her that it’s ok to go in the house. Any suggestions.

2- We don’t have a fenced yard and some days its freezing or windy (and she goes out like 6-8 times a day)- So I’ll let her run outside and then she’ll “run away” into a neighbors yard. We do try to put her on a leash but will i have to do this forever?

Any advise??
 
#2 ·
She's at that tough adolescent age! It will get better. I wouldn't let her off leash yet. It is all a fun game (i run away, mommy chases me, yeah, this is so much fun)... As for the peeing; once a week isn't too bad at that age. It can take up to 2 years for this breed to be fully housebroken. If you can't keep a close eye on her then crate her, or keep her confined to one small room. Gradually give her more freedom as she earns it.
 
#4 ·
I also gave Bear too much freedom in the beginning and he took a while to fully housebreak. I was VERY consistent though with taking him out. Rain, snow, wind...you name it, we went out in it. I also use a leash with Bear when we go out. He is now 11 months and I still don't want to chance it. I think Pockets may be too young to go off leash while outside.

Good luck :) ...PS, she is adorable!!!
 
#5 ·
I would never let a dog off lead in an unfenced yard. They can be gone in a flash. My friend lost her girl a year ago in a yard with a open gate- we never found her. Go back to the beginning with the potty training and start fresh. I have always thought a light bulb will go off in their darling head at some point and then they are trained.
 
#6 ·
Thank you!!! She does use a crate to sleep in at night (in our room) and thankfully she has never gone to the bathroom in that. And when I’m out during the day she is in a crate. But possibly I need to give a fenced area in the house so that she doesn’t have full run of the house-
 
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#17 ·
We have a playpen like that. It didn't quite catch on. Bama always wanted to be out with us. Of course, we never tried leaving her in it alone...we kept it in my husband's office....and she would always want out to play when she was over there. But I definitely think it is worth a try!
 
#10 ·
You can use her time in the pen to teach her potty on command. Search for "potty on command" by my user name (actual name). Once you have success, she can come out to play for a while and then go back in the pen to rest. It won't take long with proper training. It is training though, they don't learn it on their own. The metal expens allow you to fold them into different sizes and configurations. We always start with 2x4, and then go up in size. I think you may even be able to find pictures in threads here.
 
#11 ·
I have that playpen in pink and Emmie loves hanging out in it when we're home or away. It's easy to pick up and move from room to room (if necessary) and I've also packed it in my suitcase and taken it with us when we've flown to the East Coast for visits.
 
#14 ·
You have to walk her. I don't have a fenced yard and now have Ted down to 3 walks a day. We have our back deck blocked off so he goes there about another 3 or 4 times a day. I'm also in snow and freezing rain and cold but the walking is keeping me fit! Lol
 
#16 ·
My puppy came to me potty trained on pee pads but her favorite substrate is grass. I live in the city so I take her outside for 4-5 walks a day (rain, snow, or shine). I have a small enclosed patio but she ends up getting into the planter beds and really dirty so it works out better to take her for walks in the neighborhood and visit local parks. The upside is that I'm getting more exercise and Emmie is meeting all kinds of people.
 
#18 ·
Coach loved to poop in the dining room because of course we never sit in there so he considered it non living space. I put up baby gates and that helped a lot. Also, if I was in our office working I kept him in there with me with the door closed. He's two now and finally seems to have the whole thing down. But it took a long time.
 
#19 ·
I luckily have an old house which means every room has a door so it's easy to close off the house. It's only been in the past month or so that i've cautiously allowed Gemma to have the "run of the house" and she's 14 months old. And, she's still crated when I'm not home. I've started letting her out of the crate when i'm out for short periods of time (less than 2 hours) but only if she's confined to 1 or 2 rooms. She's still not completely trustworthy, but she's getting it. Too much freedom just confuses them and sets them back.

The dining room was also her favorite "poop room" also because it's the least used room and therefore not "living space" in her mind.

I don't believe in "pee pad/litter boxes for dogs". I think dogs should go outside. I do allow her to go on my deck right outside the patio door in the winter (especially if it's snowy or windy) but dogs are dogs, even if they're little. It's a controversial subject i know, just my opinion.
 
#21 ·
Because she is pretty reliable most of the time, I would continue taking her out. If you can't keep an eye on her, and I mean a close eye on her, she should be in an x pen. Put her bed, toys, water, pee pad, etc in x pen. I know your husband is frustrated with her, but sadly he is a big part of the problem. By giving her too much room in the beginning, it's created bad habits. Baby gates are only temporary. If he allowed them in the first place, she probably would have been housebroken by now and the gates would be gone. Good luck!
 
#22 ·
We just got our puppy last Friday and he has been such a good boy. He did have couple of accidents when my husband was watching him (well, he wasn't watching per-se, he was on his laptop:brick:) But we have him in an ex-pen for 2-3 hours at a time and then take him out for 1/2 hr and let him play with us and then he goes back to pen. He uses his pee-pad pretty consistently. Since he wasn't crated at the breeder first 2 days I had a bed for him in the pen, he loves his bed so since Monday I moved his bed to the crate in the pen, he now sleeps in his crate with door open (and the crate is still in the pen). Here is the pen I got for him from Amazon, it is pretty big.

Amazon.com: North States Industries Superyard Classic Play Yard, Ivory, 8 Panel: Baby
 
#23 ·
This is what worked for me.....FINALLY!

It took a very, VERY long time to housebreak my darling male Hav. They need to be taken outside often. I also tried (foolishly) to take him out without the leash and he was unreliable about staying with me and coming back when called; I was lucky that nothing bad happened. So now when the backyard is too muddy I take him out in the front yard on a leash to be sure he does his business. And going for walks helps, too! I work full time and he is in the sun porch for eight hours.....but there has never been an accident because he is in a metal exercise pen which is much bigger than a crate and not as claustrophobic. I learned that this is one area where they need real consistency as to when they go out and how often, etc.
 
#24 ·
HELP! Our beautiful baby (7 months old)

1- Our baby- rings a bell to go out 90% of the time but still 1x a day she either pees or poops in the house when I’m not looking. I dont want to leave her in a crate all day, but I can’t take her messing up our beautiful home. We never used a pee pad b/c the vet said then we are training her that it’s ok to go in the house. Any suggestions.

2- We don’t have a fenced yard and some days its freezing or windy (and she goes out like 6-8 times a day)- So I’ll let her run outside and then she’ll “run away” into a neighbors yard. We do try to put her on a leash but will i have to do this forever?

Any advise??
This breed takes time! Whoever said about t o years is right on the mark! We have to work it. And buy Nature’s Miracle by the gallon. I’m serious! We are at two years now and I recently realized it’s just not a problem anymore! Patience and diligence, my friend! It’s so worth it…
 
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