# Help! My dog thinks pottying outside is a trick.



## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

It sounds to me like she has too much freedom inside the house. Crates, gates, and pens are your friends here. 

Also, how often do you take her out? I would be taking her every hour or so until you stop having accidents, and then reduce it gradually. Remember small dogs with young immature bladders often have to go - a lot! And don't have much control. 

She shouldn't get the opportunity to pee or poop indoors. A nice brisk walk 2-3 times per day will jostle out poops too. 

Many people on this site recommend this method: 









Errorless Housetraining


Housesoiling is a spatial problem, involving perfectly normal, natural, and necessary canine behaviors (peeing and pooping) performed in inappropriate places.Housetraining is quickly and easily accomplished by praising your puppy and offering a food treat when she eliminates in an appropriate...




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Finally - how are you cleaning up after messes? I recommend a good enzyme based cleaner, and giving your house a deep clean now. Mop all of the floors with the cleaner, use a carpet cleaning machine if you have carpets, and make sure all of the urine smell is gone from inside. A deep clean of my apartment caused a dramatic and immediate improvement to how often my puppy peed inside when she was on the borderline of understanding the concept. 

As for not wanting to be out alone, that is very normal! I have a 3 year old standard who requires me to go outside with her after dark. It's a big, scary world out there for a young puppy! I didn't have a fenced yard when she was a puppy so every single potty break was outside on a leash.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

The fact that she consistently goes when you tell her too means you are off to a great start! It is a very good and handy thing to have a dog who will potty on command…before one leaves the house, before a training class, during bad weather, after surgery. I think you should feel very good about that.

As frustrating as it is to have a dog not completely potty trained, some dogs do just take longer. The average age is actually 6 months, the age when most dogs are physically able to hold it. Some dogs it’s sooner and some dogs it’s later. My standard wasn’t reliable until around 8 months. my mini, about 6 months.

How many times do you take your pup outside? A little dog will need to go more frequently. When mine were little they went out every 1 to 2 hours with a gradual increase in time as they were able.

The other question I would ask is what are you cleaning up the messes with? It’s extremely important to clean the messes thoroughly with an enzyme cleaner for this purpose.

Also, if your pup has too much freedom it is harder to keep track and manage what your pup does. I would limit where your pup can go in the house until she is more reliable indoors. Keep her close to you and take her out frequently. It’s hard but a restart in the training may be helpful. Preventing those accidents will go a long way in teaching her that she must potty outdoors. Set your pup up for success.

I always go out with my dogs for potty time. Not sure if it’s a poodle thing but my boys do not like to be outdoors alone. I just accept this. Bobby, my standard will go by himself when he really has to go but as soon as he is done he wants right back in. Joey, 9 month old mini has never gone potty outdoors by himself. 😉

Hang in there, I know it’s frustrating, but with consistency in training and maturity they do eventually learn.😊


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I agree with Fror Want of a Poodle that you are probably allowing too much unsupervised freedom in the house. As Spottytoes noted it is good that she goes when you are with her outside and tell her to do so, but her understanding that order doesn't mean she is housebroken. Most puppies younger than 6 months are not able to resist the pressure of a full bladder or bowel to not empty when they feel the need. They can't control the muscle involved in that behavior usually until at least 6 months.


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## daabor (Jan 31, 2019)

I was very fortunate to have the easiest puppy to train. However, I put a ton of work into it. Like the above posters state, it sounds that puppy has too much freedom.

The day I brought Sammy home, I prepared a zip lock bag of treats I kept by the back door. I gated off our living room. For the first 3 days, I had him attached by a 6 foot leash to my belt loop. After a nap, after playing, after eating, after basically anything, we went potty. We went potty more than every hour. I took him to the same spot, on leash and ignored him, except to say "go potty". Sometimes, it took 20 - 30 minutes, with me acting bored and not giving him any attention. When he did go, I then made eye contact, praised and treated him immediately. He was fairly reliable after 3 days! I then let him off the leash and let him run around the gated off living room. I watched him constantly, and when he got into the position, I picked him up, took him outside and did our routine. My house is small, so I could let him loose in the living room and get him outside in time.

It is a lot of work. I think not giving your puppy a chance to make a mistake goes a long way.

I'm getting a new puppy soon and worried about training, so I will know later if my method works or if it my super trainable poodle that made this so easy.


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## ivy1 (12 mo ago)

It does take time. They have to be a little older to hold it. And I use mark no more when a puppy has an accident. And I use scented paper pads inside too. If you are gone and can go out every 30 or 40 minutes, this can help too.


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## Kukla the Tpoo (11 mo ago)

Others have given you great advice. I'm just chiming in to agree that some pups take longer to develop bladder control than others. I have a tpoo who had little to no bladder control until he was over 6 months old. Although he could hold it for many hours while he was sleeping, when he was awake he typically urinated every 30 to 60 minutes. I took him outside every hour, sometimes more frequently. I really thought I was going to lose my mind, but suddenly, when he was 6 months and 1 week old, he was able to hold it longer than an hour and he hasn't had an accident in the house since January.

Hang in there, I'm sure you little girl's bladder control will improve with age.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Daisy's Mom said:


> when I put her outside alone and tell her to go potty, she won't leave the step and just scratches the door to come back in.


Heading off on a quick tangent...
How big/small is she and what's the wildlife population where you are? We have hawks and owls who could do some damage on these little ones and coyotes that will do more than that, along with some other predators. If I'm not out with my boys, I'm watching them from the door.

Being outside alone, she may not be safe and she may feel vulnerable. 

This isn't likely related to the indoor accidents. That's all well covered above. She's likely getting close to where she'll 1/ recognize the urge to go before it happens 2/ physically be able to hold it 3/ be able to communicate that need to you before it's an accident. 

This is where giving her a voice by training to ring a bell or press a buzzer is helpful for some. 

Have you trained her at the door? After I leashed up my boys we'd go to the door and I'd say "Go outside, Go Pee, Go Poo!" with a happy voice, then take them out and walk til they went. It helps to move quickly, to get things "flowing", build your eliminate on command by saying what you want/what she's doing the second she starts the action, then jackpot treats and party time! 

Then, stay out just a bit longer, let her sniff, throw a ball, something to let her know that Fun happens after she goes outside. 

You didn't say, so you probably don't, but scolding is not allowed for indoor accidents. That's no more helpful than scolding a human infant for soiling themselves.


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## Daisy's Mom (10 mo ago)

For Want of Poodle said:


> It sounds to me like she has too much freedom inside the house. Crates, gates, and pens are your friends here.
> 
> Also, how often do you take her out? I would be taking her every hour or so until you stop having accidents, and then reduce it gradually. Remember small dogs with young immature bladders often have to go - a lot! And don't have much control.
> 
> ...


I hope she learns it's ok to be alone in my yard. My older dog is with her, so maybe she'll get more comfortable.


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## Daisy's Mom (10 mo ago)

Rose n Poos said:


> Heading off on a quick tangent...
> How big/small is she and what's the wildlife population where you are? We have hawks and owls who could do some damage on these little ones and coyotes that will do more than that, along with some other predators. If I'm not out with my boys, I'm watching them from the door.
> 
> Being outside alone, she may not be safe and she may feel vulnerable.
> ...


Yes, we have had a lot of hawks around lately. She's 8 pounds and the vet thinks she'll be around 11 pounds full grown. Can a hawk take a dog that's 8 pounds? 
I do have a fenced yard that has wooden pickets and no gaps for predators to get through, but hawks could swoop down. Yes, we also have a variety of owls here. Thanks for the advice. I'll look into it.


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## I_love_dogs (May 30, 2021)

Daisy's Mom said:


> I hope she learns it's ok to be alone in my yard. My older dog is with her, so maybe she'll get more comfortable.


For the most part, my dogs will not stay outside by themselves even if they are together. The only time my spoo Loki will stay outside by himself is if he wants to dig. If there is a squirrel in the tree, my cockapoo Rosy will stay and watch it. While Loki is under a year and may eventually go out by himself, Rosy is 4. My late cockapoo Jake who died at 10 never wanted to stay outside by himself.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Daisy's Mom said:


> Yes, we have had a lot of hawks around lately. She's 8 pounds and the vet thinks she'll be around 11 pounds full grown. Can a hawk take a dog that's 8 pounds?
> I do have a fenced yard that has wooden pickets and no gaps for predators to get through, but hawks could swoop down. Yes, we also have a variety of owls here. Thanks for the advice. I'll look into it.


I would not leave even an adult toy poodle outside unguarded. A few years back one of the bald eagle nest cams caught a parent eagle feeding a house cat to the eaglets. Hawks aren't quite as strong as eagles, but it doesn't really matter if the hawk actually succeeds in flying off with the tiny dog. Getting pierced with by talons, getting dropped from a height of a few feet, or getting a broken neck are equally fatal. Additionally, other wild animals such as foxes and coyotes are quite willing to kill a small dog.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Absolutely I would never leave a toy or even a small mini outside alone even for just a minute or two. That is all it could take for your dog to get grabbed from above. Many birds of prey will stake out promising opportunities and then make the grab when they see a vulnerable prey animal. We have red tailed hawks and Bald Eagles (previous years' juvenilles don't always fish even though they prefer fish). I don't let my chickens free forage unless Lily or I go out too. 

Red tails will take rabbits and eagles can grapple with very large live fish, a small dog would not be a big challenge for an eagle and even though a red tail might not be able to carry off a 10 pound dog there is no guarantee they wouldn't try and d a lot of damage in the process.

Coyotes have been known to lure dogs away from home by sending in an apparent friend to play before enticing the dog to follow the friend and then be ambushed by other(s) waiting out of sight.


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## Daisy's Mom (10 mo ago)

cowpony said:


> I would not leave even an adult toy poodle outside unguarded. A few years back one of the bald eagle nest cams caught a parent eagle feeding a house cat to the eaglets. Hawks aren't quite as strong as eagles, but it doesn't really matter if the hawk actually succeeds in flying off with the tiny dog. Getting pierced with by talons, getting dropped from a height of a few feet, or getting a broken neck are equally fatal. Additionally, other wild animals such as foxes and coyotes are quite willing to kill a small dog.


We have bald eagles and golden eagles around here. We live in the Nashville area. I've only owned big dogs here and hadn't thought about this. Also, the larger owls could be a problem.


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## Daisy's Mom (10 mo ago)

Daisy's Mom said:


> Hi all, I all a tiny, 5-month-old poodle mix. I don't know what else she is besides poodle.Possibly Maltipoo or poodle/terrier mix.
> I've had her since she was 8 weeks old and I've been potty training her consistently for 3 months now. It appears she sees pottying outside as a trick, not as a rule. I follow her around and tell her to go potty, she finds a place & does it, then I say "good girl" and give her a treat. She'll consistently do this.
> The problem is, she still potties and poops randomly in the house and doesn't seem to get it that she's supposed to only go outside. I mean, she has accidents like 5 times a day. Also, when I put her outside alone and tell her to go potty, she won't leave the step and just scratches the door to come back in. She only goes potty if I'm there watching with the treats.
> What can I do the get her to understand outside is the ONLY place that it's ok to do her business? I'm in a time crunch because a friend is taking her for two weeks in June while I fly to another state for my son's graduation. I can't have her pottying in the house this much at my friends house!


Update: We had our first accident-free day!! The only thing we did differently was we had her with us running errands most of the day. Last night _I think_ she went to the door and looked at me to signal she needed to go outside. Could have been a coincidence, though.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Daisy's Mom said:


> Update: We had our first accident-free day!! The only thing we did differently was we had her with us running errands most of the day.


Yay!



Daisy's Mom said:


> Last night _I think_ she went to the door and looked at me to signal she needed to go outside.


Hope you had a party! She'll make the connections when she gets that great feedback .


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## Daisy's Mom (10 mo ago)

lily cd re said:


> Absolutely I would never leave a toy or even a small mini outside alone even for just a minute or two. That is all it could take for your dog to get grabbed from above. Many birds of prey will stake out promising opportunities and then make the grab when they see a vulnerable prey animal. We have red tailed hawks and Bald Eagles (previous years' juvenilles don't always fish even though they prefer fish). I don't let my chickens free forage unless Lily or I go out too.
> 
> Red tails will take rabbits and eagles can grapple with very large live fish, a small dog would not be a big challenge for an eagle and even though a red tail might not be able to carry off a 10 pound dog there is no guarantee they wouldn't try and d a lot of damage in the process.
> 
> Coyotes have been known to lure dogs away from home by sending in an apparent friend to play before enticing the dog to follow the friend and then be ambushed by other(s) waiting out of sight.


Yes, I'm familiar with coyotes. I grew up in an area that had lots of starving, skinny coyotes running around in neighborhoods (foothills of Southern California). They would find ways to get over 5 foot fences. We have tons of them here in Nashville, but they're well fed from having plenty of natural prey and they don't go over fences here...not yet. I hear them hunting at night in the woods behind us. I'd never let any sized pet out in the unfenced area at night. Cats go missing frequently here. 
I'll continue to stay near Daisy in the fenced in yard since that won't protect her from the birds. I'm not native to Tennessee and hadn't thought about the danger of these large birds.


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## Daisy's Mom (10 mo ago)

Rose n Poos said:


> Yay!
> 
> 
> Hope you had a party! She'll make the connections when she gets that great feedback .


Lol, we have a potty party every time she potties or poops outside. I've been noticing that when she sees the bag of treats she will make herself go potty. I don't know if this is good since I don't want her to think it's trick that she'll be rewarded for indoors.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

The party outside reinforces, the lack of party inside also reinforces  

Poodles reason their way thru things. We just need to give them the right clues.


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## Sylvia K (Feb 4, 2021)

My first toy poodle was very, very easy to house train, thank heavens. A few trips outside including post-potty parties and fun was all it took. He, in turn trained our younger toy poodle and we never had to do anything with the younger poodle. It helped that we had an automatic dog door so they had free access to the outside and didn't have to wait for us to recognise their signals. Ernie, current miniature poodle, was another matter entirely. When he arrived, we quickly found out how our first toy poodle had been exceptional and this was not the way most young dogs are made lol. It was pretty much a fluke if we managed to get the timing right for over six months, then almost overnight it seemed, he gained control of his bodily functions. I guess he just took longer to develop and mature. I support the good advice in this thread regarding crates, pens, confined spaces and keeping the dog leashed to you if you can't keep them contained while training. I also urge being extremely vigilant when any small dogs or other animals are outside because of the dangers from birds of prey. Funnily enough, only yesterday I spotted a Nankeen Kestrel in our garden for the first time. It would need to be a very small animal for this bird to be a big danger, but even these smaller birds of prey can do a lot of damage with their beaks and claws. We do have a lot of hawks around plus some of the large wedge tailed eagles which are particularly dangerous to little dogs. Oh, the fun and games of puppy house training 😅 😅 😅


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## Sylvia K (Feb 4, 2021)

Daisy's Mom said:


> Hi all, I all a tiny, 5-month-old poodle mix. I don't know what else she is besides poodle.Possibly Maltipoo or poodle/terrier mix.
> I've had her since she was 8 weeks old and I've been potty training her consistently for 3 months now. It appears she sees pottying outside as a trick, not as a rule. I follow her around and tell her to go potty, she finds a place & does it, then I say "good girl" and give her a treat. She'll consistently do this.
> The problem is, she still potties and poops randomly in the house and doesn't seem to get it that she's supposed to only go outside. I mean, she has accidents like 5 times a day. Also, when I put her outside alone and tell her to go potty, she won't leave the step and just scratches the door to come back in. She only goes potty if I'm there watching with the treats.
> What can I do the get her to understand outside is the ONLY place that it's ok to do her business? I'm in a time crunch because a friend is taking her for two weeks in June while I fly to another state for my son's graduation. I can't have her pottying in the house this much at my friends house!


Regarding breed mix, DNA testing may give you answers. Depending on the type and cost of testing it could also provide useful health indicators for the future. I used Embark for my dog, but I understand Wisdom also provides a good service for this


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