More Potty Help!

[ccbloom 1]

Well, Frankie has been doing pretty well. I take him out every 2 hrs when we're home during the day or whenever I see him start to sniff/circle/run, and we were being pretty successful with going potty outside. He's been able to stay in his crate for about 6 hrs each night without an accident, and he's been going pee first thing in the morning when I take him out (which had been a problem last week).

Yesterday, I caught him peeing in the house twice, even though we had just been out! No, he didn't pee either of these times, but we stayed out for a good 5-10 minutes each time, he sniffed around and then ran to the door to go back in. Within 15 minutes, he was peeing on the floor. This morning I took him out first thing, he did lots of pee. Then, I played with him for a few minutes outside after (to let him know that peeing wasn't the signal for going back inside right away and to give him time to poop), but he then ran to the door to go in. I brought him back into our bedroom and didn't put him in his crate since he'd been in there for so long and I just wanted to relax in bed for a few extra minutes (hey, it's Saturday! )

Within 5 minutes, he pooped on the floor! How do I know this? My DH stepped in it while he was getting ready for work!!! He wasn't very pleased, to say the least!

Brought him downstairs to eat/drink...no interest in it (just wants to bite everything in sight!!). Brought him into my office where I can shut the door and be with him, he starts sniffing and circling, so I scoop him up and bring him outside...play for a couple minutes, runs through the yard and a few sniffs, but then nothing. He had just pooped less than 30 minutes prior, so I just thought he was being a pain. Bring him back in and within 5 minutes, he's circling and before I can catch him, he's pooped in the house again!!!

What am I doing wrong? Any suggestions or critique on what I'm doing are appreciated :)

[Seastar 44]

You might need to start at square one with crating and no-going-inside-till-we-potty. Treat for each success, and I think you need to take walks. Do you leash up and actually walk somewhere several times a day? It makes pottying so much more fun for puppies. He may need more exercise, too. If you can take the time to really re-group and concentrate, it will work!

These dogs are tough to housebreak (with many exceptions). My Juno is now 3 and is just finally reliable in the house. We all have non-carpeted floors for obvious reasons. Stay strong and persistent and TREAT INSTANTLY (I think you do a clicker, which is great) with lots of praise for successes. Ignore mistakes, don't let the dog see you doing clean-up, and OH YEAH! You are using Nature's Miracle, right? It's mandatory.

[ccbloom 1]

Thank you for the response and suggestions!

Ok, we are still treating/clicking but haven't been crating after no potty (obviously!), so I guess we'll give that another round. We don't do walks, mainly because he's not used to the leash yet. We live in a circle with a large central grass area and go out there to play several times per day. There are other dogs in the neighborhood who also come out to play/pee/poop so there are tons and tons of smells. Frankie basically goes leashless out there. My intention was to train him without the leash to come back and go out (always supervised - he rarely leaves my side). My pug would bolt instantly when outside without a leash, and catching him was torture! Definitely not what I want in a dog again.

We have mostly tile and hardwoods, with area rugs (due to our pug!). And no, I haven't been using Nature's Miracle, just vinegar for clean-up. So, I guess NM is on my shopping list for today, huh?

[itzallgo0d 0]

When my Lula was a pup we had been taking her for a walk in the back yard all the way around to the front just letting her roam around sniffing about. I think that was posing the problem of 'too many' places to just pee/poo around the house. I had watched a video on training your dog and they had recommended that we keep it local to one area to pee/poo until you can get them trained. Having them walk all over the place let them just graze instead of do their scheduled business. It was best to take our dog out at least 15 minutes after eating/drinking water to keep a schedule going. In the end it really felt like she had us trained to take her out on schedule In time she became regular to go about business in one area instead of all over the yard. I would bring her to the end of the yard, she'd sniff around a bit and for at least 15 minutes we would stay around that area until she would do her business. I almost jumped up and down clapping when she did it by routine lolz Being little as they are, their bladders don't hold much for too long so intervals works great. I didn't believe she ever had a system to alert me when SHE wanted to go out. She would sit in front of me just staring, I used to think it was to play fetch but her bottom teeth would be sticking out. this is the only time she has them showing...when she needs to go do her business outside. Shih Tzu's are after all dog's of royalty so they most definitely hold that attitude Be patient and your furbaby will be on a great schedule in no time at all. Good luck!

[Seastar 44]

Nature's Miracle. YES

[Carolina Girl 2]

Nature's Miracle is a MUST! Also, I have rolled up and removed all area rugs. There are no rugs at all on the floors. I have one that is "potty trained" unless there are rugs down. As much as you don't want to, you must crate him if he does not potty outside.

[Chloe'sMom 0]

Chloe sleeps in her play pen (that we have gradually expanded over time) and she will not potty in it. Also, she will not potty on our bed.

If we go back to sleep and she didn't pee and poop, she either goes up on the bed with us or to her pen. No exceptions.

She is happy to be up there with us, I get extra sleep, and no surprises in the floor.

Note: My last puppy wouldn't think twice about going potty on the bed.

[TillyMaeTinkles 0]

I was a potty training failure. We had a fake grass potty and we used that all the time until we started going to day care and they let us poop and pee all over the floor....then all hell broke loose for a LONG time. I tried an x-pen attached to the crate with just enough room for the potty and a little walking room. I tried potty pads in the same deal. Waste of money and time for me. At this point she was able to hop/climb the x-pen and I'd come home to find a loose Shih Tzu running around the house. So I finally had to teach her to go outside on the grass. We don't have a yard, so we always leash up to go outside to the front where there is a grass patch that luckily we have lots of neighborhood dogs pee and poop on. This took tons of patience and working 40hours a week with whack hours it wasn't easy. I'd have to wake up extra early, and sometimes I'd be outside for 20 minutes at a time with no luck. It was back inside, into the crate. Then try again after 5-10 minutes. Eventually I figured out HER potty schedule. Pee and poop in the morning. Food in the evening. Pee and poop again before bed. I have a tricky Tzu that steals food and if she does then we have accidents in the house. So I know it's been a good day when I don't get a phone call from my mom saying Tilly stole food and pooped. I screwed up, I thought I had it easy since she took the the fake grass potty so well. I should have had her going outside all along. I never had luck with Nature's Miracle....and I've tried every single type of product they make. When I'm out of town and my mom watches her she says she takes her for walks when she won't go potty and that usually works. The smell of other dog pee/poop tends to work for mine.

[chacha 1]

I have always struggled with potty training the Shih Tzus. We can have good days and them some bad. Mostly Meeko. I have all hardwood and linoleum too. Had to get rid of all the rugs. The pee pee is much better than the poo poo with mine. Good luck