What Went Wrong With Potty Training

"What went wrong with potty training?" That's what one visitor is wondering after giving up on a new puppy she just wasn't able to house break.

I had a Puggle puppy that was about four months old. When I was trying to potty train her I read several different articles on the subject. Each one highly recommended the crate training method and the puppy training pad method.

I had problems with each. I'll start with the crate. What I read was that the puppy won't "mess" in the crate because she won't want to sleep where she makes a "mess." However, my puppy did "mess" in her crate and ended up getting it all over her crate, bed and herself. I ended up keeping her out of the crate to try a new method. What I want to know is if this would have happened every time she was left in there until she learned not to like the mess. What should I have done?

Now, with the puppy training pad I was told that when I catch the puppy "in the act" or making signals that she needs to go, I should place her on the pad and praise her when she goes. However, my puppy would immediately leave the training pad. I would try placing her there again, but she would move away. I would eventually assume she didn't have to go and would walk away. Later I'd find that she had gone someplace other than on the training pad. What should I have done?

I ended up having to give the puppy away because I couldn't train her. She would not go outside. If I took her outside, no matter how long, she would not go until she had gone back into the house. I don't know how she learned that inside was the place to potty.

Do you have any suggestions? I am hoping to get a new puppy, but I want to be more prepared for potty training it. I regret having to give up my first one and don't want it to happen again. Thanks for your help and any suggestions you might have!

~~ Jasmine

Expert Reply

Hi Jasmine,

I'm sorry to hear you had such difficulty trying to house train your puppy.

Personally I'm not a fan of using both the pads and the crate method. I've always preferred to train my dogs to go outside right from the start, although I know this isn't practical for everyone.

How large was the crate in comparison to the dog's size? Although it's always good to purchase a crate that will still fit the dog as an adult, some pups will go ahead and soil the crate if there's any extra room. Leaving her in the soiled crate would probably only have encouraged her to pick up the habit of eating her own droppings, so I'm glad you chose to remove her from the crate.

Now for the wee wee pads. I don't find them very effective. They are supposed to draw your pup to them for pottying, but if the puppy has the run of a larger territory it isn't likely to go looking for the pads when needed.

Personally, the method that works for me is using a one word command and being very diligent about taking the puppy out frequently. I begin first thing in the morning, and give the puppy time to really empty out. Then I take the pup back out every half hour, using the one word command and praising when the deed is done. If the pup doesn't go, then we come back into the house without any fanfare. If I catch the pup making a mess in the house, I yell no in a stern voice and immediately take the pup back outside and repeat the command in a pleasant voice. Even if the puppy can't go anymore, this still reinforces where the pottying is supposed to take place.

I'd like to recommend a book I think you'll find helpful. It's called How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days from Shirlee Kalstone. Hopefully this will help you form a game plan in preparation for your next puppy.

Best of luck~~ Kelly

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