Grrr...HELP! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

coroth · 12-21-2007, 06:13 AM

I feel so dumb for asking, since I've done it before but I seem to have lost my knack after 7 years.

I cannot potty train Lexie for the life of me! She pees if you bring her outside, but she won't tell you when she has to go and she isn't going in one spot even so we can't watch for if she starts sniffing in one particular spot. I'm totally miffed on what to do! Beau potty trained himself by going outside with our other dog, and he would just pee over the spot our old dog would pee but Lexie doesn't mark so that doesn't work this time around! My mom is starting to stress out because I have to go back to school on January 14th and we were hoping to have her MOSTLY potty trained by then. When we had Beau he was fully potty trained after a week and a half.

If I take her out every 30 minutes she will go, but she doesn't act like she has to go until it is too late. I can't watch for her to start sniffing because she is CONSTANTLY sniffing around. She will be playing like nuts, then all of a sudden she will squat, pee, then run around again. There is no warning until it’s over.
We were told she was pee pad trained so we have pee pads all over thinking that if she has to pee, she will use them. Well that isn't how it works. She will SLEEP on them, but not pee. She will pee on my mom's area rugs or our carpeting. (Occasionally on the hardwood too.) Beau acts differently before he has to pee, but Lexie doesn't. What am I doing wrong or not doing at all?!?

Erin · 12-21-2007, 06:30 AM

Did you try a bell?? Sammy was difficult like this but she DID catch on after about 6 months or so. Mine ring a "tell bell" - I have them on my website if you need one. I feel like a butler, but at least they tell me they need to go!

coroth · 12-21-2007, 06:44 AM

How do you teach them how to use it? That would be really nice...

Erin · 12-21-2007, 07:13 AM

Well, Loki caught on faster than Sam. Basically, whenever I took them out AND any time they went near the door, I would take their paw and ring the bell with it (and get all happy!) and say OUTSIDE! and immediately open the door, let them out and run out there with a treat! The key is repetition. Get into a routine. Loki was ringing the bell within a week, and he stopped having accidents as soon as we got the bell because he had been trying to tell us he just didn't know how. Sam on the other hand was more like Lexie, she would just pee anywhere. It took her a month or two to catch on, but then one day she just started ringing it and she has been since. We threw a little "Sam rang the bell!!!" party. Now she rings it for water and attention too, but as long as she rings it rather than peeing on the floor, it's OK. The way to cut down on the ringing for everything is that when they ring the bell, you send them outside. Every time. Even if they just went out. They learn that bell=potty outside ONLY!

The Tell Bell that I sell actually comes with a training DVD (a low budget, lame, hilarious training DVD) but it does explain what to do.

Also, I would suggest removing the pee pads if you are serious about training them to go outside. Mine go outside all year long and we live in Chicago. Really, you can do it!! Oh and Sammy came to us not trained at almost 1 year old and she is trained now, so it's possible!!!

coroth · 12-21-2007, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin

Well, Loki caught on faster than Sam. Basically, whenever I took them out AND any time they went near the door, I would take their paw and ring the bell with it (and get all happy!) and say OUTSIDE! and immediately open the door, let them out and run out there with a treat! The key is repetition. Get into a routine. Loki was ringing the bell within a week, and he stopped having accidents as soon as we got the bell because he had been trying to tell us he just didn't know how. Sam on the other hand was more like Lexie, she would just pee anywhere. It took her a month or two to catch on, but then one day she just started ringing it and she has been since. We threw a little "Sam rang the bell!!!" party. Now she rings it for water and attention too, but as long as she rings it rather than peeing on the floor, it's OK. The way to cut down on the ringing for everything is that when they ring the bell, you send them outside. Every time. Even if they just went out. They learn that bell=potty outside ONLY!

The Tell Bell that I sell actually comes with a training DVD (a low budget, lame, hilarious training DVD) but it does explain what to do.

Also, I would suggest removing the pee pads if you are serious about training them to go outside. Mine go outside all year long and we live in Chicago. Really, you can do it!! Oh and Sammy came to us not trained at almost 1 year old and she is trained now, so it's possible!!!

thank you!

12-21-2007, 06:13 AM	#1
coroth Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upper Michigan Posts: 609	Grrr...HELP! I feel so dumb for asking, since I've done it before but I seem to have lost my knack after 7 years. I cannot potty train Lexie for the life of me! She pees if you bring her outside, but she won't tell you when she has to go and she isn't going in one spot even so we can't watch for if she starts sniffing in one particular spot. I'm totally miffed on what to do! Beau potty trained himself by going outside with our other dog, and he would just pee over the spot our old dog would pee but Lexie doesn't mark so that doesn't work this time around! My mom is starting to stress out because I have to go back to school on January 14th and we were hoping to have her MOSTLY potty trained by then. When we had Beau he was fully potty trained after a week and a half. If I take her out every 30 minutes she will go, but she doesn't act like she has to go until it is too late. I can't watch for her to start sniffing because she is CONSTANTLY sniffing around. She will be playing like nuts, then all of a sudden she will squat, pee, then run around again. There is no warning until it’s over. We were told she was pee pad trained so we have pee pads all over thinking that if she has to pee, she will use them. Well that isn't how it works. She will SLEEP on them, but not pee. She will pee on my mom's area rugs or our carpeting. (Occasionally on the hardwood too.) Beau acts differently before he has to pee, but Lexie doesn't. What am I doing wrong or not doing at all?!? __________________ Courtney Lexie Lou-Who, queen of the world (or so she thinks...) Paisley Joesph, biggest yorkie wanna-be there is!!!

12-21-2007, 06:44 AM	#3
coroth Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upper Michigan Posts: 609	How do you teach them how to use it? That would be really nice... __________________ Courtney Lexie Lou-Who, queen of the world (or so she thinks...) Paisley Joesph, biggest yorkie wanna-be there is!!!

12-21-2007, 07:13 AM	#4
Erin Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 3,227	Well, Loki caught on faster than Sam. Basically, whenever I took them out AND any time they went near the door, I would take their paw and ring the bell with it (and get all happy!) and say OUTSIDE! and immediately open the door, let them out and run out there with a treat! The key is repetition. Get into a routine. Loki was ringing the bell within a week, and he stopped having accidents as soon as we got the bell because he had been trying to tell us he just didn't know how. Sam on the other hand was more like Lexie, she would just pee anywhere. It took her a month or two to catch on, but then one day she just started ringing it and she has been since. We threw a little "Sam rang the bell!!!" party. Now she rings it for water and attention too, but as long as she rings it rather than peeing on the floor, it's OK. The way to cut down on the ringing for everything is that when they ring the bell, you send them outside. Every time. Even if they just went out. They learn that bell=potty outside ONLY! The Tell Bell that I sell actually comes with a training DVD (a low budget, lame, hilarious training DVD) but it does explain what to do. Also, I would suggest removing the pee pads if you are serious about training them to go outside. Mine go outside all year long and we live in Chicago. Really, you can do it!! Oh and Sammy came to us not trained at almost 1 year old and she is trained now, so it's possible!!! Last edited by Erin; 12-21-2007 at 07:15 AM.

12-21-2007, 06:30 AM	#2
Erin Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 3,227	Did you try a bell?? Sammy was difficult like this but she DID catch on after about 6 months or so. Mine ring a "tell bell" - I have them on my website if you need one. I feel like a butler, but at least they tell me they need to go!