Almost have had it! What is with my dog?

My advice is to have the dog checked out to assure there aren't the infection problems you mentioned.

Then, if there is nothing that suggests any type of physical problem,  start right back with the house training as others have suggested.  It took us 8 months to feel totally confident that Prudence wasn't going to potty in the house when we were gone more than a couple of hours and that was frusrtarting but we got through it just fine with consistency in our household.  Consistency is really key and also keeping your frustrations and emotions in check during the training process.

good luck to you!    

Cally, you're saying that taking the dog to the mess and saying No is mysteriously going to teach the dog something about where to potty.  Like rubbing the dog's nose in it. It won't teach the dog anything.   It's too "after the fact".

I have to agree with Mudpuppy here. I think it's more effective to make sure you never find any accidents by constantly watching the dog during a specific training time. Always.

And yes. I also have to agree that a housetrained dog is housetrained, and will hold it as long as a whole work day...

(anyone with small dog experience want to chime in about how to deal going to work with a small dog and its small bladder? Brookcove had such excellent perspective on that one but perhaps assumed that the OP works from home or something...)

...or even longer, not that you should do that to your dog.

If it's "never, ever over," then perhaps a change in tactics might help to make it over? Because it really should be a phase that does end completely.

And yes. I also have to agree that a housetrained dog is housetrained, and will hold it as long as a whole work day...

I consider my little dude "housetrained," but if he has to go and isn't being let out, he's not going to "hold it all day." He's going to pee on the floor. Right smack in the middle of the floor. He often won't cry, won't paw at the door... he'll stand near the door for a few minutes (where he also stands to watch squirrels) and then let loose. Now if someone is standing a couple of feet away from him he'll go over and try to get their attention usually, but if he has to go and the only one in the area is preoccupied or, say in the bathroom... I think this is what is meant by "housebreaking doesn't stop." If you're not attentive and consistent, accidents can happen.

He knows very well he's supposed to potty outside, and if the door is open he will do so. But if he is really uncomfortable, he's not going to wait that long. And honestly, I can barely blame him.

my dog is 10 months old and will also wee wee occasionally in the house still.. never poops...but wee wee for some odd reason.
 
i guess i heard because they can hold their poop better than their pee.
 
but everytime she pees...i KNOW it's my fault.
 
the only place she wee wees at is upstairs where it's all carpeting.  the main reason is because she cant go down the stairs. (big wuss...fell down it once..and wont attempt to go down my stairs anymore...any other stairs she's fine with.... but not mine... it's hardwood floor, slippery and steep)
 
so if she's up there, she will give some sorta cue... like a little bark or something....and like a kid who has says "i have to pee" it means NOW!!!  Not in a minute or two when I am ready to take her outside... it means... NOW!!!
 
our answer to it is to gate off the stairs so she cant go up there on her own free will... works like a charm.
 
 

by the way...downstairs she has a doggy door so she can let herself out...other than that, if say we're sleeping (she sleeps on my bed with me and my room is in the basement) and she wakes up first and has to be taken outside, she will sit there and bark at me until i get up to take her outside...
 
when we're on the top floor however, it is only one little signal...and then she goes wee wee...so different room/floor.... different signal.... and i have to be watchful for it.

wow, thanks for all the responses!  Thanks also for not saying how horrible of a person I am.  I have been receive alot of flack from my hubby about Zoe, but, it seems like though there are 4 people in our family, the responsibility falls mainly on my shoulders.

  When I asked what she does with a mess when she finds it -- that was a separate question from what follows.  Because what she does when she finds soil IS going to hold the key to how to retrain this

Callie:  I have always cleaned it up and either thrown it in the toilet or garbage.  I have never taken it outside.  I will definetly try this.  Thanks![]

Zoe has the whole laundry room as her "room".  When we are gone, and for night, and when I am definetly busy, she is in her room with a baby gate in front.  We also made a crate for her in the lower cabinets with a door that can close with chicken wire in front of it.  She sleeps in there.  She can easily hold her pee for 10-12 hrs if need be.  Lately, there have been times when I've gotten up in the morning and she will have peed in there.  So, now I am starting to close the door on her crate so she can't get out of there.  She doesn't like that too much!  But, when we tell her to "kennel up" she immediately goes to her room.  She will even go in there on her own when she sees us eating supper.  She is VERY smart!

I think  a major part of the problem is that I don't have the full cooperation of the family at all times.  My hubby likes to take a nap and snuggle with Zoe in his arms.  When he falls asleep she will escape from his arms and will be able to go where ever she wants.  I have come home to this situation many times.  Its like the guys just can't remember to take her out.

Normally, she will come to me with this certain look on her face, and when I ask her what she wants, she will bark and go wild.  She does this most of the time.

I need to try a catch a sample of urine from her and take it in and get it tested again.  I have tried the enyme spray stuff, and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Some one said "who would want to buy a 4yr old dog that isn't housetrained" or something to that effect.  I totally agree!  I wouldn't!  And I don't want to do that either!  Zoe has been very good therapy for me with my health problems.

I have tried using the bell, and teaching her to ring it, but, again, it always comes down to just me.  I need everyone to be on board for this to work.  There are times when I am not home, and the others are in charge of her.  This is when alot of the "accidents" happen.  Also, Zoe hates going outside when it is rainy.  She can just sense it when its raining and does not want to go out then.

I've done the treat thing, but some one said to me to give it to her outside right when she is done, but when I tried this, Zoe just held the treat in her mouth and waited for me to let her in the house so she could eat it!  We have to go thru the garage to get outside as we don't have a deck yet, etc.  She didn't know what to do with the treat!  I always take her to a specific area to do her potting, except when we are going for a walk down our 1/4 mile driveway, then she marks her spots and poops on the side of the driveway.

I don't know if I"ve missed anything.  If I have let me know or I will re-read the postings and post again.  Thanks
Sweetbon
p.s.  your right, I am frustrated!

we had some dominance issues with kenny a while back. he was peeing on our bed. he did it twice in 2 weeks. we took him to one of the vets in our clinic that knows a lot about behavior. she said to close every door in the house so that kenny had no access to a room that he could not be monitored. she also said to buy a 4 foot lead and pretty much attach him to us. it wasn't the most convienent thing, but it worked.

Lately, there have been times when I've gotten up in the morning and she will have peed in there.

Dogs can hold it for 10-12 hours while they are sleeping, but need to go once they wake up.  If this is a spayed female, and she is urinating in her sleep such that there is a puddle under her when she wakes up, then you would want her evaluated for spay incontinence.  That is managed with medication - although I seriously doubt that is the problem here from what you have described.  Supervision is the real key.  If your family members are slackers in that regard, you will never get this dog housetrained unless you simply elect to be the one to manage her all the time (I don't think that's fair, but your family may love the idea [:'(]).  Anyway, the treat thing is still ok to do, so long as she has finished.  Don't worry if she prefers to eat the biscuit somewhere else - after all, you wouldn't eat in the bathroom either, right? []  The important thing is to mark the correct behavior with "yes" "good pee" (or "good poop" - dogs can learn these words, which will later translate to a cue "go pee" or "go poop" - soon you will not have to stand there for a half hour waiting, she'll be pee'ing on command. [])  Keep in mind that she is now an older dog that has been "taught" that it is fine to urinate wherever she wants.  Understand that it will take some time to convince her that is not the case.  Barring medical conditions, however, housetraining problems are nearly always created by humans.  So, unfortunately, they have to be un-created by the humans.  No more napping on hubby - nap in crate while hubby snoozes!

Ahhh -- now it's becoming clear.  And this is where I'd start training the humans!
 
Seriously -- it's time for a VERY serious talk ... first with the husband. and THEN a family meeting.
 
Frankly, you have to lay it out in stark black and white for him.  And what works well with MY Husband is a note or letter pasted to the bathroom mirror.  Something like:
 
"Ok -- I've had Rant #1,000,000 from you about the dog's housetraining issues and the fact that we'll have to get rid of her when we move ...
 
A.  No one is going to adopt a 4-5 year old dog who isn't housetrained.
 
B.  That means she'll get put to sleep in a shelter.
 
C.  *I* let her out.  *I* see her when she 'asks'.
 
D.  YOU fall asleep with her in your arms, she escapes and pees and leaves a turd where YOU will find it and have a fit.
 
E.  She's your comfort and yet you don't want to do the very thing that will ***save her life***  ????
 
You and I both know it's going to cause grave difficulties if we can't get this under control BEFORE we move.  I can't get the kids to help me with this if I can't get YOU to stop sabotaging her house-training.
 
Zoe can hold it, but she's simply learned to go whenever she wants as long as a human isn't around.
 
If you want to cuddle her while you sleep, slip a 4' leash on her collar and put it around your wrist so if she jumps down you'll wake up.
 
Help me here will you???"
 
or something similar.  But bury him in it!!

I still don't see why one must be "diligent" in watching the dog for signals she needs to go out. Take the dog out on a fixed schedule and teach her to hold it in between.  If you let your dog ask to go out whenever she feels the need she'll never learn to control her body, she'll never be reliable when you aren't home, and when you're busy or hubby isn't paying attention, you'll have accidents. That is not a truly housebroken dog.
 
Our dogs aren't allowed to decide when they get to go out. What an irritating behavior to encourage in a dog.

I still don't see why one must be "diligent" in watching the dog for signals she needs to go out. Take the dog out on a fixed schedule and teach her to hold it in between. If you let your dog ask to go out whenever she feels the need she'll never learn to control her body, she'll never be reliable when you aren't home, and when you're busy or hubby isn't paying attention, you'll have accidents. That is not a truly housebroken dog.

Our dogs aren't allowed to decide when they get to go out. What an irritating behavior to encourage in a dog.

I agree, my in-laws do this and sometimes their dog is scratching at the door to go in or out every 10 minutes!  He scratches to go out when he really wants to go see a bird, then we think he went to the bathroom, so when he really does have to go a short while later, everyone wonders why he wants to go back out.  Well, it's because people let him out!  He just wants to go out, period, not necessarily to potty.

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

I still don't see why one must be "diligent" in watching the dog for signals she needs to go out. Take the dog out on a fixed schedule and teach her to hold it in between.  If you let your dog ask to go out whenever she feels the need she'll never learn to control her body, she'll never be reliable when you aren't home, and when you're busy or hubby isn't paying attention, you'll have accidents. That is not a truly housebroken dog.

Our dogs aren't allowed to decide when they get to go out. What an irritating behavior to encourage in a dog.

That is exactly what we had with Shadow, however it backfired on us.  She didn't know how to tell us and we didn't know her signals that she truly did need to go!  We'd get home from work, let them all out, she'd drink a gallon of water, then need to pee, but no one knew it, so she'd just pee on the floor.  We had her checked several times for UTI's and all the rest, but nothing is showing up.  She just drinks a lot and then needs to pee.  Having her know how to tell us and us know how to read her is very important!

What if your dog was not feeling well and was about to have diarrhea?  Would you just expect them to hold it until you were ready to let them out?  That doesn't seem quite right.

And we have 4 dogs that all know how to ask and will.  They don't abuse it because they'd rather be with their more interesting people than outside without us.  Even Shadow who loves the sun.  She'll hang out for a while, but if you go check in 10 minutes, she'll come inside.

No abuse at our house, but it sure is nicer than stepping in an unsuspecting puddle!

IMO, the issue of a dog who pesters to go run around outside is a different issue than the dog who is messing in the house., and would be handled differently.

My dog goes out in the morning, afterwork and at night before bed.  Each time he is out for as long as he wants to stay out but other than those times he is in side.  Sometimes he will bark and ask to go out inbetween and we will of course let him out.  Other times in will bark, go out and come back in to only bark at me again 15 minutes later.  Those are the times I ignore him and have go lay down, if he persists he goes in his crate.  I refuse to be a automatic door opener and for the most part he know it.  Sometimes he gets stuck between do I want to be inside with my Mommy or outside in the nice fresh air.  As for toileting, he goes when he is let out and at times when he indicates he just might have to go again - but they are far and few between.