[lovinganimals]

Can anyone help me? I have a 6 month old shih-poo. I have had her since she was 3 months. We have doggy doors going from our living room to the lanai and then from the lanai to our fenced yard. Just after Thanksgiving she seemed to understand to go to the yard for potty although she had accidents. Then she seemed to prefer to potty on the lanai which we tried to stop. (we have another dog that is potty trained). Now she seems to have forgotten or purposely disregards going outside and goes exclusively in the house. Even when we take her outside and tell her to go potty she won't and then she comes in and does it. Can anyone help with suggestions??? We of course tried the praise and treat right when she goes outside method. Potty pads inside work on and off. Sometimes she ignores them and sometimes she pees just off them

[Sgroemm]

Take her out with the other dog every half hour until she starts going to the bathroom outside again. Do not give her free reign of the house until she is going outside consistently. Keep her in a small crate or supervised (ie. on your lap) and continue to take her out every half hour. She will get the idea again. My two tend to do all of their business outside in the same area. Take her to one chosen part of your yard consistently with the other dog to create that area. She is still young and just doesn't have the idea consistently yet. Remember even with a doggy door, there are bobcats, coyotes, hawks, eagles etc. that could be a danger to her. I have two tiny maltese and I never let them out alone even in a CYV.

[CFrance]

I definitely agree with keeping her in a crate or on your lap till she's potty trained. Also, have you had her to the vet to see if she has a UT problem or something else that might be interfering with her going outside.

Did the doggy door hit her on her way through, or do something otherwise to her while you were not looking? Maybe she's suddenly afraid of it. Just guessing.

With our second golden, we found that giving him the run of the house was not a good idea, even though we were taking him out every half hour. Once we gated off the rest of the house and kept him in one room with us, the training was very fast.

[vintageogauge]

I agree, you gotta do the time outside even more frequent than every half hour if you have to. It won't take long for her to know where she has to be. When our's was a pup we kept him on a leash inside and had a large old comforter with a plastic sheet under it and that was all he was allowed on in between every 30 minutes outside, he had one or two accidents on the comforter and when he did we grabbed him and took him out on the grass saying "go potty" soon knew where he was to go, have never had a problem since. Don't wait too long, start doing it now. We still tell our dog when it's time to go out "lets go potty" and he knows what it means.

[lovinganimals]

Thanks for the suggestions. I guess I have to go back to basics. I don't think its a problem with the doggy door as she runs right thru it to go outside, she just doesn't do her business while she is there lol. I'll try the back to basics, watch her like a hawk, treat her like a baby who needs constant supervision and get the gate out again to block her from the rest of the house. Thanks for responding

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by lovinganimals

I have a 6 month old shih-poo. I have had her since she was 3 months. Now she seems to have forgotten or purposely disregards going outside and goes exclusively in the house.

We adopted a yorkie/cairn mix from Max's Pet Connection.
He wasn't completely trained, but within a couple of months, he was dependable.
I found the key is taking him out a lot, being consistent, using treats and naming the function (we used go pee).
It takes time and patience, but it's worth it.
Once your puppy finds out she doesn't have a choice, she will go outside and it will become a habit.
And don't forget it's been wet and cold lately, some puppies don't like that.
Your furbaby is young and impressionable so it shouldn't take long. Best of luck!

[EPutnam1863]

Each of our two dogs in the past (different times) was trained in just one day. I put them (they were puppies) in tall moving boxes one night, and not wanting to mess their beds, they held until the next morning when I took them out and immediately took them outside. I then gave them treats.

[lovinganimals]

She doesn't mess her pen that she sleeps in so she definitely can hold it and when she has to go she cries to wake us. I thought about the weather because I know she is a Florida girl and doesn't like the cold but today was 70 and she only went outside once when I took her. The rest of the time she wouldn't go when I had her outside and a few minutes after we come back in she goes in the house. So holding it is not a problem, knowing she should go outside is not a problem since she was pretty reliable just after Thanksgiving, and she will go outside to look around so she is not afraid of the doggy door or the yard. We are in the process of selling our house and moving back to the Villages and I really want to get this taken care of before we do. We can't even consider a house with carpet or laminate at this point. And my husband works from home so having her crated and barking (her bark is out of this world loud) is not an option and I work outside the home. Its so frustrating. Any of you want to take her and train her for us? LOL

[cricket1001]

I recently adopted a Toy Yorkie, possible Maltese mix, 1 year 9 months old dog. I have been trying to potty train her using pee pads but am having a difficult time. I tried to take her outside but she wouldn't go and just ate grass and then vomited the grass once inside. She is only 3.5 lbs. She seems to mark.

[Topspinmo]

IMO If you've had dogs in the pass (especially males) that marked. The new dog probably smells the marking and marks over the top.

[Sgroemm]

Another option: Petsmart has cloth doggy diapers that close with velcro (and washable). Most dogs will not go to the bathroom with these on and they are great for training in the house, then when it is time to go, you go to the door and take off the diaper and go out with the pup and say "go potty" or "go pee" whatever your command phrase is. The only thing is you have to take them out quite often (about every half hour) for this to work. In the house diaper on, outside diaper off....clear message when to go. Works well for those who mark too.

[raynan]

Sounds like something outside scared her. Could have been something as simple as a gecko, butterfly, bird? All above suggestions on taking her out and holding or caging or confining in small area till she gets comfortable with outside again should work.

[Barefoot]

It was January when you first started this thread.
I'm hoping that your dog is now successfully toilet trained??
Please let us know what worked.

[tophcfa]

Do yourself a favor and hire a professional dog trainer. I would recommend my wife but she only works up north, when we go to our Villages home she is on vacation and does not take clients. This is an easily solvable solution with the proper positive re-inforcement training as long as the owner listens to a good trainer and follows up with the advise given them.

[Nucky]

Poor dogs are having a hard time getting the idea of Going outside. I have the problem of getting home soon enough. All you dog owners are lucky to have such an aggravating problem. I know its terrible. Sorry.

Mrs. Nucky trained me years ago. I got stuck in the doggie door several times it scared me so I started using the indoor terlit.