# 6 month old make mini poodle still peeing in house - Help!



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

It sounds like he just thinks that's what he's supposed to do. Reprimanding him will only teach him to hide his pees from you, which would be a nigtmare. So resist all urge to do this.

Dog are predictable in that they will always try do what results in the best possible outcome for them. Some things to consider:

Are you have potty parties each and every time he pees outside? I mean _immediately_ after, not once you're back indoors?

If he doesn't potty in his designated toilet area, does he go straight back into confinement for 30 minutes and then back out again to the same spot? Repeating as necessary?

And is he confined or tethered to you at all times when you're inside? If a puppy isn't potty trained, he should have extremely limited access to anywhere other than his personal space and his toilet area. For us, this meant having a pen indoors so Peggy understood that was her place to keep clean. We very slowly expanded her access to additional living space, but for months still kept doors to all other rooms closed. And we continued this long after she was reliably housetrained.

The reason for this is that accidents are ours, not the puppy's. And every accident reinforces undesirable behaviour, so we want to avoid them at all costs.

Remember, too, that he's only now reaching the point where his body can physically hold urine on command.


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> It sounds like he just thinks that's what he's supposed to do. Reprimanding him will only teach him to hide his pees from you, which would be a nigtmare. So resist all urge to do this.
> 
> Dog are predictable in that they will always try do what results in the best possible outcome for them. Some things to consider:
> 
> ...


Thanks for the suggestions. He always goes every time we take him outside and immediately gets a treat and praise. Our house is very open concept so confining him means keeping him in the den which is the only room with a door. we try to spend as much time as possible in that room and sometimes he will sit by the door and look at us. We take him out right away and he goes but when we come in and let him in the kitchen to eat and drink he will start racing around the house and we have to chase him to put him back in the den but somehow he manages to pee again before we can grab him. He holds it all night so this is what bewilders us. If we tether him he climbs our legs and humps or bites us. He gets lots of time outs in his cage for biting and just to give us a break. Our 2 standards and even our 4 afghans were reliably trained by 4 months. We just have the mini now and he has all of our attention 24/7. This puppy is full of energy and has not slept during the day since we got him. He destroys all plush toys and gets bored with chew toys quickly preferring to interact with us. He can sit, down, shake paws, rollover etc. so is a smart little guy. We just can’t understand how he can pee so often and why he isn’t getting the message after 4 months of positive training. i haven’t seen posts from other mini owners with this problem.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Check out this thread. Her dog is older but similar problem and the advice she was given might be useful to you.









Im having potty problems with my toy poodle and...


My dog is 3 years old and I got him around 2 years ago from a circle of abusers who didn't teach him anything right as a puppy. I was a first-time owner and realized that pads work better for me as I go to work and school during the day. His pads are in his puppy-proof room and I can swear he...




www.poodleforum.com


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

Dechi said:


> Check out this thread. Her dog is older but similar problem and the advice she was given might be useful to you.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks Dechi. I read the entire thread and will check Ian Dunbar’s training method. I am having no problems with pooping inside. It is just the peeing. I am going to restrict the amount of water he drinks and check amazon for belly bands. It seems like peeing outside every hour should keep him from peeing inside but it doesn’t. He is walked about 4 miles a day but never tires. Both our standards were very well behaved but this mini is just full of mischief all the time. I think sometimes the peeing is because he has the “crazies” so often and the excitement makes him pee. He has even peed while I was holding him. After 6 other dogs I thought I knew what I was doing but with this one I’m lost.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Also be aware that before 6 months no puppy can be guaranteed "housebroken" in the truest sense of the concept. Your previous dogs clearly understood urinating was not acceptable and had been taught or actually perhaps had shown you their need to potty signs reliably enough that you got them out the door in time. 

Rather nearly all smart pups will understand the concept and can be trained or help you to learn when they need to relieve themselvs

It sounds like this pup has no clear warning signs on his feeling urgency. I suggest you largely go back to the very beginning on potty training. It sould go quickly once your pup understands that in the house is not acceptable and get some signals straightened out with him. You will have to be very vigilant on heeding the signs. Javelin never had in the house "accidents." I was home a lot and knew that his sign was standing quietly near the back door. In other words if he was loose and out of sight there would have been high probability of him getting desperate enough to relive himself wherever he happened to be. I made sure that didn't happen by either crating him or making sure I could see him. He made a couple of mistakes indoors at places other than home, like he peed on an end cap in a big box pet store, but I think that was probably a really tempting well marked target for him (he was just starting to lift his leg). I gnerally think puppies make mistakes and that training lapses are accidents that are on us to own.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Good advice here. Just please do not restrict water! Your puppy doesn't have a water problem. It sounds like he needs a little more structure to his play and exercise (including good mental exercise) and then some dedicated time to learn how to settle. At 10 months, Peggy is still rewarded for settling. 

Hearing your puppy never sleeps during the day worries me a bit, as puppies need this downtime for their development (and sanity). Peggy definitely didn't enforce her own nap schedule at that time, so we did it for her using a covered crate. The crazier she was acting, the faster she'd crash!

And yes, back to housebreaking basics. He'll get it. 

Your other dogs may have been housebroken more easily because of the foundation they received from their breeder. Who knows? All dogs are different. But I'm sure your mini is going to surprise you in other ways. He sounds like a fun boy.

(P.S. Would love to know puppy's name and see some photos!)


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

lily cd re said:


> Also be aware that before 6 months no puppy can be guaranteed "housebroken" in the truest sense of the concept. Your previous dogs clearly understood urinating was not acceptable and had been taught or actually perhaps had shown you their need to potty signs reliably enough that you got them out the door in time.
> 
> Rather nearly all smart pups will understand the concept and can be trained or help you to learn when they need to relieve themselvs
> 
> It sounds like this pup has no clear warning signs on his feeling urgency. I suggest you largely go back to the very beginning on potty training. It sould go quickly once your pup understands that in the house is not acceptable and get some signals straightened out with him. You will have to be very vigilant on heeding the signs. Javelin never had in the house "accidents." I was home a lot and knew that his sign was standing quietly near the back door. In other words if he was loose and out of sight there would have been high probability of him getting desperate enough to relive himself wherever he happened to be. I made sure that didn't happen by either crating him or making sure I could see him. He made a couple of mistakes indoors at places other than home, like he peed on an end cap in a big box pet store, but I think that was probably a really tempting well marked target for him (he was just starting to lift his leg). I gnerally think puppies make mistakes and that training lapses are accidents that are on us to own.





lily cd re said:


> Also be aware that before 6 months no puppy can be guaranteed "housebroken" in the truest sense of the concept. Your previous dogs clearly understood urinating was not acceptable and had been taught or actually perhaps had shown you their need to potty signs reliably enough that you got them out the door in time.
> 
> Rather nearly all smart pups will understand the concept and can be trained or help you to learn when they need to relieve themselvs
> 
> It sounds like this pup has no clear warning signs on his feeling urgency. I suggest you largely go back to the very beginning on potty training. It sould go quickly once your pup understands that in the house is not acceptable and get some signals straightened out with him. You will have to be very vigilant on heeding the signs. Javelin never had in the house "accidents." I was home a lot and knew that his sign was standing quietly near the back door. In other words if he was loose and out of sight there would have been high probability of him getting desperate enough to relive himself wherever he happened to be. I made sure that didn't happen by either crating him or making sure I could see him. He made a couple of mistakes indoors at places other than home, like he peed on an end cap in a big box pet store, but I think that was probably a really tempting well marked target for him (he was just starting to lift his leg). I gnerally think puppies make mistakes and that training lapses are accidents that are on us to own.


Thanks for your reply. Perhaps you are right and he doesn’t feel the urge in time. That’s why I had the vet check him for diabetes or a UTI. He understands that he should go outside because he goes very quickly and then pulls to go back inside. He just isn’t getting the part that going inside is bad.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Another thought... he is a boy and 6 months old. Has he started to try lifting his leg? You may find he gets much better as he starts maturing. I know mine started to view pee as a precious resource best saved for strategic places. Which definitely did not include inside the house.


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Good advice here. Just please do not restrict water! Your puppy doesn't have a water problem. It sounds like he needs a little more structure to his play and exercise (including good mental exercise) and then some dedicated time to learn how to settle. At 10 months, Peggy is still rewarded for settling.
> 
> Hearing your puppy never sleeps during the day worries me a bit, as puppies need this downtime for their development (and sanity). Peggy definitely didn't enforce her own nap schedule at that time, so we did it for her using a covered crate. The crazier she was acting, the faster she'd crash!
> 
> ...


My puppy’s name is Tyler and that is him in my profile picture. I’m new to this forum so if I figure out how to post pics I will. He is adorable and was purchased from a very good breeder here in Ontario, Canada. He was from a litter of two and likely bullied his brother because when he plays with my friend’s 10 month old Aussiedoodle which is twice his size, my friend has to rescue her dog because Tyler is so aggressive and never gets tired. That may be why he thinks he’s the alpha dog with my husband and I.
i had never considered caging him to settle him down. We have just walked him longer and played more to try wearing him down. He likes both his big crate in the bedroom for nights and his wire crate in the den for time outs. He never whines or cries to get out so you may be on to something with forcing him to nap and settle. He really gets wound up and stays that way most of the time and then the accidents happen. His playtime is all day. His mental stimulation is learning obedience and tricks but he is VERY treat motivated and will not do anything without a reward. He drinks a lot of water, maybe because he’s so active.
I will start the caging to settle him immediately. 
Thank you.


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

Raindrops said:


> Another thought... he is a boy and 6 months old. Has he started to try lifting his leg? You may find he gets much better as he starts maturing. I know mine started to view pee as a precious resource best saved for strategic places. Which definitely did not include inside the house.


No leg lifting yet. He squats very low and is so fluffy it is hard to tell that he’s actually peeing.
i hope you are right. He usually only pees once on our walks and I remember our other males behaving like your dog.
Thanks for replying.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Ahhhh! Okay, that makes lots of sense. At that age, when he gets worked up, it's time for a nap. Think of him like a toddler. You don't take a cranky or over-excited toddler out for a jog! You soothe him and put him down for a nap. 

It can seem counterintuitive, I know. But you will create a little adrenaline junkie if you keep piling on the exercise. And his little brain will be perpetually fried, which isn't a good state for learning.

If you've never crate trained him and didn't plan to, a mat or bed can work, too. But this will be new for him and might take some time. 

Here's a good overview:









Properly Crate Training Your Dog - Whole Dog Journal


Crates are second only to choke collars as the most misused training equipment forced upon dogs. But when crates are used right, they have significant benefits.




www.whole-dog-journal.com





You can also research "capturing calm."

For Peggy, we like an indoor exercise pen/crate combo. Her pen is attached to her crate, and she's learned to relax in both. The pen was also invaluable for potty training.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Should add: Your puppy is likely not aggressive. He's over-tired and over-excited, yes. He can't think straight. And also, he's from a very small litter, so may not have learned good doggy manners during those important early days. So be patient with him, but take this seriously.

As I do with so many folks here, I strongly recommend reading this from beginning to end:



https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf



I think you'll find that all the issues you're presently seeing are interconnected. So you'll want to take a more holistic approach, rather than treating "the symptoms."


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Should add: Your puppy is likely not aggressive. He's over-tired and over-excited, yes. He can't think straight. And also, he's from a very small litter, so may not have learned good doggy manners during those important early days. So be patient with him, but take this seriously.
> 
> As I do with so many folks here, I strongly recommend reading this from beginning to end:
> 
> ...


Thank you for the link. I will read the book. The cover made us laugh because the dog in the centre with his mouth open and fangs showing reminded us both of Tyler at 9 weeks!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

MiniTyler said:


> Thank you for the link. I will read the book. The cover made us laugh because the dog in the centre with his mouth open and fangs showing reminded us both of Tyler at 9 weeks!


Lol! Yep 😂 I mostly remember the teeth from those days, too.


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## Porkchop (Sep 2, 2019)

I second that you should not restrict his water intake. Dogs are good at properly regulating their water intake, in fact most don’t drink quite enough. Water is more important than food and dehydration happens quickly. 
My mini wasn’t housebroken until around 6 months. But she also was kept in her ex pen/crate set up most of the day except for periods of play where she was only in my living room under my watchful eye. She only got more time out of the pen as she proved she wouldn’t pee. If she had an accident, I had her “start over again” and decreased the amount of time she was allowed out of the pen, while increasing how often i took her out. Since she didn’t have opportunities to have accidents, it didn’t become a regular habit. It might take Tyler a bit longer to be housebroken since he’s made a bit of a habit of peeing in the house, but he’ll learn!


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## Janice D. (Apr 15, 2020)

MiniTyler said:


> Thanks for the suggestions. He always goes every time we take him outside and immediately gets a treat and praise. Our house is very open concept so confining him means keeping him in the den which is the only room with a door. we try to spend as much time as possible in that room and sometimes he will sit by the door and look at us. We take him out right away and he goes but when we come in and let him in the kitchen to eat and drink he will start racing around the house and we have to chase him to put him back in the den but somehow he manages to pee again before we can grab him. He holds it all night so this is what bewilders us. If we tether him he climbs our legs and humps or bites us. He gets lots of time outs in his cage for biting and just to give us a break. Our 2 standards and even our 4 afghans were reliably trained by 4 months. We just have the mini now and he has all of our attention 24/7. This puppy is full of energy and has not slept during the day since we got him. He destroys all plush toys and gets bored with chew toys quickly preferring to interact with us. He can sit, down, shake paws, rollover etc. so is a smart little guy. We just can’t understand how he can pee so often and why he isn’t getting the message after 4 months of positive training. i haven’t seen posts from other mini owners with this problem.


Crate him, take him out to potty, crate him. If you take him out to play, take him to a different are as OUTSIDE and carry him out. To bring him back in carry him. Use his pen to to feed and water him or a large rabbit water bottle on the door of the crate during the day. He won't want to potty in his bed, so he'll begin to let you know he wants out and make sure to take him straight to his potty area and constantly urging him by saying something like go potty in a happy voice, praising when he does.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I'd definitely look into enforced and regular rest times. These pups can get so overwound and don't even know how tired they are.

Did I read right, that on top of the going outside once an hour and the other play and exercise times, he's being walked 4 miles daily?

I expect to get corrected if I'm not right but I think that's way too much for a mini at this age. It's actually not good for him, physically or mentally. I'm guessing has become an adrenaline junkie. 

I'm wondering if there might be a physical connection between too much exercise changing his urinary system workings, not to mention the possible increase in thirst which leads to...

If I missed it being mentioned, look into Brain Games, mentally stimulating play (training, but don't tell him lol). Poodles love figuring things out and the mental exercise is equally important to their whole being. 



Tyler is adorable! There's a couple of ways to post a picture. If it's one on your computer, just select the Insert Picture icon below the Reply box 













then select from your files by clicking in this box









Or you can just go to your files (or any picture on the internet) and copy and paste it in











You'll get this! He is so darn cute!


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Is there a daily schedule you follow for him? Puppies need routine to help them learn what to do when. 

I'm also trying to think if there might be some other medical condition to consider tho I still lean to overstimulation and possibly a slower maturity rate for control of his urinary system while active.


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

Porkchop said:


> I second that you should not restrict his water intake. Dogs are good at properly regulating their water intake, in fact most don’t drink quite enough. Water is more important than food and dehydration happens quickly.
> My mini wasn’t housebroken until around 6 months. But she also was kept in her ex pen/crate set up most of the day except for periods of play where she was only in my living room under my watchful eye. She only got more time out of the pen as she proved she wouldn’t pee. If she had an accident, I had her “start over again” and decreased the amount of time she was allowed out of the pen, while increasing how often i took her out. Since she didn’t have opportunities to have accidents, it didn’t become a regular habit. It might take Tyler a bit longer to be housebroken since he’s made a bit of a habit of peeing in the house, but he’ll learn!


I have started crating him for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon or whenever he gets really crazy. We are making him sit or lie down for treats when he gets over excited. We have had 2 accident free days so 🤞 Thanks for your support.


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

Janice D. said:


> Crate him, take him out to potty, crate him. If you take him out to play, take him to a different are as OUTSIDE and carry him out. To bring him back in carry him. Use his pen to to feed and water him or a large rabbit water bottle on the door of the crate during the day. He won't want to potty in his bed, so he'll begin to let you know he wants out and make sure to take him straight to his potty area and constantly urging him by saying something like go potty in a happy voice, praising when he does.


Thank you. We will try carrying him out and in. We are home 24/7 and want him to have some play time but there seems to be a fine line between playing and getting over excited and peeing so as soon as he starts getting nuts we’re putting him in the crate. He has never peed in the crate.


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

Rose n Poos said:


> I'd definitely look into enforced and regular rest times. These pups can get so overwound and don't even know how tired they are.
> 
> Did I read right, that on top of the going outside once an hour and the other play and exercise times, he's being walked 4 miles daily?
> 
> ...


Thanks for your advice. We are going to implement and schedule and cut down on the walking.


Rose n Poos said:


> I'd definitely look into enforced and regular rest times. These pups can get so overwound and don't even know how tired they are.
> 
> Did I read right, that on top of the going outside once an hour and the other play and exercise times, he's being walked 4 miles daily?
> 
> ...


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

MiniTyler said:


> Thanks for your advice. We are going to implement and schedule and cut down on the walking. We are also making him calm down and sit or down when we see him getting over excited. Thanks for showing me how to post pictures.


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

Rose n Poos said:


> Is there a daily schedule you follow for him? Puppies need routine to help them learn what to do when.
> 
> I'm also trying to think if there might be some other medical condition to consider tho I still lean to overstimulation and possibly a slower maturity rate for control of his urinary system while active.


We are putting him on a schedule which includes crate time. With the self isolation we are home all the time an enjoy having him out with us but from all the replies we are understanding now that he needs rest and more structure. Thanks for your help. We’ve had 2 accident free days since getting poodle forum feedback. Yeah!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Yay! Sounds like you're back on track. 

In addition to the crate, you can also add a secondary "settle" spot. This will be a place for quiet chewing and eventually even napping. You can use an indoor tether for this purpose, as long as it's in a safe spot. Try putting a mat or bed next to the TV and tethering Tyler with a stuffed Kong while you and your husband also enjoy some quiet time. Tyler will benefit from learning to settle even when his humans are visible, and will eventually come to see this as a really pleasant shared activity. Plus, tethering in sight limits the chance for potty accidents.


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## MiniTyler (Apr 19, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Yay! Sounds like you're back on track.
> 
> In addition to the crate, you can also add a secondary "settle" spot. This will be a place for quiet chewing and eventually even napping. You can use an indoor tether for this purpose, as long as it's in a safe spot. Try putting a mat or bed next to the TV and tethering Tyler with a stuffed Kong while you and your husband also enjoy some quiet time. Tyler will benefit from learning to settle even when his humans are visible, and will eventually come to see this as a really pleasant shared activity. Plus, tethering in sight limits the chance for potty accidents.


Another good idea! We can see a little difference in him already. I am halfway through the book you linked me too and it seems we did everything wrong from day 1 so it will take a while to break his and our bad habits. Thanks for all the help. I’ll keep you posted on how things are going.


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