# Potty Training



## 126386 (Aug 17, 2021)

Hello, 
We have a 4.5 month old moyen poodle. We are in the process of potty training him, as we live in a town house and do not have a backyard, so we could not take him out until he received all of his vaccinations. We take him out around 12-15 times a day, and he pees about 10-12 of those times. If we do not take him out this much, he has an accident. He has shown no progress in holding his pee or poop. He does not drink excessive water, as we give him water only when he asks for it. We are concerned why he is not holding his pee or poop. It is very tiring for us to take him out this much. Any thoughts would be appreciated. 
Thanks


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I trained my puppy using Dr. Ian Dunbar's method (see link below). There's two aspects to toilet training that isn't always intuitive. The first is training the dog to want to use an appropriate surface - grass or concrete and not carpet and wood floors, outside not indoors, perhaps a potty pad and not elsewhere in the house etc. Most dogs pick up on this part of toilet training quickly if the owner is consistently getting the dog to the potty area successfully.

The second part is what you are having trouble with - the neurological control of the bladder and bowel - holding in pee and poop. Puppy's have very little to no control - it isn't till they are about 6 months that they have developed the ability to hold back pee and poop - time to alert us and wait for us to get ready to take them to an appropriate place to relieve themselves. I did notice in my puppy it was a slow transition to his not being able to hold it in very long - to a more adult control that he has now that he's 7 months old. Some dogs gain this control a little earlier and some a little later - but you only have maybe 2 months more before you should see a difference.

I imagine your dog is sleeping through the night - and not waking up in the middle of the night to potty - this is part of the transition to gaining a mature, adult control of the bladder and bowel.









Errorless Housetraining


Housesoiling is a spatial problem, involving perfectly normal, natural, and necessary canine behaviors (peeing and pooping) performed in inappropriate places.Housetraining is quickly and easily accomplished by praising your puppy and offering a food treat when she eliminates in an appropriate...




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## 126386 (Aug 17, 2021)

Skylar said:


> I trained my puppy using Dr. Ian Dunbar's method (see link below). There's two aspects to toilet training that isn't always intuitive. The first is training the dog to want to use an appropriate surface - grass or concrete and not carpet and wood floors, outside not indoors, perhaps a potty pad and not elsewhere in the house etc. Most dogs pick up on this part of toilet training quickly if the owner is consistently getting the dog to the potty area successfully.
> 
> The second part is what you are having trouble with - the neurological control of the bladder and bowel - holding in pee and poop. Puppy's have very little to no control - it isn't till they are about 6 months that they have developed the ability to hold back pee and poop - time to alert us and wait for us to get ready to take them to an appropriate place to relieve themselves. I did notice in my puppy it was a slow transition to his not being able to hold it in very long - to a more adult control that he has now that he's 7 months old. Some dogs gain this control a little earlier and some a little later - but you only have maybe 2 months more before you should see a difference.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much, yes it is that part of the potty training we are struggling with. I hope he gets better at it. Thanks!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Welcome! I would strongly encourage you to make fresh water available to your puppy 24/7. Restricting access can backfire, causing your little guy to drink _too_ much when he finally has access. And dehydration can actually increase the urge to urinate.

As Skylar said, your puppy is still just a baby and is not physically mature enough to hold it. Your frequent outings are exactly what he needs right now, as every indoor accident will set you back.

Are you rewarding enthusiastically for every outdoor potty? Be sure to stick the treat right under his nose as he’s finishing up, and make it a yummy one! This lesson—that pottying outside is hugely beneficial to him—will stick with him his whole life.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

P.S. What’s his name? Would love to see some pics!


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Remember that 5 pennies is worth more then a nickle, so when your furbaby pee's then give training 5 treats back to back to back. Don't forget the training treats.

Also, turn up your level of enthusiasm. Like your human child just scored their first soccer goal. Ignore what other people around you are thinking. They feed on your energy as people pleasers and your poodle wants to please mom. Be enthusiastic.

Get a clicker. Pee, click immediately, treat, treat, treat treat treat and SUPER EXCITED MOM.

Be patient. You're not pass the finish line until 6 months. After 6 months you will still have some accidents but you get your freedom back and their bladder gets WAY stronger.


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## 126386 (Aug 17, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Welcome! I would strongly encourage you to make fresh water available to your puppy 24/7. Restricting access can backfire, causing your little guy to drink _too_ much when he finally has access. And dehydration can actually increase the urge to urinate.
> 
> As Skylar said, your puppy is still just a baby and is not physically mature enough to hold it. Your frequent outings are exactly what he needs right now, as every indoor accident will set you back.
> 
> Are you rewarding enthusiastically for every outdoor potty? Be sure to stick the treat right under his nose as he’s finishing up, and make it a yummy one! This lesson—that pottying outside is hugely beneficial to him—will stick with him his whole life.


Hello,
Yes we reward extremely enthusiastically, and give him a treat as you are saying.
{edited by moderator to fix broken quote format}


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## 126386 (Aug 17, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> P.S. What’s his name? Would love to see some pics!


Zeke is his name. We've had him groomed so he can see but he looks like he's smiling in this picture lol


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Hi and welcome to your family and Zeke!

All of the above is excellent advice. While you and Zeke are still in the training phase of pottying, this is a good time to not only reward enthusiastically for success but is also a built in opportunity to train for "potty on command" down the road. 

All you need to do is add one thing after you get him to the preferred potty spot. The second that he starts his elimination, calmly add a phrase like "Go Potty" or any phrase you feel comfortable with in public. This starts the association. When he's done, throw the party . 

You said that you're taking him out 12-15 times a day and he's producing most of those times. Is there a pattern to either the successes or misses? Is he walked slowly to the spot and then mills around for a bit or walked briskly? Are the accidents just after being brought back in, whether he produced or not? 

The hope with these schedule-type questions is to see if an opportunity is being missed.


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## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

Nihu Chakrabhavi said:


> Hello,
> We have a 4.5 month old moyen poodle. We are in the process of potty training him, as we live in a town house and do not have a backyard, so we could not take him out until he received all of his vaccinations. We take him out around 12-15 times a day, and he pees about 10-12 of those times. If we do not take him out this much, he has an accident. He has shown no progress in holding his pee or poop. He does not drink excessive water, as we give him water only when he asks for it. We are concerned why he is not holding his pee or poop. It is very tiring for us to take him out this much. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
> Thanks


'make fresh water available to your puppy 24/7.' !!!!!!!!!


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## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

And please please no scolding when 'accidents' happen!!
He is a baby, weak bladder, and loads of stuff to learn let alone potty training.
All advice above good.
Be patient and you will get there!!
Remember you also have a very very very smart member of the canine world - who loves you and will want to please you


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Hang in there. Growing puppies excrete a lot of waste. It's just part of the deal. Don't withhold water; you want that waste out of the body, not hanging around turning into constipation or kidney stones. The struggle will get better. I found my boys usually needed fewer outings around the same time they started lifting their leg like a big dog, roughly 6 months. It really does vary, though. Some dogs just mature faster than others. Nature moves at its own pace.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Lots of good advice above! Some puppies just take longer and while we all want the process to happen quickly for some puppies it just takes time. My understanding is that the average puppy is not reliably housebroken until 6 months, meaning for some it’s earlier and for some it’s later, all normal. Even though a pup may know what to do, their bodies just can’t hold it yet, especially if they are excited or distracted. For Bobby, my Standard, it was about 8 months, with each month things getting better and better. Even after that, he tended to sprinkle when he got excited or distracted because he just couldn’t be excited or distracted and automatically hold it until he got a few months older. I’m trying to encourage you, not discourage you.😊 I think knowing and accepting this helps us be patient with our pups and ourselves. Just like human children, they get there, just not at the same time.

I highly recommend naming the action, “Go potty” and “Go poop” are what we use. It is SO helpful when we travel, during a rainstorm, middle of the inevitable night potty breaks that sometimes happen or when you need to go somewhere and your dog needs to go potty before you take off. When we tell Bobby to “Go potty” he knows what to do! 😊

Be encouraged! Zeke will get there!


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