Potty Training Issues

[Ivy & Lucy's Mom]

I need a little advice. We have had Lucy for one month now. Love her to death BUT, she is having a real issue with her potty

training. We crate her at night-she sleeps from 11-6am. She has had accidents in the past but now she is fine. When we go out, I put her in our laundry room-she seems to like it better than the crate. She has no accidents in there either. She knows the word potty-when I take her out, she does her business. Its when I am watching her. She is usually playing with Ivy. She will just squat and go to the bathroom-pee or poop whichever. I will clap my hands and say NO. Boy, she takes off and hides. I think she knows she shouldn't do it. I will immediately clean it up. It is not a matter of odor-she is not walking around and smelling looking for her spot. She will just squat and not give me a sign. This happens once a day-yesterday though we were accident free. I watched her like a hawk. When I can't keep an eye on her, she is in her crate-like when I am cooking dinner.

She is 12 weeks and 3 days old. All of my other dogs (goldens and cairns) were pretty much trained at 12 weeks.

 

Any suggestions?? I have started on the bell method. I am following the tedious steps in getting her to know the bell but she really is disinterested in that. She is more concerned about the treat when doing the first stage where you have the dog touch the bell with their nose.

 

Maybe I was just lucky before with my other dogs. Am I expecting too much? Everyone I talk to say things like, "oh my dog was trained at 10 weeks"  and things like that. Are there dogs out there that never get it.  i take her out after she sleeps, after she plays and usually every hour or so.

 

Lucy for sure knows what to do when I take her out-but ughh......

 

Edited July 17, 2013 by Ivy & Lucy's Mom

[Idaho Cairns]

If she recognizes that going in the house is a no no, and it sounds like she does, then it won't be long before you are in the clear.  It appears to me that you are doing everything right but remember these little guys get excited and seem to "forget" where they are and just let go.  Before long she will be able to control that excitement enough to leave you clean floors and a happy house.

[Hillscreek]

She's very young. Many cairns are not reliably house trained before six months.

I had retrievers and other terriers. The retrievers were trained by three or four months - not so the terriers.

Angus never took to the bell method. He eventually learned by himself to go to door and whimper but I did not teach him to do this.

[LindaMC]

Maisie will be 6 months old in 2 days and she still doesn't get it yet.  I have actually caught Maisie proceeding to squat and relieve herself, said NO, picked her up and ran her outside, only to have her not go after standing out there with her for 20 - 30 minutes.  Come back in the house and 5-10 minutes later, she goes.  I say NO, look at her and have to smile because she's looking up at me as if she doesn't have a clue what I'm talking about.  I've been saying "go potty" every time she is actually going outside, I've given her treats, made a huge deal out of it when she goes but still no sign.  Please forgive me, I'm not trying to hijack your post, just wanted to tell you that your not alone, believe me.  Hang in there, as I am.

[nclar0523]

I am also not one to give advice, as Mr. Rory is straight out refusing to poop outside OR on the pads inside... he prefers the carpet of course. He is 100% pee trained though (not much to brag about I know), but I noticed after he was at the stage that he definitely understood the word 'potty' it helped to bring him to his potty place and remind him every so often since he was kind of like a kid that got too into playing and would have accidents here or there. As far as when they just refuse, not sure, I think relentless repetition will help us both...also I am about to decrease the amount of space he can go in unless fully supervised until he has had no accidents for a month, then I will open the gate to another room- sounds like you are probably doing that already though.

 

Also, I have heard of 'umbilical training' where you tie the puppy to you at all times he is out of the crate/pen...this was not practical for me personally but maybe an option?