# Housebreaking - I know, I know



## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Ok. I've had Jessie now for almost a week (got her on Nov 12). She's been doing wonderfully except for housebreaking. She has plumbing of STEEL, I tell you! On Monday, I took her out that morning to potty and she didn't do anything. So, I brought her to work with me and left her crated in the car, thinking she'd need a potty break mid-day, as she is 5 months old (born 6/6/06). At lunchtime, I took her out and let her run around the little yard out back of where I work, for about 10-15 minutes. She did nothing again. I went and got something to eat, came back, and let her out again. Still nothing. I crated her and went back in to work. That evening, before I left work, I let her out again. STILL nothing! She finally did go later that evening at home.

Just about every day this week has been the same way. I did not bring her to work with me on Tuesday because obviously she can hold it all day. She didn't potty that morning before I left for work, but did that night. Wednesday, she peed and pooped that morning, but she didn't do anything that evening. Thursday, she peed that morning, but she didn't do anything lastnight, and she didn't do anything this morning either.

:-k 

I've tried walking her up and down the road (I walked her a mile Tuesday night, and 1/2 mile Wednesday morning). That doesn't seem to work. I've tried taking her to the same spot in the yard and just standing there being as boring as possible until she finally goes (IF she ever does). I've decided to incorporate the clicker for this, and use cheese as the treat when she potties outside, but I've only been able to do that three times since Wednesday. I just don't get it! I've never seen a 5 month old puppy that holds it like she does! :-({|= 


Now I know that during house breaking, sacrifices have to be made, but I don't think I should have to stand out in the yard for an hour every morning, and 2-3 hours every evening, for her to do absolutely nothing but play with leaves, jump up on me, bite me, bite the leash, bite the sticks on the ground, or just sit and look at me like, "Well, what ARE we doing out here anyway?" Wednesday night, we spent a total of 1 1/2 hours standing out in the cold, torrential rain and gale force winds, and she did nothing at all. This can't be normal! She's only tried pottying in the house three times.

I just don't know what to do about her! I feel like I'm ](*,)


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Is she eating and drinking normally?

I'm not 100% clear, I guess. She is NOT having accidents inside but also not going outside? But is eating and drinking?


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Make a big bowl of heavily baited warm water- bait it with something really good like ground chicken or hamburg or something and give her lots - like 2 quarts or whatever you can get her to take - really jug her up.
Put her in the crate for a bit and then take her out. Alot of dogs with free access to water don't drink enough to work up a good head of pee on their own to you want to really keep her well hydrated and it will get the waterworks going...The warm water usually will stimulate them to take a dump, too. If you do the baited water on a regular schedule they get the hang of "we are here to download, not sniff and play" pretty good. They also get good drinking habits which is a plus if you are doing any kind of athletic event or training with her. It also sure beats standing out in the snow in your housecoat and slippers waiting for Princess to decide to tinkle... :lol:


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## Woody Taylor (Mar 28, 2006)

Is she drinking her pee and eating her poop and you're just not seeing it?


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

GREAT ANSWER, Lynn!

In fact, I have two dogs who need this all the time, so I am brain-dead not to have made a connection. 

I add water to the food bowls of two of mine because they don't otherwise drink water. (Of course, anything that has touched or been near food is different.)

As pointed out in a thread about UTIs, keeping urine diluted and flushing the bladder regularly is vital.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Ok, to try and answer all the questions:

She is eating normally (1+ cup of food in am and 1+ cup in pm) and I give her free access to water when she's out of the crate. I even put a water bottle on her crate so she'd have access to water when she was in there, too. She knows how to use it. 

She's not pottying in the crate and then eating it. She has a towel in the crate to lay on (or chew on, which is more correct lol) and there's no way it would still be spotless and dry even if she had cleaned up after herself. When she poos, she immediately gets away from it. I would think that if she was eating it in her crate, she'd be more interested in it outside, too. Also, when she comes across a pile of poo in the yard (hers or not), she literally turns her nose up and hops away from it like "Ewww! Look what I almost stepped in!" :lol: 

She's *tried* to 'go' in the house, but I've been able to catch her and take her out immediately. That's only happened 3 times. When she's getting ready to poo I can notice that and get her outside before it happens, but when she has to pee, she just stops and squats and lets go, so she has actually peed in the floor three times. When I catch her starting to pee in the floor and take her out, though, she doesn't finish out there. 

Just to make sure I'm understanding what the baited water actually is, you leave the chicken or hamburger or whatever in it when you give it to the dog?

Maybe I'm just stressing about it too much. Maybe I should start a log of the times she drinks/eats, the times I take her out, how long we're out there, and whether or not she goes.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

yes, the baited water you just mix something ground up in the water so it is like a soup(you can use anythign that the dog really likes - stinky canned cat food works well). Dogs will generally take up water the most readily between one-half to two hours after eating. I wouldn't leave water in the crate but would present the baited water every time you let her out. After using baited water and they get in the habit they are more likely to readily drink plain water.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Hmmm, I'm wondering if the baited water is really even necessary with her (aside from the fact that you said it might encourage her to poo, too). She doesn't have a problem drinking regular water at all. She usually empties the dish in the kitchen every evening, and it holds about 3/4 gallon. I may try it with her breakfast, though. I have never given a crated dog access to water before, but I thought it might help.




> Dogs will generally take up water the most readily between one-half to two hours after eating.


What does this mean?


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

one half hour to two hours after they eat is generally when they are the "thirstiest" (has to do with the digestion).

If she is a good drinker already maybe you don't need the baited water but warm fluid kind of gets things moving along :wink: a littel more readily sometimes.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I may try adding warm water to breakfast and seeing if that helps. Adam is getting off work early today, so I told him to just put her out on the tie out when he gets home (around 4:00). He won't watch her, though, so there will be no praise for going if she does. I keep telling him that's one reason we don't have kids; he can't even pay attention to the dogs and cats!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Good plan. 

We've probably covered the housetraining thing as much as we need to in this "Working Puppy" forum, but please feel free to ask for help with basic obedience in that forum or with kidney, bladder, UTI, etc., issues in the Health forum. :wink:


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