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Karen 20 years, 10 months ago.
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First, stop the scolding, this is increasing stress and can amke it worse. You are breaking down confidence when you need to build it up. This is counter productive. I want you to start from scratch. All over, do nto think of what has happened in the past, just where you need to get in the future and how to get there. Now, you do need to get him crate trained for when you are not home or awake to monitor him. Why? Well, every time he is able to potty inappropriately without being stopped, it is the same as giving permission ("No one stopped me so this must be safe.") Jean Donaldson in Culture Clash has an excellent section where she defines "Safe and not safe" from the eyes of a dog. Go to http://www.amazon.com and order the book ASAP. Since he can go out on his own and does not need to ask, he has no one to stop him from pooping on the patio and teach him where the best place to potty is. Right now he has too much freedom and not enough opportunity to be taught what is right and wrong. Dogs also develop surface preferences. All in all, you have a dog that you need to start from basics with (other behaviors as well from the looks of your post). We are limited to space here (and I once found out when I wrote a long answer and had to cut it down as it was too long!) and there are issues that need more addressing then can be done on a single forum. Back to basics. Less teaching NO! This can be very stressing and more teaching self discipline. Especially of the dog is lower confidence. Also, rule out medical just on the offchance there may be something else going on. I want you to go read these (since I cannot post all I would like due to space, I can at least give you plenty of references that will shadow what I would type): http://ddfl.org/behavior/re_housetraining.htm http://www.flyingdogpress.com/probtips.html http://www.siriusweb.com/AAD/crate.html http://www.doggiedoor.com/doghouse/peeq.shtml ( a long list of Q&A) http://www.maddiesfund.org/organizations/shelter_behavior_dogs.html (By the author Jean Donaldson I recommended already – click on housetraining especially – but all are good resources) I hope these help you – as well as getting your hands on Culture Clash and How to Teach an Old Dog New Tricks by Dr Ian Dunbar. These are two books that no dog owner should be without. Back to basics, be very careful with how you discipline and gear more towards building up desired behaviors than knowcking down old ones. Is it a lot easier to encourage the positive.
A couple of months ago my we adopted a 2 1/2 year old Sheltie/Shepherd mix (neutered). We thought an older dog would be easier on our other 6 year old dog and we could skip all the housetraining and chewing up of stuff. WRONG! Nicky (our sheltie mix) was not taught ANYTHING! He was alone alot – either outside in a very small yard or in a crate in the basement. He only knew his name. He didn’t know the word "no" and he had no clue he wasn’t supposed to go to the bathroom in the house! He would freely poop or urinate right in front of us on the living room carpet!!! (Plus, he has chewed up quite a few shoes to date.) Well, I love him to death and I have patiently been trying to train him. But he is definately a tough one! I have housetrained three other dogs (puppies) successfully and he is MUCH tougher to train! (Note: We don’t own a crate so he is not crated). He has alot of freedom now because we have a big fenced in backyard and a dog door. At first this kind of freaked him out – but soon he appeared to love this new freedom. BUT . . . he will NOT go outside by himself. He is perfectly content to spend his whole life in the house! It took a couple weeks to break him of pooping in the house but he still urinates in the house quite reguarly. At least once every two days! I have scolded him ("bad boy"), I took him on the leash in the back yard at sheduled intervals and I praise him like crazy when he goes outside. Now I don’t use the leash, I just go out with him and he knows why we’re out there. And he usually performs for me. But he will ONLY go out with me! Every now and then he will go out alone to do his business – but it is rare. (He will go outside to bark though!) When he does go out alone – he does his business on the concrete patio!!!! This one has me stumped! When I take him out I have to coax him to go in the grass. He acts like its the enemy! But he has no problem running through the grass to go bark at another dog. There was a two or three week period where we thought he was trained. But then he started urinating in the house again. My husband is loosing his patience. And I need advice! Thank you!!
Be careful with puppy pads as it initially teaches the dog it is acceptable to soil in the house and this can seriously delay housetraining. I rarely recommend their use. It just makes the training more difficult as you often have to retrain a behavior you no longer want but you did teach the dog it was OK in the first place.
i dont use a crate…. though im home allday if you do go out for longer hours still same training goes. and i have trained a dog that i resuced, to be clean, and you have to do the same with an older dog than you would with a pup.. show him out a little after hes eaten, and say wee’s etc, and praise when he does it,. if hes been indoors behind your back dont tell him off just clean it up quickly and quietly, if you catch him circling and about to go say NO OUTSIDE take him out side to go and as he does praise him…. on going out and comming home take him to go toilets and only leave minimum water supply this way should also cut down accidents.. i also used puppy pads just incase and i think they were only used once. and that was good as it protected the floor and was easy cleaned away….. dogs catch on quick but they dont know after being told once you have to drum it into them and make it a routine so they get the understanding of it and then figure it out
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