# Going backwards with puppy housetraining?!



## Sarah Jayne (Jun 3, 2012)

Rolo is 15 weeks old this week, when we first got him he peed and pooped everywhere, including in his crate. Then all of a sudden he started being really good and whining to come out his crate to do his stuff and he would use the puppy pads. Then he started peeing wherever he wanted again and only using the puppy pads for poops.

In the past couple of days he's been waking me up for the toilet again, so I've been taking him outside on the grass (we have a coachouse with only a front garden that isn't fenced in) and he's been happily doing his stuff outside. 

Today he did this at 5:30am, he absolutely flat refused to use his puppy pads, he ran back to his crate and started to pee in there, so I went and got him and brought him back to the puppy pads, nothing, he ran to his cushion in the front room and started to pee on that, so I gave in and took him outside in my dressing gown lol he did his stuff and I brought him back in, put him back in his crate and went back to bed (I get up at 6am to feed him) and about 2 seconds later he pooped in his crate!! He has done this pooping in the crate for the past 3 nights and I don't understand why, I walked him before I put him to bed and took him outside on the grass too.

He seems to be purposely doing it in his crate, I can take him out, stand out there for half an hour telling him to go toilet, he will do nothing and then I bring him back in and immediately he pees in the crate!

He gets loads of praise and a treat for doing it in the right place and he never gets told off for doing it in the wrong place.

What can I do? It's so frustrating


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## Mad4Muttz (Apr 11, 2012)

is his crate too big i have heard if you get a crate bigger than the dog he will pee and poo in there, a crate should only be big enough for him to turn around stand and lie down.

maybe if possible try and get him out in the morning as soon as he wakes up and straight after his meals, before bed after a long play or nap.

hope this helps a bit.

i will be putting my training to the test next week hopefully all goes to plan


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## Phoolf (Jun 13, 2012)

It sounds like he's confused. Do you want him peeing outside or inside? I don't think he really knows. This is why I personally don't like the idea of puppy pads, it can confuse the poor pup. I would recommend ditching the pads if possible otherwise it'll just be a lot harder to housetrain him. Take him outside and just wait him out, be more stubborn and treat him TONS when he does eventually go. Take a book and an umbrella or whatever, don't interact with him until he's gone to pee/poop and then play with him so he's earned a good time for going in the right spot.


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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

If this dog were mine I`d get rid of the crate as you seem to have trained him to use it to poop in. 
Go back to basics. Give the dog access to outside. Take him out or encourage him to go out as much as you can and praise when he performs in the right place. 
Confining a dog in a smaller space will not stop him defacating.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

I agree with Phoolf. You're confusing him and now he doesn't know where he's supposed to go.

Puppies do regress. I had a spell with my rescue pup peeing and pooing in her cage but she got over it. Time and patience is the key.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Sarah Jayne said:


> Rolo is 15 weeks old this week, when we first got him he peed and pooped everywhere, including in his crate. Then all of a sudden he started being really good and whining to come out his crate to do his stuff and he would use the puppy pads. Then he started peeing wherever he wanted again and only using the puppy pads for poops.
> 
> In the past couple of days he's been waking me up for the toilet again, so I've been taking him outside on the grass (we have a coachouse with only a front garden that isn't fenced in) and he's been happily doing his stuff outside.
> 
> ...


At 15 weeks he is still a bit to young to think for himself still. Sometimes also the problem is us, as soon as we think they have got it we become complacent and dont remind or take them out so often, so its easy once left to them for them to relapse. At his age they still need to toilet pretty often too.

I would ditch the puppy pads they are probably totally confusing the issue. They could well be acting as a cue that its OK to toilet in the house.

Personally I would go back to complete basics and a refresher course. Taking him out about every 45 minutes. When he starts use a cue word, eventually they associate the word with toileting and you can use it as a toilet cue. praise and treat when finished. You need to take out after drinking, eating, playing and sleeping too they usually need to go then. Make sure you clean up with a per odour remover smells left can encourage repeats. Look out for circling sniffing and scratching at the floor thats often a sign they are looking to go.

The theory behind the crate is that a pup will not soil his bed or surrounding area. Left in there too long and desperate they are left with no choice, it can then become a habit. Personally I would block the crate off and take him out for the toilet trips frequently. At night if he isnt within sight and sound of you when he wakes or stirs so can be taken out, I would perhaps set an alarm once or twice and pop him out that way, if he still cant go right through at the moment.

The more you take him out and praise and treat to re-enforce when he gets it right the easier it should get.


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## chichi (Apr 22, 2012)

Unfortunately some pups do regress. You just think you've got the toilet training under your belt and then the pup seems to lose the idea completely.

In this case, I would go back to basics .........taking the pup out first thing in the morning, after indoor play/exercise sessions and after eating and last thing at night - and then hourly between.

I personally don't believe in putting dogs in crates where they can barely move. I think they are ideal to keep a puppy safe when not being watched (say at night, etc but I always give my pups access to water and lots of toys and nylabones, so that it is a fun den not a prison) but as your puppy is displaying, if they need to poop/pee bad enough, they will do it where they have to and this probably causes them upset if they have to do it near where they sleep.

I agree with an earlier poster who said that the puppy is confused.

I train my pups to use puppy pads and the garden (if the patio door is open and they have access to the garden then that's where they do toilets but if the door is closed, there is a puppy pad they may use and do). Some people don't agree with this but it works well for me. However, as your puppy is confused, maybe take away the puppy pads and get him to do all toilet business outside. 

The puppy will get there. It's just a case of adjusting around his needs (some are quicker on the uptake than others). I have a 12 week old puppy here at the moment. Only started garden training her on Saturday and she has already grasped the 'garden or puppy pad' option. Other pups can take weeks to get there properly. I use a piece of kibble (from their daily food allowance) as a treat when they toilet in the correct place:wink: I find it speeds along the toilet training no end

Good luck :smile5:


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## tinaK (Jun 12, 2010)

Maybe the crate is too big. Daisy my 12 week old pup peed in her crate until I got a divider like this

Divider for Dog Cage By Petplanet x28Excluding Heavy Duty Extra Space Durable Cagesx29 Dog Cage Accessories for Sale

Also do you want the pup to be going in doors or out? If out, get rid of the pads as it only confuses the pup and lengthens the process.

It is frustrating. I have been in tears quite a few times with Daisy's training, but she is getting it now.


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## Sarah Jayne (Jun 3, 2012)

I want him to go outside of course, but as I said before we live in a coach house and I cant just put him outside I have to get him on his lead and take him out to our grass out the front, it is not fenced in.

When we first got him we had a small crate for him, but he would poo and pee right in the middle of his vetbed in the night and not tell us, and when we got up in the morning he would be covered in it! He has to have a crate, otherwise he will destroy our house, we don't have a kitchen to lock him in, our kitchen and living room is open plan, so his crate is in the spare bedroom (it is all on one floor). So now he has a nice big one. I don't believe you can have a crate too big, surely it is better for them to be able to move properly.

I do take him out first thing in the morning, I get him up at 6am, he gets his food, and immediately taken for a walk after that. I have to leave for work at 7:30am I am knackered as it is getting up at 6am and being woken up at 5am, I simply cannot get up any earlier than that.

I would love to get rid of the puppy pads, I don't want them on my kitchen floor, but he still poops on them, he only pees all over the place.

We do have special carpet cleaner for pet urine etc, and I clean his crate with F10.

His vetbed has been confiscated because he seemed to like to pee and poo on that more than anything. He just has a fleecy blanket now instead. He has loads of toys and a water dish in his crate too.

My other half works nights so he is home during the day, he gets home about 8:30-9am and gets Rolo out for toilet and then he goes to bed until 1pm and gets up again and gets Rolo out to play etc we used to feed him then too but have cut it down to feeding twice a day now.

He doesn't give any warning signs when he pees, he just squats and does it, no warning at all.


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## tinaK (Jun 12, 2010)

Sarah Jayne said:


> I want him to go outside of course, but as I said before we live in a coach house and I cant just put him outside I have to get him on his lead and take him out to our grass out the front, it is not fenced in
> .


I live in a first floor flat, and have go downstairs and put the lead on, and go out. It's harder work, but can be done  You just have to go out regularly. After play/food/sleep and every hour.


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## Sarah Jayne (Jun 3, 2012)

cloversmum said:


> I live in a first floor flat, and have go downstairs and put the lead on, and go out. It's harder work, but can be done  You just have to go out regularly. After play/food/sleep and every hour.


Yes I do that  got him a collar yesterday so he can wear it in the house so it's easier to get him out quickly rather than his harness

I got rid of the puppy pads too

He's only peed indoors a couple of times, in his crate and on his bed, he purposely ran to them to do it, he ran to his crate to poo actually but I distracted him grabbed him and ran him outside lol

He pooed in pets at home yesterday though, I felt awful!! He seems to have quite good control of his bladder now but not his bowels, he gives warning about a second before he does it lol


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## Phoolf (Jun 13, 2012)

Sarah Jayne said:


> Yes I do that  got him a collar yesterday so he can wear it in the house so it's easier to get him out quickly rather than his harness
> 
> I got rid of the puppy pads too
> 
> ...


Sounds like you're making progress. Keep it up! As for pets at home they don't mind too much esepcially when he's only a pup.


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