# Adopted dog doesn't want to go to the bathroom outside



## williampetruzzo (Feb 23, 2010)

I apologize if this question has been covered elsewhere. I've never owned a dog before and the lingo is still a bit of a mystery to me.

I recently took in a lost dog on a temporary basis. Three weeks later, the owners are still nowhere to be found. We're about ready to go ahead and register him as our own and have him chipped.

Anyway, while the dog was clearly trained (for the most part) and loved, for some reason he doesn't want to go to the bathroom unless we go for a long walk (like, 30-45 minutes minimum). Otherwise, he'll just hold it until eventually just going in the house somewhere. That might be a disaster, but we have faux wood floors so it cleans up easy.

I'm wondering if anyone knows why this might be the case and how we might be able to teach him to go to the bathroom in the backyard, rather than having to go for a long, time consuming walk every day.

Any help is hugely appreciated.


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

It's possible that he's been brought in after taking care of business, and learned to get a nice long walk by holding it. There's really no way to know, however, and the why isn't really important. 

Try this. Pick a day when you can devote more or less the whole day to taking the dog out. At the very least, when you can spend the whole day watching the dog. Keep some treats on you and watch for signs of needing to go. If you know roughly what times, that helps. But watch the dog, not the clock. Things to look for are sniffing (particularly where he's gone in the house before), circling, and general restlessness. It can be hard to spot, so err on the side of taking him out rather than not. 

When you think he has to go, leash up and go outside. The dog gets 2-5 minutes to go to the bathroom. Stand in one spot and don't pay a ton of attention to the dog. Don't let him dig a hole to China, but let him sniff around. If he doesn't go within the time frame, go back inside. The whole thing is very calm; "Here's your pee break window, use it or lose it." Watch for signs again or wait 5-15 minutes. A lot of this is trial and error, which I realize isn't ideal for a new owner but it depends a lot on the dog. 

It may take all day, but eventually the dog is going to pee. If you don't get outside in time, make a neutral noise (a sharp clap, maybe some coins in a can if the dog isn't very sound sensative) to inturrpt and rush outside to finish. HUGE PARTY for any bathroom actions that take place outside. Treats, toys, hugs, happy dances. Whatever it is that your dog goes nuts for, he gets it for going outside.

Basically the idea is to make it so the dog has no choice BUT to eliminate within a few minutes of going outside. Spend some time playing outside after the act too. That said, you shouldn't stop walking your dog. It's good exercise for the both of you.


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

Some dogs have learned that indoors is where business gets taken care of. Some owners would rather clean up after a dog than be bothered taking him outside. Some have just completely screwed up housetraining and the dog knows no other way.

House breaking an older dog is the same as working with a puppy. The difference being that the older dog can hold it for a considerable length of time. That makes it tougher. The system is the same, though. Crate or confine when you can't directly supervise. The idea is to catch him in the act of relieving himself--every single time--and interrupt him. Immediately hustle him directly outside to finish. Learn the dog's "rhythm" for eliminating, and make sure he's outside when his time comes. Keep him outside until he's finished.


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## clickntreat (Feb 19, 2010)

The other two responses are absolutely fantastic, so I just wanted to add one little tiny thing you can take or leave. If you say "go potty" or "hurry" or some command of that type when your dog starts to relieve him or herself, the dog will learn to do it on command. I have found this very useful =)


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## williampetruzzo (Feb 23, 2010)

Thank you guys for the responses. I'm going to give these suggestions a try. He does seem to learn really quick. For example, he doesn't get on the bed anymore unless there are sheets on it. He got that real quick. So, hopefully he'll get this one quick too.


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## williampetruzzo (Feb 23, 2010)

Ok. So I took Mikey outside just about every 30 minutes all day today. He went #1 twice and I gave him treats each time. But still tonight we found a mess in the house. Because of the way the house is laid out and my daily schedule. I run a business out of my home, but can't keep my eyes on him at all times. This makes it tough to catch him in the act. Also, our household is very busy which means that Mikey is often about the house looking for someone who wants to play, or some table scraps (which we don't give him).

I can't figure out how to rectify this problem. We don't have a crate (or really a place to put one that is within the office's eye-line). Are there any other tricks I can try? Would it be helpful to show him the mess when we find it and reprimand him then?


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## clickntreat (Feb 19, 2010)

Do not do that! Do not do that! Do not do that! Do you have any contained space at all? Utility room, kitchen, bathroom (either babyproofed and/or babygated) The dog needs to be in a small space when he can't be watched. Can you borrow a friend's crate or something?


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

williampetruzzo said:


> I can't figure out how to rectify this problem. We don't have a crate (or really a place to put one that is within the office's eye-line). Are there any other tricks I can try? Would it be helpful to show him the mess when we find it and reprimand him then?


Dogs generally don't connect past actions with current reprimands. "Rubbing his nose in it" punishes you FINDING a mess, not him making it.

Mikey needs to be CONSTANTLY supervised, or else contained. Clickntreat's suggestion of a small space is good. Every mess inside is a mess inside reinforced, and a missed opportunity to reinforce going outside. That's the idea behind containment. Most dogs won't soil their immediate living space, which is the idea behind crating for housetraining. Small bathrooms work well as a substitute, just make sure there aren't any mats down or cabinets he can get into. Give him something to do in there as well, such as a kong filled with treats, kibble, and/or peanut butter.

Another option is tying his leash to your belt, so he's constantly supervised and with you. It doesn't sound like that's always going to be a viable option, but it might be something to try. A lot of housetraining is finding solutions that work for the dog, but also for you. It's sort of a negotiation.


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

One thing I've always done is to screw eye bolts into the walls in various places, and clip a short leash (3 ft. or less, depending on the size of the dog) to one. If you're working around house, you can keep the dog with you and out of trouble. They come in handy for a lot of different training scenarios like properly greeting guests at the front door. It's like having a third hand or a training assistant.


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## williampetruzzo (Feb 23, 2010)

Marsh Muppet said:


> One thing I've always done is to screw eye bolts into the walls in various places, and clip a short leash (3 ft. or less, depending on the size of the dog) to one. If you're working around house, you can keep the dog with you and out of trouble. They come in handy for a lot of different training scenarios like properly greeting guests at the front door. It's like having a third hand or a training assistant.





RaeganW said:


> Dogs generally don't connect past actions with current reprimands. "Rubbing his nose in it" punishes you FINDING a mess, not him making it.
> 
> Mikey needs to be CONSTANTLY supervised, or else contained. Clickntreat's suggestion of a small space is good. Every mess inside is a mess inside reinforced, and a missed opportunity to reinforce going outside. That's the idea behind containment. Most dogs won't soil their immediate living space, which is the idea behind crating for housetraining. Small bathrooms work well as a substitute, just make sure there aren't any mats down or cabinets he can get into. Give him something to do in there as well, such as a kong filled with treats, kibble, and/or peanut butter.
> 
> Another option is tying his leash to your belt, so he's constantly supervised and with you. It doesn't sound like that's always going to be a viable option, but it might be something to try. A lot of housetraining is finding solutions that work for the dog, but also for you. It's sort of a negotiation.





clickntreat said:


> Do not do that! Do not do that! Do not do that! Do you have any contained space at all? Utility room, kitchen, bathroom (either babyproofed and/or babygated) The dog needs to be in a small space when he can't be watched. Can you borrow a friend's crate or something?


Thank you guys! these are all really great suggestions. I posted on our local Freecycle looking to see if anyone has a dog crate they're looking to get rid of or lend out for a while. Also, a hook on the wall to tie the leash to is also a really great idea. I even have a place I can do it so that I can keep an eye on him while I'm working. I'm going to swing by the hardware store later today and pick one up.

The confined space thing makes sense because as long as he's in the office with me (it's pretty small), he won't go to the bathroom. He has another place in the house that he goes to to do that.

Are there an behaviors he might do while confined that I could be looking out for that might signal that it's time to go outside?


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