4 months old today and no closer to being housebroken

[cajungal]

I am just getting so frustrated and don't think she will ever be housebroken. Can't use the babygates anymore because she started climbing them. And still getting out. The puppy pads are in the laundry room and she will only go on them if she is confined there with the door shut. I have to confine her to the laundry room while I am at work. Lately, I have been scheduled 8 hour days, 6 days out of the week. And I live too far from work to drive on my lunch hour to check on her or walk her. I try to walk her when I get home, but I work retail. And when I work 12-9, it is impossible. When I get home from work, I let out of the laundry room, so she can spend time with me and play. I can't keep her locked up 24/7. She is locked up enough when I am at work. But, when she is running loose in the house, she still refuses to walk back to her pad in the laundry room. She will just squat wherever she is at. Now, she is even jumping on my furniture and pooping on it. She is ruining all the floors. I posted a few weeks back that she was starting to walk back to the laundry room and use her pads. I was heavily rewarding her with treats and praises. That lasted all of 2 days. And she went right back to her old ways. She is no closer to being housebroken since when I first brought her home at 6 weeks!

I am literally cleaning pee and poop every half hour or more. My mom and dad left to go on vacation a few days ago and will be gone for 2 weeks! And I am the only one to take care of her until they come back. I tried crate training and it did not work either. And I can't keep her crated for 9-10 hours a day while I am at work. That is too long. I also try bringing her to her pad every 15-20 minutes and shutting the door when she is playing freely. Does not work. I don't know what else to to. I love her and will never, ever give her up, but I see no end in sight to this. Please help!

[bigdog]

Sounds like you need a indoor playpen. I promise you it will be well worth it's money.They make them high enough where she can't climb out. My yorkies aren't housebroken completelt till they are a year old. They start doing pretty good at 5 months then they gradually get better.As soon as you remove her from any area, crate,etc...always take her to p. I take my 4 month old continuisly. It is a lot of work, but this goes with dog ownership. try a feeding scedule. good luck

[Patti]

When i was working and had a new puppy I never got them completely trained until they were 8 months old. Cali is the first one I used a playpen with and wee wee pads and I no longer work so she trained very quickly. I do have wee wee pads in both ends of the house and she uses both. I would try putting several down so you can quickly get her to one when you see the signs. Also as they get older they can hold it longer. She is adorable. Good luck she will eventually get it.

[Princess Zoe]

Zoe is 11 mths. old and is still not completely potty trained. I have to constantly watch her. She usually pees outside now (most of the time), but she poops more inside. One thing that has helped us is that we got some "poochie bells" to hang on our front door and I have trained Zoe to use them. It's so cute to hear her ring the bells. It took months for her to catch on to those though, so she would poop in the house every time. Now she rings the bells and poops outside 60-70% of the time. I feel that she will never be fully potty trained too, but then I think back and see her progress and hope that she will just keep getting better. Good luck... it is so frustrating. My carpets are ruined too.

[RowdysMom]

Originally Posted by Princess Zoe

Zoe is 11 mths. old and is still not completely potty trained. Good luck... it is so frustrating. My carpets are ruined too.

We came to the conclusion a few years ago that the carpets HAD to go - due to aging dogs. This was long before Rowdy and Rex came into our lives. We couldn't afford it - but we saved and saved and saved and did everything ourselves. I was appalled at what was in the carpets when we ripped them up to put in wood floors. It was so totally gross. I vowed then and there, never to live with carpeting again - it is just so gross. Now, I don't have to worry about accidents, pee, poop, throw-up, etc. They just wipe up and with a little Lysol spray, it's like they never happened. And while I am not happy with the perpetrator(s), it doesn't stress me out anymore.

I know that is not the total answer and that you DO need to work with your baby and that it is very very frustrating, but don't give up - it is so totally worth it. I also know that I'm preaching to the choir - you all know this!!!

[Scribbledpaper]

Frogknot is finally getting better, but really it's about the same with him and he will be 6 months old next week. I really want him using the doggie door!

I feel your pain! lol

[cajungal]

We only have carpets in the bedrooms. The kitchen and dining room has ceramic floors. And it is wooden floors in the living room and in the hall. I close all the bedroom doors and I only let her in there if she is with me. Because the computer is in the bedroom.

[lilannie]

Bailey is just 5 months and just when I thought I had this potty think almost complete, bam....I stepped in a little puddle today, It is a long process, and compared to when we first bring the home, every day gets a tiny bit easier. Having the nice weather come has made it easier, we spend alot of time outside , mainly so that he pretty much has to go out there. We still have a wee wee pad set up in the house just in case. He has not yet learned how to climb the baby gate so I guess that is a plus......I hope things turn around for you soon, I know how frustrating it can get. When you scold her does she give you that sweet, "how can you be mad at lil ol' me" look?...Good luck with the training, hang in there, and vent lots.....It does help.

[Yorkie3]

I have had pretty good luck so far with my furbabies. Even with the litter Emilee had in February. The new owners are quite impressed with their puppies potty habits. It may not work for everyone, but so far it has for me.

I have an x-pen. I fix it so it's large enough for a very small crate, water and food bowl and one or two pee pads. They (as puppies) have never gone in their crate, always on the pee pad. When I take them out to play, I have a pee pad in the same room. I sit on the floor to play and when I see them sniffing around, I gently put them on the pad. If they don't go, I let them play and keep watching for sniffing and then put them back on the pee pad. After a little while they go and I give them a treat, play for another 15-20 minutes and put her back in the pen. I usually get the treat before I let them out so I give it to them right when they stop pottying (I use Frosted Cheerios. It has worked for me so far. Emilee will be 3 in Dec., Joey will be 2 in July, Gidget is 15 months and Izzie is 12 weeks. All the older go on the pads, and Izzie, she's doing great, haven't had an accident in 7 days. No to say that there won't be accidents, she is still so much a baby, but with constant supervision when she is out of the x-pen and plenty of love and praise she is on her way to be pad trained.

[thornsberry]

i have been having the same problem with mt 4 1/2 month Rosey. She will pee on the pads if she is in a confined space or if i take her outside but she does not try and let me know. I just have to guess. I also bought the exercise pen and it worked GREAT for about 2 months but now she can jump right out of it.... good luck

[lisatodd]

i know i will get a lot of ugly replies regarding this but for me it worked. muffy was 4 months and still would not let me know when she had to go out. my friend's husband who used to raise german shephards was here visiting. muffy went to pee on the couch, john took muffy and rubbed her nose in it (i mean RUBBED) and spanked her...took her outside. from that moment on, muffy has never peed/pooped in the house since. when i got kirby, i did it......it only took two weeks for kirby. i know all states not to do this but it did work.

[Oscar's Mom]

You are facing a real challenge trying to potty train a baby when you are gone so much of the time. They learn by you showing them what to do and if you are gone most of the time, it may take them longer to get it. We were with Oscar 100% of the time because our job allowed that. He is outside trained and never had pee pads. Some yorkies catch on really fast and others take a little longer...some a LOT longer. I would get an X-pen...I think that is your best option. That way you can confine her and still seem to have some type of freedom. She is still very young also and where to potty has not sunk in yet. In the coming months she should gain more control and be able to hold it better, but with the hours you have to work, she will have to go potty in the house...training her where to go will take some time. Good luck.

[JeanieK]

Try putting the pads where she wants to go. I have pads in every room. You could also try keeping her leashed to you so you know every move she makes.

I can appreciate your dilemma. It's hard to keep them confined when you are home. Mine are confined to the kitchen most of the time. Otherwise I move the gates about so they are confined to the room that I am in. Like right now they are in the computer room with me and there are two pee pads in here.


You could also try stacking two babyy gates.

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by lisatodd

i know i will get a lot of ugly replies regarding this but for me it worked. muffy was 4 months and still would not let me know when she had to go out. my friend's husband who used to raise german shephards was here visiting. muffy went to pee on the couch, john took muffy and rubbed her nose in it (i mean RUBBED) and spanked her...took her outside. from that moment on, muffy has never peed/pooped in the house since. when i got kirby, i did it......it only took two weeks for kirby. i know all states not to do this but it did work.

The new theory of training puppies and children with no discipline and only positive reinforcement, does work. It just takes longer. I have not used discipline yet on my guys, but if they get so they are not learning, I won't be above trying it. We're not talking beating, we're talking firm discipline. All animals use it on their young.

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by thornsberry

i have been having the same problem with mt 4 1/2 month Rosey. She will pee on the pads if she is in a confined space or if i take her outside but she does not try and let me know. I just have to guess. I also bought the exercise pen and it worked GREAT for about 2 months but now she can jump right out of it.... good luck

I got the 3 foot tall one. They won't be jumping out of that for a while.