House breaking troubles.

[Peaches 'n Cream]

My family recently adopted a new puppy, Sugar, a white Siberian Husky. She is sweet and all and loves to play and chew on about anything (including us), but she has a peeing problem. We have had her for about a week now and she is getting used to the things around here. We had some news papers laying around and that was all she would pee on if she had to go. I dont know if its a husky "thing", but she also loves water. If we dont take the water bowl away from her, she will end up drinking all she can then dumping it all over the place, soaking anything nearby. The first three days we had her, the accidents were frequent and the beginning of the crate training had begun. Now the accidents decreased to about only 3 a day.But the thing is...she hates to be locked up! We have been putting her toys and food and treats in there to make it a pleasant experience. She warmed up to it and even took a nap in it. We then started restraining her with our hands and eventually the time limit in the cage was lengthened. We then decided to try the cage door shut...and she didnt like it. She wimpers and whines and whine/howls. She settles down after a while then takes a nap. She isnt ready to be kept in it for a full hour yet. I dont know if I am doing this crate training thing right. It seems that she still has some warming up to do. Is anybody else having this problem? We have her on a schedule too. Everybody takes turns to let her out, and she always goes potty in a designated spot. Whats going wrong here?

 

[squirtsmom]

There are alot of issues going on here. One of the great trainers on here will help you, and congratulations on your new addition. We have a new great pyr puppy, and she is constnatly playing in her water bowl.

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

Wow, 3 accidents a day? Spy has had about 7 accidents to date!

She can't be having this many accidents! You need to watch her like a hawk and take her out frequently. At all times she must be supervised and crated when not watched.

Spy doesn't *love* his crate but he goes in and out with no fuss. I would begin feeding her her meals in her crate. Remember don't even look at her when she makes noises. COMPLETELY and utterly ignore her.

~Tucker

 

[paterson3713]

I'm no professional, but I think you are doing the crate thing a little wrong. Holding her in her crate with your hands while she struggle to get out is probably a bad idea. It will make her thing of the crate as a bad place. Instead, throughout the day toss some treats in there, some toys, etc. And when she goes in there praise her a lot and give her treats in there. Like a previous poster said too, maybe even try feeding her in the crate so she gets more comfortable with it.

When you put her away in her crate, the crying/whimpering is normal. But you must ignore it. Never let her out of her crate when she cries/whimpers. If you want to let her out, wait until she completely stops, then give her treats and let her out. It may take a week of sleepless nights with her in her crate crying, but she will get the idea that crying won't get her out. Instead of crying she'll learn to sleep or play with her toys or whatever.

As for the accidents, right after she drinks water I'd take her outside for as long as you can (20-30mins or so) until she pees at least once, maybe more. Then take her water away for a while, and take her out for another trip shortly after to get more pee out. Then when you think she may need more water, repeat the processes. Remember to praise praise praise when she goes outside.

If she goes in the house, try to catch her in the act and interrupt her and bring her right outside and try to get her to finish peeing (and treat her after), then clean up the mess good so she can't smell it in the house.

 

[Peaches 'n Cream]

Thanks for the reply! Well, this explains something...every time I put her in the crate I sit by it and praise her and pet her through the bars. I had no idea you were sappost to ignore them! Geesh, if I only knew that earlier...lol. I have been setting her food in her cage and she has no fear of going into it. I think she is slowly getting used to it.

At the present momment she is napping . Just before that I had let her out to and she went poo. She was too interested in the kids next door in the pool and ignored my praise. No use forcing it on her, for the momment was gone. After that I let her have a small bowl of water and she licked it dry! I know she will have to go as soon as she wakes up.

Should I intereupt her sleep for a bathroom break? Or just wait till she wakes up?

 

[paterson3713]

Thanks for the reply! Well, this explains something...every time I put her in the crate I sit by it and praise her and pet her through the bars. I had no idea you were sappost to ignore them! Geesh, if I only knew that earlier...lol. I have been setting her food in her cage and she has no fear of going into it. I think she is slowly getting used to it.

At the present momment she is napping . Just before that I had let her out to and she went poo. She was too interested in the kids next door in the pool and ignored my praise. No use forcing it on her, for the momment was gone. After that I let her have a small bowl of water and she licked it dry! I know she will have to go as soon as she wakes up.

Should I intereupt her sleep for a bathroom break? Or just wait till she wakes up?

Yeah, if you are petting her and giving her treats while she is in the crate crying, you are probably just re-enforcing that habit. "If I'm in my crate and cry, I get treats".

As far as bathroom breaks, after puppies have a play session, after sleeping, and within 30 minutes after drinking/eating they will have to go potty. So as soon as she wakes up from her nap (if she had to go bad enough she'd wake up on her own), take her potty and praise praise praise. These 3 times are when you know for sure that they will have to go, and makes it real easy to give them lots of praise for them going outside. After you get those times down, you only have to minimize the accidents in between.

edit; While she is going potty, say "Go pee pee!" or "Go potty!" or whatever you want, just be careful not to interrupt her pee. Then you praise when she is done. Our pup is only 8 weeks and I can already tell him to "Go pee!" and he will sniff around and try to get some pee out.

 

[Ilyena]

Perhaps you can keep a journal of the times she goes so you have a better idea of when you need to take her out and can work out a schedule. The more accidents she has inside the house, the longer it will take her to understand where you want her to go. Give her plenty of opportunities to go outside and praise her when she goes, and never let her out of your sight when she's inside.

When I got my puppy I took him out every 30 minutes when he was awake, even more often if we were playing, and of course after eating/drinking and sleeping. I used a timer to make sure I wouldn't forget the time, and I never let my eyes off him (or I made sure someone else was watching) when he was awake. He's almost 15 weeks old now and has had extremely few accidents thanks to that method, and lately he's reliably been asking for the door when he needs to go. It was a lot of work the first month and especially the getting up in the middle of the night to let him go to the bathroom really wore me out but it was most definately worth it.

 

[bubbatd]

I've never crate trained , so can't help there . As to newspaper ... none in house ! Small bowls of water inside and large pan to play in outside . Pups love water play !! My rules of thumb was ... eat , out to poop . Waking up ... out to pee . TLC and praise ,, praise , praise .!! 3 weeks of works pays off !

 

[girlbuffalo1]

I think you have gotten some great advice here. Just remember NEVER leave her unwatched. Seriously never at this point. If you have to go to the bathroom yourself either take her with you or put her in her crate.
They way to stop the accidents are to take her out often--praise when she goes and if she tries to squat for an accident in the house you catch her (say no, or uh-uh whatever you use) take her immeidately outside--let her finish and praise her for finishing outside.

 

[Peaches 'n Cream]

Thank you all for the great advice. I will try letting her out more frequently! I have discovered that we have a pretty stubborn dog, so it will take a while for me to fully potty-train her. Today so far shes only peed once and pooped once in the house this morning. A few seconds ago I just let her out and she went pee. I gave her a treat and praised her. She seems pretty thick headed, so i will have to praise her more then usual when she pittles or poops. Things seem to be going alot better, alot less accidents. But the day is still young! Im going to have to post some picys of her later! When our family brings her to public places, everybody fusses over her!

 

[girlbuffalo1]

Another note on the potty training besides watching her like crazy--also if she does not go outside you pick her up (I don't even let Honey (who isn't all the way trained yet) touch the floor) I pick her up put her right back in the crate wait a bit and then take her out again--
In other words if you think she has to go or if it has been awhile since she last went do not let her out of the crate until she has went...

 

[Peaches 'n Cream]

Well...Sugar DOES NOT like to be in her crate with the door closed. She makes a cry like a really loud hyena then howls and it drives everybody crazy. I swear she is so stubborn and as thick as a brick. I have been taking her out like crazy and when I turn my back for a second she pees in the corner of the living room that she has been doing her business in. I took her out side, but all she did was chew on the leash and bit my knee, HARD. She is starting to push my buttons! She still has up to 3 accidents a day and I take her out about every half an hour. >=(

How long does it take a dog to be potty trained??

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

With 3 accidents a day she may not be potty trained ever.

Do you use a cleaning product to clean the corner? If Sugar smells pee there she is bound to go again.

I would suggest tethering her to you. Snap a leash to her collar and loop it around your belt. That way she can't run to the corner and pee.

If she doesn't pee when you take her out, then put her in her crate for say, 15 minutes and try again. If she doesn't go, back in the crate.

~Tucker

 

[paterson3713]

If she's really that bad, then I would probably suggest not letting her roam in the house at all. Keep her in her crate (ignoring her crying is hard but you have to) all the time, and when you take her out she is only allowed outside, and no playing until she goes. Then when you are finished playing with her, back in the crate. If she doesn't even have a chance to pee in the house and only outside, that may help sway her.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

I agree with Tucker--clean up that spot that she keeps going to--Nature's Miracle is a great cleanser. I have also used the leashing the pup to yourself--works great! If she starts to mess, a quick "no-no" and out the door with her. Praise and reward with a great treat when she does her thing outdoors--she will learn as long as you are consistent.
The only other question I would have is if she has any medical issues--ie a bladder infection?

 

[Peaches 'n Cream]

I was wondering that same thing too...if she might have diabetes(sp?) or something, but I think shes a little too young. I dont know about a bladder infection. She dosnt constantly lick her privates though.
I decided to wrap her leash around my computer chair while I was finishing some messages to some people and she wimpered and whined alot becuase she couldnt get to her fav sleeping area. I ignored her though.When I was finished I took her outside and she piddled a little bit.
After that, I decided to put her in the crate for a bit while I washed the dishes and did some other chores. She only wimpered a little and I didnt hear anything for a while. I was so proud! But then she started in on her full blown howling sessions, and I ignored her, even though it was extremely tough. I then decided to test somthing else. I took a towl covered the front of her cage. She stopped whining all together! I hear her wimper once in a while, but as I type she is completely silent, taking a nap. Im so proud of her! I will see how this method goes with her...usually dogs panic when they cant see there suroundings, but it seems to calm her down. Will update on her progress soon!