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Originally Posted by Bailey's Peeps Well, I'm going to keep reading this thread - watching for someone to come up with a magical, trouble-free, sure-fire answer to the housebreaking problem. I could certainly use one!
I'm far more patient with Bailey than my wife is, and there are days that I want to shake her! Like that could ever happen - one look at that little face and I melt. When we first brought Bailey home, I tried the puppy pads. She completely ignored them. I really thought they'd be a good long-term solution because I don't know how we're going to handle outdoor potty trips in the middle of a thunderstorm or when the temperature is in the 20's, etc. But they clearly aren't going to work.
The standard procedures - a firm "NO" and a hurried trip outside when we catch her about to go, frequent trips outside, command cues ("go potty"), praise as soon as she starts peeing or pooping ("good girl, good potty"), rewards (treats) and restrictions (going bact to the crate for a while when we're confident she should have to go but doesn't do it) are producing irregular results. And we don't switch around - we do all of them all of the time. Sometimes she'll do well for a day or two, then she will seem just defiant about not wanting to do what we want done. She'll spend 15-30 minutes outside and do nothing except chew on the grass and try to dig a hole, then pee within seconds of coming inside.
I keep reminding myself she's a baby (12 weeks), and keep looking forward to that day when it all comes together for her. Sure hope it's soon. |
Don't worry it will all come together soon!!! Just takes alot of time and patience. Don't keep her outside for more than 10 minutes, if you keep her out longer she will forget what she is suppose to do and will just play and do anything and everything else. I take mine out to go, give them their command and wait 10 minutes. If they don't go, I pick them up and they go straight back into their crate, without touching the floor so they don't have an opportunity to go on the carpet. And in 10 minutes I'll try again and keep repeating until they go, I don't give them even a second on the floor until they go. Then if they go, I will praise them and give them what they want most, play time, a walk, whatever it is. A walk seems to be great, they love going on walks so it is a huge reward for going to the bathroom. They know that they don't get to play or go on walks until they go. Keeping track of their bathroom habits helps alot too. It will take a few days or even a week to determine this. If you feed them the same time every day, take them out the same time every day, you will see how often they have to go and how long they can hold it and how many times they do both pee and poop or do just one of them. It can be frustrating, but it is alot of work and it all pays off in the end!!!