Potty training issues / advice needed

[Lisa Turner]

Izzy is five months old and a rescue. She's been through a lot! She has an older bro who is nearly one year old. My problem is that Izzy just let's go when she needs a pee. She can be in the middle of playing! We crate train her and she is taken out first thing in the morning and after breakfast and pees and poops when outside. Also I am taking her out every couple of hours throughout the day. She is confined to her play room with Harvey and comes into the family room and rest of the house in the evenings and does not pee then? What am I doing wrong?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You can't let her be loose in any part of the house without your supervision. She has to either be in the crate or tethered to you. You must be able to correct her each time she makes a mistake, and you can only do that if you are right there when it happens. Every time she has an accident in the house that you don't see, you miss an opportunity to correct her and show her the right place to "go", and it reinforces the behavior of eliminating indoors. 

Two parts to housebreaking. One is teach the dog where she should go, the other is to teach the dog where she should not go. 

You also need to make sure you are using an odor neutralizer like Nature's Miracle on the places where she has had accidents. Just cleaning is not enough. On carpeted areas, you must saturate all the way to the floor with a liquid neutralizer, or the dog will return to that area.   

[Tammy (Tanner & Molly) Houck]

Our Molly was a rescue and had serious crate issues.  I was lucky enough to be home with her, and watched her like a hawk.  She was always with me, but she could not get the hang of housebreaking.  I have trained dogs for years, but never had one that just "didn't get it".  Someone recommended the bell by the door.  Every time I took her out I would ring the bell and tell her to go potty.  We would then walk out to her spot and there was lots of praise when she went.  Within a week after we hung the bell she was housebroken.  She never had an accident afterwards.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Have you had her checked to be sure she doesn't have a UTI?  I'd do that first.  If that's not the case it may be that she just hasn't learned not to pee in "her own space"....if she was in a situation before where she had to eliminate in her crate or "her space" she likely would not have learned this.  I like Tammy's suggestion of using the bells.  I would tether Izzy to you whenever you're home for a while....that way she doesn't have an opportunity to make a "mistake".   If she starts to squat, tell her firmly "no", right the bells on the door,  and take her outside on leash to her "spot".  When she goes...lots of praise and treats.