# Potty Training Ups and Downs -- Help please!



## kao9016 (Feb 5, 2008)

Hi everyone,

Our Riley is a little over 4 mths old. We live in an apt. bldg in a city (so no yards, etc.) and based on our situation and some advice we received, we have been training her to go potty on her puppy pad (treating her when she does), rather than outside -- sometimes when she's on a walk she goes as well, which is great, but we don't treat her. Overall, she's been doing very well -- even when she has run of the apt, she goes on the pad 9.5 out of 10 times. Our problems come when she is in new places (other people's apts/houses, the rooms in the apt she hasn't been allowed to run free in) or while she's playing with other dogs in our apt -- before we know it, there's poop or pee where there shouldn't be. We obviously can't expect her to be perfect (even though we think she's the perfect puppy!), but I was hoping to get some advice on how we can get her to go on the pad when she's in new surroundings or is especially excited. Thinking out loud, if we wait longer to expose her to new places (so that she gets even more familiar with the pad), will she have her setbacks anyway once she is exposed? And if we do give her more and more access and take her to new places now, how can we get her to go on the pad when we're there so that we don't have to be following her around?

Also, she probably pees about 10-12 times a day, and poops around 5-6 times a day. Is that normal? We feed her dry Innova at each of her two meals -- so far in one of the meals we give her some wet food, and in the other either wet food or pumpkin. And then she gets very small treats as rewards and during her training (boiled chicken or little cheese treats). When she's left alone, she generally sleeps or plays with a bully stick, but doesn't really play by herself.

Thanks so much everyone. This forum has already been incredibly helpful.

Kari


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Kari, 4 months is very young to expect her not to have accidents in a new surrounding. Kubrick is also pee pad trained (we live in New York city in a high rise, so similar situation) and when I took him to new places, I would make sure that the first thing I did when he was younger would be to put down a pee pad and place him on it right away. Make sure that she knows exactly where it is and then watch her like a hawk. When I was visiting my mom (he was 4 months old then) he had one single accident (that I caught as he was pooping) the first night we were there. I said a firm NO and took him straight to the pad along with the poop. After that, he knew that only on the pad was okay. I left him once with my sister at her house and he had an accident there once as well and never again. I think they need to get used to the new surroundings, especially when they're that young!

As for the peeing in other rooms in your apartment, you are giving her too much freedom. You need to keep her in a single room and only allow her to go into new rooms when she is completely 100% supervised. And I mean really 100%. Don't take your eyes off her. Bring toys and make sure she knows that this new room is part of her den as well. Don't let her run around with the other dogs if she's having accidents. You need to make sure to watch her when she's out and about and enclose her when you can't watch her until she is fully potty trained. Freedom is gained with no accidents and taken away with an accident. This is the best way to teach your pup. It's also important for you to be watching ALL the time so that if she does start to pee/poop somewhere you can catch her in the act. I think this was the most important part of training. Kubrick knew that going potty elsewhere was bad and going on the pad was good because I caught him in the act. If you don't catch her it's sometimes harder to train because they don't understand that what they did was bad (don't scold her for accidents you find after the fact, she won't understand why you are mad).

Now Kubrick is very good about going straight to the pad no matter where we are (he's 10 months). If we're in a house with a backyard, though, he will run outside to go. I would actually encourage you to treat Riley for going outside even more than for going inside! Make a BIG party. Kubrick knows that when we're out for a walk, he's expected to pee and poop and he always does, like clockwork. Even if he just went on the pad before we left because he wants to please us. I prefer for him to realize that outside is best because I myself prefer it. If I'm out, I want him to pee and poop. That's that.

As far as peeing, Kubrick would pee a LOT as a young pup, maybe every hour or two though he would hold it all night too. As far as pooping, 5-6 times a day seems like a lot to me and not normal. Is the stool loose or runny? If it's loose perhaps you are giving her too much cheese. Kubrick would go more often when I gave him cheese as treats.

Kubrick doesn't play by himself either. He also doesn't chew on things when he's alone, only when I'm around. I think he prefers to sleep! 

And we need more pictures of sweet Riley!


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

I agree about too much freedom . ..


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## casperkeep (May 16, 2007)

Well said Lina....Jillee took a while but now she gets it. She knows to whine when she has to go out and do her buisness....she will be a year in April....we would take her to my families house and some frinds houses and she would have some accidents but now when are there she will bark or whine then we take her out and she potty's....it does take awhile but you will get there....it just takes consistency on your part. Good Luck!!!!


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## kao9016 (Feb 5, 2008)

*Thanks!*

Lina, Thanks for all the info. I am going to watch Riley much more closely when she's given access to the rest of the apt. 
I also don't think we've been disciplining her enough when she does have an accident (especially when we're at other people's places), so next time (hopefully there won't be a "next time" but I think that's wishful thinking!) I will try the firm "NO" and bring her back to her pad.
I agree that Riley is pooping too much. I just added canned pumpkin to her diet and it seems like this has caused looser, more frequent pooping! Actually, it seems like anything "wet" causes her to poop more. She loves canned dog food, but it runs right through her. It seems like lots of people on the forum have similar issues with canned food...
Any input on this matter would be appreciated! Thanks!

Kari


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Kari, save the disciplining for her older age. She is way too young and needs some firm boundaries (limited access) and needs you to keep a close eye on her until she learns where it is appropriate to go and has success. If you work on positive reinforcement when she does it correctly, you'll have a lot more success. A firm "NO" at this age is only going to confuse her. She is going to have to eliminate, and there is no doubt about it, so teach her the correct location and learn her schedule.


Yes, pumpkin will increase the bowel movements. It is loaded in fiber. Why are you adding pumpkin?


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## kao9016 (Feb 5, 2008)

Kimberly, 
I've heard that pumpkin was a healthy, good-tasting treat for dogs so that's why I started giving it to her. But it definitely ran right through her, so I've stopped. 

Thanks for the info about housetraining...I always give her verbal praise and a small treat when she uses the wee-wee pad, but I guess it will just take her time (and close observation by me) to learn that she can ONLY go on the pad.

I've heard mixed messages about disiplining for accidents...I've heard that it's ok to say "NO" when you catch them in the act, but that it's pointless to say NO after the act. There's just so much info out there that it's hard to know what's "right" and what's "wrong!"


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

With Havanese, you need to wait on adding any negative reinforcement, if ever using it. They are much more sensitive and eager to please. I can't imagine that anyone involved in Havanese has suggested you get stern with her being so young.

If you really feel like you need to do something after an accident, then take a newspaper and roll it up into a firm tube-shape, hold it up and whack yourself on the head, saying "my bad!" for letting her have an accident. LOL!

You can get stern over accidents when she is an adult and knows better, but she's just a baby right now. If you catch her in the act, pick her up and move her to the correct place and praise her if she finishes on the pad.

Because of all the fiber content, pumpkin is good for aiding with constipation or extremely loose stools, but if you give it to her just for the sake of giving it to her, you'll just aid in additional bowel movements.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Kari, I forgot to mention that when I used to say no to Kubrick, he was a bit older than Riley, but also that when I got him back on the pad (if it was poop) I would put the poop on the pad and make sure he sniffed it and then still gave him lots of praise for just being on the pad with it. It helped immensely. For pee I would praise for having her finish on it, like Kimberly mentioned.

Saying no in a firm voice but not yelling or being upset (it was just like I would say no to a question) worked with Kubrick when he was a little older. However, when he was younger, I would make a noise to get his attention (not to scare him) and make him stop so I could put him on the pad.


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## Susie (Oct 15, 2007)

Bailey has been trained to go in a 'potty box'. I also have a piddle pad next to it, just in case but her accidents in the past few weeks have been only once when I think she wanted me to pay attention to her. When I see her go in her 'potty box' I always praise her so that when she goes by herself she will run up wagging her tail energetically, and making such a scene I know she wants me to go look. Sure enough, I go into the room and there it is, and she jumps around until I praise her. It works and I am not knocking it. 

You can get the filling and the box in the dog section in petsmart.


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## kao9016 (Feb 5, 2008)

I really appreciate everyone's advice and suggestions for training Riley. I'll keep you posted on how it goes


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