calliecritturs
Posted : 4/19/2011 10:27:38 PM
There are many different "styles" of house-training. I would simply let him drag a leash 24/7 until you have him trained. Why? Immediate control!
I would slip that leash over your belt. I never "schedule" altho many dog. I don't think they go by a clock -- they go by how long stuff has been in their bodies - they go after a meal, after sleeping, after playing ... but not really a "clock".
But the first thing I want to say is how did the vet determine there was no UTI? A strip? not reliable. Particularly if the dog is drinking a lot. Have you noticed at all him coming right in from outside and going to drink? We all notice if the urine is dark and stinky but if they are drinking a ton then we see wet spots but we're not as prone to think UTI. A strip only picks up infection if it is a certain strength - it's fallible.
If he's drinking a lot simply ask the vet to *try* an antibiotic and see if it helps OR do a culture to be sent away. Literally a urinalysis. It's not dumb -- it will tell you if he's concentrating his urine, etc. and it's a baseline for next time.
As far as training goes -- 'Scheduling' IS easier. But my way is to simply leash them to me and *watch* them like a hawk. You watch for them to stop, look or sniff around for a place to go. Then, you say "gotta potty?" and ZOOM him out the door. He's on leash -- you *can*.
Then - don't let him play .... ohhhhhhhhhhhh noooooooooooooooooooooooooo. He's there to potty. That is **all**. You stand in that spot where you want him to go and wait. No playing. No butterflies. No fun. You just wait for him. Then .. if no production in a few minutes (this is NOT an hour-long drama here) you go back in and resume.
over ... and over .... and over. Eventually he will 'go' while he's out there and then you can have a party. You can then allow him TO play outside as a reward! All the while convincing him he's the best danged boston ever!
IF he has an accident in the house. Go put him in his crate (not punishment -- just a holding place for him while you clean up.). I don't really know why, but I've always found it somehow rewarding for a dog to see you handle their waste.
But go sop it up with paper towel, and take that towel outside and lay it where you've been wanting him to go.
Then go get him -- zoom by the "scene of the crime" and just say matter-of-factly "Not there! Not IN the house!" and proceed directly outside saying "OUt" as you go out and to **the paper**. The dog sniffs it and you say "Yep! It goes OUT here!"
He'll get it -- the fact that you will **move** his waste tends to help that lightbulb moment.
Now remember you have to clean that spot SO well -- they can sniff their own scent so easily.
See I want to know when they have to go out. I don't want them to just "happen" to go while we are outside. I want them to understand that walks and playing are one thing. But potty is a whole different ballgame. And when you do it right great things happen.
Once he *begins* to get it you can drop the leash and let him drag it. But honestly -- it is SO handy and so much easier to re-direct them and keep them from screwing up when leashed it really really helps.
My whole theory of dog training (and this extends to many many things) is to simply make it nigh onto impossible for them to screw up. With the leash I can ensure they do **everything** right. And they get used TO doing it right and hearing praise for that. It is so much easier to stay positive when you can use a leash and literally **avoid** a lot of mistakes.