# Correcting Training Mistakes



## harleyquinn (Dec 17, 2017)

:shame:

So here's the full story:
I got a miniature poodle at 8.5 weeks. During the first 2 weeks everything was perfect. Within two days she learned where her potty was and used it religiously. Very minimal accidents.

Then I had to travel. I was away for one week. After coming back, she began to have "accidents". First it was peeing on the very edge of the potty pad, to where everything went on the tile. This evolved to peeing sporadically about the house. She is now 12 weeks old.

In hindsight I made it worse by putting her nose in the mess and spanking her. I got advice from persons at the pet store on how to handle these issues. HORRIBLE ADVICE. I wish it never happened and it will never happen again. IN addition to the fact that it did not help the problem at all.

I am now super frustrated. Going from having no potty issues to mopping up urine at least 4 times a day.

I praise her and give her treats when she gets it right (rare but usually in the morning). And I try not to let her see me cleaning up the mess. She poos on the pad no problem. Its only the urination that happens all over the place.

Please help me correct this mistake. I'm at wits end, super frustrated and starting to feel that the relationship is permanently ruined :argh:


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I have a Spoo, so I don’t have any experience with potty pads, but I can offer the following advice. Figure that every accident is your fault. You gave her too much freedom, you didn’t see the signs or weren’t watching the clock, or forgot she probably has to potty after a fun game, a meal etc. Puppies don’t have much control over their bladders for a while. Praise and treat when she does it right, sorta right. If she starts to have a mistake, which as we’ve established is your fault, get her to the pee pad or outside ASAP. Make it happy and fun when she does her business where she should. Remove every trace of your fault accidents with a good enzymatic cleaner. Accidents are a part of housetraining, clean them well, and resolve to do better Have fun with your new puppy, she’ll figure it out with your help.


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## harleyquinn (Dec 17, 2017)

I will give that a go and see how it works out. She is very intelligent and can be the sweetest thing. Have to get things on track before these behaviors become part of her personality.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Good advice from Mfmst. Out at the training yard we used to tell new puppy owners that every time their pup had an accident, they should roll up a news paper... and smack themselves on the head, saying, "Bad owner, you were not watching the puppy!"


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## harleyquinn (Dec 17, 2017)

? it probably really does have a lot to do with lack of supervision. I think how she was getting it right and started so quickly I became too relaxed. Then the problems started and I panicked ?


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Please don’t be frustrated and don’t let this interfere with your bonding. Remember she’s still a little baby and is far too young to be toilet trained yet. 

Msmft has excellent advice. You need to use an enzyme cleaner to remove all traces of urine so that isn’t a magnet to pee again in that area. Use a special flashlight to find accidents. Start over with keeping her area limited, take her to potty often so she is successful etc. praise and treat success. 

Your job is to assure she doesn’t make mistakes. When she fails, analyze where you went wrong and make corrections. Potty mistakes are “yours” not hers - don’t punish her. Her bladder and bowel is too immature for her to control until she is around 6 months old. Of course as she nears that age she will be more reliable and need less potty breaks. 

Toilet training is a lot of work early on and for months. The work you put in now pays off with a lifetime of a dog who doesn’t have accidents in the house.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I should add, don’t feel bad either, toilet training is hard work and most people make mistakes along the way. Your puppy will soon forget that you spanked her and rubbed her nose. Look for quality advice here and not at that misinformed pet store.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I think it is very possible you got too confident too soon - as others say, go back to basics, and keep calm and cheerful. Less freedom, more supervision, perhaps bigger pads for a while. Take care that you don't make her feel she cannot pee when you are watching in case you shout at her - that can be a really difficult one to get past! Are you planning on using pads permanently, or are they a step on the way to going outside? If the latter, I would start concentrating on teaching her to go outside.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

All your fault, too much freedom too soon as others have said. I think that all the ads for services that guarantee a potty trained pup in a week and people who brag on the notion that their puppy is fully housebroken are very misleading to people who are first time puppy owners or who haven't had a puppy in a long time. It just doesn't work that way at all.

As Skylar mentioned there are virtually no puppies younger than 6 months old that are neuromuscularly well developed enough to hold their bladder or bowel against a feeling of urgency from fullness. You need to learn your puppy's potty signs and heed them. Even just yesterday I ignored Javelin who was trying to tell me he had to go when we were in my office. I was trying to finish a little work so I didn't have to bring it home. He kept snooting me and climbing in my lap. I kept telling him to please wait. Once I was ready to go I packed stuff up and walked into the hall with him where he promptly squatted and produced a fair amount of icky diarrhea. He was really kind to me not to have done it on the carpet in my office, but instead on the tile floor in the hall. Poor boy, my bad.

I would also teach your pup to potty on command once you have some routines reestablished. If you search around here you will find a number of good discussions on that.

Don't worry too much over damage to your relationship with your pup. Puppies are pretty resilient and forgiving. Play lots of fun games, have good cuddles, teach your pup that watching you is a safety net for her and all will be for the good.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Please, please read Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I trained mine by having treats on a stand above the potty patch. I would take her to the potty patch, and give her a treat when she went. I broke them up into small pieces and sealed the plastic bad. I would say potty patch and ;pick up the bag. I did the same with Sage and she was 5 years old. She now goes outside, and in the morning may use the potty patch to pee. But during the day when I am in my home office I keep a diaper on her as that is the only time she will mess in the house #1. I take her ort every 2 hours, do not know if I can break this or not, but at least I can control it. Sleeps though the night goes in a car, no problem just when I am working.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

Hi HarleyQuinn,

I ordered and received this Dogit Clean Training Pad Holder this week, and so far she uses it and it prevents spillovers, but the best part is she can't chew up one when I first put it down. The pads also fit it perfectly. 

https://www.chewy.com/dogit-clean-training-pad-holder/dp/50630

https://www.chewy.com/wee-wee-pet-training-puppy-pads-22-x/dp/34324


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## JMC3 (Mar 27, 2016)

Hello, I read the Ian Dunbar book w/ my first poodle and things went so smoothly, I really couldn't believe it. Only twice did he have an accident in our house, and as you said I really just didn't know the signs. I was religious about taking him out every hour etc...

Now Cooper is two and we found him a brother who we picked up a couple of weeks ago. He just turned 5 months old. We named him Cole. He was doggie door trained, which was great, but is causing some issues now that I am not sure I am handling correctly. If the door is open ( and the doggie door is in our storm door) then you never have to worry, but if it is shut, watch out. He does not whimper, wine, sit by the door, nothing, just pees where ever he is at. It is very cold right now, so I try to leave the door cracked, but at the same time I want to teach him to let me know he has to go. So I started shutting our gate off the porch so that he can go out the doggie door, but has to wait on me to open the gate to get to the small fenced off area we have made for him to potty in. Then I take him, and say go potty and stand there and wait till he does and then I praise him. I thought this was working great but tonight out of no where he peed at the door, and I blame myself as I had let him out of his crate and did not instantly take him out. So after cleaning it up I took him out and he pooped and we came back in and then out of nowhere w/in 10 minutes he peed again. So what am I doing wrong, or am I expecting too much?


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