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Posts: 2
From:Ohio USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 06-16-2003 08:23 PM         

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I have an 8 wk old saint bernard pup. I started potty training immediately and she did really well and by the third day she was going to the door and whinning when she wanted out but about 4 days ago she stopped going to the door and has begun going on the floor. Even if she has been outside for an hour she will walk in the house and go on the floor. We have the door open so she can go in and out as needed and she will go out and then come in and do her business. We tried crate training which I hated to have her locked up but I tried it anyway and after 4 nights of no sleep because of none stop howling and whinning we had to stop using it. We take her food and water up at 6:30pm every night and she gets it back at 8am the next morning but it never fails that when we get up there is a little "present" on the floor. We take her outside all the way up till midnight but she still goes on the floor sometime during the night. What can we do?????

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Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 06-17-2003 04:08 AM         

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8 weeks old is very young...you probably are not going to get the consistency you are looking for just yet. Be patient, and be very consistent yourself. This will seem gross, but when she leaves a little "present" on the floor, pick it up and place it in your yard where you want her to go, she will associate that spot with her "potty spot" after a while. Anticipation is the key here. There are certain times a puppy will have to go even when she hasn't signaled that she might have to go. Those times are:
*when she wakes up from sleep or nap
*after she has eaten
*after she has been playing
*when she seems a little distracted and is sniffing

and of course if you catch her starting to go...scoop her up and immediately go to the potty spot in the yard. Do not punish her, or she will associate your approach with being punished and start to shy away from you. Once you are outside, you wait till she goes. Then praise, praise, praise- make a big huge deal out of it. Sometimes the wait will seem like forever, in reality it's usually within 5 minutes.( I also take mine out about every twenty to thirty minutes, most times they will go and it is an opportuntiy to praise and really get the message accross. Of course not everyone can do that, time wise, but if you can , it speeds things along.)

It is also important to erase the smell left in the house by using a product like Natures Miracle(an enzyme product), this does not cover up the smell but actually gets rid of it by disolving it.

Crate your puppy at night, the kennel should be large enough for her to comfortably lay down but no bigger than that. Dogs will not potty where they sleep. If the crate is too big, she'll potty at one end and sleep at the other. If she really really has to go in the night, you will know it - she'll make a huge fuss to get out and then you MUST get up and take her out, again praise once she has done her business. Then back in the house to the kennel. Later you will be able to let her sleep outside the kennel when the potty habits are established.
You mentioned being awake for four nights due to the fuss the pup makes. My husband and I have been thru this and what we have found is that if you put the kennel in your bedroom, so there is some comfort about where you are it helps. Next...and this is the tough one for my hubby...silence! Do not yell at the puppy to be quiet, don't whisper soothing things, just be quiet. Yes it will keep you awake for a while. But every time you say something to the puppy, I'll bet it gets louder and more insistent. Our pup finally figured out that we were not going to give in, he gave in out of exhaustion the first couple nights, after that the objection time got shorter and shorter until he would just accept that at bedtime thats where he was going to sleep. Kennel training is very important and you will be happy you provided it later...you have already set the precedent that whinning and hollering is going to get her out, trust me she did learn that...now you will have to pay the piper a bit more to get that lesson back, anticipation, persistence, consistency and patience. They will all reward you. Good luck with your new baby. Maisey

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Posts: 277
From:Nellis AFB, Nevada
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 06-17-2003 01:18 PM         

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Great advice from above! Hang in there with the crate training. I have two Huskies and have crate trained both. It does take a while but now my dogs love their crate and go there to chill out and even play in their crates. A young puppy like that needs to go out every few hours. To expect the puppy that young to hold it all night is not reasonable. I stopped getting up in the middle of the night with my puppy at around 6-7 months. Put a chew toy and a smallblanket or towel that smells like you will help. Follow the advice above from Maisey and you should do fine. It took a good week or so for my dogs to get comfortable.

[This message has been edited by Karriesue (edited 06-17-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Karriesue (edited 06-17-2003).]

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Registered: May 2003

posted 06-17-2003 08:26 PM         

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Great advice Maisey!

Keke, just hang in there, it will come together, some dogs take longer, some progress and then digress - totally normal....but sooner or later (even months later) housetraining is sucessful.

best of luck
Jas

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Posts: 2
From:Ohio USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 06-17-2003 09:46 PM         

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Ok tried her in the crate again last night and ended up with about 2 hours sleep. It is just a continous none stop whining and it gets louder and louder. I was almost in tears last night because I am just at my wits end. I love her very much but the whinning is really bad. And she doesn't only do it when she is in the crate. She does it when she is left alone in a room, she does it just sitting in the middle of the room and everyone is around. Right now she is sitting on my bed whinning. Nothing is wrong with her but she continues to whine. And she is still going potty in the house. She was outside for an hour and walked in the house and pooped right on the floor. I took her out this morning at 6:30 and she did her business (both number one and number two) and she laid in the grass for awhile and played with a stick and so on and then she walked over to the door and scratched to get in the house and we went in and she peed on the floor!!!! WHY!!!???
I am just going nuts with this.

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Posts: 277
From:Nellis AFB, Nevada
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 06-18-2003 01:04 AM         

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Please keep in mind she is 8 weeks old. She is just a little pup and just like a human baby! She needs lots of attention plus loads of praise when she does something right. Get a schedule and stick to it. Don't deter from the schedule at all. It will get her used to knowing what is expected of her. I have heard of people tying a leash around their waist and taking the dog from room to room with them. Do not leave her to roam the house freely. Put her in the crate if you leave the house or the room and cannot watch her. If she is in the crate, do not respond to her cries. Any attention, even negative will encourage more cries. Do not let her out of the crate when she is whining. Wait until a pause(the lengthier the better) in the whining comes around and then let her out with lots of praise. Did you get her from a breeder? Ask the breeder for advice. They also have dog behavior trainers in the phone book. Refering to a pro helps. Plus, books on puppy/dog training. Don't give up on her. It all takes time and patience. She will grow older and grow out of it! It is just like having a baby! I had a difficult time with my Husky for a couple of months while I was crate training and it does get better!

[This message has been edited by Karriesue (edited 06-18-2003).]

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Posts: 1591
From:NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 06-18-2003 11:41 PM         

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I understand your frustration and remember going through this with my dog. Unfortunatley, potty training does'nt happen overnight...and for best results you must be consistant. At 8wks old I beleive a puppy can not "hold it" for more than 3hours. One book I have recommends setting an alarm during the night and getting up every 3hrs in order to remain consistant and prevent unwanted accidents during the night....also increasing your puppies understanding of where he is supposed to go at a faster rate. Since you seem to be having so much trouble I highly recommend a book called "Potty Training is Possible!" which is available at Petsmart for about $5....it has great advice for new owners on both crate training and potty training. It took me about 2 months to completely housetrain my aussie mix. I found the book from Petsmart to be very helpful.
Good luck

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Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 06-19-2003 01:34 PM         

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I have to admit...with my Aussie mix, I got him at 9 weeks and he only had one accident in the house. He had never been in a house, and I really think he already had it in his head that you go potty ouside, we just praised the heck out of him each time he did. Our Catahoula pup took a bit more finesse, he was from a rescue and from day one had been going potty on newspaper in the house. I am home most hours in the day, and when I do leave 90% of the time they go with me. Having this schedule allowed me to put him outside every twenty to 30 minutes whether he asked or not. I know this is not possible for most people, and some of you are probably thinking I am nuts, but it worked and worked fast. In my experience, I have never had a puppy that young that held it for three hours while it had the option to go. If in a kennel...yes. But if they are out roaming around and they gotta go..they will. Getting a puppy is just like having a baby...they need your attention and patience. Take a deep breath, look at that adorable face and think about all the fun things you will be doing in the future with your dog. You will get through this I promise!

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