how long did it take you to housebreak?

[Mollyrocker]

I can't remember how long it took for Lucy our Lab...I know it was a while before we were out of the woods despite being super attentive to getting her out to do her business.

I must have blocked all the endless trips out to "go pee" "go poop"..

I know I weeks ahead of me of diligance, patience and a big bottle of nature's miracle..

just would like to hear how lon git took you...if you remember?

[bradl]

Anywhere from a few weeks to about a year. Or twelve years. There are always 'accidents' but I don't believe in housebreaking as a 'thing' - to me it's more of a habit, and any habit is subject to lapses.

That reminds me, I need to go exercise. Or not. I'm out of the habit

[savannahsmom35]

Savannah finally became reliable around 9 months old. And what a glorious time that was!!!!

[Tracy A.]

Mett & Bratt started to get reliable around 7-8 months old. Mett started asking to go out around 8-9months old... Bratt at 1 year has now just started to 'ask' to go out.

We do have doggy doors installed, and they will use them when they are on that side of the house- but for some reason our Living is like another country from where the dog doors are. I've had a string of accidents in the house in the last two weeks, which led me to have them tested for a UTI.. which came up negitive. So I felt that I was missing 'signals' they were sending.... that they want to go out into the yard when we are home rather than the dog run outside..... LOL

[AllAboutPetey]

Petey was reliably housetrained at about 8 months (seems like a long time, I know, but pretty standard, I believe for Cairns). Belle, our rescue, got a late start, but after about a year now I'd say she's almooost there.

[Maggie15]

We were lucky with maggie (knock on wood)...she was one of the 'few weeks' ones... and is really good at holding it all day... she hadnt had an accident in the house since last summer, when she was maybe 4 months old. I was discussing how great shes been with a coworker and the same night, she had a pee accident last week!...like brad said, sometimes it just happens... shes about 14 months old now... she holds it from 9-10 at night to 7-8 in the morning no problems... she wakes up and stretches and plays with us, eats then gets let out before we leave for work to do her 'business'...

we never taught her a real good mechanism to warn us if she needed to go out, although now she will go to the door and give a bark... when she was 3-4 months, we'd just keep an eye on her, let her out every couple of hours... we knew if she wandered away missing, she was peeing in the house somewhere!! vigilance is key!

a

[ckthomas00]

I would agree with the 8 month time period. That's when Bruski finally "got it". He's 10 months now and still has accidents once in a while - he'll go a month without an accident and then all the sudden we'll find a little suprise in the corner

[tena]

Sophie is a rescue, she's lived with us 7 months and is as good as we are about going outside. We get lazy, she's ok with copping a squat in the bedroom.

[ParNone]

I took Maddie outside a couple of times and after that she went to the door and barked to go outside. I like to say she came out of the box already assembled. I got her at 8 weeks old, but I think maybe the breeder must have already been working on housebreaking with her.

Murph took at least 6 months to housebreak. He was very hard, because he'd be running at full speed, pee, and then take off again. It was just almost impossible to catch him in the act to take him outside. If I ever get another dog like him, I'd attach a leash to him and me, to help speed up the process.

The Collies were both very fast to housebreak, somewhat of a Collie trait I think. I also put bells on the door and taught them to ring'em to go outside, which helped I think, because it gave them a way to communicate with me. My friend was having a horrible time housebreaking her lil' JRT, but I suggested the bells and that worked for her lil' JRT too. Any further dogs I train, I will be using that method.

Les...

[Barney's Mom]

I have also heard of people teaching their dogs to ring a bell to signal that they need to go out. As smart as Cairns are, I think just about any one could learn to do that. I am seriously thinking of doing that with Barney.

Les

[ParNone]

Hi Barney's Mom,

I just strung a couple of Christmas Jingle bells on a ribbon and then hung the ribbon around the door knob. My friend with the JRT, sewed some little christmas bells to a strip of material and tied the material to the door handle. Her version looks much nicer then my version.

Everytime, I'd take one of the Collies outside, I'd pop the bells with their paw, say "Outside", then out we'd go. I also watched them like a hawk whenever they were around the door and the first time they nosed the bells, I jumped up excitedly, saying "Outside" in a cheery voice and wisked them outside. I would first try to get them to potty, then we'd play a lil' before we'd come back inside. If you stay on top of it, not missing any opportunities where they ring the bells to wisk them outside, it doesn't take long at all to get the association, ring bell means outside. It takes a lil' longer to make that final connection of ringing bell means outside to potty and you'll go through a period where they're ringing them all the time to just go outside to explore and play. So you have to balance it out. If they'd just been out and pottied and then immediately come back inside and ring the bells, I'd tell them "not right now" and not let them out. Over time we sort of figured each other out and if they really really gotta go potty, there's a more vigorous popping of the bells, then when they just wanna go outside to play.

I like this method, because you get a definite communication about it vs hoping they'll figure out to bark or scratch the door. Murph and I never did work out a communication. He'd just wait for Maddie to go out, knowing I guess she went out enough that he'd eventually get his opportunity. The Collies don't need to potty as often though, but lucky for Murph if he really needs to go and I don't notice, Oz will come get me and let me know.

Les...