Potty training rescue.

[Roxy'sNewMom]

OK, I need help. As some of you know I rescued a 4 or 5 mnth old male pup. From what I can tell, he was not potty trained and was in a kennel all the time. Since we first got him he has been going to the cages to go potty (both pee and poop). I moved the cages to the kitchen (by the back door they go out to potty) and shut up the front room that the cages were in. I guess my thinking was that he would go to the door and we would then move the cages outdoors and teach him that way. It might be silly, but I thought it was rational.
Well toight he went behind the couch! He pees everywhere too. Payton has stained up our house with her incontinence, which I am sure is making it worse. I am at a loss and my DH said he is not sure he will get it. Granted we have had the poor thing since only last Friday!
Am I doing correctly in this or am I totally off base? Please help me. I am unable to keep him caged while we sleep, so do I just shut him in the room with me? This is because DH sleeps from 8-6 while I work and I sleep from 11-6 while he works and they spend 1 or 2 hours in a cage then. I am just looking for help please.....
Shaunna

[ELubas]

I think you will need to approach this as if he were a baby pup. Out every time he eats, wakes up, plays, and every hour. Clearly he does not get it and you need to teach him from scratch. If he learned it was ok to go in his crate or in the house that has to unlearned and will take time. As for your other pup having accidents do you use an enzyme cleaner that removes the odor as well as the stain? You need to be sure you are getting the smell they smell out or he will continue to mark those spots-very common. I do not think moving the crate closer to the door will do it as he does not seem to undertstand the outside vs. inside concept. You need to take him out on lead, calmly wait for him to go and then praise (like he just won best in show ) and treat. Have a cue word (I use "get busy") and use it every time you take him out. I used to have a "spot" with my pups and would even leave some poo there to mark the spot well for them. My boy, who is now five +, still goes to that exact spot as it is imprinted. This is a case where patience and consistency will pay off. I believe your pup will get it and then you could try a bell at the door, once he gets that going outside is the right thing and then getting outside is through the door, and getting the door to open is with the bell. Break the training up into steps for him-that is how they learn. This environment is still very new to him-it is like going to a new place and having to ask where the bathroom is . Good luck and be patient-I know it is hard!

[bayleighmom]

I would go back to basic potty training. It may be a pain, but try tethering him to you. Take him out on a regular basis, every 1/2 hour to hour while you are home. Don't let him have free roam of the house.


Where do Payton & Roxie go when you sleep? When we trained Bayleigh for night time, I made her a nice comfy bed on the floor and tethered her to the bed right beside me. I also put a bell on her collar so I would wake up when she moved.

Are you wanting him to stay in the crate while you are gone? Or do you have a room to block off? I don't have a clue how to crate train a pup that uses the crate as the bathroom!

As far as the potty smell, try white vinegar. It stinks until it dries then no smell at all. I use it on everything now!

Good luck!

[Roxy'sNewMom]

Roxy and Pay sleep with us in our room, sometimes on the bed sometimes on the floor. Last night Kayo started on the floor and throught the night moved to our bed with me and Pay.

How do they play when the are on a leash tied to you? Do you let them off to play but if they are sleeping or whatever tie him back on? I am confused be this.....but I think it would be VERY effective. Also if I tether him to the bed and make a comfy spot, do I just wake up a few times a night and let him out?

He does stay in a crate while we are gone. So does Pay. Roxy graduated from the cage when we got Kayo. I am going to put him in a smaller crate (a traveling one instead of our wire one) when we leave to see if he will learn in that not to potty in the cage. If he does he will have to lay in it! I also took the sheets out of the cages since Pay has stained those. I will go out tonight and get cheap clean sheets.

I am going to try and steam clean the carpets this weekend, does anyone have anything I can put in our cleaner to get the smell out? Maybe that will help. I have a very open floor plan in my house, but have the house so he can only get into the study, living room, and kitchen.
I will not give up on this baby....but just need some help. Thank you all so much...
Shaunna

[bayleighmom]

I would let Bayleigh off leash for playtime. But if I was up moving around the house, she was tethered to me. If we were just sitting watching tv, she would be on a longer lead tethered to the couch.

At night, if you don't hear him wake up, set your alarm and take him out 1-2 times a night.

If he potties in his crate, I wouldn't put anything in his crate. Blankets will just soak up the urine and it may take longer to break him of this habit.

I have a Hoover steam cleaner. I go over my carpets twice. Once with carpet shampoo. The second time with white vinegar water. Whatever amount I use of shampoo, I double that amount for vinegar. But your house will smell til the carpets are dry!!

[Roxy'sNewMom]

Thank you SOOOO much for the reply!! I mean it. I have wanted to do the leash thing, just didnt quite know how. I am going to start TONIGHT. I will set the alarm for every 3 hours at night. I am GOING to do this....

Thanks for telling me that leaving stuff out of his crate is not mean. I thought it was.....but didnt know what else to do!

I will try the shampoo this weekend. We wil clean carpets and then go out to eat and to a movie maybe! THen when we get home the carpets wont stink!!!

THank you all so much....what would I do without BW????