My dog confuses the outside from the inside

[sukegirl]

I recently got a 10wk old great dane. This is the first dog that we want to train for indoors. Most of my dogs were outside dogs so I have no experience in training. My problem is, I take her out after her naps, before she plays, after she eats and when I come home. I take her out in the front yard, and walk her for awhile. All she does is either play or sit and stare at cars driving by. I know right now she's young and curious with items and sounds. I feel that since she first went inside the house, she holds her bladder and doesnt go outside. When she comes in she goes to the same spot. I work and try to make it home for lunch to take her out, but she doesnt go. I need help with crate training, I feel that I'm doing it all wrong. I read and read, things on the web but its not helping. Also, people tell me that she's too young so she won't know what right from wrong. Please help!
Thanks

 

[sukegirl]

Well she uses her crate to sleep in and to stay in during the day. In the morning around 5-6 I take her out for a small walk so she can pee. All she does is sit and stare are cars. I'm out for about 10 mins and nothing. I used to be like if she didn't go outside I immediately put her back in her crate and wait about an hr. Take her out again, and still nothing. As soon as she comes in she's sniffing, so I try to discract her while putting the collar on and I take her out again. Still nothing, so I give up. I get in and she goes to her same spot and pee's. All I do is say no, so she knows what she did wrong, and put her back in her crate. But its not working. I work during the day, and drive home. Its about 20 from work, but I figure I'll do these sacrifices until she learns. I take her out all the time, but she just doesnt go outside. I have newspaper inside where she goes, because I figure if she's going to end up going then it might as well be on the newspaper. She misses sometimes, so all I do is try to soak it up with a towel and clean it. At night I take her for walks, say about for 20-30 mins. We walk through the park and everything, but she still doesn't go. So I just don't know what to do anymore. I love my pup and I want to have patience. I already bought natures miracle. But she's just going to find some other spot to go after.

Help!

 

[MEG126]

it took us awhile to housebreak my doggy (she's a now three year old golden) and i have a few comments...

i remember reading something about newpaper and putting out a large area of newspaper inside for them to do their business on, and gradually making that area smaller and eventually not putting anything down and then they don't know where to go and if you're making a habit of taking her outside, than she'll assume i guess that's where she'll have to go... it was something along those lines so if somebody wants to touch that up if i missed an important point or two.

something else we learned when training my dog is that putting her outside is not punishment. sure she'd prefer to be inside with us, but outside certainly isn't a bad thing, so since your pup is crate trained (mine isn't... still can't decide if i regret that or not) her crate is like home to her; it's a place of comfort to her, so i don't think that putting her in there when she goes inside is much of a punishment. whenever we punish my dog now, we just put her in the bathroom for a few minutes- a place that isn't much fun for her.

anyways those were my thoughts! hope they helped at least a little and good luck!!

 

[sukegirl]

Yeah I figured that paper training isnt a bad thing.. I already cleaned where she usually goes, but is it possible that if I put the paper near the door she'll go there instead of the same place? I just got back from the park and she did pretty decent..she didn't pee but she did poop .. We praised her on doing that, but because she's a pup and just wants to play and run I feel that she didn't catch on with us praising her.

We had her for about a week, and she went twice in her crate. First time was because she wasn't used to being in there for so long that she went before we could get in for lunch. And today she went this morning. I just didn't understand why, because I took her out at 6 in the morning and she didn't go. Put her back in her crate, until about 10:30/11. So she went at that time. I guess it does take time, and yeah its frustrating because I really don't want my carpets to smell.. So I'll keep trying, and hopefully she does better.

 

[MEG126]

i don't know if this is do-able since i don't know how big 10 week old great danes are... but whenever my dog would start to go in the house we'd just pick her up and run her outside, set her down and praise her... it was awhile ago so i'm not really remembering specifics... sorry! hope what i'm saying isn't completely off base...

 

[Debi]

I think it may be a bit difficult with your schedule...but I did the same thing as mentioned.......when I saw my pups even start to squat, I scooped them up and ran outside. As I Picked them up, I just said 'no'....then heavy praise when they went outside. I can also tell you that I took my pups out every 2 hours......day and night.......for about 2 weeks. You can a feel for your pup's schedule at that point and can cut back just a bit. Usually approx. 20 mins. after eating is a good bet...after active play....and I would think first thing in the morning would be a sure thing, so I don't know what's up with that. They are too little for major bladder control at that age. Depending on the pup..sometimes total bladder control doesn't happen until 6 months. I just kept the mindset that they are babies.....so patience is vital. Both of my dogs caught on quickly. It was difficult with Hammie because I got him in Feb., smack in the middle of a terrible winter........may have helped me, tho, cause that little guy sure went quickly to get back indoors! Good luck...I hope it works out for you...he sounds like an alert, sweet pup.

 

[sukegirl]

well today she did much better. This morning she went on the paper AGAIN! But earlier after she ate she pee'd.
She was too quick for me that time, but right after she was about to poop, so I hurried and picked her up, and put her outside, I let her follow me to the grass without the leash, and she found her spot. I notice that when she's on the leash, she's restrained and not able to find her spot. I hope that is the case. So I praised her a lot and she got happy. So i guess thats what i'll start doing, after she eats.

 

[MEG126]

yay! glad you're having some success! i've heard stories of people getting their puppies house trained in like a week, but some people it's just more of a process, so no worries!

also after you use some of the wrong methods in training, it takes longer to teach them the command because they can get the wrong message in their head (i'm trying to train my 3 yr old golden how to come- we made bad training mistakes with her early on, so it's been a process trying to convince her that coming to us is fun and isn't just an end to fun...) now that i've been chatting in these forums some, there are so many things i've learned that i did wrong so now i wish penny would be a puppy again so i could train her right!! next dog i guess...

hope you continue to have good luck!!