# pups going potty in the house



## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

Unfortunately I am posting again regarding my pups going potty in the house. This is just blowing my mind. The pups (almost 5 months old) are doing very well with going potty outside on command and having no accidents in their crates. They sometimes have accidents in their xpen so I have gone back to letting them out every hour. Doing that they have had fewer accidents in the xpen. I will let them out to play right after they have pottied outside and they will always have an accident on the carpet. I am talking 5 minutes after they have gone outside. This is very frustrating to me for many reasons but the most frustrating is that they cannot be anywhere but in their crates and xpen still. What am I doing wrong? Is this normal for pups at this age? How long do they have to be cooped up?


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I am can here your frustration. Potty training is often one of the most frustrating things we have to train our dogs. Many pups are not reliable at 5 months and females can take even longer then males. It takes tons of patience....and most of us have felt like you at one time or another. My DH has never housetrained a dog himself. When I got Yogi he was 7 months he was a rescue from a no kill shelter, he came in and peed on the floor my two older dogs were upset the Lhasa started slinking over to the dog door and my Shih Tzu started barking. I was all ready to start the training but, every few hours my Shih Tzu would get up and bark at Yogi who would follow him out. Yogi would follow the other dogs everywhere. I luck out there. Then came Misty! She was about 3 and although she knew to go out, she came from a breeder with many dogs and an area where it didn't matter. I expected to have to work with her for awhile, but I ended up haveing to go back to beginning. I expected my DH to help he never could get her to go when he would take her out. I thought he was useless and not trying. Then I started listening and relized he was trying too hard! So I bought two doggie diapers not to leave on her all the time but for breathing space, when I would go out and leave her with DH she would wear the diaper this way neither was stressed, he still took her out but he was not worrying about her going in the house. After a while things fell in to place 6 months latter she goes out on her own and in the rain. My point is don't beat yourself up give yourself a little breathing space so you can spend some time doing fun things togeather in the house as you continue their training.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

Thank you for your kind words and advice. Yes, I am very frustrated but not giving up. You hit it right on the head……..all work and no play and I look forward to the time that the pups can be out free in the house more. Very cute story about your Shih Tzu taking the training of Yogi into their own hands (paws!) Good pup!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Potty training almost ruined my relationship with Milo. He drove me to the brink. I often had thoughts about how much easier my life would have been without him. Not a great way to live. Than came Ms. Tuesday and I was ready to kill myself. She would just periodically squat and pee. It could have been ten minutes after she was out. After she would pee, one of the boys would mark the spot. It was an ongoing nightmare.

I spent many a day wondering why I got any of them. Then one day I decided to get belly bands for both boys. I wanted to see who was doing what and I needed a break from the toilet my house was becoming. To make a long story short, it took quite a bit of time, and Milo was neutered in the process and finally it started to get better.

The problem is, when you're going through the stage, you're so frustrated that you can't enjoy them at all. Hang in there, it does get better.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tony & Milo said:


> Unfortunately I am posting again regarding my pups going potty in the house. This is just blowing my mind. The pups (almost 5 months old) are doing very well with going potty outside on command and having no accidents in their crates. They sometimes have accidents in their xpen so I have gone back to letting them out every hour. Doing that they have had fewer accidents in the xpen. I will let them out to play right after they have pottied outside and they will always have an accident on the carpet. I am talking 5 minutes after they have gone outside. This is very frustrating to me for many reasons but the most frustrating is that they cannot be anywhere but in their crates and xpen still. What am I doing wrong? Is this normal for pups at this age? How long do they have to be cooped up?


Do your pups have an indoor alternative for pottying?


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Jack still is not 100% reliable......maybe 60-70%...and he is 11 months. It takes time and lots of patience. Stay calm, this is just the process of having a puppy and all the training that goes with the puppy. Try not to be frustrated, enjoy your puppy...it just takes time.

Dexter was so much easier to potty train.....he learned the bell system and he was 100% reliable by 6-8 months. I was really hoping that having two pups that Dexter would help me out a little....he did....but, it takes time and patience. 

You must watch your puppy VERY closely to watch for signs of wanting to go potty. Watch them like a hawk and know exactly what they are doing at all times and get to know their body language, habits (potty). No free feeding. Feed at the same times each day. Take them out to potty frequently....I actually set a timer with Dexter.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

krandall said:


> Do your pups have an indoor alternative for pottying?


Yes, but that is hit or miss with the bigger pup - Tony. Milo seems to be smarter about that or cares more. We always say he is our sensitive dog! It is almost like they are going on the carpet on purpose to mark or something.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tony & Milo said:


> Yes, but that is hit or miss with the bigger pup - Tony. Milo seems to be smarter about that or cares more. We always say he is our sensitive dog! It is almost like they are going on the carpet on purpose to mark or something.


They are too young to be marking. It is much more likely that there is still residual urine smell in the rug, so it keeps attracting them back and/or that it has become a habit. You really just have to keep them off the rug until they are more reliable. If they are still having accidents in the ex-pen, you need to make that smaller. If they are not 100% reliable in the ex-pen, they REALLy haven't gotten the idea of where it is appropriate/inapproriate to potty.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

HavaneseSoon said:


> Jack still is not 100% reliable......maybe 60-70%...and he is 11 months. It takes time and lots of patience. Stay calm, this is just the process of having a puppy and all the training that goes with the puppy. Try not to be frustrated, enjoy your puppy...it just takes time.
> 
> Dexter was so much easier to potty train.....he learned the bell system and he was 100% reliable by 6-8 months. I was really hoping that having two pups that Dexter would help me out a little....he did....but, it takes time and patience.
> 
> You must watch your puppy VERY closely to watch for signs of wanting to go potty. Watch them like a hawk and know exactly what they are doing at all times and get to know their body language, habits (potty). No free feeding. Feed at the same times each day. Take them out to potty frequently....I actually set a timer with Dexter.


We have gone back to setting the timmer for every hour and it has gotten better as far as them going in the xpen. The issue is still when they are out playing with us and being watched like a hawk. We let them out to go potty and then the 4 of us watch them and play with them. EVERY time there is a pup that will potty on the carpet with no fail. We scold since we catch them in the act and then they go back outside and then in the xpen - playing is over. It is frustrating because I feel like they are spending their lives (at this point) in either a crate or an xpen. I always read how Havs are "people dogs" so I feel like I am being mean by cooping them up. They whimper like crazy! I have even resorted to perching myself on a little bench with my lap top in the xpen so I can be by them!


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

AnnMarie, Please try the belly bands for a few hours a day and have them on the carpet this way they can get use to the idea the carpet is to live, play, and sleep on. If I bring a rescue home it is always for a few hours still I put a belly band or a diaper on them if I am not grooming them so they can run around. I do not know if these dogs are trained and I do not want to worry about this. This will give you some breathing space so you can begin relaxing and enjoying them more.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

The Laughing Magpie said:


> AnnMarie, Please try the belly bands for a few hours a day and have them on the carpet this way they can get use to the idea the carpet is to live, play, and sleep on. If I bring a rescue home it is always for a few hours still I put a belly band or a diaper on them if I am not grooming them so they can run around. I do not know if these dogs are trained and I do not want to worry about this. This will give you some breathing space so you can begin relaxing and enjoying them more.


I agree that I do need to try this out. I need to have more fun times with the pups then always have the "work" with the pups. My only concern is - will they get used to the diaper or belly band and that will have to be used all the time? Or will this just be until they get older and finally "get it"? Am I correct to look at this like a human baby in diapers since they cannot control all of that at a young age? Eventually the pups won't need the diapers or belly band either?


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I had to come back and say Belly Bands and Diapers are to be used judiciously. They are not meant to be a substitute for taking a pup out on a schedule. They can be used as a tool to allow you a little breather so you can have them loose in the house. The reason I am bring this up is once my DH saw how well the diaper thing worked he wanted to have her in the diaper at all times in the house. This is a no no and we got in some spirited discussions over it. I won, as I choose my battles carefully, the real winner was Misty. He was no longer hovering over her worried. As for the diaper she hates it now and if she sees one laying around she will snatch it and kill it. Everyone has such good advice and each puppy and household is different so sometimes we need a alternative approach.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

krandall said:


> They are too young to be marking. It is much more likely that there is still residual urine smell in the rug, so it keeps attracting them back and/or that it has become a habit. You really just have to keep them off the rug until they are more reliable. If they are still having accidents in the ex-pen, you need to make that smaller. If they are not 100% reliable in the ex-pen, they REALLy haven't gotten the idea of where it is appropriate/inapproriate to potty.


Ok, thanks - I was not sure about the marking. The guy at the pet store tried to sell me this black light (or something like that) that would show where the urine stains are on the carpet still and then we could drench the carpet in those spots with enzyme cleaner. Does that sound correct or was this guy just trying to sell me something???!!!

Also - in the past two days we have reduced the xpen down and also have the timer going off every hour and that seems to have taken care of the xpen accidents - well at least for the past two days. I think I was giving them too much space because I was feeling bad that they were whining in the xpen.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I had not read your post before I posted the last post. I think it will clear some things up.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

The Laughing Magpie said:


> I had to come back and say Belly Bands and Diapers are to be used judiciously. They are not meant to be a substitute for taking a pup out on a schedule. They can be used as a tool to allow you a little breather so you can have them loose in the house. The reason I am bring this up is once my DH saw how well the diaper thing worked he wanted to have her in the diaper at all times in the house. This is a no no and we got in some spirited discussions over it. I won, as I choose my battles carefully, the real winner was Misty. He was no longer hovering over her worried. As for the diaper she hates it now and if she sees one laying around she will snatch it and kill it. Everyone has such good advice and each puppy and household is different so sometimes we need a alternative approach.


Thank you for the clarification. I will continue to take them out every hour with or without the diaper or belly band. I just want some time to enjoy them more without having the feeling that they will go potty within seconds of being on the carpet. Maybe this is what we all need in the house - the pups and the humans. Now the hard work&#8230;&#8230;..is convincing the DH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tony & Milo said:


> We have gone back to setting the timmer for every hour and it has gotten better as far as them going in the xpen. The issue is still when they are out playing with us and being watched like a hawk. We let them out to go potty and then the 4 of us watch them and play with them. EVERY time there is a pup that will potty on the carpet with no fail. We scold since we catch them in the act and then they go back outside and then in the xpen - playing is over. It is frustrating because I feel like they are spending their lives (at this point) in either a crate or an xpen. I always read how Havs are "people dogs" so I feel like I am being mean by cooping them up. They whimper like crazy! I have even resorted to perching myself on a little bench with my lap top in the xpen so I can be by them!


The point of watching them, though, is to catch them BEFORE they potty, so that you can get them to their potty spot and praise them for appropriate behavior. It sounds like you aren't yet able to notice their (admittedly, sometimes subtle) signs that they are getting ready to go. Maybe it would be easier if you only had one out at a time, so you could pay better attention to exactly what their signals are. t's really a lot harder with two, I think... your attention is divided.

With Kodi, I could tell he was thinking about it when he started getting a kind of distant look in his eye and started sniffing around. Then I would pick him up and whisk him to his box, stand there with him saying "go potty" until he went. If he didn't go, I'd (gently) put him back in his pen, then try to get him to go again in a few minutes. It took very little time to get him to the point of pottying on demand. He might not have always thought about getting to his box on time, but if I took him there and said, "go potty", he'd go. From there, it was only a matter of time until he started seeking out the box on his own, more and more regularly.

Taking them out hourly is great because it gives them the opportunity, but it isn't great at teaching them what to do WHEN they need to go.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tony & Milo said:


> Ok, thanks - I was not sure about the marking. The guy at the pet store tried to sell me this black light (or something like that) that would show where the urine stains are on the carpet still and then we could drench the carpet in those spots with enzyme cleaner. Does that sound correct or was this guy just trying to sell me something???!!!
> 
> Also - in the past two days we have reduced the xpen down and also have the timer going off every hour and that seems to have taken care of the xpen accidents - well at least for the past two days. I think I was giving them too much space because I was feeling bad that they were whining in the xpen.


I've heard about the black light thing, but never tried it. As far as the enzyme cleaner is concerned, it is an ABSOLUTE MUST!!! I found that the best tool for us was a spot carpet cleaner, (mine is a Hoover Spot Scrubber... great for cat barf too!) and the solution made for animal stains to go in it. It really gets down through all the layers, which is really important. Just cleaning the surface may make it smell better to you, but it won't fool the dog.

That said, if your puppies have had so many accidents that you need a black light to find them, I think it's time to pull up the carpet, have it professionally cleaned, and leave the floor bare until they are a little older. You need to find and THOROUGHLY clean EVERY accident IMMEDIATELY, or the puppies will go back to those spots over and over again.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Ugh, I can't imagine carpet with 2 puppies. Is there a place in your home without a rug? I use vinegar and water to clean up the messes. I am pleased to say that Jack has _finally_ gotten it. (Not that I trust him. He goes into the crate if we aren't in the room.) He is 6 months old this week.

Everyone has given you good advice. Hang in there. As for wanting to let them out of their prison.... I caved and let Jack on the couch. At least, on the couch, you can get a good snuggle and they won't pee on you. When they demand to get down, it gives you a chance to watch for signals. Jack's signals: pee-he leans against the door; poop-he sniffs around the fireplace; desperate-he stands up and scratches madly at the door.

You are almost to the next stage, I promise!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Oh Annmerie I feel your pain,
I too have been living in the kennel I don't have a real xpin because Maddie climbed out. don't have a dinning room anymore it is their space although the tiled floor helps. My HD let me go to bed early and took over last night I woke up to poop that had been stepped on and tracked all over . It was 5:30 am and all I wanted to do was let Maddie out and go back to bed. While I was cleaning up 
HD brought Zoey down handed her to me and he went back to bed. 
It must be hard having two kids and two pups. My only responsibility right now are the dogs. :yo: to you


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

krandall said:


> The point of watching them, though, is to catch them BEFORE they potty, so that you can get them to their potty spot and praise them for appropriate behavior. It sounds like you aren't yet able to notice their (admittedly, sometimes subtle) signs that they are getting ready to go. Maybe it would be easier if you only had one out at a time, so you could pay better attention to exactly what their signals are. t's really a lot harder with two, I think... your attention is divided.
> 
> With Kodi, I could tell he was thinking about it when he started getting a kind of distant look in his eye and started sniffing around. Then I would pick him up and whisk him to his box, stand there with him saying "go potty" until he went. If he didn't go, I'd (gently) put him back in his pen, then try to get him to go again in a few minutes. It took very little time to get him to the point of pottying on demand. He might not have always thought about getting to his box on time, but if I took him there and said, "go potty", he'd go. From there, it was only a matter of time until he started seeking out the box on his own, more and more regularly.
> 
> Taking them out hourly is great because it gives them the opportunity, but it isn't great at teaching them what to do WHEN they need to go.


I think you are correct Karen - I don't fully know what their signs are when they have to go. They go from whatever they are doing to peeing so fast I don't see any sniffing around etc&#8230;. I can tell when they have to poop since those signals are very clear with both dogs. It is the peeing that I need to learn. Someone suggested also just having one pup out at a time so I can really get to know what their signals are when they have to go.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

AnnMarie, I am hopeing that by having the pups out of their xpen and in the living areas of your house you will be able to get to really know your monsters and reconize their signs. Only when my DH could relax could he then really see Misty's signs, she circles different areas and when she finds her spot the leg comes up like that. My Lhasa who is older and at this point in his life, when he has to go, if he can't get out the dog door because we have it closed.....anyway he starts walking close to the walls. I really believe you have over stress yourself and when you can finally relax and not worry about the carpet you will start to notice their signs and they can be oh so subtle. Hope this helps. My DH did learn and was able to tell even in the diaper after awhile, he knew if she went in the diaper on his time...I would not be happy.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

I completely agree – I am stressed to the max regarding these pups and my household. My DH is stressed even more than me which makes me stressed all that more. I think we need to just take a step back and distress a bit so we can be better with the pups. 

That being said………I got the diapers tonight and the pups were out for an hour! Yeah! This was the first time since we brought them home that I have thoroughly enjoyed them being out and playing with them! I am so happy. THANK YOU! I took them out to potty after an hour and the diapers were dry. I could not believe it. 

I know that everyone has their own ways of doing things and that is why I am happy to have gotten so much great feedback and ideas – smaller xpen, setting a timer, watching for signals, only having one pup out at a time, etc….. I was at my wits end and I just needed everyone’s feedback. I knew I could get some good information from this forum group. 

Thank you EVERYONE for all your help.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

ugh... I am getting a signal right now. Jack has discovered that dragging his cone of shame along the sides of the xpen makes a lovely noise while he paces. I am glad you got a chance to play.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

morriscsps said:


> ugh... I am getting a signal right now. Jack has discovered that dragging his cone of shame along the sides of the xpen makes a lovely noise while he paces. I am glad you got a chance to play.


LOL


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## MaggieMay (Sep 8, 2010)

I love my poochie bells!!! I can't even imagine what it would be like w/o them. Maggie has 2 sets of bells leading to the backyard. She ring them when she has to go with her paws. Have you tried that? In the beginning every time I took her out I would ring the bells with her paw and say "go potty". She's finally getting it all the time!!! We've had 3 weeks of no accidents!!! Yay!!!! Your pups will eventually get it. I promise!!!! Hang in there!!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

morriscsps said:


> ugh... I am getting a signal right now. Jack has discovered that dragging his cone of shame along the sides of the xpen makes a lovely noise while he paces. I am glad you got a chance to play.


 Yea Jack! lol


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

MaggieMay said:


> I love my poochie bells!!! I can't even imagine what it would be like w/o them. Maggie has 2 sets of bells leading to the backyard. She ring them when she has to go with her paws. Have you tried that? In the beginning every time I took her out I would ring the bells with her paw and say "go potty". She's finally getting it all the time!!! We've had 3 weeks of no accidents!!! Yay!!!! Your pups will eventually get it. I promise!!!! Hang in there!!


Yes, I did get the bells and we have been doing the same thing. They just don't get it yet but we have only had the bells since the holidays. I know they will get it eventually and it will be nice when they do.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

The Laughing Magpie said:


> AnnMarie, I am hopeing that by having the pups out of their xpen and in the living areas of your house you will be able to get to really know your monsters and reconize their signs. Only when my DH could relax could he then really see Misty's signs, she circles different areas and when she finds her spot the leg comes up like that. My Lhasa who is older and at this point in his life, when he has to go, if he can't get out the dog door because we have it closed.....anyway he starts walking close to the walls. I really believe you have over stress yourself and when you can finally relax and not worry about the carpet you will start to notice their signs and they can be oh so subtle. Hope this helps. My DH did learn and was able to tell even in the diaper after awhile, he knew if she went in the diaper on his time...I would not be happy.


Thank you so much for your suggestion regarding the diapers. We had two successful STRESS FREE play times last night with the pups for an hour each time. We all enjoyed it and I think my DH did the most since he was not stressed. We still watched them very well but the anxiety was gone. I was pleasantly surprised to find that each time I took the diapers off of them to go outside and potty the diapers were dry. This has given us the little bit of breathing room we needed.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

MaggieMay said:


> I love my poochie bells!!! I can't even imagine what it would be like w/o them. Maggie has 2 sets of bells leading to the backyard. She ring them when she has to go with her paws. Have you tried that? In the beginning every time I took her out I would ring the bells with her paw and say "go potty". She's finally getting it all the time!!! We've had 3 weeks of no accidents!!! Yay!!!! Your pups will eventually get it. I promise!!!! Hang in there!!


That was a total bust with Kodi. He's very smart with many things, but never got the hang of the bells. I suspect that the problem, in our case, is that the back door is on the opposite end of the house from my office, and when he wants something, he comes to me. Fortunately, he eventually came up with his own signal. He comes straight to me, and then does this sort of half bark, half whine. I ask, "Do you need to go potty?" and he runs to the door. But he was well over a year before he figured out a reliable signal that we both understood.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

The bells worked great for us (once she figured out what they were for) After that, there was a good 3 days straight of ringing them and I probably lost 8 lbs letting her out every 4-5 minutes...ound:

I noticed she'd have accidents in the house when she was nervous or upset when she was a puppy, not now though.

Toy breeds are harder to potty train and even more frustrating with Havanese because we all know they are SO smart.

I imagine its harder with 2 

I hope you get it resolved quickly, if you have one that is more the 'alpha' of the pack, (and the other one sort of follows the lead) I'd focus more on him and hope his brother follows the lead~~
Kara


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## jenisny (Aug 26, 2010)

I so feel your frustration. We were at our wits end after Christmas. He would do the same thing...go right after coming in. We got an ex-pen thanks to the suggestions of this forum, and things were going so much better. A whole week without an accident. We regressed a little, but I see progress. Most accidents are when we're not watching or have been lazy with the snow. He has gotten much better about not peeing on the carpet, and he will go on his pee pad. Our only problem is that he mistakes towels and laundry piles as pee pads. Instead of walking to the pee pad, he will walk the opposite way to the laundry room and pee on a pile of laundry. I am trying not to let the laundry pile up. I see it as progress that he knows the carpet isn't acceptable. We become immediately suspicious when he starts sniffing. Learning his signals are key.

Sometimes we're so focused on the accidents that we forget to praise the good, and we don't realize the baby steps of progress they are marking. I'll bet that having two makes it a wee bit longer. I am glad the diapers are helping you enjoy them more.


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

Thanks to all who offered suggestions and support.

Update: we did go with the the diapers when the pups are out of the xpen or crates. I know this may not work for everyone but it has worked for us so far. We are able to enjoy Tony and Milo and not just be all consumed with the training part of having puppies. We are all more relaxed. It has allowed us to get used to their signals. They have a high pitched bark and if we ask them if they have to go potty they will run over to the back door. This is huge! We did not know if they even got it that we were taking them out of the same door all the time. They have no accidents in the diapers in between going outside to potty. They are learning to enjoy the carpet instead of using it as a potty. We don’t feel we are out of woods just yet but we sure can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. 

Thank you everyone.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

This makes me feel so happy for you and your babies. Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day we forget to enjoy the small things. When I saw your first post I knew you were really trying. I am so glad it is working out. This worked for my DH also he just could not read the signs because he was too worried about what if. Congrats you are getting to the end of the tunnel. Thanks for the update.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

After 7mo of house training this last week has worn me out. It is hard to stay consistent and having two is diffidently twice the work. The winter weather makes it more difficult. Two sick pups with diarrhea has not helped . I have had to clean my kitchen floor several times in the past few days. I have had to clean bottoms off at least six times. I think pups are harder than babys 
PS I just bought all the stuff to try to train in the litter box call it new inspiration the first thing Zoey did was eat the little pellets. So I have spent the last hour trying to find out if I am poisoning her. So far she is still alive
I also bought some wood chips for their covered out door area. while I was looking for information on the wood stove pellets I read that wood chips can cause liver problems in rabbits poor bunnies.
Any way I am so glad tony and Milo are doing better eace:


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

The Laughing Magpie said:


> This makes me feel so happy for you and your babies. Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day we forget to enjoy the small things. When I saw your first post I knew you were really trying. I am so glad it is working out. This worked for my DH also he just could not read the signs because he was too worried about what if. Congrats you are getting to the end of the tunnel. Thanks for the update.


Thank you very much for your original suggestions about the diapers!


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## Tony & Milo (Nov 25, 2010)

Suzi said:


> After 7mo of house training this last week has worn me out. It is hard to stay consistent and having two is diffidently twice the work. The winter weather makes it more difficult. Two sick pups with diarrhea has not helped . I have had to clean my kitchen floor several times in the past few days. I have had to clean bottoms off at least six times. I think pups are harder than babys
> PS I just bought all the stuff to try to train in the litter box call it new inspiration the first thing Zoey did was eat the little pellets. So I have spent the last hour trying to find out if I am poisoning her. So far she is still alive
> I also bought some wood chips for their covered out door area. while I was looking for information on the wood stove pellets I read that wood chips can cause liver problems in rabbits poor bunnies.
> Any way I am so glad tony and Milo are doing better eace:


Sorry to hear they are sick. Tony went through a spell of that - no sooner would I clean up one area and he would be going in another. I feel your pain. Hope your pups are on the mend soon.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Suzi said:


> After 7mo of house training this last week has worn me out. It is hard to stay consistent and having two is diffidently twice the work. The winter weather makes it more difficult. Two sick pups with diarrhea has not helped . I have had to clean my kitchen floor several times in the past few days. I have had to clean bottoms off at least six times. I think pups are harder than babys
> PS I just bought all the stuff to try to train in the litter box call it new inspiration the first thing Zoey did was eat the little pellets. So I have spent the last hour trying to find out if I am poisoning her. So far she is still alive
> I also bought some wood chips for their covered out door area. while I was looking for information on the wood stove pellets I read that wood chips can cause liver problems in rabbits poor bunnies.
> Any way I am so glad tony and Milo are doing better eace:


Contact Tom King about this. He has lots of good info. The amounts the rabbits were exposed to was MUCH higher than our dogs using a litter box in an open, well ventilated area a few times a day. The rabbits were LIVING on the wood chips 24/7.

Kodi has eaten a few pellets here and there too with no harm... Dogs will be dogs. If it's more than the occasional pellet, you probably want to work on really distracting her with good chews, etc. until she understands that this a is a potty, not a food source!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I want to add more advice.....Jack still poops in the house....not all the time though. Yesterday, I actually finally............................................caught him in the act and I was yelling No! Outside! Outside! And outside we went and went he did his potty, I praised him big time. 

I am hoping catching Jack in the act of making a poo in the house has clicked a little in his mind, that it is not a good idea to poo in the house. I am catching more moments of Jack wanting to go outside. One moment this morning was coming away from the door so I could see him and coming out in the open and he made a little soft grrrrrr and he gives me the look, it means outside. He did his poo outside. 

So, we continue to make progress.


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## JANEOC (Aug 28, 2009)

They are only 5 months - it will get better. I had the same problem and found that two pups will go out and get lost in play and not in going potty. Try putting them out separately.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

HavaneseSoon said:


> I want to add more advice.....Jack still poops in the house....not all the time though. Yesterday, I actually finally............................................caught him in the act and I was yelling No! Outside! Outside! And outside we went and went he did his potty, I praised him big time.
> 
> I am hoping catching Jack in the act of making a poo in the house has clicked a little in his mind, that it is not a good idea to poo in the house. I am catching more moments of Jack wanting to go outside. One moment this morning was coming away from the door so I could see him and coming out in the open and he made a little soft grrrrrr and he gives me the look, it means outside. He did his poo outside.
> 
> So, we continue to make progress.


 Hope by naming him Jack he will not eat his poo Like our other Jack on our forum
Good going Jack!


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