Okay, I need help

[heartsong12]

I love my furbaby so it is hard to amitted she is not perfect, but...
She is 14 months old and still will poop in the house. Every once in a while she will pee but that is if I don't take her out every 2 hours.

Normally on weekdays she is crated all day. I take her out first thing in the morning and first thing when I get home. Then about 8 pm and again right before bed. Weekdays are normally not a problem. But she has started poop about once a week in the mornings after I have taken her out (she has already pooped once) and after she has eaten breakfast. About 15 mins. later. Normally when I am taking my shower.

But what really is a problem is the weekends. Most every weekend she poops in the apartment. When I first got her I would scold her, but the the trainer said not to do that. Then I would just take her out right after (so she would to go outside??) She just looks at me like I am silly. She knows she already went potty. Now I just clean it up and give her a time out. This has helped the most but she still is not completly trained. ARG! The vet. says phyically she fine. She will not tell me she needs to go out. I just take her. And she know not to go inside because as soon as I walk in the room after she has gone she will walk over to her time out area and sit. She trained for time out, but not to let me know.
Sorry this is so long, but the vet and trainer say there is nothing else for me to do but be consistant.

 

[gmacleod]

Well, I'd say that your girl actually needs to go more frequently than she is currently being given the opportunity to (outside, that is).

During the week, when she's pooping a second time after breakfast - well, how about crating her while you're in the shower, then taking her back outside to let her go a second time? It's clear that she needs to. Lots of dogs, and especially puppies, do.

As for the weekends - well, if she needs to go out every couple of hours, then take her. It is only through consistency in always going outside that she'll learn not to go inside the house. You could think of bell training her if you want her to tell you when she needs to go (just do a search). I understand that she's not going in her crate - but that doesn't mean that she isn't feeling the need to go, it just means that she will hold on rather than have to sit in her own mess all day. Well, when she isn't crated, obviously the need to 'go' is greater than her desire not to use the floor. You can fix that by giving her sufficient opportunity to relieve herself in the right place

 

[Evie&Adam]

This is how my Adam is. He goes out for both #1 and #2 at 530 am (yeah early i know! LOL) then again after our walk in the morning. Try to adjust your morning schedule so she gets outside at least twice before you crate her and each time encourage her to go potty.

 

[heartsong12]

I do try to take her out again before I leave, she tries but normally won't go again. I could try crating her while I feed her (again I shower while she eats). I just don't like crating her anymore than I have to. She will go in her crate on her own when she is loose in the apartment. She is so sweet. My sister says that is is bad. SHE IS NOT. I just have not taught her in a way the she understand all of the rules. As far as after exerise, when is she not.

 

[maggie7925]

have you tried bell training??

We started Madison on using the bell when she was about 8 weeks old. She is 18 weeks now and hasn't had an accident in the house in a couple of weeks now. And the before that it happened about once a week but it was our fault we didn't listen to her... She does abuse the bell when she gets bored and wants to go out and play.

 

[Anna Begins]

Try to note how long after eating does she potty. I had to adjust my showering schedule in the morning because of Luka. He needs to go about 45 min after eating. I can't tell you how great it is to get out of the shower and not smell #2. I was taking him out too early- I'd take him out immdietly after eating and it was just too early for him. I started looking at the clock when I was in the shower (when I'd smell #2) and it was about 45 mins after. Now we never have a #2 accident in the house, I just time him :D
Luka (4 months) doesn't do anything like go to the door to tell me he needs to go- but he does start sniffing around. So try to notice your furbaby's behavior before she needs to go.
I also take Luka on a 15-20 min walk after his potty- sometimes he does have to go again by the time we get back. We begin and end every walk stopping at his bathroom area. This way he is "emptied out" by the time I need to get into the shower.
I'm surprised you keep her in the crate all day. Do you have a dog walker?

 

[heartsong12]

I normally take her out 30 mins after she eats. But she is pooping right after she eat. And she is trained to go potty on command. Which I give her right before we come back in. I do not have a dog walker, but I work 5 mins. from work. And when I can I do go home and let her out at lunch. Some days I just don't get a lunch. I also have one neighbor that lets her out when I can't get home right after work. I cat sit for her and she walks my furbaby.
Normally she will give me clues and I take her out immediatly, but there are those time she gives no indication untill she squats, if I don't see her ( she will go around to corner) she will do the deed.

One of the things I try to do is to be aware of where she is at. But just like childern it only take a second.

 

[kassa]

First, I'd start writing everything down. Dogs sometimes don't follow the guidebooks. If you ever raise two pups simultaneously, you'll see how completely different their toilet habits will be (often with no resemblence to the after eating/sleeping/playing rule). As a guideline, it's a good one. But one dog will need to go 35 seconds after eating/waking up/stopping playing, and another won't have to go for 10 minutes. A third will go at 12 minutes and 15 minutes.

What you may have is a "double pooper." Some dogs just split it up, minutes apart. I know at shows when I'm being kennel help, I have to know which dogs are double poopers, because if they have one bowel movement, they still aren't done! I need to make sure they go a second time, because otherwise that second time could be in the ring!

If you keep a careful record you'll probably find a pattern. On weekends, this may mean going out every 4 minutes for 2 hours. It's worth the effort to avoid mistakes and give her the opportunity to get it right. It's hard to know what they think, but she may have reached the conclusion that first you go outside, then you go the second time inside. And that means she's going to hold it once she's gone the first time outside, because for whatever reason she thinks it's expected that she go inside. Not the lesson you thought you were teaching, but the one she learned!

I'd shake up the morning routine a little. Try feeding her in the bathroom with you while you shower -- you get your shower done while she eats, and you can rush out with her afterward. Breaking up whatever wrong assumptions she has made will speed progress. But the most important step is tracking precisely when she needs to go (in relation to food/water/time on the clock) and seeing if there's a pattern that you can capitalize on.

I assume she's being let out at mid-day?

 

[heartsong12]

Yes, most days, Diabla is let out mid day. Sometimes (probally about once every two weeks she has to wait)

 

[emma'sdad]

I think that you've got the right idea, after she walks and goes outside, place her back in her create until you've finished getting ready, then immediately take her out to where she goes. After doing this for a while it will unlearn the negative behavior.

Good luck

LeRay