Outside Inside Outside Inside!!
 

I know there have been 1000000 posts on potty training here, but I have a little bit different of a dilemma. Millie is 3 lbs, so we do not let her go outside by herself because we are scared a hawk or something will get her. She has never been 100% potty trained, but lately has regressed even worse. She CONSTANTLY wants to go outside, way more than she has to use the bathroom, so we stopped taking her out every 5 seconds. So now she is using the bathroom in the house. We are still taking her out PLENTY. But half of the time when we take her out, she doesn't even go. She just wants to be outside! It's so frustrating because my husband and I are very busy, and then we have to wait outside for 5 minutes while she uses the bathroom or either she just sniffs and runs around! I was wondering any other techniques or routines you guys have out there?? We lay the puppy pads out sometimes, but to be honest it's not vey pretty to see them laying around everywhere! She wants to be outside all the time and that's just not an option for us because I would be too worried about something getting her. She just turned two on Sunday, so she is definitely out of the puppy stage. Thanks!

First of all you need to decide what you are doing with the potty pads- if you want to use them, she should have access to one in the house all the time, if you don't want to use them then you need to stop putting them out altogether. You are confusing her, big time. If it is just a matter of looks, why not lay the pad in the bathroom, laundry room, or some other out of the way place.

Now when you take her out, you need to stay outside with her until she goes- in the same place, don't let her walk around and play. She should only be allowed back in after she has done what she needs to do.

It sounds like she is just confused and lacks consistency.

I think you misunderstood my post. She wants to go out EVERY 5 MINUTES! We tried the puppy pads at one point, but really wanted her to be outdoor potty trained. For a while, we took her out every single time she went to the door, but it has gotten out of hand. So we stopped taking her out every 5 minutes, and just take her out at reasonable intervals. But she still manages to use the bathroom inside. When we were going outside every time she would scratch at the door, of course sometimes she wouldn't go to the bathroom because she had just been! We can't devote our entire day to waiting outside of her to have to go again- I'm a medical student and my husband is an accountant! We are at a lost of what to do..it's so hard to judge when she really needs to potty or when she is just trying to go play outside. So frustrating! But thank you for the advice; I agree that trying to train her both ways at the same time is inconsistent.

Frankly, I use both the pads and outside. My gizmo is 4-1/2 and 10 pounds, and is never allowed outside un-supervised. I keep one potty pad out, it is located in my private restroom off of my bedroom. He goes in the middle of the night sometimes and will use the pad, and on rainy or cold days I will tell him..go potty on the pad. When we get up in the morning he stays on my bed,as he cannot get down by himself, so the minute I take him off the bed, I will say lets go outside and potty, he will run straight to the door, once outside I tell him..go potty, and if he starts to roam or sniff, I say no, no, gizmo go potty...at which time he goes potty on his favorite bush and runs back on the porch to come inside. On nice days, I take him out every couple of hours and say go potty, and we come right back inside. He even poops around the same time each day. I will say lets go outside and poop...and he runs to the door.

Please beleive me, it took a long time to get him on a semi schedule, and every now and then when he has to poop inside, he will start off on the pad, but he likes to spin around and duck walk when he poops, so I just follow the trail with my tissue and resolve and try not to laugh.


Hope this helps, it works well for me:D;)

You could try bell training with "Poochie Bells". I am currently using them for Marley. Hang them on the door knob and when you want to bring her outside to potty, take her paw and push the bells with it while saying, "Outside. Let's go potty!" And be sure to give plenty of praise. Let her go outside ONLY to go potty. After she has gone come back in. After consistent use of this she should know to ring the bells only when she has to go.

Good luck!

Is there anything to use besides bells? I tried that and the cats brush up against them all night and it wakes me up!

Did you crate train? You may have to resort back to putting her in crate when she doesn't go potty outside.

I think training for using both pads and outside will be the best bet specially if she likes to go every 5 minutes

Do you walk her daily? It does sound like she's a little confused as has been said, but as far as wanting to go outside every 5 minutes, maybe you're not giving her enough time to play out there aside from pottying.

Here's what I'd do - take her out at regular intervals to potty, stay out there until she does, then give her a few minutes to play/explore out there as a reward for going. If she likes being out there but learns that as soon as she eliminates, she'll have to go back inside, she could be holding it to stay out there longer and then since she doesn't go, she can't hold it once back in the house.

The other thing I think is important is to start a routine with her where about twice a day (when you have the most time to devote to her), let her play outside for a good half an hour and/or go for a walk. That way, she'll get her fill of exploring the outside and you can refocus the standard housebreaking techniques for the shorter "potty breaks". If she's not getting enough "outside time" just for play, then she will keep bugging you to go out and housbreaking will become very confusing for her. If she's had that fun time and you are sure she's peed and pooed recently but still bugs you to go out, don't take her, distract her with toys or play or affection instead.

I know alot of people swear by the "bell technique", but I won't use one for this exact reason -even if my dogs have gone for a two hour walk and have just gone to the bathroom, they'd still ring that bell constantly. If I let my dogs go in and out every five minutes, they'd gladly do it whether they had to potty or not. At least one daily walk and one more half hour spent outside with them (weather permiting) and a few short potty breaks inbetween, and they have no reason to "alert" me that they have to go, they have plently of opportunities. I do use piddle pads for 6 month old Alice for right now since she can't "hold it" yet as well as the bigger dogs and has to pee much more frequently, but she's learning the "routine" and using them a little less.