# Crate training too simple!?



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I wouldn't abandon crate training! I would just gradually give her more space, and yes, move the set-up into different rooms. By 4 months mine were close to being fully housebroken, but a few accidents may have occurred. Are you rewarding Pepsi with treats and tons of praise when she potties outside? Also, if you catch her in the act, say "NO!" and quickly get her outside to finish. Tons of praise if she goes outside. She'll get it soon. Good luck.


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## barbiespoodle (Apr 25, 2010)

First, I LOVE the name.

I am 95% done with housebreaking my Roland. I got him at three and a half months old and he had been a kennel pup up to that point, never in a house. A month later and he's almost there, actually close enough to being there that I consider him housebroken, I only say 95% because he had his first accident in 2 weeks the other day. 

When Pepsi is in her pen, that is her bed/den. Dogs have an instinct not to mess their bed, Roland never messed in his crate. 

The rest of her house is not her bed/den. I never let a pup out of his/her crate until I'm ready to take that pup directly outside. I give a happy "go pee poop" voice and off we go. When the pup goes the pee poop outside, I'm all praise play and give a treat when we get inside. 

But accidents do happen. This is where constant vigilance comes into play. You have got to learn the signs that Pepsi needs to do her business and always be ready to head her out (housebreaking a pup in winter means living in your shoes, lol). If you see the start of an accident, interrupt it with a firm but not loud or hysterical no, pick up Pepsi and take her out to finish. 

Even so, accidents will happen, she is still a baby. Show your disappointment if you catch her at it, but again, don't yell no matter how frustrated you feel. And above all, as a co worker and I got into a heated argument about, never rub her nose in it and smack her with a newspaper (old school training there and that school needs to be closed). Just clean up the mess, spray some urine neutralizer and move on. This goes with having a puppy. 

Poodles are extremely smart and mostly (I say mostly because Roland has turned into a mud puppy) clean dogs. Pepsi will catch on once she learns that is what pleases you. The best part of poodles is that they do want to please you, you just have to show them what that is.


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## Red lippy mel (Mar 1, 2017)

Thank you yes I must admit I forget she is still a puppy! She has never soiled her pen. Ever. Only in the house three times since we got her. 
And they were times she was allowed to wander-the kids had let her in and I didn’t know. 
We did lots of praise for outside toilet; but haven’t lately. 
Happy to go back to fussing cos it really helps! 
I will keep on a lead but out of her pen around the house and see how we go!


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

You need to keep crate training. Dogs don’t generalize, so she should never be left unsupervised in the house, and taken outside at least every 1-2 hours or after every meal, nap and play session.

When she lets you know she wants out of the pen, this is innate behavior : dogs don’t soil their den (usually, some do). So she wants out of the pen but if you let her in the house, she would pee right there. She’s not asking to go outside, just out of her den. 

For a puppy to be reliable, it takes many months of surveillance and repetition. And absence of the undesired behavior, in this case, soiling. My 10 months old still does in the house once in a while, and it’s all my fault. And I’m home and she is never alone.

So keep up the good work, but she’s just a baby and needs a lot more work.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Renn is 13 weeks so we too are housebreaking. We are using the crate which he has never soiled. In the house I keep him on a lead so I can grab him quickly and head out. He has been doing so well but I think its more keeping him on scheduled potty breaks. Yesterday I let him roam a bit on lead. I knew he would've to go poo in about 30 minutes. Well he didn't wait, my fault by the time my nose knew it was too late. I just cleaned it up and continued they being more vigilant. I should have realized he might have to go earlier as the night before he didn't go at bedtime and just did his usual morning potty, but he is pretty religious about going again about an hour or so after he eats and thats usually on our little walk. They will get it in time. We just need to stay on top.


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