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Old 06-02-2007, 07:30 PM   #35
Gingergirlsmom
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Pennsylvania
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mistyinca View Post
I can spot a few things going wrong just from your post alone...

First, If your house is "smelling like s**t" that is a big problem right there. You need to erase the poop and pee when it happens, or it is a marker telling your dog that that is the place to potty. Get yourself some neutralizer. Petsmart sells one called "Nature's miracle". Follow the directions and immediately clean up the mistake.

Second, if you take her outside, are you standing with her and watching to see if she goes? If no, put her on a leash. STand out there and say "go pee pee" and you wait until it happens. If yes, then make her do it a second time.

Third, you say she comes right in and pees right in front of you. If the second thing I pointed out doesn't take care of it. You startle her while she's peeing. Your purpose is NOT--I repeat--NOT to stop that instance of peeing from hitting your floor (too late for that at that moment) but it is to tell her that what she is doing right there is WRONG. So clap at her or rattle a can or shout "NO!" when she pees right in front of you; IMMEDIATELY take her outside, put her on the grass (on the leash) and tell her go pee pee. Don't let her come back in until she does it. Then praise. At this point, if she pees outside, forget the bad that happened in the house. Praise praise praise that she peed outside--even if some pee happened in the house. And clean up and neutralize the pee that happened.

Fourth. Never let her be out of your sight. Put her in the crate when you can't be watching her--with CLEAN bedding all the time. Don't let her get comfortable if peeing in her crate is a problem. Keep it clean so she begins to prefer it clean. Dogs by nature do not like to sleep or eat where the potty.

Finally, start scheduling potty breaks. If every two hours isn't keeping potty off the floor, go every hour. It will get better eventually, but you have to be consistent, and you have to be on it.

Great advice. Ginger goes potty on command outside and it's a lifesaver.

As for keeping the crate clean, here's what we did.

Gather up all your old used towels (or buy cheap ones at dollar general), so that you have several (enough to change everytime she pees in the crate for a day) and use as bedding. They are absorbent, go into the wash and clean up nicely, etc.

Also, use a neutralizer to scrub out the crate each time, and I bleached my towels when I washed them to make sure the smell was gone.

Make certain her crate is the right size, enough room to sit up, turn around and lay down, and that's it...for potty training they need little crates.

Good luck
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