Potty Training Woes

[Sheeba Daniel]

Hi - I am so glad I found this group - I've learned so much from you all! My question is about how much to expect regarding potty training in a 9 1/2 week old Goldendoodle. We brought Tessy home at 7 weeks and for the past 2ish weeks we have been diligently working on house breaking (or at least to the best of our abilities). I realized the first week we didn't use potty training in conjunction with crate training and as a result she had a lot more freedom and had many more accidents in the house. For the past week, we are on more of a schedule and always take her out after time in the crate time, playtime, 10-15 minutes after drinking (longer after eating) and give her a treat plus playtime outside if she goes right away. Although much less, she is still having accidents (pee only) in the house and has had 3 accidents in her crate. I cleaned this with enzyme solution and made sure there was no bedding in the crate or even stuffed animals as that is where she pees. She likes to sleep in her crate on the flat surface with no bedding anyways. Two of the 3 times in the crate were when we first left the house (1.5-2 hours only) and she was in the crate. One time was our fault and gave her too much water too late at night before bedtime. Now I cut off water and food 2.5-3 hours before bedtime. Naps are a combination of in the crate and out of the crate and really she is only in the crate during the day when we go out to run errands (no more than 2.5 hours at a time). 

I am also trying to incorporate the Poochie bell at the back door where she goes out - that works about 10% of the time. Usually she sits by the door or on the way to the door she stops to pee in the house. And sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to it, she just has an accident in the house.

Are there other things that I can be doing? I am a mother of two (ages 9 and 12) and a part-time clinical psychologist with my own practice and feel like I am exhausted constantly watching to see if she has to go out - hardly having time to work or parent my own children. My kids are very involved in training but they are in school most of the day and they are not always consistent (working on this). My husband and I love our Tessy but find ourselves wishing for the freedom and life we had before Tessy. I know this too shall pass and maybe my expectations are too high, too much for too soon. Thanks everyone! 

[Sheeba Daniel]

Now Tessy is 18 weeks but when she was 8-12/13 weeks I set an alarm  - she could usually go from 11-3am. Then I would take her out at 3am and slowly stretched it to 4am, 5am, etc. Those weeks were brutal! But I am also a night owl so I would get in the habit of staying up til midnight just to take her out then and not again til 5am. Again so hard because even though I go to bed late, I am able to sleep in usually (pre-puppy) until 7am. Now Tessy sleeps at about 9/10pm and even though I am still up much later, I don't bother her and she holds it until 6 or 7am. Tessy also had a few episodes of peeing in her crate - we keep her crate completely empty with no bedding and just continued to clean it with Natures Miracle and eventually her bladder grew and she just started to be able to hold it longer. I used to worry after these episodes about her learning that it is okay to pee in her crate but really they don't want to soil their own den and when they physically can hold it longer, they won't. 

[Sooner Mom]

Guys we are a few weeks ahead of you.  I saw a big change at 13 weeks.  Lindy is ringing the bells on her own now.  We do still ring them every time we take her out though if it is a scheduled trip outside for a potty break (after crate time, eating or before we know she is going in the crate/bedtime etc.) She is sleeping now from 9-6 without our getting up.  One thing that I think helped her love her crate and not want to use it for a toilet is that intermittently, not every time, I would put a very few, very small treats inside her crate.  So, when she went into the crate she might find a reward and most dogs don't want to toilet where they eat.  I kept it very, very small so as not to trigger the urge to elimination or create thirst.  Also, for our pup I did have special toys and cuddly blankets that she gets only in the crate.  I keep it simple though and rotate and wash all of her bedding every day or so.  This keeps it really fresh smelling.  Can't believe we had to resort to this, but because she was really struggling with some GI issues and she we went through a period where she was having poop accidents only in her crate and only at night (UGH and talk about creating a disruption for the entire family!) we did invest in a baby monitor because we really felt we just were not hearing her at night and getting to her soon enough to prevent the nocturnal crate disasters.  Sure enough, as soon as we started using the monitor the crate accidents stopped.  So, I can't say strongly enough at less than 10 weeks tethering is the only way to go and use the crate liberally and the pup should only have access to very, very limited areas in the house under direct and I mean direct supervision.  Then, just know it will get better. Concentrate on training her where you want her to go outside.  Someone on here helped me make a break through when they said first they gotta know where to go then when to go.  It's a process.  

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

I just got out of this phase as Moose is 4months old and I have to say it gets better! He has only had one accident in the past few weeks and while I still have to watch him and take him out frequently it's not constant. The more time and effort you put into it now the quicker it gets easier I think at least. Hang in there :)