Best Dog Training Methods

He is a rot mix. He is about 1 1/2 years old. He has been house trained for quite a while. About 2 months ago, he decided he was going to start peeing and pooping on the basement floor. We started locking him out of the basement and the behavior seemed to stop. About a week later, he started peeing upstairs in the bathroom. He will come in the house and 15 minutes to a half hour later, he pees on the bathroom doorway or the toilet. The problem behavior seemed to go away on its own. My boyfriend scrubbed the bathroom and the toilet with baking soda and then with murphy’s oil soap to get rid of the smell. There hasn’t been a problem for about 2 1/2 weeks. Today I heard him peeing upstairs. I closed my laptop and stood up to go up and yell at him but before I could even get part way up the stairs, before I yelled, he came running down and hid under the table. He knows what he did was wrong. Short of getting rid of him, I don’t know how to make him behave. Why is he doing this?
there haven’t been any changes in the house. no new pets or visiting pets. no roommate changes recently. so i don’t see stress as a factor. he usually doesn’t do it when we are not home. the dogs were alone for about 18 hours last weekend because our friend forgot to let them out – but there were no messes.

Male dogs mark with urine…and that has nothing to do with him being housebroken or not. At 1 1/2 the dog is still learning, and will make mistakes. Some dogs learn quicker than others, at various ages.

If other dogs are coming into your home, or the scent of other dogs that can drive him to mark.

Make certain that you are available to him if he needs to go to the bathroom in the correct place, and that you are paying attention to the signs that he is letting you know he has to go. Dogs are like humans, they can only hold it for so long.

Also check with your vet that he isn’t having any urinary problems.

If he’s hiding under the table, he’s becoming too submissive. Do not yell at him to correct him, take him and lead him to the area he peed, make him smell it, then lead him to the correct place and rienforce the command word you use. Then praise him and give him a treat reward when he goes in the right place.

My french bulldog has been house trained for almost a year now. He has not relieved himself in the house in the longest time, and always lets me know when he needs to go out. These past couple days he has done his business indoors. Anyone have any ideas why the sudden change?

Dogs are creatures of habits. Check to see if you changed his habits. It is possible that he can’t go outside to do his business. Keep a fixed schedule of his feedings and walk him outside. It is possible that he could also be sick, check your vet to be sure. Re-train him if all else fail.

My dog will be a year old on August 28th. He’s a mini daschund.

Up until around 3 weeks ago, we’ve lived in an apartment, or a townhouse, with no back yard. So, when we trained him as a puppy, we trained him to go on pee-pee pads, instead of training him to pee outside. Which worked out well.

He caught on quick, and only peed and pooped on his pad. Even on walks he would hold it til he got back to his pad. But, as soon as we moved into this new place he started peeing and pooping on the floors.

I know he needs time to get used to the new place, but it’s been like 3 weeks and he hasn’t made much progress. I’ve gone back to the pad training basics… but nothing has changed.

Another difference is that this place has all hardwood floors. You can tell that he doesn’t like it much, since has always had a carpeted home.

Example: He won’t lay on the flooring or do his tricks on the hard floor. The only place he will lay now is on furniture or area rugs.

Any suggestions

That is very funny to read, because I am going through the same thing. I too lived in an apartment and trained my (now) 1 year old pug mix to go on the pads. I moved 3 weeks ago to a house, and he did excellent mastering the doggie door, and going outside to go potty. 3 days ago, he pees on my bed, and then it was downhill from here. Aside from setting an appointment to get him neutered, I really don’t know what else to do. Now that he is older, he has been growling at me when he pees in the house, when I even look at him! Hopefully getting him neutered will help a bit. Maybe try a couple of rugs, hopefully ones that aren’t that valuable, and praise him like crazy when he goes outside. Start moving the pad closer to the door and eventually outside if he can’t seem to break him of his habitual pad habits..Hope it helps! And good luck!

How can i keep my dog in the house at night knowing she wont poop in the house? i put her in the backyard with my other dogs at night but i don’t want to cause she’s a house trained dog and i don’t want her to get fleas when she comes in?
my dog was trianed to go outside by previouas owners
previous*

Crate training is an excellent way to keep your carpet poop free. Buy a crate (I prefer wire crates) make sure it is large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around in. Simply put the dog in the crate at night. The first few days to weeks the dog may cry and bark a lot, it is VERY important that you do not let the dog out when he’s doing this. It will teach him that if he barks/crys long enough, you will give in and let him out. Ignore him. I find putting the crate in the bathroom with the bath fan on helps. The white noise of the fan helps them fall asleep faster.

He has long been house trained. He is not under any particular stress or changes. He is not sick and he already goes outside multiple times a day. Even if he wants to go out in between he used to signal that he needed to got outside. The even odder thing is that he only pees and poops in strategic places like right in the doorway when you walk in the house or bathroom so you will step in it. Has anyone had this problem before and do you know what causes it?

It could be a health related issue, such as a urinary tract infection, bladder infection, worms, etc. So many possible things. I would highly suggest you take your dog in to see a vet.

Also, if the dog is getting old, it could be age related.

My newly adopted dog is supposed to be house trained. he is good most of the time. However, when I leave I have been putting down new paper. Is this teaching him to tinkle and poop inside?

Yes it is. If you allow the dog to pee and poo inside, of course it is teaching him to go inside.

Use a crate to confine him when you cannot watch him, and get a neighbor or dog walker to help you out mid day if you cannot let him out.

i am getting a small dog in a month but he is ALMOST house trained. i have no idea where to start with house training him..help

I use a crate* to potty train with, but only for potty training and then I break it down and store it. I put blankets and a small food and water dish in the crate. Dogs don’t potty where they eat and sleep. When they are first little, I only expect them to hold their potty for 4 hours, and then 6 hours, then 8 hours and so on. So when they are first little, I set a timer or alarm clock to wake myself up at night to take them *out. I only allow my puppy in the bedroom* or the living room, only one room at a time. They have to graduate to more space. If I allow them to have full run of the house, it will overwhelm them. I take them out the same door each time. I tie a dinner bell to the door handle. Do not use a jingle bell as they could get their toe caught in it. So when they are little, I ring the bell for them, and then open the door to go *outside to potty. When they get bigger, I take their paw and whack the bell and open the door to go potty. Eventually getting to the place where the puppy will ring the bell and let me know when they need to go potty. Dogs want to please you, so it is your job to let them know what behaviors please you and what doesn’t. So when my puppy goes potty, I give her a treat*, and clap, and make a fuss and praise her. So she learns that going potty outside makes me happy. If she has an accident make a disgust sound like “tsst” and take her out right away. I never yell* or spank* my puppies. Take them out when they first wake up, after they eat or drink, before nap, finish romping, when their activities change, or when they are sniffing around. Some puppies go pee right away, but may not go poop until 10 minutes later, so wait for the poop. I have a little play time here, because sometimes I think they are done, and they are not. Puppies train at their own pace. While I may have a puppy that hasn’t had an accident in several weeks, I don’t let my guard down. I don’t expect my puppies to be "fully potty trained" until one-year-old. If they have a setback, shake it off, and start over. I only have my puppies in the crate when I am not watching them. When I am sleeping, cooking, ironing, doing chores, basically when I am not watching her. All other times, she is out of the crate practicing being a "big girl." This is the time I train her how to behave in the house. So we are practicing "no barking", ‘no biting", "no jumping", and "don’t eat the furniture." I also have to practice "playing inside" so she doesn’t knock over things. You must keep the puppy in sight when they are little because they don’t know the difference between newspaper and carpet, and you don’t want them sneaking off and getting into trouble. Some puppies can sleep through the night around 3-months-old, but their bladder is grown around 6-months-old.

REVISIONS:

*I use a crate to train with. It is the method I prefer, compared to other methods I have tried. While personally, the crate traumatizes me, (it looks like a doggie jail), my puppies do better in the crate. They like it, I guess for the den like feeling, but I noticed that if they are in the crate, while I am doing chores, they are o.k., because the crate allows them to see me and be re-assured. The crate can also be a comfort when stored in the basement for dogs who live in areas where thunderstorms and tornados are an issue. It is a safe secure place for them. However, use the method that works best for you…..a laundry basket, a cardboard box, a woof-woof house, child gates……whatever works for you.

*Outside, pee pad, litter box, whichever method you are using. When the puppy is first little, keep the pee pad, litter box near the food and water dish, so the puppy can eat and drink, and then go potty. You can move it away as they get older. The pee pad has a scent that smells and initiates potty. Sometimes a pee pad makes a sound that scares some puppies, so you might want to use a litter box if that happens. The pee pad allows a puppy to walk around, but a litter box keeps the puppy in one place.

*Bedrooms, I use the bedroom and living room for training, because it works for me. Choose rooms that work for you, but watch for rooms that are damp, or drafty. While my puppies sleep in the bedroom during training, once they are trained, I let them sleep where they want to. They don’t have to sleep in the bedroom forever.

*Treats. While I use treats for training, you don’t have to. I like Charlee Bears for training (a little cracker for a little mouth,) I use them for training, but once they are trained, I cut back on them. Although I use them to give them pills too. I used different treats for different things. We use one bone at bedtime to let the dogs know it is time to go to bed. We use a big rawhide for when we go on long trips, so they have a bone to amuse them, and they will be expected to hold their potty. When they get the rawhide, they will not eat their food and water, until we get home from our trip. (dogs are funny) Do what works best for you.

*Some puppies will go potty in the same spot each time. Some puppies have to be told to go potty. A command like "go out" for pee, or "go finish" for poop, might work for you, keep saying “go finish” until the puppy poops. This is a good thing to train if you travel with your dogs. By using commands, the puppy won’t get confused when you are visiting someone, on vacation with you, or when you get to a new home. The command will tell them what you want them to do in an unfamiliar place. You might also want to use a leash method, so the puppy doesn’t sneak off, or for strange places.

*Yelling. It is not a good idea to "yell" or "spank" your puppy and then take them outside when they have an accident. They may get confused and think that going outside is punishment. While you want to correct them, if you are extreme, they may not want to go outside again. Shake it off, and resume your schedule. You have to keep it real. Puppies train at their own pace, but a puppy can only hold their potty for a few hours. A guide would be 1 hour for each month of age, plus 1 hour, so a three-month-old puppy should only be expected to hold their potty for 4 hours at most.

*Sometimes it seems like you take your puppy out 5 million times a day. You can sit on a bench, or folding chair, or a 5 gallon bucket turned upside down to stay in the shade. I use an umbrella for shade too. You can always tape your favorite tv shows. In the winter I microwave a gel pack heating pad, (sold at walmart in the pharmacy, made by Kaz, (I think.) I put the heating pad under my jacket so I won’t freeze to death. In the summer, I freeze bottles of water, so we can grab one real fast on our way out the door. I have a mini back pack by the door I can just grab with doggie treats, a flash light, a rubber band for my hair when the wind is bad, etc. Do what works for you.

*Time lines. Keep it real. Puppies train at their own pace, so while your last 2 dogs may have trained faster, this puppy might take longer. Training is all about routines, and repeating yourself. It is about rewarding good behaviors, and correcting bad ones. If you have a setback, shake it off, and keep going. Good luck.
Source: These tips, tricks, and ideas were contributed from many brilliant minds. Thanks for your help!

I have a one year old puggle and she’s partly potty trained. I take her out as soon as i get out of bed and she does her business and i give her a treat. She also tends to go pee separatly then when she poos. She’ll pee, run inside and then i’ll see her at the door again. I’ll take her out and she’ll poo. Note that i’m not calling her after she pees, she does this herself. Also, she does know to go to the back door and whine, bark or scratch to be let out to pee or poo, but sometimes she’ll sneak away and just do her business in a hidden spot in the house. I’ve tried to minimize these spots by restricting her availability to the house but I can’t understand why she can’t hold it in or wait to be let out.

She mostly does this when I am not around. I moved back with my parents and they have been changing her dog food around because they buy cheap dog food. I attribute this to the increase in peeing and pooing because she needs to eat more to feel full and its full of salts and whatnot so she needs to drink more. Am I right? Should i go out and buy the old, better dog food myself that I used to give her and will this minimize her potty useage? And how do i get her to be 100% potty trained? I would say she’s about 70% trained but still goes when I’m not around…I was told puggles are spiteful when their masters leave but do I need to do the crate thing until she understands that is only for OUTSIDE?

Sorry for the multiple questions too…but thanks for your help in advance.

Walk her on a leash until she does both. Most dogs don’t pee and poop in the same spot. They typically pee first then walk around a bit and then poo. Definitely add crate training. After you walk her, if she hasn’t pooped and you think she should have, then crate her and about 20-30 minutes later bring her back outside and try again. This worked wonders for a stubborn manchester that we have. Go back to the good food.

We have a Yorkshire terrier and he was very hard to potty train, when we get our next dog, I want to do it right or better. Do you have any ideas that were successful in potty training your dog?

The best thing you can do to "potty" train your dog is to be consistent. Take him/her out at the same time(s) everyday. If they are a young puppy, this may also mean after mid-night outings. (Our dog associates going out by my saying "Hurry up") hence the 3am outings.

Usually a puppy can hold it’s bladder approx. 1/2 hour for every month in age until they reach 10 – 12 months. Then their bladder should be fully developed. ex. if your dog is 3 months old, they maybe able to hold themselves for about 90 minutes.

They will also give signs. They really don’t want to go inside the "cave", and they will let you know they want out. They may start digging in a spot, prancing around, going towards the door. You need to pay attention and learn their individual behavior.

Other Key times to let your dog out:
After they eat,
After they wake up.
As soon as you come home.
After you play with them.

I would by-pass the whole "paper training first" thing. You will eventually have to train them to go outside anyway. Plus they may associate going to the bathroom in the spot where the paper was even though the paper is gone.

If they do have an "Accident" it is usually not the dogs fault, but yours. You can’t really get mad at them. Rub their nose in it does nothing but confuse them.
If you do catch them midstream get them out the door, and praise them for being outside.

If they do have an accident Natures Miracle is a great product for clean up.

My sister has a 2ish year old rottie, she is house trained(shes a rescue dog thats why we don’t know her exact age) we’ve had for about 8 months. the dog has seperation anexity from my sister. we don’t really like to crate her for more than like 2 hours so one of us will stay home with the dog. Lately its been that when my sis leaves for just like 5 hours and i’m here with the dog she’ll poop in the house near the front door! Also i take her out usually once an hour just to make sure she won’t have an accident…I left her alone for 20MINS and she pooped in the house. She’s like watching an infant. does anybody have any thoughts thanks
the dog is crate trained, i just dont like leaving her in it for long periods of time. she only does it when her mommy isnt here. and no we are not getting rid of her b/c shes a rescue dog she doesn’t need to bounce from home to home because she makes a handful of mistakes.
the dog is crate trained, i just dont like leaving her in it for long periods of time. she only does it when her mommy isnt here. and no we are not getting rid of her b/c shes a rescue dog she doesn’t need to bounce from home to home because she makes a handful of mistakes. also my sis is a stay at home mom who homeschools so its not like she heads off to work every day.

your sister’s rottie is showing a sign of separation anxiety.

dogs are like children, infact they are children for many people.

maybe keep her entertained when leaving like treats, dog nyla bones, raw hides, etc.