[HarrisFamily]

Hello,

I got Abby when she was almost a year old, she's always been very timid. If you just look at her she'll start shivering and shaking and run and hide. I suspect that she was abused in her past.

Almost every time I take her outside she just shivers and shakes and tries to run back toward the house. I've had her for a few months now, she's had plenty of time to settle in. She had been using potty pads pretty well, so I just let her stay inside, but now she's missing the pads and peeing and pooping on an old couch of ours that's off in a corner. We just discovered the couch, so we've got to do something about her potty training. So we've decided to cut out the potty pads and try to get her to go outside only.

I started crating her, I just put a pee pad down in the crate with her food so she's not laying on the plastic. I leave her in the crate all night, and during the day while I'm at work. I come home at noon for an hour for lunch.

She pees at night in the crate, I change the pad and take her out in the morning, but she won't potty. I come home at noon and she's held it all day, but won't go outside. Then she potties again between noon and 5. I wonder if the potty pad is confusing her so she thinks she needs to pee on it? Should I just use a towel instead? I thought the potty pads would be nice so I could throw it away if she had an accident.

She pees on the pad and then wads it up in a ball in the corner. Should I put her in a smaller crate where she can't get away from it to try to teach her not to potty in the cage.

I've never had to crate train before, my boys love to pee outside, I've never had a problem with getting one to want to go outside before!

She peed outside tonight, I make sure to praise her and give her treats when she goes outside. She loves treats, and I've actually cut out all treats except after she goes outside, so maybe she'll put the two together soon.

Does anyone have any ideas or advice? I would appreciate any!

Whitney