# Maisy doesn't ask...



## Shellie (Jun 3, 2015)

...to be let outside when she needs to go potty, and it has led to a few accidents in the house as of late. The reason hubby and I are so perplexed is the fact that we (meaning I) let her out so often and diligently throughout the day that it doesn't make sense that she is having an accident here and there.

We've noticed two accidents within the last couple of months, but for being potty trained I wouldn't expect even one accident to happen. Is her not asking me to go out an issue? I'm thinking that because I let her out every 2-3 hours without any prompting from her, she is dependent on me to make sure she goes out.

We've bought her the potty bells, and she knows how to ring them, but she doesn't seem to care anything about them as a way to let me know she needs to go potty. Any other suggestions you all might have?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

First make sure she has no urinary tract health problems. Make sure you never scold for the accidents. Some dogs will then turn into sneaky pee dogs who find very obscure places or wait until you aren't around to relieve themselves. Then I would suggest putting potty on command and then gradually increasing the interval between times you let her out. Tell her to go and then reward with play time. By having her go on orders you can make sure she is empty before she comes back in the house.

One other thing to check on is to make sure all traces of the accidents are totally cleaned and gone. If needed you can use a black light to make sure of that.


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## Shellie (Jun 3, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> Then I would suggest *putting potty on command *and then gradually increasing the interval between times you let her out.


What do you mean by putting potty on command? When I let her out, I will always start by saying "Do you need to go outside?" Then we go outside, and I verbally tell her "Go potty" then reward her with praise. Is that what you mean?


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

Zoe doesn't tell me either. I tried the bells did not work for us . She did alert me a few times when little.

She now goes out every 5 hours, which I am grateful for.It works for us.

She has been housebroken since 5 months. However, she still has the occasional accident when weather is bad or something off. She will be two in February .
This use to make me pretty upset since I knew she knew better. Now I just chalk it up to thinking as I do with my kids. Sometimes they do something that is bad when they know better which frustrates me.

I realize she has been housebroken for a long time and she just had a lapse in judgement.
My kids aren't perfect and neither is my dog.

As long as it's occasional( once in 5 months) I wouldn't feel discouraged.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

You are taking her out very frequently so you are doing everything right. I am sure she can hold it more than two hours at this point.
I can't think of anything else you could do. I left those damn bells up for months hoping Zoe would ring them. 
I even take her out from the same back door to go into yard, so she should know to go and stand by door. Do you use same door every time?
I assume since Zoe can hold it for 5 or more hours she does not feel the need to go to the door.
The few times she has had an accident they have been poos. I get a stomach ache and can't hold it. Maybe it was the same for her, who knows?
It has been when pouring and she runs out to pee and wouldn't think of doing a poo cause it is so quick to get out of rain.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Merlin doesn't ask yet either, at least not very clearly. He's 1 1/2 and I got him 2 1/2 months ago, not housebroken. He goes outside 4 times a day. Between going out, if he shakes for no reason, we have learned that it means he has to go number 2.

If he goes near the door, I ask him " Do you want to go outside ", and if he remains where he is, ie near the door, and looks at me, I take it as a yes and make him go outside.

Some dogs are very subtle. My Chihuhua will stand in front of me, staring. Until i ask if she wants to go outside, they she'll run towards the door. But if I don't ask, she keeps staring. And she is very persistent !

So maybe your dog is giving you cues that are so subtil you haven't caught on yet. Like shaking, or staring, or anything else.


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## Shellie (Jun 3, 2015)

mom2Zoe said:


> Do you use same door every time?


I use the same door every time, but my husband sometimes changes it up and uses the basement door instead. Should we be letting her out of the same door every time?



Dechi said:


> If he goes near the door, I ask him " Do you want to go outside ", and if he remains where he is, ie near the door, and looks at me, I take it as a yes and make him go outside.


I have tried this with Maisy as well. She always comes down the stairs by the second time I ask no matter if she needs to potty or not, so I don't know if that is a clear way for me to tell.



Dechi said:


> So maybe your dog is giving you cues that are so subtil you haven't caught on yet. Like shaking, or staring, or anything else.


Sometimes she will put her head in my lap or hang on my arm, but she never leads me to what she wants. So far I just haven't been able to catch onto her cue... besides when she puts her nose towards her behind, that usually means she needs to go #2 :lol:

She is almost 1 year old, and she can hold her bladder just fine when she is confined during the day. She holds it for about 4-5 hours during the day, but when we're home and letting her out more often that's when she seems to have an accident. How does that make sense? Again it's not an often occurrence (2 accidents in the last few months) but I feel that if she had a way to tell me that she needed to go out, it would save me some stress!


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## ChantersMom (Aug 20, 2012)

Dechi said:


> So maybe your dog is giving you cues that are so subtil you haven't caught on yet. Like shaking, or staring, or anything else.


I agree. Chanter's cues are slight and I am the only one who notices: Slight pacing...he walks then lies down, gets up again and lies down again, sometimes with looking outside; Coming over to me and staring at me and/or leaning on me with his chest (not side as this means he wants a rub). 

We have tried the bell but he uses it for just going outside and not that he has to eliminate. The bell trick is used to entertain guests only so we keep it.
Oh, I don't think Chanter really did these cues until he was about 3..he is 4 now.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

In response to the door question, I have gotten Merlin used to two different doors, but they are always used at the same moment every day. First time in the morning is front, rest of the day is back. I am doing this because I am hoping I won't have to make a path in the snow in the backyard in winter. But he doesn't like going in the front yard. I am just hoping he will be able to go there all the time.

So I have plan A and plan B. Which is okay to have, too. But it might make it harder to decode your dog's very subtle cues. So for now, if you don't need a B plan, maybe make things easier on yourself by always using the same door. Until you can trust your dog fully.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

RunChanter said:


> I agree. Chanter's cues are slight and I am the only one who notices: Slight pacing...he walks then lies down, gets up again and lies down again, sometimes with looking outside; Coming over to me and staring at me and/or leaning on me with his chest (not side as this means he wants a rub).
> 
> We have tried the bell but he uses it for just going outside and not that he has to eliminate. The bell trick is used to entertain guests only so we keep it.
> Oh, I don't think Chanter really did these cues until he was about 3..he is 4 now.


I feel better that u said 3 or 4. Maybe there is hope/
It doesn't matter much since it works when she goes out 4 times a day and at around 5 hour mark.
I have friends that take their dogs out only 3x and hold for much longer.
I kind of feel this works so why mess with it, especially when it does not inconvenience me. We have been using this schedule since a little after turning one.
I do hope she becomes like Chanter at 3 or 4.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Shellie said:


> What do you mean by putting potty on command? When I let her out, I will always start by saying "Do you need to go outside?" Then we go outside, and I verbally tell her "Go potty" then reward her with praise. Is that what you mean?


Yes, that is basically what I mean. I happen to have two orders (do one, do two) but one is fine, just so long as it isn't a word you use frequently or a phrase you are likely to say in the house. For example I know people who tell their dogs "empty." Well, then you can have a big oops when your DH calls out to you from the kitchen to you about the milk being empty!

Have a big party with treats and happy happy joy joy when she goes promptly. To help extend the time between outings you might want to consider tethering her to you so you can catch her in the act. You can usually pick up a puppy (even a large one) just as they start to squat and the startle will be enough to interrupt the unwanted behavior. Then you hurry outside.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

I would use the same door.
We go outside to back door for all bathroom outings and front door for our walks.
Do you have certain times when you think Maisy would be more likely to have an accident?
For us it was raining all day yesterday and that's when Zo seems to have her slips.
She did not poop at one or six when she usually does, since she peeed and ran back so fast. When she ate breakfast and dinner without a poop I thought for sure she wasn't going to make it to last outing at bedtime.
It wasn't even raining at 6. I just spent the day watching her like a hawk which was quite annoying. The last outing she pooped.:amen:


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

lily cd re said:


> Yes, that is basically what I mean. I happen to have two orders (do one, do two) but one is fine, just so long as it isn't a word you use frequently or a phrase you are likely to say in the house. For example I know people who tell their dogs "empty." Well, then you can have a big oops when your DH calls out to you from the kitchen to you about the milk being empty!
> 
> Have a big party with treats and happy happy joy joy when she goes promptly. To help extend the time between outings you might want to consider tethering her to you so you can catch her in the act. You can usually pick up a puppy (even a large one) just as they start to squat and the startle will be enough to interrupt the unwanted behavior. Then you hurry outside.


I just use the words pee and poop. I think she knows the difference. Even if she doesn't I have a poop bag in hand telling her to poop so she for sure gets it.
I generally don't care if she poops so I don't say often. Most days she will poop when she needs to. It is only rainy days I find myself begging her.:afraid::banghead:


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

My neighbors are in ear shot when it is warm and windows are open so I wanted to use words that wouldn't advertise what was happening!


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

lily cd re said:


> My neighbors are in ear shot when it is warm and windows are open so I wanted to use words that wouldn't advertise what was happening!


I can hear that. Yesterday in the rain I sounded insane saying Zoe poop a thousand times. My neighbors already think the way I think of Zo like one of the family is already nuts , so whats a little more, right?


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

Bella is 8 and for years only goes out 7 in the morning and 6 at night, if you try to get her to go out in between she just sits down. If I insist she will go a few steps and sit down again.

Cayenne uses potty patch, and she goes 5 ot 6 times a day to pee at home, 2 times for poo. But take her out with you in the car or to someones home she holds it for 4 to 5 hours. She is 2 yrs old, I like the potty patch, but if she were not so small I would have her going outside it is easier I think


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