Question posted from SBright
She is 14 weeks old and she’s a West Highland White Terrier. Okay, here’s my problem. She’s very obedient and tries her best to obey orders. But I just got her 3 days ago and I can’t seem to get her to understand pottying outside when I take her out. She spent her life in a kennel on a farm, so I know everything is new to her right now. It’s her first time on a leash, first time in the house, first time with a family, and never been potty trained.
She also usually holds it for a long while (about 6 hours.) But I can’t get her to go potty outside for anything! Somebody please help. She instead has been doing all her business inside her crate.
I have tried taking her poo and pee and leaving it by the tree I send her to every time I take her out, but she will only sniff at it and play while she is out.
What should I do? How do I potty train this puppy?
February 9th, 2009 at 3:06 am
The middle directly above the animal will always use the toilet after he learns to go in box placed over the toilet with hole this animal will always use the middle directly above the toilet after he learns to go in the middle directly above the toilet with hole in the middle directly above.
From jake
February 13th, 2009 at 4:20 am
Be patient, 3 days isn’t very long. Keep taking her outside, to the same spot and give her a command like “go potty” or “go to the bathroom” or “pee” or whatever you want. Wait a minute or two, keep repeating the command. If she doesn’t go, don’t pay attention to her, make eye contact, talk to her, play with her or anything - just take her back inside. Keep doing this and when she does finally go (and she will) praise her and pet her and get very excited and make a big deal of it. Keep doing this every day for several days (or a week or two if she’s a slow learner). While she is inside keep her on a leash and have her follow you around. Since the crate seems to be the problem don’t let her in the crate at all during the day. If you have to go somewhere during the day leave her outside. Also, her crate should only be big enough for her to stand in, lay down and turn around in comfortably - but it should NOT be big enough for her to pee in one part and lay down in another without laying down on her pee. She should also have a soft, comfy bed to lay on inside the crate, if she doesn’t already have it. Since she is having trouble holding it in the crate you might think about some large, soft bath towels that you can throw in the washing machine if she soils them. Only put her in the crate to sleep in at night - and take her out one last time right before you go to bed, then get up EARLY in the morning (if you put her to bed at 10 or 11 get up at 5am) and take her outside. Carry her out so she doesn’t stop an d go in the house on the way out. You should only have to do this for a few days to a couple weeks, depending on your dog. After she starts going outside consistently you can let her stay in the crate later and later in the morning, until you just let her out when you get up.
Some dogs can’t hold their bladders until they are 6 months old - so don’t be too suprised if she can’t hold it all night until then. But many dogs can hold it all night starting at 3 months, so it really just depends on your dog.
We foster puppies for a local shelter (8 in the past year, from 6 weeks to 1 yr old) and have 2 young dogs of our own. I only had one dog ever that just couldn’t hold her bladder - a 5 month old pit bull. All our other puppies became house trained in a week or two using the advise I gave.
February 14th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
alright so first you need a smaller crate, it should be small enough that the pup should only be able to turn around or fully strech out inside of it (then shell be less likely to potty inside of it because dogs dont like to be laying in their poo!) then lie a bell on a string onto something by the door that you take her out through and every time you take her out to potty (carry her out) take her paw and lightly hit the bell so it makes a noise. eventually she will relate ringing the bell to going outside to potty so she’ll learn to do it on her own. but make sure not to play with her AT ALL untill she does her buisness so she doesnt think potty time is play time!
good luck!
February 17th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Hi,
I have a website about Standard Poodles and there is a page about house training your dog and a page about crate training your dog. Check them out, they might help.