# Potty Training Help (Winter potty training help preferably!)



## Gruntz45 (Nov 26, 2012)

My family and I fostered a 2 year old female pit bull rescue from a shelter in the last week of October of this year (2012), and we knew potty training her would not work right away, due to the fact that she was moving into a new environment. My family has had 4 dogs before, but that was about 20some years ago when they were potty trained.

I have fallen in love with her, because of her great sense of curiosity and cuteness, and also her cuddling next to me and others. She is pretty good at walking, and doing commands, but peeing inside is a problem... especially now that in MN, it's starting to get really cold. And I would really like to adopt her, but her housebreaking is the deal breaker, and it's not looking good right now.

She has a jacket that we put on her, and we have a "special spot" outside where we bring her to pee. She usually does pee and then we walk around a bit for the poop session, and that is no problem. However, recently she has been inside for about 20some to 30some minutes, and then she pees again inside (as if she holds some in from outside), and I know it's frustrating my parents every time it happens.

My question to those who may have similar experiences and knowledge about this is, How can we potty train our 2 year old rescue dog during the winter? What do we need to do different, and how do we get results?

No short answers - be as detailed as possible, please!

Thanks so much for your time and help!!


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

First, have her checked for a UTI.

If it is consistently 20+ minutes after she goes outside that she pees again inside, take her back outside after 15 minutes. Are you crate training her? Does she pee in a crate? You can take her outside, then crate her for 15 minutes, then take her outside again. Inside the house, leash her to you so the second she indicates she is going to pee (sniffing around, starts to squat) you can interrupt her and bustle her outside. She may be getting distracted while outside and not fully emptying her bladder, if the weather isn't too bad you could have a short play session and then a few minutes break before going back inside to let her stop to pee again. 

Is the outside spot at least somewhat protected from the wind? If there is snow on the ground, shovel a clear space so she doesn't have to put sensitive body parts near/against the cold snow.


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## Gruntz45 (Nov 26, 2012)

Shell said:


> First, have her checked for a UTI.
> 
> If it is consistently 20+ minutes after she goes outside that she pees again inside, take her back outside after 15 minutes. Are you crate training her? Does she pee in a crate? You can take her outside, then crate her for 15 minutes, then take her outside again. Inside the house, leash her to you so the second she indicates she is going to pee (sniffing around, starts to squat) you can interrupt her and bustle her outside. She may be getting distracted while outside and not fully emptying her bladder, if the weather isn't too bad you could have a short play session and then a few minutes break before going back inside to let her stop to pee again.
> 
> Is the outside spot at least somewhat protected from the wind? If there is snow on the ground, shovel a clear space so she doesn't have to put sensitive body parts near/against the cold snow.


I don't think it's a UTI, and if it is, I don't know how expensive a visit would be.

We have not been shoveling a spot for her (because it's on the side of the road, part of a neighbor's property, next to our mailbox). But maybe we will start to make a new pee spot/poop spot where we shovel it. It's hard to find a good spot where there isn't much wind, but we always have her wearing a jacket we bought her.

We are crate training her. She has been able to go a few weeks, and we usually assumed that she was getting close to being potty trained. But then when we let her wander off while we are eating dinner or doing something, she would pee. So we have been watching her again, closely. We seem to be going through a pattern of watching and seeing her do well a few weeks (2-3 weeks), and then letting her out of our sight for a bit, and she'll pee... even though we just took her outside before we eat dinner. And now she seems to be slipping a bit more... we go out to see a movie, and leave her in her crate. We take her out before we leave her, and when we get home. Although, her blanket inside her crate was wet (we assumed she pee'd in her crate while we were gone). And then later that evening I took a shower and she went in my room and pee'd. Today, we discovered a poop downstairs, which was done yesterday (possibly at the same time period as when she pee'd in my room). 

This concerns me, because we were about to adopt her, but not now due to her peeing in the house again, and pooping is a serious no-no. We plan to keep fostering her, but I am wondering what we need to do to make her potty trained. Is it this much more difficult to potty train a 2 year old rescue dog? Are there more advanced techniques or ways to get a dog to use the bathroom outside? We are usually home, but we do step outside the house without her(usually an average of 2-4 hours) a day, incase that makes a difference.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Without a vet check, which A) shouldn't cost much and B) the shelter should cover or you can call around and ask for a discount based on her being a foster, there isn't any way to say if a medical issue is part of the problem.

I'm thinking though that your 2-3 weeks of watching isn't enough for it to become a habit for her before you let her out of your sight a bit more and she backslides. If she's been in a kennel for a long time at a shelter, she may have been accustomed to peeing indoors and it will take some effort to get that habit reversed. 

If it seems like she can't always hold it, it could be a spay incontinence problem and medicine is usually good at controlling that.

Also, try posting your same question in the main general thread since the rescue thread doesn't have near as many viewers. You will likely get more ideas/suggestions there.

Please don't give up on this dog if she's otherwise a good fit for your family. the pooping may have been a one time thing based on an upset tummy (I think pit bulls seem to have sensitive digestive systems), it happens sometimes.


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