Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello again everyone. I have some questions about the potty training business. We've had Abbey for about a week and a half now, and she is about 8 months old. She stays right at my feet ALL the time, but the second she leaves my sight (and I do mean the exact second) she is doing something in the house, usually pooping. I take her outside about every two hours and we'll stay out there for up to a half hour at a time (depending on the weather).

While she seems to be improving, slightly, she will often poop in the house shortly after returning from a potty outing. I never get angry or punish her, and always have treats ready for her outside when she goes. I'm a very patient person but was wondering if I was doing something wrong? And how long can it take to house train her?

She has her "spots" in the house that she likes to use so I have cleaned them thoroughly, even used Natures Miracle, and watch her closely when she heads those directions. I'm thinking about putting down puppy pads in those areas, but I don't want to encourage her to go there! Any thoughts any of you maight have will be appreciated.

>>Hello again everyone. I have some questions about the potty training business. We've had Abbey for about a week and a half now, and she is about 8 months old. She stays right at my feet ALL the time, but the second she leaves my sight (and I do mean the exact second) she is doing something in the house, usually pooping. I take her outside about every two hours and we'll stay out there for up to a half hour at a time (depending on the weather).
>>
>>While she seems to be improving, slightly, she will often poop in the house shortly after returning from a potty outing. I never get angry or punish her, and always have treats ready for her outside when she goes. I'm a very patient person but was wondering if I was doing something wrong? And how long can it take to house train her?
>>
>>She has her "spots" in the house that she likes to use so I have cleaned them thoroughly, even used Natures Miracle, and watch her closely when she heads those directions. I'm thinking about putting down puppy pads in those areas, but I don't want to encourage her to go there! Any thoughts any of you maight have will be appreciated.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Two things that will help are to take her out every hour during the times you are at home and awake. Two hours is likely too long at this point. Second thing is don't let her out of your sight except when she's in a safe enclosure where she won't make mistakes, such as a crate or exercise pen or small room with baby gate. You might choose to put puppy pads in the ex-pen or small room.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

We are new dachshund owners ourselves. Gretal will be six months old the end of February and we just celebrated our three month anniversary together. I certainly am no expert, however I have been faithful to this site, books,the internet and our vet; constantly searching for answers.

We have a laundry room on the first floor of our house. It is centrally located and (unfortunately for me, but good for Gretal) I am always doing laundry. The laundry room also leads out to to the back yard (that's a bonus in training). She is baby gated in the room while we are gone and only gets the run of the first floor, supervised, after she has done her business outside. When we first got her, it seemed like I lived in the laundry room! As time passes, she enjoys the freedom and runs to the baby gate after a sucessful potty outing!

Through my research, I was advised to keep Gretal on a very strick routine, one she and I could both depend on. Fortunately my husband and I both own our own businesses and we can get back to the house at 11:00 a.m and 3:00 p.m. The 3 o'clock shift was our teenage daughters, but now she is starting spring sports (boy that sound good to say Spring!). So, Gretal goes out, everyday, seven days a week (as the books so abruptly put it) at 6:00 am, 7:00 am, 11:00 am, 3:00 pm, 5:30 pm... and each hour on the hour until bed time...9:00 pm. We try to keep as closely to that schedule and as she gets older, depending on that schedule, she has managed to go well beyond the time boundries mentioned above between potty runs. Of course, I have treats at hand while we are outside, and I can just see her as a senior one day, doing her business and looking up at me expecting her treat. Ahhh, food motivation.

Our next big step with Gretal is having her fixed. The surgery is scheduled in a few short weeks. Keep us in your doggie thoughts.

Kathy

It's a good idea to step up a strict schedule for potty breaks. My folks did that with Candy when they first got her. Now at the age of 2, she still has a set schedule. My folks take her out at certain times of the day and she hasn't had an accident in about a year. So, you are on the right track with what you are doing.
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Melody/PHFasDog
Email me at PHFasDog

My furkids:
Shadow, Jadzia and Lyta.
Kira waiting the bridge.

Dogs come into our lives, and too quickly go leaving pawprints on our hearts, and we will never be quite the same again.

I am so glad to hear Gretel is doing well. My mom and I are working hard to figure out a schedule for our dog. We have been putting her in our laundry room after reading how well it worked for you. Our dog gets very very angry though! She rips up her wee wee pad and scatters her food every where and barks and growls like crazy. Ms. Davis said that maybe she is just playing... I hope so.

Anyone have any ideas about her feeding. I usually leave her food out and she picks on it through out the day. For potty training purposes should I put out her food just in the morning noon and evening and take it away outside of her feeding times? Then I can take her out side on a better schedule.... any ideas would be appreciated.

I guess I am lucky up until this point. In the three months we have had Gretal we only heard her bark one time? So, she has mastered the different sound effects that come with whinning. I'd like to believe Gretal is frustrated not angry at us when she has to spend time in the laundry. I make an effort to sit in there with her, so I have a small TV on the counter. It also acts as background noise when we are gone during the day. She has a low plastic toy box, with plenty of dog friendly pals and chew toys to keep those teeth busy. She has a blanket in the crate and one near the washer with a few small area rugs too. A little bitter apple on hand just in case she eye balls the bottom of my new cabinets. Gretal did cause some damage early on. She was able to pull up the flooring near the door next to the baby gate. I think I should have receive a gold award for the restrant I displayed. So, I have learned my lesson to baby proof an area as much as possible. If forget and leave laundry, she loves to chew draw strings, panties and bras.....again learning my lesson.

I have grappled with food, brand, quality, how much. Gretal is fed twice a day at six months, pedegree puppy food. At six a.m and the food is left out until we leave for work, 7:15. She is fed again at 5:30 p.m. and the food is left out about two hours and than picked up. I probably leave is longer than some would recommend and they tell me she will get the idea pretty quick when the food is gone. To help her along, I make sure the gate is shut and she needs to learn that she'd better eat or else. If the gate is open, Gretal would rather chase the cats and socialize than eat at this point. Part of my problem too, was I was giving her greenies and stuffed gongs along with pigs ears (no, she is not over weight, just spoiled). The problem was, she didn't have much of an appetite, duh. So, I am getting better with that too.

Gretal loves frozen grapes and blanched broccoli and beans for treats. Chereos are handy for rewards outside after doing her business. She really expects to be rewarded after she pees or poops!

I couldn't imagine how I would figure out a potty routine if we didn't feed her on a schedule. Dachshund for Dummies has a time schedule in the back of the book. I made a copy and used it for the babysitter when we went on vacation. I highlighted all of her "regular" outing and what times she usually had success with #2. It was interesting to look at the filled in schedule ater we got home. Gretal clearly poops three times a day and pees every time she is taken out.

Hope this helps.
Kathy

Thanks so much! What I didn't understand was how much of a schedule these dogs need. Since we have been feeding her whenever she was hungry it has made outside potty times difficult to track AND the added confusion for the poor dog because we are using the puppy pads. Poor girl... and poor us. I can't deny we have been a little frustrated with her lately. But we have been using our kindest voices with her as not to set in motion submissive behavior on her part. Anyway... another question I have is... did you only feed Gretel 2 times a day when you first got her at 3 months?

Another thing is we are home a lot because we work outside the home.... do you find your dog gets upset when she knows you are home but not playing with her? If so... any suggestions.

Thanks,

Ryan's Mom... Lori

Gretal was three months old when we bought her. She was being fed with a combination of Eukanuba dry and wet puppy food. The food was left in the cage with the other puppies all day, along with soiled papers. I had a challenge to undo the pet store nightmare stories.

I must admit, her diet is not one of our strong points. With the guidence of our vet, Gretal was getting fed three times a day for about six weeks and she is now being fed twice. She remains spoiled and probably gets extra calories from chew stuff, so I need to restrict when she gets them becuase they most certainly interfere. I divide a 13.2 ounce can of food into three equal parts. My biggest problem is Gretal loves to be social and I have been feeding her in the laundry room. So, when we are home, she does not want to eat...she wants to be with us. When I cook in the kitchen, I am a slave to the stove for the better part of an hour after I got home, so I decided to see if she will eat out in the kitchen (at least some of the food). My problem is my two cats. Poor things, Gretal is taking over everything.

Yes, she is not a happy camper in the gated laundry room while I am around. I try to stay firm and yes she eventually calms down. I try and keep the movement and noise to a minimum when she has to be in there. The truth is, as Gretal becomes more independent and more successful with potty training, the more freedom around the house she gets. She calms down and is pretty cool just hanging out with us when we are home.

Hope this helps. Keep us in your doggie thoughts, she has surgery Friday to be neutered.

Hello everyone. I want to thank you all for your advice. I am very excited that we have gone four days without an accident in the house. I put her on more of a potty schedule, but it is not perfect, and this seems to have helped. I'm terrible at keeping schedules, but I guess this just might help me get better?

Woohoo!! Congreytulations!!! Don't dispair if she has an occasional accident, but it sounds like things are going super! My girls rarely ask me to go out. I just take them. Sometimes it isn't so much as training the dog, but training ourselves also.
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Melody/PHFasDog
Email me at PHFasDog

My furkids:
Shadow, Jadzia and Lyta.
Kira waiting the bridge.

Dogs come into our lives, and too quickly go leaving pawprints on our hearts, and we will never be quite the same again.