[Kwenami]

I'm anticipating another 6 months on Doppler for him to create the habit and start making attempts to keep it, at best. He's had 5 years of daily accidents indoors and was free roaming without puppy pads, so lots of bad habits to change. He's being crated when indoors and not directly supervised, taken out minimum 3 times a day (seems sufficient, we're also in an apartment and there's 2 dogs to do this). He seems to do okay with that and can hold it through most nights - the hard days are when he's not pooping as much (he got switched to a better food, too), so he doesn't feel like he needs to go but then a few hours or running around he does and gives minimal warning, or just cries and cries even if we're in and out constantly (was in a house a few days ago). He's doing pretty well and only having accidents about twice a week (vs before I had him they were twice daily), so that's already major progress.

Anyhow, I thought it might be interesting to hear other peoples stories for this and how long it took/what your situations were, etc.

 

[camper]

My scenario is irrelevant, but I'm bored so I'll post anyway.

My rescue lab was a little over 1 years old when I got him. His previous three months he spent on a large property and was mainly an outside dog. This was a the fostering location.

I got lucky with him and in the 4 years I've had him, he never had a single accident in the house, aside from a time he got a UTI, which was out of his control, of course.

 

[Kwenami]

Not irrelevant at all, that's an awesome story @camper!

 

[seashoreduck]

I've had 2 rescues, both have been pretty good about being house-trained. My 4yo Fox terrier was in a family, but they had to let him go because she was a fence climber and her and the 2yo were both escaping. (the 2yo would let them out of the house and the dog would let them out of the gated yard!) The mom was at her wit's end. My issue with her was also that she was an escape artist. Even leashed with a harness that should of been almost tight enough to cut off blood supply she'd find a way to escape. I'd be standing there, 2 seconds later holding a dogless leash. She was too smart for her own good. She never had an accident in the house. However, she met her demise with a car after a particularly bad escape (she got out of a crate and then opened a car door) To this day I still don't know how she got out. I have trouble opening the crate...and the car door was locked!!!! So smart is not always good.

My second rescue was not trained. She learned quickly. She struggles with peeing on a carpet if it's been badly abused by previous animals, however. For her its all about schedule. She needs to go as soon as she gets up, as soon as she gets out of bed when I get home from work (she no longer needs the crate...it has been 7 years...) and before bed. For her, in all honesty, it was about 2 months of umbilical care that got her more normalized. (that's where you leash them to you at all times).

 

[jclark343]

I got Forbes when he was a year. He spent a lot of his first year in a kennel, and would be let outside in the backyard with a bunch of other dogs, which usually meant a lot of time playing and not as much time pottying. He had grown accustomed to going to the bathroom in his run where he lived and slept.

It took about a year, and most of that was getting him to not have accidents in his crate when we aren't home, which I attribute more to anxiety and less to not being able to hold it. It probably took about 6 months for him to understand in the house that if he went to the door and made some sort of ruckus we would let him out, and then he would get a treat. At this point, he is 100% in the house when we are home (including him knowing that if he has to throw up, we do it outside), but we still have off days in the crate when we aren't home.

 

[Aspen726]

@jclark343 - I didn't realize Forbes was a year old when you got him. How old is he now? Do you crate him when you aren't home?
@Kwenami - I can't really add to this but it's interesting so I'm following. I think I missed the story about how you got Doppler- can you post a link?

 

[jclark343]

@Aspen726, yep he was a year. The breeder kept him because she was planning on him being her confirmation dog, but his white goes behind his withers on 1 side which is a fault, so she decided that it wasn't worth going through the hassle to show him (Dying the white, entering under less strict judges, etc). She is a professional handler so when I picked him up she had 20 dogs in her house. The house was clean, but there really isn't any way that the dogs could receive 1 on 1 attention. He is now 2 1/2. He will be 3 on June 4th (Which is also the day that husband and I started dating). At this point he is crated during the work days and at night. On the weekends we let him out with Roxie and we are working up to trusting him out during the days. It's just we have a new couch and husband doesn't have 100% faith in him. He sleeps in his crate at night because he is a morning dog and I worry that if he wakes up at 4 am, that he might wake up the rest of the family. He also does not settle real well at this point outside of his crate at night. It's like he doesn't understand how to sleep at night anywhere else. He will not electively put himself in there at night, but when I do finally get up and put him in (after how ever long of him laying at the foot of the bed crying) he will pass right out. It's really odd.

 

[Kwenami]

@Aspen726 i'm not sure if I posted his story, maybe in the new additions section? Essentially my bf's ex got him from a puppy mill and after 5 years decided she couldn't keep him she lost her job and had moved fairly far away). She asked the bf if he wanted him but he realized he couldn't....so he asked me if I did. I was hoping to foster at the time so even if this is temporary it'll help Doppler's chances of being adopted if he's house trained. So here he is! It's been almost 2 months now, and we moved a few days ago. he learns well and is high energy which is fun but 6-10 walks a day in the apartment is a lot :S We're all adjusting lol.

 

[Kwenami]

Doppler is sick. I never want an un-housetrained dog that's sick ever again. EVER. THIS IS AWFUL. WHY DON'T PEOPLE HOUSETRAIN WHEN THEY'RE LITTLE.

:'( I'm so tired. Thank god Koda never has done this.

 

[jclark343]

Oh @Kwenami! I'm so sorry!

 

[Kwenami]

Oh @Kwenami! I'm so sorry!

Thanks. I just want a day off from this now...I shrunk his crate to be smaller so hopefully he'll yell at me before just emptying. Taking him out as often as possible now...debating letting him poop on the balcony tbh (there's snow to freeze it...like maple taffy to pick up and bag and throw down the chute?), though I feel like I'll get yelled at for that.

Poor guy is not looking happy. I keep having to fully wash his paws and whatnot because he's running in it even if he doesn't roll in it. Go nap again little buddy =\ Get better before I go insane.

 

[mathilda]

Sancho was half a year, so not fully adult, but already older.
He needed around 2 weeks to be reliable over night most of the time, but there were occasionally mishaps (perhaps every few months) until he was around a year...seldom though and it was mostly our fault, when we didn't keep to the usual schedule.

 

[jclark343]

Thanks. I just want a day off from this now...I shrunk his crate to be smaller so hopefully he'll yell at me before just emptying. Taking him out as often as possible now...debating letting him poop on the balcony tbh (there's snow to freeze it...like maple taffy to pick up and bag and throw down the chute?), though I feel like I'll get yelled at for that.

Poor guy is not looking happy. I keep having to fully wash his paws and whatnot because he's running in it even if he doesn't roll in it. Go nap again little buddy =\ Get better before I go insane.

And they aren't giving you anything to bind him up? I'd be feeding him a few cups of white rice. Poor guy. And poor you!

 

[Kwenami]

And they aren't giving you anything to bind him up? I'd be feeding him a few cups of white rice. Poor guy. And poor you!

What do you mean bind him up?

He's eating rice, chicken and apples for the next few days. He's started looking better and having almost normal poops again. I made his crate smaller with an insert thing and although its fairly small now he's not had an accident...We'll see how he does and I can open it back up in stages.

 

[jclark343]

What do you mean bind him up?

He's eating rice, chicken and apples for the next few days. He's started looking better and having almost normal poops again. I made his crate smaller with an insert thing and although its fairly small now he's not had an accident...We'll see how he does and I can open it back up in stages.

I was always told that white rice will soak in the toxins in their stomachs as well as add a lot of fiber to help make their poop solid again. It may be all hear say but it's always seemed to work.