# How to deal w/ housebreaking setback...



## The Dogman Commeth (Jan 30, 2009)

My 4-month old Dachsie had been doing AMAZING with his progress for housebreaking. I got him not even 2 weeks ago, and when we first got him, he would constantly soil his crate. The past week, he hadn't soiled his crate and was going outside consistently....

Until this morning. I came home at 2:00 (his walks for potty by my dad were 8:00 and 11:00) and he soiled his crate.

How do I deal with this?

How do I ensure he knows it's nOT okay to go in his crate?


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Most dogs have a real aversion to laying in their own waste and will avoid that all costs....you don't have to do anything to 'ensure' that he gets the message. Your part is making sure he gets to relieve himself completely before putting him in the crate, keeping the crate time to a minimum and thoroughly cleaning up any crate accidents.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Is the crate too big for him? Can he go potty in one side and then lay down on another? If so, it's too big.


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## The Dogman Commeth (Jan 30, 2009)

The crate is a cat kennell -- one big enough for him.

However, he is a puppy mill rescue, the first few days he would constantly do it. (I'm sure as a product of his environment).

But I got him away from that for about a week -- he was fed breakfast at 6:30 am, taken out today at 8 am and 11 am (to which he did nothing both times), and then I got home at 1:45 to find the soiled crate.

He has shown me he takes a while to do anything after a meal (for a 4-month old it's actually pretty impressive lol)...

Do I just continue doing what I've been doing?

How often should I crate him? For what duration? Do I allow him to roam around at all during housebreaking times?


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Perhaps it would help to understand the usual poop and pee schedules of puppies before making any firm decisions. Bowel movements happen about 16 hours after eating dry kibble, wet kibble will produce a bowel movement 12 hours later and RAW diets will be 6 hours later.
The pee schedule is every 70-90 minutes for dogs that are NOT trained to hold it/housetrained yet. 
Both of these schedules can/will vary depending on the amount of water taken in, the amount of exercise and the sleep schedule. Sleep slows everything down and alters the schedule.
Crate when you can't watch him. Otherwise, he should be with you. That's where the real housetraining comes in...while he's with and while you're watching.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Here I go the OP has another thread wondering when he/she can sleep with pup in their bed. I just got off there and here we are with the same amazing puppy that now has a problem. The Dogman commeth is getting a little weird for me have fun with him.


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## The Dogman Commeth (Jan 30, 2009)

He doesn't have a problem -- it's not a medical condition, or cancer, i was just wondering what to do after a few days of perfection when an accident pops up -- whether or not to continue the usual routine, or take a step back. I'm a first-time puppy owner, so forgive me for trying to find the best route to travel and housebreak my dog...

So weird I am.


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## Westhighlander (Sep 28, 2007)

The Dogman Commeth said:


> He doesn't have a problem -- it's not a medical condition, or cancer, i was just wondering what to do after a few days of perfection when an accident pops up -- whether or not to continue the usual routine, or take a step back. I'm a first-time puppy owner, so forgive me for trying to find the best route to travel and housebreak my dog...
> 
> So weird I am.


Whatever plan you have stick with it until your dog hasn't had a set back for at least 5 months. Your dog is not housebroken yet, don't make the mistake of changing a routine after only a few days of success.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

yeah that was a bit weird wvasko.

The first accident you have, take a step back and reduce your expectations. How long do you guys stay outside on those walks? What do you do? Actually walking briskly stimulates the bowels so rather than stand there for 20 minutes waiting, try a quick walk up and down your sidewalk then back to the potty spot for a minute.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Dogman
I can understand a 1st time puppy owner asking questions but this is actually 3 threads on housebreaking and on one thread you had attained perfection and then wanted your pup to sleep with you. Now on this thread perfect is gone. You have a 4 month old puppy as much as you love your pup, there is no perfect anything with a pup. Puppies have accidents in crates as pup gets older the accidents get less and less until they stop completely. You have a good program started if it's not broke don't fix it. If you had a 10 yr old child that had a good day at school and even got an A+ on a test. Would you then want to send him to college. I hope not because he still is a 10 yr old child. 
Now I used the word weird as there sometimes are weirdos or kooks that start stuff to have fun and games, I apologize if I offended you.

Jesi
I never said I wasn't capable of weird


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

Westhighlander said:


> Whatever plan you have stick with it until your dog hasn't had a set back for at least 5 months. Your dog is not housebroken yet, don't make the mistake of changing a routine after only a few days of success.


I had a pup that came home at 8 weeks of age, and within 3 days I absolutely knew that he understood the no pooping and peeing in the house rule. But I stay on a pup like a tattoo until he is at least 6 months of age. Remaining continent requires that much physical development. Relaxing your vigilance too soon invites setbacks. Doing it the hard way is easier on everyone.


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## emily445455 (Apr 8, 2008)

My pup soiled in her crate for a looonnggg time, it sucked, lol. But I just corrected, cleaned it up, gave her a bath and moved on.


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## The Dogman Commeth (Jan 30, 2009)

wvasko: all is good 

emily: what did you do to remedy the situation? How long is a long time? And one day, he just stopped going in his crate?

My pup had 1 slip, but I will continue my plan as I have been. (Crate him when I am at school, have him ON MY BED WITH ME when home.)

Like I said, when we got him not even 2 weeks ago, he would NOT go outside at all, and would go in his crate constantly.

Now, he goes outside every morning (pee/poo), has gone at other places when I've taken him, and has only had 2 accidents inside the actual house (on the carpet).

Is this good progress for a puppy mill dog?

Also, are dogs SUPPOSED to go to the bathroom the same times every day (for the most part?) Because my dachsie's schedule is nowhere near consistent lol but he's also a 4-month old...


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## emily445455 (Apr 8, 2008)

The Dogman Commeth said:


> emily: what did you do to remedy the situation? How long is a long time? And one day, he just stopped going in his crate?


I guess it wasn't that long, maybe a few weeks. I think it just felt like forever because it was so nasty and such a pain to clean up, lol.

Basically as she became more and more potty trained, she stopped going in her crate. She was crate potty trained before she was house potty trained.

I use a correction method for potty training. Basically I would put her face near the poo/pee and say "no, bad dog, not here!" then take her outside and praise her and gave her treats when she went potty outside 

When we first got our pup, she was on an eating schedule, which made her potty schedule pretty consistent. Now that she's potty trained, she doesn't have an eatting schedule, kind of just free-eats.

I think the most imporant thing to have during potty training is patience...sometimes it takes awhile 

Good luck.


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## The Dogman Commeth (Jan 30, 2009)

That sounds similar to my situation...

But my pup sometimes has lapses and will just go in his crate sometimes (he's only 4 months).

I've also only had him for 13 days -- he's made leaps and bounds progress, but I'm just a bit worried when I know I shoulnd't be....

And how long is "a while"? lol


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Dogman
Always keep one thought, all dogs have their own schedule on this stuff. Too many variables, I think you mentioned that when you had setback it might have been your fault. There are people on forum that are home all day and the schedules they use for crate/housebreaking are much more rigid. Were you at home on 24/7 and took pup out hourly etc there would be less chance of accidents. When you're young the life you lead may be a tad more helter-skelter which is normal for young, not a big deal. You can get the job done it may just take longer. *Be Patient*


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## The Dogman Commeth (Jan 30, 2009)

wvasko: thank you, I really appreciate that.

And yes, it is tough when I have college classes that run different times and lengths every day during the week, and I HAVE taken that into account. It's just rough when my girlfriend adopted her dog (a Corgi, also from a mill) that same day as I got my doxie, and her dog is almost perfectly potty trained.

I think I really underestimated how stubborn doxie's are to housebreak. I can't help but be discouraged at reading horror stories of how some people's doxie's still are not 100% housebroken after 2+ years! I love my dog, and I will definitely be patient no matter what. Again, after 2 weeks, I know I am jumping the gun early and must keep reminding myself of the progress he's made (scared of going outside and soiling his crate to an accident here and there and more consistently going outside).

As a side note: Anyone use this? http://www.wizdog.com/


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Now I see the big/main problem, it's not a Doxie problem. It's a girlfriend who has a Corgi who is almost perfectly potty trained problem. You have 1 option, new girlfriend and new girl gets no dog.

If you decide to keep your girlfriend you are just going to have to tough it out. Look at it as if it's premarital training. 

Good luck with everything and I am gone.


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

The Dogman Commeth said:


> I think I really underestimated how stubborn doxie's are to housebreak. I can't help but be discouraged at reading horror stories of how some people's doxie's still are not 100% housebroken after 2+ years!


That is irrelevant to your situation. Different dogs, different people, different training methods. People have allkinda wacky ideas about housebreaking, and I've had one individual brag to me about how great his houstraining method is....while we were both watching his dog take a dump on the kitchen linoleum. Don't ask me......

I'll tell you exactly how to housebreak a pup, even though it has no real relevance to your life. I arrange to take at least 1 week vacation to coincide with the pup coming home (I typically take 3 weeks). I prefer to get a pup that's ready to come home in late May to early July. The time off is used to bond with the pup and get him on as strict a schedule as possible and one that meshes with the rhythm of the household. From the first minute the pup crosses the threshold, he is in my line of sight or he is in his crate. I work nights and my wife works days so someone is always available to deal with the pup should he need to go outside. When I leave the pup under my wife's supervision, we hand off responsibility the way an ICU nurse hands off a patient to the next shift nurse. At minimum, we do a verbal hand-off but try to write down where the pup is WRT feeding, bowel and bladder functions, and training and play time. By 6 months of age I can plant the flag and declare victory...with a female. With a male, I keep my maloccio peeled for any indication of "marking" behavior until he is at least 18 months old.

Do all that and you'll have a trustworthy dog--no matter the breed. My method also tends to temper one's enthusiasm for puppy cuteness. An older dog who's been conditioned to lay in his own filth is a completely different bag of worms.

Housebreaking is simultaneously the easiest and the hardest training you'll ever do with your dog. It's easy in the sense that, given half a chance (and a non-mentally defective dog), they literally train themselves. It's hard in the sense that pups need to develop physically before they can succeed, and it is grueling work to help them succeed.


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## The Dogman Commeth (Jan 30, 2009)

wvasko i hope that's sarcastic lol cus that's not the case at all...


marsh muppet thank you. he is only 4 months so maybe he just needs to develop a bit


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

The Dogman Commeth said:


> marsh muppet thank you. he is only 4 months so maybe he just needs to develop a bit


Absolutely. It takes time, and you'll be glad you went the extra mile. I obviously feel my way is the Gold Standard for housebreaking methods, but I understand that everyone can't do it the way I do. But the theme I'm trying to communicate is that "NO ACCIDENTS EVER" is the goal you are shooting for. And I'll admit that I've never had a pup that had no accidents at all. Even I am not perfect (don't tell my wife; she'd be crushed if she found out).


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

What Wvasco said.....Comparing your dogs 'faults' to other dogs who seem to do better does a great disservice to your dog. All dogs have their shinning moments and less than stellar periods. It would be very foolish of me to try and train my Sheltie to be Border Collie quick or to have the same intensity as a BC. Same with painting all Doxies with that broad brush stroke of housetraining problems....focus on your dog. Don't hamper him with labels or perceptions of perfect. If you allow those ideas to take root, your training will suffer. Your dog can tell you everything you need to know if you look.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Marsh 
I think your wife is a kind compassionate woman, she must be as she has not let cat out of the bag about her knowledge of your imperfections.


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## The Dogman Commeth (Jan 30, 2009)

Guys, I didn't mean that statement is something that obssesses my every though when dealing with my dog.

I love my dog to death, and even if he had accidents, I'd still love him!

However, starting tomorrow, I am employing a rigid schedule of hours to be walked, and fed for him, and hopefully it will work. It will be tough to be exact since I'm at college at different times daily (but my dad will help when he can).

I'll keep my fingers crossed and say my prayers!


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## Snuggles (May 1, 2008)

Well our dog is eight weeks. Have had her in the crate. Yes it is big enough for a blanket and her dish. She has not done anything in it yet. (one week) We have a corral in the back yard when we first got her. The first day we put her in the corral and she went. We have been taking her about every hour when we are at home. At night she is in the crate. Now she has had some accidents when we don't catch her right away. We have started to look for "signs" that she is going to do something. For some silly reason, she backs up when she has to go "poo". Then when she has to pee, she starts to walk somewhere where she normally doesn't go. I don't know if this will help you or not but it is just our experience now.


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## The Dogman Commeth (Jan 30, 2009)

Excellent thanks everyone! And thanks snuggles, I've also been seeing his "signs"...

Something interesting happened this morning, though. When I leave for school (or leave him in the crate for any reason), he normally barks for 15 minutes, but then just gets tired and goes to sleep. However, this morning, my father said he barked for about an hour straight, which was unusual. So he took him out...AND HE WENT POTTY! Pee and Poo! He put him back itno the crate, and he went to sleep immediately.

Is this him trying to tell us that he needs to go? Is my dog finally making the mind-body connection?

Would this be a big breakthrough? (Considering my past posts about him and housebreaking...)


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## Snuggles (May 1, 2008)

Sounds like he is on the way. Poor thing. He had to go and did not.


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