# Training to go outdoors



## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

Ok.. Ewww. How old is this dog? Is he neutered? Does he squat or lift his leg?


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## meehkim (Sep 11, 2009)

cbrand said:


> Ok.. Ewww. How old is this dog? Is he neutered? Does he squat or lift his leg?


lol...when this happened he was about 4-5 months old, so I understand he couldn't hold his bladder well. Since then I haven't taken him to the mall. We got him neutered at 6 mos. He is about 7 mos now. 

He stayed at my parents' house for a week, and he had a couple of accidents inside..but when he stays with me..he NEVER has any accidents. My parents kept him on the same schedule as I did...so we don't know what's going on. When I'm at my parents' house with him, he never has accidents ...so I think it my parents are doing soemthing wrong..I know my pup doesn't see them as alpha. Any insight, tips, suggestions...? :doh:


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## meehkim (Sep 11, 2009)

oh, and he squats...


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

I think the earlier Gap accident was an aberration and most likely due to the fact that he HAD TO GO. I would think that you could take him to the mall with no trouble now. 

Test him out on Home Depot first. They have concrete floors so if it doesn't go well, then clean up will be easier.  Keep an eye on him constantly. If he starts to squat, give him a stern correction and tell him NO!!!! Then take him outside, potty him and PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE!!! Next, I'd try Petsmart. Lots of dogs have lifted their leg in there so if you can get him to be clean in there, you are probably good to go. Remember, you have to head him off at the pass, so keep a close eye on him!

RE your parent's house. 7 months is still young. Puppies may have learned not to potty in their house, but at this age, Grandma's house might as well be the backyard. If he goes to your parent's house, I'd keep him crated, leashed or in a X-pen the whole time.


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## meehkim (Sep 11, 2009)

Thanks for the advice!! I REALLY REALLY appreciate it. Yea, we haven't been able to not get him to go in Petsmart, but then again, we have never really been stern about it b/c the trainer says the pups go in there b/c they smell all the other dogs that have gone. I will definitely keep your advice in mind! I also read somewhere that dogs have instinct to go outside, so I guess I was waiting for that to develop.. 

At my parents' we do keep him in an x-pen, but he went in there once this past week -.- He had just come indoors after a potty break outdoors....and she left him in the pen for a minute, and he went! crazy pup..


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

Well of course they want to go, that doesn't mean that they should get to go! Sheesh.... I hear by give you permission to tell your dog: "Oh Hell NO!!!" (This will be good practice for raising children later.)

If he starts to squat, collar pop him, get really mad at him and scoop him up. He won't pee on you, but if you get after him he might still pee on the floor. 

When he is at your parent's house, is he being "let out" or is he being taken out? Often times people let dogs out and the dog plays-plays-plays but does not get down to business. I think this boy need some supervision. Also, if he is peeing in the X-pen, the X-pen is probably too large. Make it so small that only a small bed with a food dish on it will fit.


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## meehkim (Sep 11, 2009)

cbrand said:


> Well of course they want to go, that doesn't mean that they should get to go! Sheesh.... I hear by give you permission to tell your dog: "Oh Hell NO!!!" (This will be good practice for raising children later.)
> 
> If he starts to squat, collar pop him, get really mad at him and scoop him up. He won't pee on you, but if you get after him he might still pee on the floor.
> 
> When he is at your parent's house, is he being "let out" or is he being taken out? Often times people let dogs out and the dog plays-plays-plays but does not get down to business. I think this boy need some supervision. Also, if he is peeing in the X-pen, the X-pen is probably too large. Make it so small that only a small bed with a food dish on it will fit.



I will most definitely "collar pop" him. lol, that phrase sounds strangely hip. 

At my parents' house, he is being taken out, the the second he starts playing, we take him in if he isn't going to do his business. For a while he kept on asking to be taken out, but this would immediately be after we took him out, so there as no way he needed to go again that quickly. I KNOW he can hold his bladder for 9 hours..he does this when we go to work all day! Like you said, I will probably have to re-housetrain him at my parents'! It was going well - he'd ask to go out and never had accidents, but once I left town for the week, I have no idea what happened.


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## spoospirit (Mar 10, 2009)

_I bring my dogs into PetCo and Tractor Supply Co. almost weekly. There were very few accidents and they happened when they were very young. On the other hand, Billy, who is intact, suddenly lifted his leg and started to pee in PetCo about a month ago. He was seriously reprimanded and brought outside. He tried it one more time and got a good pop and outside again. He hasn't tried to lift his leg in the store again since then. They can and will learn where it is appropriate to relieve/mark and where it is not._


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## poodleholic (Jan 6, 2010)

A 4-5 month old puppy does not have full bladder control, so it's understandable that your puppy peed in the GAP store. (Roll up newspaper and whack head for taking him there when so young!) :biggrin1: Even a 7 month old puppy, while able to hold it for 9 hrs. while you're at work, should not be expected to do so (reliably) when exposed to an environment like a busy mall. 

Leash pops are completely unnecessary, and, IMO, do not teach the dog anything (except maybe that you're unpredictable), and may well also teach the dog to be sneaky about peeing, because he associates peeing with getting leash popped, and wants to avoid it, so hides to pee. I don't feel it's appropriate to physically correct a puppy when learning something new. Peeing is a normal, natural thing, even humans have to learn where it's appropriate to do it! LOL Containment and supervision, along with being consistent, persistent, and above all, patient, will teach/train the dog where he is to do his business. 

While I was housetraining Lucia, she had one accident in the house, but it was my fault! I was teaching her to go potty on cue (cue word: potty), and while going to the door with her, was asked by my daughter where I was going, and I answered, "taking Lucia to potty." Ooops! She immediately squatted and peed! Well, couldn't fault her for that one! LOL I took her to work with me until she was 8 months old, so she never had the opportunity to have an "accident." My dogs have a designated potty area in my back yard, and I didn't have to teach Lucia to go there, and only there - Maddy and Beau did! They've taught her lots of good things, so this puppy has been a breeze to raise!


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

poodleholic said:


> Leash pops are completely unnecessary, and, IMO, do not teach the dog anything (except maybe that you're unpredictable), and may well also teach the dog to be sneaky about peeing, because he associates peeing with getting leash popped, and wants to avoid it, so hides to pee. I don't feel it's appropriate to physically correct a puppy when learning something new.


This dog is 7 months old and still trying to pee indoors in a public place while on leash. He is not learning something new. Rather, he is being a cretin. A firm physical correction is in order. He needs to know that it is NOT OK!


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## Ladybug (Jan 2, 2010)

I would recommend telling your puppy to "Go Potty" whenever you take him out. Then when he goes give him a treat! I have done this with my little dog and now with Gentry. Gentry is 10 months old and didn't know what "Go Potty" meant. But after a few times of treating him he now knows and when I tell him to go, he does. Treats are key!!


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## poodleholic (Jan 6, 2010)

cbrand said:


> This dog is 7 months old and still trying to pee indoors in a public place while on leash. He is not learning something new. Rather, he is being a cretin. A firm physical correction is in order. He needs to know that it is NOT OK!



He's obviously not potty trained, or he wouldn't be doing this. Back to housetraining 101.


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

Teddy never has accidents in my house any more, nor does he have them in my office. He used to lift his leg and pee at pet stores and once at the vet, but after getting a loud "AAHN!" (or however you spell it - LOL) and a quick collar pop every time, he no longer does it. I think the collar pop and the noise taught him that I have eyes in the back of my head. Just like any good mother.


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## meehkim (Sep 11, 2009)

Thanks for all the advice! We have been more strict with him about going indoors. He hasn't had an accident in Petsmart for a while now!  

Here's another question for you - how do you make your dog only go on grass? Sometimes when we take him for a walk...he'll just squat and poo without any warning on the sidewalk (even though he did his business in the morning). When he starts to go I usually tell him no, pick him up really quickly, and put him on grass. Sometimes he'll stop all together and go a couple hours later, or he'll continue to squat and go. Either way, it has still been happening.


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I would separate the walk from the doing of business - in other words, designate a spot on the grass where you want him to go and then take him there and wait for him to eliminate before setting off on your walk. You'll have to be patient, because it could take a while, but once you do it often enough and he gets the idea that he isn't going anywhere until he pees/poops where you want him to, he will probably go first to that spot. Be sure to give lots of praise when he does it to let him know that that's what you want.


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

Of course, if he's marking and not actually just eliminating, it's a different story. Sorry.


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## poodleholic (Jan 6, 2010)

meehkim said:


> Thanks for all the advice! We have been more strict with him about going indoors. He hasn't had an accident in Petsmart for a while now!
> 
> Here's another question for you - how do you make your dog only go on grass? Sometimes when we take him for a walk...he'll just squat and poo without any warning on the sidewalk (even though he did his business in the morning). When he starts to go I usually tell him no, pick him up really quickly, and put him on grass. Sometimes he'll stop all together and go a couple hours later, or he'll continue to squat and go. Either way, it has still been happening.


Walking stimulates the bowel to evacuate, so it's not surprising that he stops, squats and goes! Instead of telling him no, and physically removing him to the grass (which may well confuse him), use this opportunity to train him to potty on cue (the second he starts to squat, use your cue word, and then praise, praise, praise)! That way, you can cue him to potty where YOU want him to go before you go on your walk.

You may prefer him to go on grass, but it's actually good that he will go on concrete. I train my dogs to use many surfaces to potty (rocks, sand, cement, cedar chips/mulch, dirt, grass, etc.), because there may come a time when grass isn't available, and many dogs won't eliminate on anything but the one thing they're used to. 

I have a designated potty area in my back yard, but when walking, I prefer that my dogs potty on the street/street curb, rather than on someone's grass. In addition, grass can harbor parasites/eggs left by other dogs, whose owner may have bagged the poop, but the parasites/eggs remain, and can be picked up by your dog.


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