had my cairn for a month and he's still not housebroken

[aaartnaz]

i have a 4 month old cairn. i'm not sure what i'm doing wrong. i do have to work so i leave him in the bathroom and barricaded so if he goes he'll do it in the bathroom. but he likes to go onto the carpet even when i get back home. I've been trying to take him outside to go and he'll do it and i'll praise him. when he's inside, does he think that the carpet is grass and that's his toilet? or what am i doing wrong? before i would make sure i used my lunchtime to go home and take him outside to do his business and i think it was working. when i didn't have time to go back he started to just go anywhere he wanted.

i was thinking of maybe also using my old cat's litter box lined with the litter pads. is that a good idea?

[carolinaila09]

at 4 months old, accidents are expected. paisley has been fairly consistent about only going outside, but she is 4 months too and definitely has her share of accidents. the biggest part of it is to be consistent with taking your puppy out after eating, playing, sleeping...... and making sure to throw a big ol' PARTAY when they go outside like they are supposed to. make sure youre using cleaner inside too that will eliminate the smells so that he doesn't recognize those accident spots as a place thats okay to go. good luck it just takes some time. paisley actually went to the door the other day when she had to go, best day of her life!! haha

i would not use the litter box if youre able to get home to let him out. it may confuse him a little since hes trying to learn where the correct spot is. but thats just my opinion!

[BetsyNoodle]

If you have only had him a month, housetraining mishaps are very common. Murphy was two years old when he was rescued and it took several months before he stopped having accidents. Your Cairn is still very young.

For housetraining, we used the method described on the Humane Society of the United States' website. Just type housetraining into the search bar. You should take your dog out to the same area of your yard or the neighborhood early each morning, immediately after each meal, after he naps, and after he plays or is active, then late at night. When Murphy first came to live with us, we actually took him out every 45 minutes, just to be sure, but he was an adult dog and likely had more control over his bladder than your four month old does. We also used belly bands to keep him from marking the spots where he had accidents. All soiled spots should be cleaned (and dried) very carefully or the dog will continue eliminating on that spot.

A vet once told me to either teach my dog to potty outside OR paper train him in the house. To do both only confuses the dog and leads to lots of accidents in the house. Crate training is also a great way to housetrain your dog and is described on the HSUS site, as well.

Good luck. Be persistent, consistent, and reward him when he goes outside.

[pkcrossley]

i agree, it is too early to expect perfection or even real consistency. but i think in your note i pick up some hints that you seem to already suspect what some of the problems are. are you saying that while you are away your dog doesn't go in the bathroom (where he is barricaded), but then goes on the carpet after he is released? does he poop or does he pee? either way, i think it is possible that it is happening then because of one or both of the following: a) he is relieved and excited that you are home, and can't yet control the reflex to poop or pee from excitement, he is p-o'ed that you went off and left him in a bathroom for hours, and he showing his anger/resentment by eliminating on the rug in front of you.

i agree with betsynoodle, accommodating the dog by making arrangements for him to pee or poop in the house will guarantee that he will always think the house is an acceptable place to do these things. it is only logical. find ways to keep him on the path toward righteousness. a belly band or diaper will allow you peace of mind and not suggest to him that going in the house is the local custom. give him time to get better control of himself --it is not only his age that matters here, but the length of time he has been working on training the sphincter muscles. a month is not a long time. in case his anger or anxiety about being alone is part of the problem, time will help him with that too. he is probably in the midst of a whole lot of adjustments, and you just want to weave this in with all the others. patience and persistence.

[Kit'sOwner]

Consider crate training rather than locking him in the bathroom.

[rubyruby]

A month!!! Ruby is 6 years old and still has accidents.