5 month goldendoodle not potty trained

[Roy Wilkins]

I just don't get it, have had many dogs, never a problem. Maggie just won't let us know she needs to go. Sometimes she will go to the door but I just have to watch her like a hawk. She will pee right in front of me with no warning. Obviously I've done something wrong I am very frustrated.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hi Roy,

If she doesn't yet know that "potty is outside" only, then she isn't going to tell you that she needs to go outside. :)

There are three parts to housebreaking: Teaching them that potty outside is correct, teaching them that potty inside is wrong, and using a good odor neutralizer specifically made for that purpose on the spots where she's made a mistake, so that she doesn't return there. I've always used Nature's Miracle. 

Just cleaning it up isn't enough; you may not be able to smell anything, but a dog's sense of smell is 5000 times stronger than ours, and trust me, she can.

In order to teach a puppy that potty inside is wrong, you must catch them in the act. Every indoor accident that you don't see is a missed teaching opportunity, and reinforces the behavior. So you must not allow her to have an opportunity to make a mistake; that means crating her when you cannot watch her closely, or tethering her to you. When you catch her about to go, or actually going, verbally correct her. You don't want to yell, and we never use words like "bad dog". Simply make a fairly loud sound "EH EH!" to startle her, and then rush her outside. If she finishes outside, throw a party. If you are consistent, it won't take long for her to catch on to "Potty inside wrong, potty outside right." 

You also want to always be outside with her so that you can reinforce the correct behavior, i.e. going outside. It also helps you keep track of her "output" and know when there may be a health issue. 

Try to always take her outside through the same door, so that once she understands what is expected, she will go sit by that door when she needs to go out.

A lot of people seem to feel that hanging bells on the door is helpful, but I have never used them and don't see the point, unless your home is so large that it's not possible to keep track of where your pup is at, lol. Bells do not teach them that pottying indoors is wrong and pottying outside is right. It just gives them a way to let you know they need to go once they are trained. You still have to train them. :) To back up what I am saying, I can tell you that I have never had a puppy who was not reliably housebroken by 14 weeks of age, and the last pup I had was fully housebroken by 11 weeks, although I can't take full credit for that because her breeder started housebreaking training before she even came home. 

It's also important to try to regulate her bowels and bladder by feeding at consistent times and sticking to a scheduled routine, even on weekends. So no free feeding, and no sleeping in on weekends. 

I hope this helps. 

[Roy Wilkins]

Thank you, my wife has been using whitevinegar/water solution for pee accidents is this ok?

[Ginny Nightingale]

Nature's miracle with enzymes will work better if you do not mind the chemicals...I agree with everything Karen has said--doodles are usually easy to housebreak--you need to really study what you are doing and find a way to be consistent and reward that outside peeing!! BIG rewards that she never gets any other time. Like pieces of bacon for example---and she only gets it when she pees outside--and she gets it IMMEDIATELY while still in the yard--make a party of it! 

Just another thought--I see you have a second dog? Does that dog go in the house? If so, she might be following the behavior of the other dog--but it sounds like that is not the case.

Try to put the outdoor walks on a schedule--every two hours for example-combine that with the special treats and the praise and you should be on your way to a housebroken dog.  You can gradually increase the length of time between walks--if you are not with her, she goes into the crate!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Vinegar won't do the job; you really need the enzymes in the cleaners like Nature's Miracle. It's safe around pets and kids and really doesn't contain any harsh chemicals. I've been using it for almost 40 years, and I swear by it. It also won't discolor rugs like vinegar can. 

[Mark Wilson]

Karen nailed it in this post.  I have a five month old who's had one accident in the last three weeks and that was my fault.

[Sally M]

My Penny did not get housebroke until age 5 months. She's so smart yet she could't learn to go outside. Then one day, it just clicked. Almost like she was doing it on purpose. I've never had a dog (and I've raised dogs all my life) take that long to housebreak. So...you're not alone.

[Roy Wilkins]

Thanks great advice from everyone.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Roy, let us know of your progress and what you specifically changed that worked best.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Just a thought... have you had her examined recently by a vet to make sure that there isn't a physical problem such as UTI or a puppy vaginitis?