Help ME! Having problems with potty training my doodle.

[Linda Hershey]

Hi, Just fyi, this is NOT my first dog.  I have had several large dogs a shepherd, and 2 Rottweiler females and now also have a boston terrier.

 

I purchased a Sheep a doodle from a breeder.  I got her when she was 13 weeks old.  I had previously trained my Rottweiler pup and the boston terrier who was from a puppy mill and terrible to train.

She is currently 5 months old as of July 10, 2013.

I started crate training when we came home, ect.  She is good at night from about 11 or 12 until about 6 or 7 am. 

Morning, I let her out immediately upon getting up.  She is out for a few minutes or however long she wants.  I let the two dogs out together.

I feed the dogs separately.  I also open the garage door so while she is eating the door is open and after finishing she has the option to go back outside to do her duty at her leisure.  When she comes to the door, I let her in.

We go through the day usually ok without accidents. 

After supper about 4 pm she eats and has ample opportunity to go out side.  She has many opportunities to go outside. 

This is where we have problems, after my husband gets home all training is out the window.  She will pee, poop in the house.  She will pee anywhere but she usually poops by the door.  We let her out multiple times I just can't figure her out.  We will be sitting down relaxing and all of a sudden without warning she's pooping at the front door.  Or we walk through the house and see a pee puddle, it's so frustrating.

Also one other problem is she is an excited pee er.  She will pee with certain people who come in to our home, not everyone. 

When we take her places, she pees upon greeting people, she's in a sitting position so you don't know until she moves that there is a puddle under her. 

My Rottweiler never peed in the house let alone poop.  I don't remember having any trouble in potty training except for her not wanting to get wet while raining and I cured that in one day.  I took her for a long 2 mile walk in the rain.  She never minded going out in it again. 

I could let her in the house for 12 hours, no accidents, not that we did this but she never would go in the house.

We let Emi have the run of the house during the day except while I have to go somewhere then she is crated.  I make her settle down at a sit and quiet to let her out of her crate.  She is very intelligent, has learned to sit, shake ect.  I KNOW she is smart enough but I can't get her to stop.  We have caught her in this behavior and yelled and put her out many times to no avail...Please help...any suggestions???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

You keep saying you let her out, perhaps I am misunderstanding but it is important to actually take her out and to wait until she has gone and then do the happy dance.  I would make sure you are cleaning up really well with natures miracle and preempt the possibility that she needs to go especially in the evening when you should also keep her on leash in the house. The sooner you can increase the successes the quicker you will have a fully trained dog. She seems from what you say not to understand what she needs to do/or not! Please do not ever yell at her, that will just frighten her. If you catch her in the act just say a firm NO and carry her outside, if she finishes outdoors then praise praise and praise some more.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree completely. You must be outside with her to see that she actually goes and then praise her to the moon when she does. You also then have the opportunity to use the words you will later use when you need her to "go" on command: "Go pee pee!" For now, when she does what she should, use the words "Good girl! Good pee pee!" even if it makes you feel silly. Keep a small pouch of training treats with you at all times so you can reward her immediately when she goes where she is supposed to go. 

On the other side, you must also catch her in the act every time she goes indoors. That's hard to do if you are giving her free run of the house. Every accident that you don't see is reinforcing that it's okay to go indoors, and a missed opportunity to correct her and take her to where she should be going immeditaely. You can't do those things after the fact. 

The idea she needs to learn is "Indoors: Bad, Outdoors: Good" You must be there to reinforce those ideas on both sides.

Also, stop the yelling NOW. All that does is confuse the dog. Corrections when you catch her in the act should be a calm "eh eh eh" or "no no" and then taking her (NOT "putting" her) outside. 

Keep her tethered to you indoors when you are too busy to watch her, so that she cannot go off by herself and potty indoors. 

[Linda Hershey]

yes, I do make a fuss over  her everytime outside and when I take her out she WILL go on command,  If I say pee or potty she will squat.  I will be out with her long enough for her to go and bring her back in and then she will have an accident a bit later, it's not like we didn't just have her out.  It's mainly the Poo so we can't make her poo everytime she's outside.  Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it.  I have put her on her tether for now.

 

[Linda Hershey]

Thank you,  except I cannot carry her outside, she weighs 45-50 lbs.  But I do sincerely appreciate your comments and help...

 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

When I was training my doodles, I have a fenced in yard but I went out with them on a leash and when they were doing pee or poop I would say good boy/girl you go peepee or poopies so they know what I was praising them for.  Once they did their business then it was off leash for some running around and playing.  Your puppy does not know you want her to go poop or pee outside..... you have to teach her what you want her to do.  This stage of puppy training is tough, I would pick up the water around 8 pm at night and about a hour before I would leave for work, both my doodles were crate trained, not that they did not have accidents because they did have there share of them but try taking her out on the leash and teaching her what you want her to do, she will get it sooner or later :)

[Becka]

You've already gotten some good advice on the potty training, and I would just say to keep it up, be patient, and be consistent. I have a suggestion for the happy/excited peeing: when visitors come over, ask them to ignore Emi until she is calm--no petting, no eye contact, no making a big deal. This might help keep her from getting worked up into a peeing frenzy. A lot of dogs (mine included) outgrow this behavior. Good luck!

[Linda Hershey]

We need a LIKE button here, thanks, I am doing your suggestions, no talk, touch, or eye contact, but some ppl don't get it.

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Also, it's a mistake to compare this puppy to others you have had in the past. Their early experiences and environment with their mothers and their litters before they even get to you play a big role in their housebreaking. And OES's are notorious for being difficult to housebreak.  

[Linda Hershey]

GREAT!, I didn't know that about OES.....she is so frustrating.

 

[Lynda Kamrath]

So is that true about the sheepadoodles also?  I know that OES's are difficult to housebreak, but my doodles have been so easy.  I am thinking about a sheepadoodle for my next doodle, from a very reputable breeder, but a sheepadoodle nonetheless.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think a lot of it is going to depend on the mother and the individual dog. I think OES's are among the cutest dogs in the universe, but I wouldn't own one, They are known to be very stubborn, and not very easy to train at all. The poodle influence might come through in one but not another, and I really don't think you could tell if any given puppy had more of which traits. I'm not a fan of the mix. Out of 79 breeds ranked for intelligence by Stanley Coren, (and some of those rankings are based on fast a dog understands something), Poodles are #2 and OES's are #63. Goldens are #4 and Labs are #7.  

[Linda Hershey]

Thanks Karen,

Through my research I didn't know OES's were stubborn.  What I could find to read said they were loyal, intelligent, easy to train.  Emi is very easy to train otherwise.  She knows a lot for a pup.  I am sure with distractions though she would be different, but around the house, she behaves very well and listens very well in fact.  Thank you   for your help.