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Originally Posted by Kim1971  My Bella is 8 almost 9 months old and I can not for the life of me get her housebroken. I will NOT use potty pads, newspapers etc. Its my belief that a dog should potty outside and only outside. I can leave her outside for several minutes sometimes up to an hr on nice days and within 5-10 minutes of being inside she will potty. I do watch her for clues and rush her outside and praise her when she potties outside but I do work full time and am not always home with her and when that occurs she is in the kennel. I can not keep her confinded to just where I can see her as I have a very open floor plan the only walls/doors being to bathrooms and bedrooms. I just dont know what else to do, Im lost I keep promising my finacee that she will house break and he is steadfast that she never will and hates her with a passion as a result. Please help me. |
Sorry that you are having such a hard time with potty training. My first question is, do you have a set feeding schedule? The reason I ask this is that usually, puppies tend to potty after eating. Maybe you could try to take her out prior to eating for a few moments, come back in and feed her. Wait about 5 minutes and then take her back out for a little bit longer until she does her business, then bring her back inside.
I would maybe, bring her back inside after each time she's done her business so she will know that this is what you expect of her outside. Are you treating and/or praising when she is going outside? This will go a long way in her training. Also, hopefully she is not being disciplined when she does go inside.
The other thing you should probably considering is getting an expen to confine her. Since you do work full time, you may want to consider potty pads. It's way too much to expect a puppy to hold it for hours. Even with a potty pad, there is no guarantee she will use it at first but at least it will be a start. She will learn that it is acceptable to go in a certain spot. If you do not want to invest in an expen, try gating her off in the kitchen or bathroom. Or trying tethering her to you while you are inside. This way if she wanders to find a spot, you will know and be able to take her outside or put her on a pad.
You will need to make some concessions to help her train. She's just a puppy and doing what comes natural and what she knows to do. Patience, consistenancy and diligence are the key things to have when potty training.
And if I were you, I'd send the boyfriend outside while keep your baby inside.
Good luck! Here is a picture of my expen. I originally kept, crate, potty pad and food and water in it. Now they have their beds and potty pad in it.