You need to train him to go on command. Take him out on a walk and say go pee, when he does give a treat and make a big deal out of his going. Lots of praise every time he goes. You will keep doing this until you tell him to go and he goes right away. Once he goes right away do it for about another week and then you can slow on the treats but alway tell him he is good for going right away. I did this with both of my dogs and to this day they will go as soon as I tell them to. Makes it nice when its raining.
Help Housebreaking Adult Dog
Hi everybody,
My husband and I recently adopted a 3 year old Parson Russell Terrier from a local rescue. He's been with us almost 3 weeks, but I am having trouble with his potty schedule.
Because I work from home, Jack spends most of his day following me around, or sleeping by my side while I am on the computer working. He hasn't had an accident in the house in a few days because I am always with him, making sure he doesn't pee or poop somewhere. He pooped in the house once, the first week he was here, and he's peed in the carpet a few times when we weren't paying attention. That has changed since then because I decided to keep an eye on him at all times last week, so we could successfully train him to go potty outside.
My biggest issue is to actually get him to pee or poop in the backyard. He has no problem peeing or pooping when he goes on walks with me, but he has never pooped when walking with my husband. He is also very shy and afraid of men, so I would think it has to do with that. I try to take him on walks twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, but I feel like he is holding his pee for too long! We let him sleep in our bed, and he will stay in the same spot all night long and he hasn't had any accidents in our room during the night. I let him out to the backyard first thing in the morning, around 6:30, which means it's been at least 8-9 hours since he last peed, and he just stares at me. I walk to the grass, try to get him to follow me, but he won't pee. It worries me that he is holding it for too long, and I can't be taking him on walks so many times a day. I need him to feel comfortable peeing in the backyard. He likes to sleep a lot, so sometimes it is hard to get him to go to the backyard. Sometimes it's been 3 hours since we woke up, and he still hasn't peed. I know this because he is with me the whole time. That means he's been holding his pee for 12 hours sometimes! I don't know why he has to hold it so much. I am guessing he was taught to only go during his walks at some point in his life...
I also wanna add that he has peed in the backyard, but even if I write the times down, there isn't a set schedule of when he likes to go pee. I feed him at the same time every day, and his water bowl is always out. Today I took him outside first thing in the morning with his leash. I had to force him to the grass and he just tried to get back in the house the whole time. No pee. This was after we went on a walk the night before around 7pm, and he had peed then, so it had been about 12 hrs since that. Some time later, I took him out again and sat in a chair for about 20 min, with him staring at me, until finally he went to the grass and peed, and this was about 14 hours after I last saw him pee! I made sure to praise him a lot, and he was very happy. I really hope this works. I just don't know how many times I need to do this in a day. When I'm working, I can't take 20 minutes every hour to go sit outside with him.
Do you guys recommend anything? My biggest worry is him holding his pee for so long. I can't believe he hasn't gotten an infection. He hasn't had accidents inside yet, but he also won't tell me when he needs to go, so I can't leave him on his own in the house yet, which is why we have a kennel, but he gets very anxious in there if left for a few hours. I also don't want him to wait until his first morning walk to pee after 12 hours. I would also love it if he would pee in the backyard right before we go to bed, so he doesn't hold it for so long during the night.
My husband and I recently adopted a 3 year old Parson Russell Terrier from a local rescue. He's been with us almost 3 weeks, but I am having trouble with his potty schedule.
Because I work from home, Jack spends most of his day following me around, or sleeping by my side while I am on the computer working. He hasn't had an accident in the house in a few days because I am always with him, making sure he doesn't pee or poop somewhere. He pooped in the house once, the first week he was here, and he's peed in the carpet a few times when we weren't paying attention. That has changed since then because I decided to keep an eye on him at all times last week, so we could successfully train him to go potty outside.
My biggest issue is to actually get him to pee or poop in the backyard. He has no problem peeing or pooping when he goes on walks with me, but he has never pooped when walking with my husband. He is also very shy and afraid of men, so I would think it has to do with that. I try to take him on walks twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, but I feel like he is holding his pee for too long! We let him sleep in our bed, and he will stay in the same spot all night long and he hasn't had any accidents in our room during the night. I let him out to the backyard first thing in the morning, around 6:30, which means it's been at least 8-9 hours since he last peed, and he just stares at me. I walk to the grass, try to get him to follow me, but he won't pee. It worries me that he is holding it for too long, and I can't be taking him on walks so many times a day. I need him to feel comfortable peeing in the backyard. He likes to sleep a lot, so sometimes it is hard to get him to go to the backyard. Sometimes it's been 3 hours since we woke up, and he still hasn't peed. I know this because he is with me the whole time. That means he's been holding his pee for 12 hours sometimes! I don't know why he has to hold it so much. I am guessing he was taught to only go during his walks at some point in his life...
I also wanna add that he has peed in the backyard, but even if I write the times down, there isn't a set schedule of when he likes to go pee. I feed him at the same time every day, and his water bowl is always out. Today I took him outside first thing in the morning with his leash. I had to force him to the grass and he just tried to get back in the house the whole time. No pee. This was after we went on a walk the night before around 7pm, and he had peed then, so it had been about 12 hrs since that. Some time later, I took him out again and sat in a chair for about 20 min, with him staring at me, until finally he went to the grass and peed, and this was about 14 hours after I last saw him pee! I made sure to praise him a lot, and he was very happy. I really hope this works. I just don't know how many times I need to do this in a day. When I'm working, I can't take 20 minutes every hour to go sit outside with him.
Do you guys recommend anything? My biggest worry is him holding his pee for so long. I can't believe he hasn't gotten an infection. He hasn't had accidents inside yet, but he also won't tell me when he needs to go, so I can't leave him on his own in the house yet, which is why we have a kennel, but he gets very anxious in there if left for a few hours. I also don't want him to wait until his first morning walk to pee after 12 hours. I would also love it if he would pee in the backyard right before we go to bed, so he doesn't hold it for so long during the night.
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That's super helpful, Dawnben. How long did it take for your dogs to get it? I take my dog out daily for walks, usually twice a day. I've noticed that every time he pees by a tree, I tell him good boy and praise him, but he seems to ignore me, doesn't even look me in the eye, he just keeps walking. I'm not sure if he is getting it or not... or if this is normal for dogs. It's my first time having a dog! It's also difficult to give him a treat right after he pees, because he sees my hand coming towards him and he kind of goes the other way, and I've heard praise and treats should be given up to three seconds after he's done peeing, and he never takes the treat that quick.
He's a weird one, I know. He is very shy and seems to have been abused in the past, so it's hard figuring out what works for him.
Yesterday morning, he actually went potty and peed in the backyard first thing in the morning. I was very surprised and praised him a lot, but today he didn't go, even though I spent 20 min with him outside to see if he would pee. I'm going to take him out again in an hour to see if he pees this time. I work till later today, so I can't take him on a walk till later...
He's a weird one, I know. He is very shy and seems to have been abused in the past, so it's hard figuring out what works for him.
Yesterday morning, he actually went potty and peed in the backyard first thing in the morning. I was very surprised and praised him a lot, but today he didn't go, even though I spent 20 min with him outside to see if he would pee. I'm going to take him out again in an hour to see if he pees this time. I work till later today, so I can't take him on a walk till later...
It takes some time but its worth it. You might want to try clicker training with him. Hear is some info on it and a potty training video.That's super helpful, Dawnben. How long did it take for your dogs to get it?
Yesterday morning, he actually went potty and peed in the backyard first thing in the morning. I was very surprised and praised him a lot, but today he didn't go, even though I spent 20 min with him outside to see if he would pee. I'm going to take him out again in an hour to see if he pees this time. I work till later today, so I can't take him on a walk till later...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wv1uvvqaSw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvPiFcG7ROI
Update: He peed in the backyard again this morning! I made sure to praise him a lot too. We also got a baby gate for the stairs, because sometimes he'd run upstairs to pee in the hallway, and we'd have no time to catch him before he did. It seems to be working. He hasn't had an accident in the house in two days, and has peed in the backyard two different mornings.
Thanks for the video links, I will be getting a clicker soon to try that with him. It might be much better than just giving him the usual "good boy". Now I've just gotta find a treat that he reaaaally loves...
Thanks for the video links, I will be getting a clicker soon to try that with him. It might be much better than just giving him the usual "good boy". Now I've just gotta find a treat that he reaaaally loves...
Real meat usually is best or something like thisThanks for the video links, I will be getting a clicker soon to try that with him. It might be much better than just giving him the usual "good boy". Now I've just gotta find a treat that he reaaaally loves...
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Update: he hasn't had an accident in the house in a week! He also did #2 in the backyard yesterday, and today. I made sure to praise him a lot!
I found out that he loves chicken, so I boiled some chicken in broth and cut it into little pieces to use for training. He still won't take a treat right after going potty, he just tries to get away from me. He likes the chicken, but clicker training is becoming harder... He seems to get SIT, but everything else is really hard to teach him as he kinda ignores you. He looks at my hand with the chicken, and he follows it for a second but then he ignores. I really don't know what else to do, or get, for him to learn new tricks. He is so stubborn!
I found out that he loves chicken, so I boiled some chicken in broth and cut it into little pieces to use for training. He still won't take a treat right after going potty, he just tries to get away from me. He likes the chicken, but clicker training is becoming harder... He seems to get SIT, but everything else is really hard to teach him as he kinda ignores you. He looks at my hand with the chicken, and he follows it for a second but then he ignores. I really don't know what else to do, or get, for him to learn new tricks. He is so stubborn!
New update: he peed in our closet last night after a whole week of no accidents in the house. I really thought we were getting the hang of this, but I guess Jack doesn't feel the same way.
He has been peeing in the backyard, but not on command, and usually when he can't hold it any longer. He always pees during his walks. He hadn't had an accident inside because I made sure to keep an eye on him 100% of the time, but last night I was folding laundry by the bed and I saw him walk into the closet, stopped paying attention, then when I turned to look again, he was peeing on the side of our dresser. This was a little bit after he had peed outside too!
This housetraining thing is hard!
He has been peeing in the backyard, but not on command, and usually when he can't hold it any longer. He always pees during his walks. He hadn't had an accident inside because I made sure to keep an eye on him 100% of the time, but last night I was folding laundry by the bed and I saw him walk into the closet, stopped paying attention, then when I turned to look again, he was peeing on the side of our dresser. This was a little bit after he had peed outside too!
This housetraining thing is hard!
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