glenmar
Posted : 8/22/2006 8:35:25 PM
The problem here is three fold. She's not TOTALLY house trained (I hate the word "broken"), you are giving her too much freedom in the house AND you expect a little too much from her too soon. She doesn't know how to tell you yet that she needs to go out, and she doesn't really know that she is supposed to tell you when it's time to potty.
This is how I house train, and since I foster litters, I typically do it in multiples. I keep pups in an exercise pen with a very large crate attached so they have plenty of room. They are crated for bedtime, naptimes and when I can't watch them 100% of the time. First thing in the morning, out we go to potty, and I go WITH them. I say "lets go OUTSIDE and go POTTY", once out, "lets go POTTY" and when they comply I praise like crazy for "GOOOOOOOOD potty!" I take them out several times over the course of a few hours, no less than once per hour and when ever they finish playing, eating or drinking. If there is an accident and I SEE someone in the act, I'll say very calmly and matter of factly, "eh eh! We go POTTY OUTSIDE" and scoop the offender up in a towel and run them outside, then say "THIS is where we go POTTY", and again, praise for going outside. Now sometimes they CAN'T stop, and that's what the towel is for...to keep me dry. [&:]
I don't give pups freedom in any part of the house until they are reliably letting me know when they need to potty, and that's not neccessarily by going to the door. Some WILL go to the door, some will paw at the door, or start circling, and some will just give me "the look"
You have to be consistent in getting the pup outside on a really, really regular basis, and by 4.5 months once an hour should be enough, but if not, make it every 30 minutes to start. Use the same key words each and every time, do NOT react to accidents in the house, and keep her confined to her crate of a puppy proofed room when you can't give her your undivided attention.
It won't take more than a few weeks, several at most, for her to be totally and reliably housetrained, so long as she has a solid foundation already. You might want to hang bells by the door and ring those with her paw every time you take her outside....and you really should TAKE her outside and stay out with her until she potties. Watch her closely and you'll start picking up when she's likely to need to go, and her own subtle signs.
Trust me, you WILL need a crate for her, so you might as well get her used to one now, if you aren't already. German shepherds NEED a job to do, and if they don't have one are very likely to find something terribly destructive to do.