# How hard is it to housebreak a paper-trained dog?



## ToyPoodleBoy (Mar 25, 2014)

Hi all, I've been trying to toilet train my 4 month old Toy Poodle puppy since the day I got him at 2 months old. Since we wanted our dog to go potty whenever they please, we chose the indoor paper training method. He almost always goes potty on the right spot when he is in his long-term confinement area but he still always pees all over the house when given free run of the house. And I don't want my dog to always have to hold his pee when taken for walks because he only wants to pee on paper.

Since paper-trained dogs are never fully housetrained, I'm contemplating to housebreak him instead. How hard is it to housebreak a paper-trained dog, or should I say semi paper-trained?

Also, how do dogs differentiate between indoors and outdoors? I have a tiny backyard (no grass) and it kinda feels like indoors. Sunshine and rain still can get in, but it has sort of like a "cage ceiling", which I don't really know how to describe. My front yard is always so muddy and dusty that if I'm going to housebreak my dog I can only use the backyard. What I'm afraid of is that he will not perceive my backyard as an outdoor area, and trying to housebreak him using the backyard will be basically trying to indoor paper train him.

Suggestions? I can take photos of my backyard if needed but I would like to take them down after to protect my privacy.

Oh, and please tell me on ways I can teach my dog to ask to go out for a potty break if you can!

Thanks and God bless


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## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

I really like to read so that I refer to it. I am reading this book








It has a nice schedule in it... And apparently scheduling is the key. I have it on kindle. There is one you can check out if you have prime. 

You can also train your guy to ring a bell when he wants to go out. Someone else may have more information on that, but I googled it.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

I don't know why you think paper trained dogs are never really housebroken. My Misha ONLY goes on her piddle pads and would not think of going anywhere else in the house.

It sounds like your dog is just not housebroken, period.

Now keep in mind he will not be totally reliable for a month or so yet, but it can be done.

I believe if your puppy is peeing all over the house he was given too much freedom too soon. He must be watched EVERY second so that he is not given the opportunity to make a mistake. He needs to be taught a word for the act, such as "go potty". 

I would start by tethering him to you with a leash. If he is EVER not attached to you he is put in his pen. Take him to where you want him to go and use the word you choose, and when he goes give him TONS of praise. Never ever ever let him run loose in the house when your eyes are not on him.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I agree with N2Mischiel about your pup probably been given too much freedom too soon. Start again and you should be fine as long as you are diligent. Check out this other thread that has extensive discussion on this issue.

http://http://www.poodleforum.com/23-general-training-obedience/78689-how-do-both-indoor-outdoor-potty-training.html


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## Grandma's Boys (Feb 28, 2014)

The two Chihuahua's I had in the past were totally paper trained.
My hope with my soon to come puppy, is that she will be trained to go outside as well as the paper when weather is bad or if she is left at home alone for an extended period. The key to housebreaking is never allow them free run of the house until fully housebroken.
While I am home I will toilet her outside every 1 to 2 hours. When home alone she will be confined to the bathroom, with puppy pads.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

My shih tuz came to me at age 2 fully housetrained to a inside pad. I wanted her to go outside. It was hard ! I finally gave up and just did both. I left the pads inside, but continued to take her out just like she was a puppy being house broke from the beginning. She did finally stop going on the pads all together, but it was months.


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## PammiPoodle (Jul 16, 2011)

I agree, if your pup is peeing around the house then he's not paper-trained. Fully paper trained dogs will not pee in other areas of the house. My dogs were litter/toilet trained. They currently pee in their trays in the bathroom, or anywhere outside. That's how I trained them, so you can have both or just one and still not have a dog peeing in undesirable places! 

Your dog is not affected by the type of backyard you have, and can easily distinguish it from indoors. Like I said, I trained mine to use toilet trays that actually sit on the toilet, so as long as you're consistent with him, he'll learn where to go and where not to go! You could teach him to only pee outside, or in kitty litter, or only on synthetic Halloween wigs, it really doesn't matter! Just decide what you're comfortable with, and then teach him. 

Anytime he has an accident it's only because you weren't watching him closely enough. Learn from that and restrict his freedom as needed until you are 100% able to monitor or control him. That means crates or his pen when you're unavailable, and barricading him into rooms with you or leashing him to keep him under your supervision, so he literally *cannot* have an accident. Take him to the proper place when he needs to pee, reward and praise, and repeat until he's no longer considering the other areas and you can let the reigns out a little. If an accident happens, you gave him too much freedom and you can again adjust the levels. It's better to go way slower than he needs to ensure proper habits are built than to go too fast and have to backtrack repeatedly. Good luck!!

*Lily cd re*, when I click on that link it redirects me to some other site. Have you been to that thread recently, was it deleted or something? It may only be my computer, but if you can still find it, do you mind sharing the link again or the name of the thread so it can be searched? : ) Thanks!


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## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

Maybe this link works:

http://www.poodleforum.com/23-gener...ow-do-both-indoor-outdoor-potty-training.html

Also, have you tried to create a schedule of when your dog is going to the bathroom. You should see a pattern that will help you know when to take him to potty.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

hope to curl, thanks for posting that link correctly. Since we are away right now and I had been out since 6:00 AM I clearly wasn't too tech savvy last night!


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