# Trouble training 2 year old miniature poodle



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

It sounds as if he was not housetrained as a pup - I would start again house training him as if he were a puppy, with all that means. Do you use the sunroom much? Sometimes dogs tend to view little used rooms as not being part of the house - spending some time in there with him every day may help. It could also be that the carpet etc in there are now impregnated with the smell that encourages him - a really good cleaning with an enzyme cleaner should sort that.


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## plumcrazy (Sep 11, 2009)

I usually have no troubles potty training dogs because I usually never let them have free reign of ANYTHING until they're reliable in the house. If any of my dogs (whether puppies or older) EVER have an accident in my house it's 100% MY fault because I wasn't watching closely enough, or allowed the dog/pup to have a freedom they hadn't yet earned.

I *sincerely *believe in crate training. All four of my dogs love their crates and look at them as a safe haven, a bedroom, a den. If any of them ever need to be in a crate for any reason, they don't get upset because they LIKE it in there... If you have a dog that doesn't like the crate, the only other suggestion I'd have is to use the tether method. The dog is on a leash, the leash is attached to you 100% of the time so the dog is physically UNABLE to sneak off for a quick pee. If the dog ever gets the bright idea to poop or pee while on leash and attached to you - you are able to "catch him in the act", which, IMO, is the only failsafe method of teaching a dog that eliminating in the house is undesirable. I don't believe that punishing or scolding after the deed is done (especially if any significant time has elapsed) is anywhere NEAR as effective as stopping the "accident" midstream.

If/when you need to leave the house and you can't have the dog tethered to you, and you still don't want to crate - then at least limit the area the dog can use. I have baby gates, ex pens, etc., that I use when necessary to prevent unwanted behaviors in my house. Our daughter's standard always gets confined to an ex pen when we're at work because she's a "chewer". If she had free reign, we'd have no cords left when we got home (and quite possibly a fried poodle!) We KNOW she has this tendency, so we set her up for success by keeping her confined to an area where there's nothing she can damage. It's the routine and she's quite happy with it (all the BEST beds are inside the ex pen - and one of the other dogs always goes in there with her for company).

Please remember, if your dog continues to pee or poop outside of your sightline, it's because you're _allowing _it by not keeping him within your view, or confining him to a crate or ex pen, until he's reliably trained!

Good luck!!


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

I second FJM on the housebreaking training. Even more so 'coz u've got some habits to undo. 

And also using Plum's ideas on 'confinement' to keep a lid on accidents. Spud wasn't completely trustworthy when we brought him home . . so he slept at nite in a crate. 

Two years old tho, is an excellent age for training a dog.


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