We've had a few dogs over the years and housebreaking them was never a big problem. But now we got my mother-in-law's puppy labradoodle - who is a real sweetheart - for a couple of weeks to see if we can housebreak him because she was not successful.
My wife turned out to be a better animal psychologist than I am and figured out what the problem is. This is not a case of a little puppy who is not yet housebroken. This is a case of a puppy that was inadvertenly trained to poop inside the house and not outside. What we think happened is either that the dog got yelled at when he soiled the carpet, or something unfortunately scary happened when he was doing it outdoors. He seems to be worse about it now thahn he was two months ago. Now, he appears to be afraid of doing it when a human is watching. And out on a leash-walk, a human is always watching. Indoors, there can always be a moment when one can sneak away and do it in the bathroom (or wherever the door is not closed at the time).
He's been with us for a week and he managed to poop outside only once - for my wife - and promptly got rewarded and fussed over. But once is not enough. Only once I managed to catch him in the act and, without any anger, I quickly took him for a long walk during which he did NOT do it!
Now, if I had a fenced in yard, I'd let him out - it's been in the 80s here lately so it is warm even during the night - and keep an eye on him through the window so, if I saw him pooping outside, I could get out quickly to give him a big reward. But I do not have a yard at all - we live in an appartment complex, so even tying him up on a very long rope is out of the question. Perhaps getting one of those super-long leashes would do the trick as he could get 20, 30 or 40 yards away from me (forgetting the whole training on how to walk properly on a leash) and do his tricks without me hovering over him - perhaps one of those fancy leashes with the button to haul him back for a reward afterwards.
I will have him for another week. After that he has to go back so we can thoroughly clean the house and wash the carpets in time for the Passover dinner (perhaps he can come back for a second course afterwards). And I am out of ideas.
I don't know if Christie still reads my blog, but I assume that some of my readers have some experience and knowledge and good ideas about what to do. Shoot them in the comments.
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In my experience with canines of varying sizes is that it is very important to establish a repoire with the animal first and foremost. (forgive me for laughing but a labradoodle?)
Labs are known to be a thick headed at times and depending on the poodle brand of dog as a combination to boot will be challenging, to say the least. Poor dog! What a combination.Plus being in an apartment, too, sounds like a set up for failure. Dogs have no business being in an apartment.
I can suggest for you to stock up on a few bottles of Folex or O-dor found at Walmart and have a gallon of white vinegar on hand with water as a base. Both the Folex and O-dor have protein eating enzymes.
Baking soda set out in its dry state will help with the leftover scents in the house, too. Yet once the animal soils, that particular place will become its choice of potty.
For some reason, I feel that, "I'm preaching to the choir," right now.
Good luck.
Is the dog paper-trained at all? If not, it might be a good idea if you can manage it.
Then, bring an old newspaper with you when you take the dog outside or for a walk. Periodically stop and put the paper down somewhere, maybe even turn your back, give the dog time to do his thing. Repeat in various places outside where it ought to be okay for him to go.
Once that works, you can start phasing out the newspaper. I suspect if all went well, you'd end up at the stage where the dog knows A)this activity is for outside only and B)a 'putting something down-like' gesture indicates where it's safe to go.
At least, that's my thought.
I haven't had the opportunity to try this method, I have cats not dogs, but I've heard many times about people who have found it really works.
It's called the Matchstick Trick and here's the link.
http://www.dog-training-schools.net/dog-behavior-training-article-2-p1…
Good luck!
Are there any other dogs/puppies he can hang out with that are house-trained? Maybe if he sees another pup pooping outside with no repercussions he will give it a try?
Saboma: Yes, all force of chemistry will be used once the dog is gone. Labradoodles are a big hit right now - they are very smart and loving.
SMC: I tried paper for about a day or two. He peed on a newspaper inside and then I took that same paper out on the grass. But it did not work, so I quit. Perhaps I should try again.
Donna: Never heard of this, but it's worth a try.
ERV: Our toy poodle is perfectly housebroken and, after the initial skirmishes, they appear to like each other. I am not sure that dogs learn by example, though.
I think your diagnosis is correct, it sounds like this poor dog has had a number of bad experiences early in life that make it hesitant in the presence of human beings. If you think about it, it must be rough to have to go and at the same time to expect the person you're with to rant at you as soon as you do.
My first question is if the dog is crate trained? If so I think things will go a lot better because basically what you will have to do is use the dog's natural aversion to soiling its den to make going outside on a walk with the lesser of two evils. After that then can work on what you have described above and basically praising the dog like crazy when he gets things right in order to undo the previous conditioning.
Basically, you have to restrict the physical size of the area in which the dog has unsupervised free reign. That means if you're leaving somewhere he has to go in the crate. If you have some of those little baby gates one possibility would also be to block off an area of the kitchen say as this dog's space. The idea is that if the area is small enough that the natural aversion to soiling the den will keep the dock from having accidents.
At the same time you need to commit to regular walks and significant opportunities outside for the dog, is especially helpful if you can do something to help burn off the dog's energy. A tired dog is much less likely to be stressed out and able to overcome his anxiety.
Just a couple other stream-of -thought things you may also want to look at how the people in the dog's life give praise. The dog may have a hard time distinguishing between an excited squeaky stream of praise and a nattering tongue lashing. Make sure things are clear- a treat, a scratch, an atta-boy -- because the long in-depth discussions of the moral implications of their actions are really only for our benefit. Also if your wife has had more success so far don't hesitate to dump more responsibility on her. Really what the dog needs at this moment is a human being he can trust and if your wife is further along that path, then more power (and responsibility) to her.
Good luck and stay calm and patient, it is all worth it in the end.
I'd recommend the paper trick as well, since most puppies after being whelped are first "paper-trained" before being house trained. It could be he just never was transitioned properly. The problem I guess is that you have to be present and that's still spooking the dog.
Boy, you have a dilemma! We have always had luck training dogs using the kennel method. The dog is in the kennel when he/she is not being played with/trained/fussed over/watched.
This does two things. It increases your opportunity to positivly reinforce desired behaviors, and negativly reinforce negative behaviors.
Also, it gives the dog a "safe" place to be, where it will not make mistakes, and where random stimuli will not occur without the presence of a human to help them cope with it.
The draw-back of this is that you will need to spend a lot of time with the dog, and make sure that you don't over-rely on the kennel...but it WILL cut down on the sneaking off and poping on the sly while you are distracted.
Also, I've had a number of labs, both as "outdoor dogs" on the farm, and now in our suburban household. They like to have a place that is "theirs" They may object the first few days, but they take to the kennel very quickly.
When our six-month-old lab puppy starts to get "out of control" he ASKS to be put in his kennel. He feels better there, and then he can come out and be calm in a little while. :-)
Positive discipline takes much more time, trouble and attention, but it is so much better!
Hi there,
I just Googled in, and wanted to add (for the benefit of the person who questioned the lab/poodle combination) that Labradoodles are fantastic dogs. I'm a member of a Labradoodle Association, and have one of my own.
The lab/poodle hybrid was originally used here in Australia, to provide Guide Dogs for sight impaired people with allergies to dogs that shed a lot of hair. They are very people focused and trainable, and also excel at sports like flyball and agility.
One drawback is that they are usually extremely people-focused, so can be very sensitive to feedback from you, both good and bad. I think you're right, and this pup has had something happen that's caused him to worry unduly about going in the great outdoors. Believe me, he's trying to do the right thing, but he just doesn't know what that is.
It sounds like you're on the right track. Just continue to persevere, and don't be afraid to use food treats liberally. Try not to worry - they all get it eventually :)
Good Luck,
Emma, Sydney Australia
Thank you. It is an amazingly smart and sweet-tempered dog. He is really trying so hard to please. Whatever else we tried to teach him (and kids of course try to teach him tricks) he gets after just a handful of repetitions!
If I could, I'd keep him! He is getting a lot of love here and lots of praise and lots of treats. I am a big believer in patience and positive reinforcement.
try looking here http://doggiemeow.com/story.php?title=Tips-to-potty-train-your-dog
or http://doggiemeow.com/story.php?title=How-to-Housetrain-Your-Adult-Dog
or http://doggiemeow.com/story.php?title=Housetraining-puppies
or just search the site for some tips. Hope these might help you. All the best. Encouragement is the best incentive.
It is a bit late now but the method I take with house training a puppy is to sleep on the couch with the new puppy in its bed on the floor beside me. Then when the puppy stirs I am on hand to take him outside to urinate. Not only does this make house training a doddle but it creates a strong bond between us. It does mean a few sleepless nights but it has its rewards when the puppy is housetrained with ease and is completely secure in its new "human pack" All I can suggest is that you above all stay calm and do not make an issue out of the dog soiling indoors. The dog will soon catch on to what is required if you just take him outside on a regular basis especially after eating! Come on children need more education and time spent on "potty training" them. You are giving up too soon.
Dog Behaviour