Siri vs. Housetraining Halp.
- Thread starter PWCorgi
- Start date
Ew.
Obviously pair a cue with pooping. Everyone thought I was a nutsack for following Eve around while she took a dump, chanting "poop", but at four months old she was crapping on cue and I wasn't struggling with housetraining anymore.
It sucks trying to stick to it because they can be so annoying when tethered/crated, LOL.
Obviously pair a cue with pooping. Everyone thought I was a nutsack for following Eve around while she took a dump, chanting "poop", but at four months old she was crapping on cue and I wasn't struggling with housetraining anymore.
It sucks trying to stick to it because they can be so annoying when tethered/crated, LOL.
We've played this game for HOURS before. Take her outside, then crate for 15 minutes, take outside, crate for 15 minutes. I have no idea why I'm not skinny with all the stair running I do with her.
Previously this was the game plan and how we did it. No free time until you go to the bathroom. But she doesn't always completely poop, and so then I'd find a pile half an hour later.
If you try and block off her corner she will so in the middle of the floor :/
I'm definitely going to try the ball idea!! That's great!!
This is where we are at now. She is crated/tethered at all times, and we haven't had an accident since starting that.
As I said above, we've done this (I only started staying out there for 15 minutes with her since I started the tethering/crating) and it can go for hours. She doesn't ever seem to put two and two together?
If she would reliably crap in a box inside, I would be thrilled.
Ugh. House training. I thought I had it all figured out until I got a Chihuahua. (A Chihuahua that wasn't ever fully house trained in her previous home.) Her nickname is shitmonster for a reason.
Each winter I see a back slide. Now that the weather is getting nicer luckily it seems like the problem is rectifying itself. She would poop in a carpeted corner in the basement. A few weeks ago I realized that the poo corner also had spots of urine. #$%^&. My husband razed me about being too obsessive about getting the dogs out many times a day. I think a good chunk of the accidents happened while I was out and it was him in charge of taking her out (which apparently didn't happen often enough). He's more on board now thankfully.
To address it I didn't do anything too special. I would put her in an x-pen during the day. I'm intimately familiar with her peeing & pooing habits and mentally kept track of how often and how much. If we were hanging around the house she was under direct supervision and as many doors as possible were closed. Trips outside were once every 1-2 hours. It was easier to re-house train her when I was in an apartment since leashed walks were mandatory. Now that I live in a house with a yard I get lazy and stick the dogs outside and trust that they take care of the rest. Don't be like me and get lazy.
I tell clients that freedom should only be granted if the dog has been successful for a month. If she poops inside on day 27, reset that 1-month counter and it's back to puppy prison.
Each winter I see a back slide. Now that the weather is getting nicer luckily it seems like the problem is rectifying itself. She would poop in a carpeted corner in the basement. A few weeks ago I realized that the poo corner also had spots of urine. #$%^&. My husband razed me about being too obsessive about getting the dogs out many times a day. I think a good chunk of the accidents happened while I was out and it was him in charge of taking her out (which apparently didn't happen often enough). He's more on board now thankfully.
To address it I didn't do anything too special. I would put her in an x-pen during the day. I'm intimately familiar with her peeing & pooing habits and mentally kept track of how often and how much. If we were hanging around the house she was under direct supervision and as many doors as possible were closed. Trips outside were once every 1-2 hours. It was easier to re-house train her when I was in an apartment since leashed walks were mandatory. Now that I live in a house with a yard I get lazy and stick the dogs outside and trust that they take care of the rest. Don't be like me and get lazy.
I tell clients that freedom should only be granted if the dog has been successful for a month. If she poops inside on day 27, reset that 1-month counter and it's back to puppy prison.
If you try and block off her corner she will so in the middle of the floor :/
I'm definitely going to try the ball idea!! That's great!!
This is where we are at now. She is crated/tethered at all times, and we haven't had an accident since starting that.
As I said above, we've done this (I only started staying out there for 15 minutes with her since I started the tethering/crating) and it can go for hours. She doesn't ever seem to put two and two together?
If she would reliably crap in a box inside, I would be thrilled.
Have you done this paired with crating/tethering, too, so she's errorless? How long have you tried it for? For the really challenging dogs it may take a couple of days ime. And if you just give up and give free reign before they go, you just make it even harder on yourself. We have a holiday weekend coming up, maybe that would be a good time?
Aeri went 24+ hours without pooping when we did this, but it worked.
Aeri went 24+ hours without pooping when we did this, but it worked.
Just wanted to pop back in and say we are 11 days errorless!
I switched her to the Flexi and it's made a big difference. I think being able to run around and get things moving is making it much easier for her to go, or at least it makes her need to go sooner! I haven't needed to stay out for 15 minutes, and there has been a couple times where she goes within a minute or two of going outside. I've been making sure to walk her around after she goes, because I don't want her to figure out that going poop = back inside. That would be great if it were winter, but it's actually been nice here.
One thing I have noticed is that when she has looser stool (not even soft serve texture, just a slightly bit more loose) she will completely expel everything, but when it's firm, she won't. I'm considering keeping her on a food where she has a slightly looser stool, because I'm starting to think that she is just having a hard time pushing out the firm stool. We'll do bones a couple times a week to make sure her anal glands get expressed, but at least for now, it will make the housetraining easier if she is emptying herself.
I switched her to the Flexi and it's made a big difference. I think being able to run around and get things moving is making it much easier for her to go, or at least it makes her need to go sooner! I haven't needed to stay out for 15 minutes, and there has been a couple times where she goes within a minute or two of going outside. I've been making sure to walk her around after she goes, because I don't want her to figure out that going poop = back inside. That would be great if it were winter, but it's actually been nice here.
One thing I have noticed is that when she has looser stool (not even soft serve texture, just a slightly bit more loose) she will completely expel everything, but when it's firm, she won't. I'm considering keeping her on a food where she has a slightly looser stool, because I'm starting to think that she is just having a hard time pushing out the firm stool. We'll do bones a couple times a week to make sure her anal glands get expressed, but at least for now, it will make the housetraining easier if she is emptying herself.
Regular Feeding Schedule
One thing that can help establish a regular pooping schedule is a regular feeding schedule. Feed your dog at a certain time every day. Leave the food down for a limited amount of time then take it away if it isn't finished. This discourages dogs that like to nibble between meals. What goes in on schedule comes out on schedule.
Your restricting the dog at times you can't keep close watch on it is a good idea. We are likely to follow a routine. Dogs get in routines just like people. Your dog has developed a routine of going in the house. If it is in one special spot, you may need to use something to remove the odor so the dog doesn't think that that is the toilet spot.
One thing that can help establish a regular pooping schedule is a regular feeding schedule. Feed your dog at a certain time every day. Leave the food down for a limited amount of time then take it away if it isn't finished. This discourages dogs that like to nibble between meals. What goes in on schedule comes out on schedule.
Your restricting the dog at times you can't keep close watch on it is a good idea. We are likely to follow a routine. Dogs get in routines just like people. Your dog has developed a routine of going in the house. If it is in one special spot, you may need to use something to remove the odor so the dog doesn't think that that is the toilet spot.
Glad to hear you are making progress!
I had read your OP and didn't have much to add, but was thinking about you two while at a party over the weekend... Some people were talking about housetraining and I had an epiphany about your situation. Then, you know, forgot entirely what my idea was.
BUT I'm glad something is working and I'll add if I can remember what I had thought...
I had read your OP and didn't have much to add, but was thinking about you two while at a party over the weekend... Some people were talking about housetraining and I had an epiphany about your situation. Then, you know, forgot entirely what my idea was.
BUT I'm glad something is working and I'll add if I can remember what I had thought...
Just wanted to pop back in and say we are 11 days errorless!
I switched her to the Flexi and it's made a big difference. I think being able to run around and get things moving is making it much easier for her to go, or at least it makes her need to go sooner! I haven't needed to stay out for 15 minutes, and there has been a couple times where she goes within a minute or two of going outside. I've been making sure to walk her around after she goes, because I don't want her to figure out that going poop = back inside. That would be great if it were winter, but it's actually been nice here.
One thing I have noticed is that when she has looser stool (not even soft serve texture, just a slightly bit more loose) she will completely expel everything, but when it's firm, she won't. I'm considering keeping her on a food where she has a slightly looser stool, because I'm starting to think that she is just having a hard time pushing out the firm stool. We'll do bones a couple times a week to make sure her anal glands get expressed, but at least for now, it will make the housetraining easier if she is emptying herself.
I switched her to the Flexi and it's made a big difference. I think being able to run around and get things moving is making it much easier for her to go, or at least it makes her need to go sooner! I haven't needed to stay out for 15 minutes, and there has been a couple times where she goes within a minute or two of going outside. I've been making sure to walk her around after she goes, because I don't want her to figure out that going poop = back inside. That would be great if it were winter, but it's actually been nice here.
One thing I have noticed is that when she has looser stool (not even soft serve texture, just a slightly bit more loose) she will completely expel everything, but when it's firm, she won't. I'm considering keeping her on a food where she has a slightly looser stool, because I'm starting to think that she is just having a hard time pushing out the firm stool. We'll do bones a couple times a week to make sure her anal glands get expressed, but at least for now, it will make the housetraining easier if she is emptying herself.
I think as soon as you guys have been consistent and errorless for long enough, it is going to eventually become a nonissue (even if it takes a while to get to that point). So keep at it! Looks like it is working for you!
I am so much happier with Leo's pooping right now too. It used to be 15+ minutes of walking around, then I let him off-leash in one specific spot, then flexi at that specific spot, and now he goes at that specific spot right away even if he is on a regular leash. :hail: His wasn't as hard since he wasn't pooping inside, but it is amazing what consistency can do.