# Bichon Frise House-Breaking - HELP PLEASE



## flashfrise (Mar 27, 2013)

Hi Guys, 

I am new at this so am hoping you all expert dog lovers can help me out here.

I have had a Bichon Frise puppy (8 months old) for about 2 months now and having difficulty house-breaking him. I am following a rigid schedule however there has been no progress. Below is what I am doing:

His living Area: 
Crate, Poo/pee Pad and His food area. We keep him in a laundry room with a baby door. 

His routine: 

2300 - 0700 He sleeps in his crate
0700 - 0800 - He does his business in his pee pad which is in his room and then taken out of his room to roam the house
0800 - He gets his food and does his business immediately on his pee pad. After that he is taken out of his room. 
0900 - 1300 He is given the roam of the house to spend time with my mom while I am at work. 
1300 - 1700LT He is kept in his crate to take the afternoon nap. 
1730LT - 1800LT He is out of his crate but still in his room to do his busines on his pee pad. 
1900LT - He gets his dinner and then immediately does his business on his pad. 
1900-2300LT - He gets to spend time with us, play, go for a walk (While walking he might do his business outside) 
2300LT - He is put into his crate to go to sleep. 

His problem.

He does his business on anything that is soft and has a cushion. He has done it on every single mat/carpet in the house, so we have no mats no carpets we keep in the house. He has done it on our soft couch as well. the only place he has left is our beds. He even did it on his own bed, so the crate has nothing but his toys as we are afraid that he will do it again. We have bought him 2 beds till now and every time he never fails to do it on the new bed! 
Yesterday he did it in the kitchen on a hard surface. Today morning before i fed him he did it infront of the bathroom door on hard surface. 
Even though we have been following this schedule for the past two weeks, he has been having accidents in the house almost every day.

Are we doing something wrong here? we have a baby on the way and will really need to sort this out.

Thanks guys for your expert opinions.


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2013)

The pee pad is the problem IMO. Your puppy hasn't realised that he can ONLY pee on his pee pad - he thinks that he is allowed to pee on soft things because that's what the pee pad is in essence. Just re-read and saw you said he sometimes does it on the hard floor too. I'd say he simply doesn't understand that he's not allowed to pee in the house - after all, he's allowed to pee on the pee pads and they're in the house.

Is there a reason why you are using a pee pad rather than taking him outside to toilet?


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## flashfrise (Mar 27, 2013)

Thanks McKenzie

we live in a high rise so its rather difficult to take him out on a regular basis. Especially because my mom is aged and cant take him out during the day! 

When ever he is in his room and its time to go he does it on his pee pad, but he only does it on the corners so that he can spill some outside.


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

I agree with McKenzie it's the going indoors that is probably confusing him.
But as you don't really have an outdoor area then how about something like this - a bit pricey but possibly worth it?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/DOG-RASCAL-COMPANY-DRAGONS/dp/B0035200UK/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1364377291&sr=8-11

Does he have access to his room and the Pad all day?

I would also increase the times he is taken to his Pad - personally I would take him to his pad on lead, no fuss, just say a cue word such as 'busy' or 'Pad' or 'toilet' choose a word that suits you, then a fuss and reward once he 'goes'. Do this EVERY HOUR at first PLUS everytime he wakes, finishes eating, has a drink, stops play or shows any sign of needing to go such as circling and sniffing.
Once you've got it 100% extend the times to 11 /2 hours PLUS the extra times then 2 hours etc.

I would also take him outside for a walk every morning before you go to work to help him toilet more regularly - my Bichon needs a little walk to get her bowels moving

Good Luck


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## flashfrise (Mar 27, 2013)

Fleur said:


> I agree with McKenzie it's the going indoors that is probably confusing him.
> But as you don't really have an outdoor area then how about something like this - a bit pricey but possibly worth it?
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/DOG-RASCAL-COMPANY-DRAGONS/dp/B0035200UK/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1364377291&sr=8-11
> 
> ...


Thanks Fleur,

Yes he does have access to his Pad all day.

Why does he do it on soft things though if it is going home that is an issue?

Also, will this thing really help if i invest in it?

thanks


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

flashfrise said:


> Thanks Fleur,
> 
> Yes he does have access to his Pad all day.
> 
> ...


At the moment he knows it's OK to go indoors he can't make a definition between the Pad and the rest of the house - my Girl will only wee on grass, I think they prefer soft things to wee on it perhaps it's because soaks up the wee and stops it getting on thier feet 
Training to go indoors is really hard for dogs - they like a definate line between where they can go and where they live if they don't have one it gets confusing for them.
I've no idea if the indoor toilet would help - it might as it has sides so no spilling over the edge and it may give him a bit more definition to where is for toileting.
I would physiacally take him to his pad more often - also dogs don't like to toilet where they sleep so maybe the pad is too close to his bed?

Can I just say I'm no expert in toilet training or dog psycology though - just a pet owner who's muddled on through 

Hope you can get things sorted, I always say my dogs don't have accidents I'm the one who makes the mistake for not watching them and helping them go in the right place


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## flashfrise (Mar 27, 2013)

thanks again.

We have a decent size balcony. But i am currently living in Dubai so it gets super hot.

What do you think about making his potty area in the balcony and building something that will always cover the area where he does his business so it remains shaded? 

will he then be able to distinguish this as his area to do business?


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

flashfrise said:


> thanks again.
> 
> We have a decent size balcony. But i am currently living in Dubai so it gets super hot.
> 
> ...


A friend of mine succesfully toilet trained their dog using their balcony - just make sure it is super secure (nothing to climb up on and fall off the balcony - my Bichon can climb anything, if a box or chair is left out she can get up onto the kitchen sides or dinningroom table) and a shaded area would be needed somewhere so hot, then it would be acase of training him to go out and hopefully he'll get the hang of sitting by the door to wait to go out. 
Whatever you decide you need to take him there as often as you can on lead no fuss say a cue waord and then mega praise and fuss when he gets it right.
And clean anything he's wee'd on with biological washing powder to remove any traces of his urine, if he can smell it then he'll go there again.


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## flashfrise (Mar 27, 2013)

Thanks all for the input! 

Now i have another issue. He has been having accident every day now.
The day before he did his business on our leather sofa, yesterday he did it on our marble floor which is neither soft nor absorbent. He is also doing it in his own room, but not on his pads but on marble floors. So now i believe he is in the process of making the whole house his potty paradise! 

I am thinking of making him a nice astroturf potty area in the balcony to disassociate him with being OK to do his business at home???


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## Lavenderb (Jan 27, 2009)

I've got a shih tzu x bichon and they can be stubborn to housetrain but I found putting her out every 30 minutes and using keywords such as wee wee or poopsie  helps. At 7 months she is housetrained and gives off clear signals she wants to go outside, such as wandering, staring at me and waiting by the back door. Stay consistent, I've found she likes a routine.


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## flashfrise (Mar 27, 2013)

thanks Lavenderb

I have been on routine with him. but now i am confused and lost! 

He does things out of routine which i dont understand.

Like he will poo 2 hrs after he has done it already. So cant understand his logic.


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## Lavenderb (Jan 27, 2009)

flashfrise said:


> thanks Lavenderb
> 
> I have been on routine with him. but now i am confused and lost!
> 
> ...


How often are you feeding him and what are you feeding?


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## flashfrise (Mar 27, 2013)

Feeding him Pedigree for young dogs.

Once at 7AM and once at 7 PM as per VET.


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