Dog Community

6 mo poodle, still peeing in house

Posted : 12/10/2006 7:52:28 AM

I'm working diligently to get my miniature poodle trained. We crate her and take her out on a pretty strict schedule. It seems like she has to pee so often, though. We offer her water about 5 times a day and she doesn't appear to over-drink, we also moisten her food. I didn't think this was going to be a problem, but unless she is in the crate, it seems like she has to go every 90 minutes. Sometimes she'll pee on the carpet 20mins after we've just taken her outside! She never pees in the crate.

Sometimes she'll go to the door and look at us (in which case we take her outside) and sometimes she doesn't. We never yell, just try to rush her outside if we catch her in the act. We've had her about 2.5 months.

She was 4 months when we got her from a family who bought her from a petshop a couple days earlier and was going to return her as they had another dog attacking her. So I know she's a puppymill pup. She was just spayed and has been checked over so I don't think she has any health problems.

Any advice?

Much appreciated!!

Rabbit

Posted : 12/10/2006 9:07:28 AM

You could always take her back and have her checked over again - she may have an overactive bladder, and I've heard of spay incontinence . . . Plus with her history I'm not surprised she has trouble . . . I've heard a lot of cases where pet shop puppies are harder to housebreak. Little girl had a rough start, but I'm sure with some more dedication you can work through it. Just like kids, some take longer than others!

Also, when I was housebreaking a couple puppies a couple years ago, I picked up this product that comes in a little brown glass bottle, and you use the eyedropper that comes in the cap to put some drops where you want to teach her to go. It triggers something that makes them go right in that spot . . . it worked GREAT with our pups, maybe give that a try? It was just called, "Puppy Housebreaking Aid."

Good luck, I hope someone else here can offer more - I've never experienced the problem personally.

spiritdogs

Posted : 12/10/2006 11:23:42 AM

If you think she's peeing too often, take a sample to the vet and have it checked for a UTI. Otherwise, it's a matter of supervision and patience. When you can't watch her, crate her. If she's out of the crate, she should be tethered to you so you can interrupt if she squats and get her right outside. Reward her after she finishes (I used to carry pieces of Cheerios in my pockets all the time) and say "good pee" or "good potty", so she'll associate a word with what she just did. Later, you can say "Go potty" when you take her out. (Beats standing in a snowstorm waiting when they do it on cue. [

])

Cora Moyer

Posted : 12/10/2006 5:59:45 PM

Thanks - I will keep an eye on her and maybe contact the vet. I think I will get the housebreaking aid. It seems to me that she knows that outside time is potty time, but doesn't yet realize that inside time is NOT. A friend of mine visited today and said small dogs tend to be tougher to housebreak so it might just require continued diligence and consistency and a watchful eye!

Thanks for the input!

inne

Posted : 12/10/2006 6:50:25 PM

Small breeds and dogs from pet stores can present special challenges in housetraining. It sounds like you guys are on the right track and you've gotten some really good suggestions. Good luck!

erin thom

Posted : 12/10/2006 9:36:58 PM

I just wanted to say...that I feel your pain! Bella is 10 mos and we are still struggling with the same problem. She is also a small breed.... SHe wont pee in her crate, but if she is out of it, she goes often too...just like your gal. Tonight she peed RIGHT in front of me..no effort to let me know she needed to go! Meanwhile my large breed 11 week old goes to the door if he needs to go out. (he will still have an accident on occassion if we dont see him go to the door and he waits a few. But he has the general idea down.)

I guess every dog is different,but let me know if you uncover some magical trick to this! LOL! And I will just keep watching Bella like a hawk and pray that one day she gets it! Crazy little gal!

Cora Moyer

Posted : 12/12/2006 7:31:46 PM

I am just glad to hear it's not me being a bad "parent" and that this is common amongst small breeds/pet store babies. I already feel guilty enough about the reality of puppy mills but since she was being returned, I felt like it was a quasi-adoption!

Anyway Butterfly, let's both hang in there and hopefully these girls get their acts together. :-)

Thanks again!

jones

Posted : 12/12/2006 8:11:50 PM

I don't know, to be honest the potty breaks being 90min apart at 6 months doesn't sound all that abnormal to me. If you know her internal schedule you've got a leg up, is how I see it. I also think you can count yourself lucky that you have a petshop puppy who doesn't pee in the crate! [

] I say just stick with the program and she'll get there - don't wait for her to give you a sign yet, just stay on the schedule and the "sign" will naturally arise in time.

Cora Moyer

Posted : 12/14/2006 5:59:22 AM

You guys are making me feel better every day! The trainer made me feel terrible that she has to pee so often. She was like "you know that's not normal , right" - basically about everything my dog does! Sometimes I think to myself, isn't she just a puppy! I am beginning to hope that maybe that's all there is to it and I just need to be consistent and patient! :-)

Thanks again!