# Why are chis so dadgum hard to house train?!?!?



## Blue Chi (Oct 12, 2011)

Or is that just my experience? I've only had 3 chis ever. My first was an adult when I got her but my hubby seen her go through the house breaking stage (Coco was bought for his sister) and he said she was difficult to break. My second never did fully house break. And Gunner is still being hard headed about it (he's almost 9 months now). My Boston Terrier was a dream. We brought him home, I said "poop here and pee there" and he said "ok." Then the heavens opened, the light shone on him, and angels sang. End of story.:angel4: 
Ok, it didn't actually go _that_ well. But it seriously didn't take long. 

So, if you got your chi as a puppy or not house broken adult, how long did it take for them to finally get it?
ottytrain4:


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

I got Lulu when she was 9 weeks old. We already had Lacy our 18 month old Maltese that was puppy pad trained so I'm sure that helped. I showed Lulu where the pads were and of course the scent, watched her like a hawk, when she went to the pad I made a silly fool of myself clapping and praising and gave her a tiny piece of cheese. It didn't take her 3 times before she learned when she saw me see her to expect her praise and treat. I did not disappoint her. When I was sure she was trained I would make sure she did not see me see her so she did not get treated every time. The goal is using the pad or outside without treat. You know how your memory plays tricks on you...kind of like potty training your children--Lulu is 4 now and looking back it seems like it was done in a few days.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

Let me add though if you don't watch like a hawk and really be consistent which is VERY hard--and they have a few accidents that you don't clean with the enzyme cleaner it can make house breaking very difficult. Definitely not saying that is the case with you at all--just saying that can be a possible reason for problem training.


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## Blue Chi (Oct 12, 2011)

I used to use wee wee pads, but now I'm trying to get Gun completely outside trained. Maybe I got him confused since he used to be able to go in the house and now he can't? I do keep a pad on the back porch to help him "get the idea" of doing it out there. He especially likes using the one on the backporch if it's cold or rainy so he doesn't have to get his tiny, precious paws in the grass. Hahaha Stinker


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## Blue Chi (Oct 12, 2011)

lulu'smom said:


> Let me add though if you don't watch like a hawk and really be consistent which is VERY hard--and they have a few accidents that you don't clean with the enzyme cleaner it can make house breaking very difficult.


I do use an enzyme cleaner to clean up. But, no, I don't watch close enough. Sometimes I don't find the accident til later.


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## Chi Nation (Mar 7, 2012)

My where all trained by the time they where 6months old. I started with the pad. When they came out of theirs crates in the am i put them on the pad and when they pottied on it we made a really big deal out pf it. We would clap our hands and yell YAY!!! and then give a treat  If they had an accident i would soak it up with the pad so they could smell it on there. When ever they would go on it we yay'd and clapped and gave a treat. They are super greedy so it worked out really well. I put a lot of pads down as well about three in each room so there was always one close by. Now i only have one in each for Hotchis convenience.
They cought on really quickly. Didnt take that long at all. Hotchi is the only one that still potties on the the pad. Olivia and Knuckles eventually started going outside as they got older.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

Blue Chi said:


> I do use an enzyme cleaner to clean up. But, no, I don't watch close enough. Sometimes I don't find the accident til later.


I was just editing my post because I didn't want to sound like I was assuming that was the case. I just think that is a standard delay of training. Also probably the reason mine seemed to train smoothly is because I only use pads and she never goes outside so she did not learn 2 ways to potty. Some people do not like pads in the house, but I change mine regularly and they do not bother me.


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

I do feel like they're a _bit_ harder to house train than some other breeds. Odie is 100% trained to go on pee pads, but like you, we're shifting to mainly outdoors. The funny thing is that my parent's have a yard and when she's at their house she is 100% trained to go outside, no pee pad needed EVER. At our house where we don't have a yard, it's another story.


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## waggonkr (Dec 4, 2011)

I'm experiencing the same thing. I don't want pee pads in the house so I've been walking my 7 month old up and down 4 flights of stairs about 8-10 times a day for the last 5 months! She always goes when I take her out, but every once in a while she'll go inside. I try to watch her every second that she's out of her crate. It seems like if she knows I'm watching, she will never go. But as soon as I stop paying attention she'll pee on the rug and then go hide under the couch. Just this morning, she somehow got out of her crate and I woke up to little turds laying under our bed and in the living room. I'm sure she probably peed, too, but I couldn't find it . I HATE the idea of pee soaking into our carpet and I'm super paranoid about people being able to "smell dog odors" when they come over. 

UGHHH I just want to get to the point where I can trust her to be outside her crate. 

I keep hearing stories about how people never got their chi's fully house trained and that really bothers me.


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

I'm with lulu'smom.

I feel very fortunate. My 3 go inside only and they are always on pads (well, Hope walks when she poos so she starts on the pad and sometimes it ends by the pad but I can live with that-hardwood floors).

Hope has horrible colitis so she sort of went wherever when we brought her home but she was trained to pads at the breeder.

She and Ruby each took 2-4 weeks. Eden was 8 months when we got her so she took 6-7 weeks. 

Since they sleep with us, it is so nice that anyone who needs to potty toddles down the steps by the bed, goes out to the pad, potties and comes back to bed. 

I did what the instructions on the pad holder said (I read packaging and will try anything). I put them on the pad 100 times a day and said "potty". Once they did, you would have thought they invented something that would make us famous. I clapped, said their name and "good girl" and the words "potty" and "mat" and rewarded with treats. Being consistent to place them on it and say the EXACT words every time I think helped us. 

The 2 older potty on a pad in one area, little decided that near the front door (entry way) was her potty spot so I moved a pad there. She goes there, Ruby will sometimes, Hope never. Eden will never potty on their mat in the dining room. It is funny but everyone gets it so I am fine with that!

Oh, and I am a neat freak and a germaphobe. I keep the pads cleaned often, the areas wiped up and use Scentsy warmers so my house smells fresh and you would never know we had dogs.


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## proudpeyotemama (Feb 20, 2012)

Ote was pretty easy to potty train - she took about a week to get the hang of going outside & hasn't failed unless "purposefully" since (she has poo'd at the feet of two people after growling at them - she is not a growler! LOL). Very proud of my girl!


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

My issue is similar yet different. My two will pee on the pad but refuse to poo on the pad. That was why I tried litter training them and after two months of miserable chis and a miserable owner I have given up and went back to the pad. I am still getting the same result as when I started. Any idea why? I use extra large pads so there is pleanty of room.


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## Jennmay (Dec 31, 2011)

Well my puppy 4 months is 100% pee pad trained to go she does go outside when Zoe my older Chi goes out all the time. I am hoping to get Holly to be outside trained since it is getting warmer now. I was lucky that my older chi came already house trained for the most part but she caught on quick she had a few accidents when she first came but I just assumed she was not being let out enough which was the problem but was easily fixed by a better schedule. though.


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## intent2smile (Dec 4, 2011)

When we brought Jaxx home he was 20 weeks old and trained to use peepads. I did not want to use them so we immediately started outside training. I took him out probably every two hours for the first 2 weeks. After that though he was pretty much house trained. I just made sure to watch him like a hawk and learned his little quirks that he would do before going potty so that I could get him outside.
They love routine and it helps tons in house training.
Routine even helped Jaxx get to the point that he tells us now when he needs outside. That happened by accident but I love it now. I was putting him in the same place before he went outside to put on his harness and now he gets up there on his own and barks if we do not notice.
He even gets up there when we come inside to get his leash and harness off. It has really showed me how much dogs learn from routine.
I want to get Jaxx a playmate (sister) but he was so easy to train I am afraid the next one won't be.
Good luck!


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## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

I have to give the breeder credit for the training thing she did a fab job of it. she said that she always keeps the piddle pad clean..important...for puppies..they get treated for making on the piddle pad and they are accustomed to the others going there.....Rico had a slight bit of confision when he first arrived here.....he actually wee-d in a doggie bed...it was hard plastic so I just took out the inside and put the piddle pad inside of it and put it where I wanted him to go.......after a week I took that away and had the piddle pad and holder in it's place.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

Leila is doing excellent now. She used to have accidents when she got nervous or excited but thats pretty much over. the other day though she did do it on the floor but i think the toddler i watch scared her. 
Finn on the other hand is rotten!!! :evil: He poops on the pads but also on the floor in the kids rooms.  and i just discovered he's been peeing intheir room and in the family room on hubby's sock and by the potty pad. I spray it with that natures miracle but it's not helping. I need a shampooer bad! I don't know why he does it sometimes then others he does it on the floor.


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

Nike's a priss. We used to use disposable pee pads and she wouldn't go if there was another pee on it. She has NEVER gone poo on the pads. She would always go beside the pads if there was already pee on it. We tried different stuff. Finally we got one of those synthetic grass pads, that would drain and we could just rinse off every day. It took a little longer for us to train her, but she _was_ accident free for a month. Today she went beside the pad again since I didn't rinse it off good last night (I was tired so I just sprayed it quick. SHE NOTICED!) She's 8 months old now.


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## Chi Nation (Mar 7, 2012)

How long did it take Nike to adjust to the "potty patch"? I have thought about getting one for Hotchi. It would just look better in my living room than a pee pad lol


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

EastGreenChihuahuas said:


> How long did it take Nike to adjust to the "potty patch"? I have thought about getting one for Hotchi. It would just look better in my living room than a pee pad lol


She seem to know it was the place to go, soon as we got it. She did "miss" for a couple of weeks before she figured she wasn't getting any treats for those.
Also, you should note that they start stinking if you don't rinse them off every night, and it's a bit of a hassle if the pad isn't right beside the bathtub, or a garden hose. I also soak them in bleach once a week.


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## thatrandomgirl (Mar 4, 2012)

I had a horrible time house breaking my girl. 

I got her when she was about 8 months and she had no previous training. It took me about 6 or 7 months to get her to a good point... she still has the occasional "oops," but it's definitely a LOT better than where we were at!

Part of it is probably because of me. Since she's my first dog, I was learning along with her. I chose a tough pup to learn with!


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## lilxkrystal (Feb 26, 2012)

Bandit wasn't to bad. He wizzed on the bed a few times so then he's new bed was on the floor lol. He went on the puppy pads and out side but sometimes had an accident here and there which he got shun at and we made a loud humming noise. we did this every time he did something naughty. Once he grew and his bladder got bigger it was a lot easier.
Then we were going over sea's for 2 weeks which Bandit was staying with my friend and her little chi x. Just before I was dropped him to his holiday home he pooped on the carpet so we shun him and he was in trouble for 10 or so mins. 
After we got back from our holiday he was completely toilet trained no puppy pads he would sit and hold it at the door. The Chi x he was with for the 2 weeks was younger and still learning to wiz outside. So we think in his poor little puppy brain he thought we left him for 2 weeks as punishment for pooping on the floor  
He was about 5-6 months old when he finally stopped.


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## lilxkrystal (Feb 26, 2012)

Oh and the only other issue I had was when he poops he squats little a little kangaroo and walks as he poops so he was always trying and starting on the pads but you end up steering off lol


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## kimr (Nov 14, 2010)

We rescued Pedro first, at 3 years of age. He was perfectly housetrained from day one.

Gracie came along a couple of months later at 5 months of age. She was surrendered by her owners because they "couldn't do anything with her". I took her out when I took Pedro out, she caught on immediately - she's my little pig always ready to get that treat at the end. Unfortunately, she did learn to hike her leg to pee and scratches off on the grass after she's done, but she learned everything she knows from Pedro. 

Diesel was 10 weeks when we got him, potty pad trained, which we did not want. By taking him out with the other two (we used a leash at the time - we now have a fenced backyard), he was completely housetrained in two weeks. 

I think my older dogs trained my younger dogs, but the older ones have to be trained first - it would never work out that way with an older dog that didn't get it. I got lucky. 

I've never liked puppy pads - just never wanted them to think it was okay to go inside under any circumstances. I do regret having that mentality now...We have moved and work 20 minutes away from home, so they literally have to hold it until we get home at night unless one of my kids comes by and lets them out. But, I don't want to confuse them by trying to introduce the puppy pads now, and I figure if they can hold it all night and get plenty of time outside in the mornings before we leave, they can make it through the day. But we always come straight home before doing any other errands so we can let them out.


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## theshanman97 (Feb 19, 2012)

tillie still isent  ive tied everything and she just looks at me to say "i dont think so!" and then does it next to the try! WTF!!!?? but if we are anywhere else say at my aunties , she asks to go outside!!!! WAT THE BLOODLY HELL!!!!!!!!! LOL and now the collies copying her 
-_- lol i dont have a clue what to do!!!!??? theres no dog trainers i can find that do toilet trainign and i asked the vet and they said its my fault and she should be by now , so i looked online and tried that for a couple weeks and she refused to !


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

It may sound silly and feel ridiculous, but, the "cheering section" really works! Every time Angel used the pad, I would say yeah! clap my hands, tell him what a good boy he was, and give him a treat. And, the most important thing is to watch like a hawk!! If I couldn't see him, he had to be in his crate. he goes inside and outside.


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## lilxkrystal (Feb 26, 2012)

Angel1210 said:


> It may sound silly and feel ridiculous, but, the "cheering section" really works! Every time Angel used the pad, I would say yeah! clap my hands, tell him what a good boy he was, and give him a treat. And, the most important thing is to watch like a hawk!! If I couldn't see him, he had to be in his crate. he goes inside and outside.


Positive reinforcement!


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## lilxkrystal (Feb 26, 2012)

theshanman97 said:


> tillie still isent  ive tied everything and she just looks at me to say "i dont think so!" and then does it next to the try! WTF!!!?? but if we are anywhere else say at my aunties , she asks to go outside!!!! WAT THE BLOODLY HELL!!!!!!!!! LOL and now the collies copying her
> -_- lol i dont have a clue what to do!!!!??? theres no dog trainers i can find that do toilet trainign and i asked the vet and they said its my fault and she should be by now , so i looked online and tried that for a couple weeks and she refused to !


Google it! Youtube it!

You have to be very stern. Every time bandit Wizzed or popped where he shouldn't have we would say "NO" then do his naughty noise which was a loud humming groan show him the wiz or poop then put him outside for 5 then ignore him for 10. But you have to catch them in the act if it's 5 mins or half an hour later they wont understand what your getting angry at.

But then give lots of positive reinforcement so when she does go outside or on the pads lots of good girls and treats.

It took us a good 5-6 months from 8 weeks old, the older they get the harder it is. I must say my partner took over in the authority alpha male position so Bandit naturally listened to him.

I recommend not getting another dog until you have this under control or you will just have chi's and boarder collies wizzing all over your house.


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## theshanman97 (Feb 19, 2012)

lilxkrystal said:


> Google it! Youtube it!
> 
> You have to be very stern. Every time bandit Wizzed or popped where he shouldn't have we would say "NO" then do his naughty noise which was a loud humming groan show him the wiz or poop then put him outside for 5 then ignore him for 10. But you have to catch them in the act if it's 5 mins or half an hour later they wont understand what your getting angry at.
> 
> ...


Thanks! sorry about my reply to you on an earlier post , ik i shouldnt get another till these to are sorted i just want to lol and my previous comments to you where so mean! im just stressed atm and taking it out on everyone lol  x


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## Aston123 (Aug 22, 2011)

Blue Chi said:


> Or is that just my experience? I've only had 3 chis ever. My first was an adult when I got her but my hubby seen her go through the house breaking stage (Coco was bought for his sister) and he said she was difficult to break. My second never did fully house break. And Gunner is still being hard headed about it (he's almost 9 months now). My Boston Terrier was a dream. We brought him home, I said "poop here and pee there" and he said "ok." Then the heavens opened, the light shone on him, and angels sang. End of story.:angel4:
> Ok, it didn't actually go _that_ well. But it seriously didn't take long.
> 
> So, if you got your chi as a puppy or not house broken adult, how long did it take for them to finally get it?
> ottytrain4:


We had Rio house-trained by about 6 months with the occasional accident here and there. He's nearly 10 months now and he still has the odd accident but only wees not poos in the house. I put that down to being my fault by not taking out enough. He goes out in the morning as soon as we wake up and before we go to bed for poos and every couple of hours during the day for wees. I think his weeing in the house is an attention seeking thing as he often wees against the bin even after he's just done a couple outside.


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## catz4m8z (Aug 28, 2008)

Both my Chi's were 95% by 6mths...
Although my Chiweenie took 10 mths and I thought she would never get it! (It didnt help that she often squats instead of sitting on her haunches) So I would say if you think Chi's are bad....get a Daschshund!!


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## Tiny (Nov 7, 2011)

My tiny was 6 months old when i got her. She came frm a sanctuarary on a ranch. When i first brought her home she only had two accidents. Every time after she ate i would take her outside to potty and wen she did, i praised her. My new pup penny who is 5 months old is a little more difficult, ive had her for 3 weeks now and i still have to watch her like a hawk. I think it just has to do with individual dogs, just like individual humans we all learn at diff paces. Best luck to u!


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Chi can be little buggers & if they can get away with going where ever they want, they will no matter how house trained they are. My chi NEVER pees in the house, but she occasionally poops if I'm not watching. She knows it's wrong & will cringe at my words, but since I don't dwell on it because her poops are dry & a breeze to clean up. Since it's spring time, I leave my front door cracked so she goes out when she has to. If it's raining or snowing or really cold outside, she will avoid going outside unless she has to pee. I'm really glad she doesn't pee in the house!!


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

theshanman97 said:


> tillie still isent  ive tied everything and she just looks at me to say "i dont think so!" and then does it next to the try! WTF!!!?? but if we are anywhere else say at my aunties , she asks to go outside!!!! WAT THE BLOODLY HELL!!!!!!!!! LOL and now the collies copying her
> -_- lol i dont have a clue what to do!!!!??? theres no dog trainers i can find that do toilet trainign and i asked the vet and they said its my fault and she should be by now , so i looked online and tried that for a couple weeks and she refused to !


Chis can be pretty predictable as to when they have to go. If you feed them on a schedule instead of free-feeding, you can set your watch for 10-15 minutes from the time they finish eating to the time they have to potty (poop). Until they know you mean business about not pottying in the house, you really have to watch them like a hawk and learn when they're trying to run off and hide to potty. You could take them out regularly, like every hour or two. Make sure to Praise, Praise, Praise!!


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## PixieMom (Feb 10, 2012)

OMG!!! I hate pottytraining!!!!! I am beginning to think Willow will NEVER catch on! It has been 3 1/2 weeks and she still doesnt seem to have a clue!! I know all the suggestions and I try really hard! I take her out every 30 minutes, plus after a play, after a sleep, after she eats, after she drinks! And yes she does her business outside. She has a penned off area for indoors with a pee pad too for when I can't watch her and she uses it when she's penned but will not go there if she has to go without being penned. She has never let me know she has to go...I am bell training too so she will hopefully learn to let me know she has to go out by going to the bell. But I honestly thought she would have a clue by now....
Yes I know I have to watch her like a hawk - so I do and know roughly when she will need to go - we go out she pees and less than 20 minutes later she pees in the house!!! I mean grrrrrr! I want to be able to let her run and ply atleast a little while after going to the bathroom but honestly - even 10 minutes later - I can't trust her! 
*sigh* sorry for the rant! I am just frustrated! I just really figured after this long and 20 or so pees and 4-5 poos a day outside she would have some clue to go to the door or the mat!
I know some people say no pee pads but is it too late to go to no pads at this point?
So if she is "due" to potty and she doesn't go...do I kennel her? She will be spending an aweful lot of time in her kennel since I can't trust her even 20 minutes after pottying outside. Well what I am doing isn't working so I think I need to get rid of the pen and only kennel her............................
Anyone successfully indoor potty and outdoor train at once?
I would like to have an indoor potty for the cold weather. We get -40C here and it is dang cold for those little paws.
Do I persevere with what I am doing. Today I am tether training so she isn't away from me. Even penning her in the kitchen - she will potty on the other side of the kitchen instead of the pee pad.

Is this seriously even possible? I am so frustrated today! so sorry - I just feel defeated already! I know she is still little and I am not expecting a miracle but - atleast a clue or a hint of progress....

I am thinking about eliminating pee pads and doing strictly outdoors but ... 
I guess I just really liked the idea of an indoor potty like some say they have for their dogs and really hoped she could do both like so many here say they have done. So for those who have done both - what did you do...

WHAT DO YOU THINK???????


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## Blue Chi (Oct 12, 2011)

Gunner update:
We spent a few days of keeping him in his crate when I couldn't keep my eyes on him. He didn't like that very much! I think it did the trick. Between the crate and the good weather, I don't think we've had but a couple accidents in the past couple weeks or so. I'm not even keeping him in the crate anymore. So maybe he's just finally getting it.


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

Blue Chi said:


> Gunner update:
> We spent a few days of keeping him in his crate when I couldn't keep my eyes on him. He didn't like that very much! I think it did the trick. Between the crate and the good weather, I don't think we've had but a couple accidents in the past couple weeks or so. I'm not even keeping him in the crate anymore. So maybe he's just finally getting it.


yay good job!


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

PixieMom said:


> OMG!!! I hate pottytraining!!!!! I am beginning to think Willow will NEVER catch on! It has been 3 1/2 weeks and she still doesnt seem to have a clue!! I know all the suggestions and I try really hard! I take her out every 30 minutes, plus after a play, after a sleep, after she eats, after she drinks! And yes she does her business outside. She has a penned off area for indoors with a pee pad too for when I can't watch her and she uses it when she's penned but will not go there if she has to go without being penned. She has never let me know she has to go...I am bell training too so she will hopefully learn to let me know she has to go out by going to the bell. But I honestly thought she would have a clue by now....
> Yes I know I have to watch her like a hawk - so I do and know roughly when she will need to go - we go out she pees and less than 20 minutes later she pees in the house!!! I mean grrrrrr! I want to be able to let her run and ply atleast a little while after going to the bathroom but honestly - even 10 minutes later - I can't trust her!
> *sigh* sorry for the rant! I am just frustrated! I just really figured after this long and 20 or so pees and 4-5 poos a day outside she would have some clue to go to the door or the mat!
> I know some people say no pee pads but is it too late to go to no pads at this point?
> ...


If she pees that often, you might need to check her for UTI


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## PixieMom (Feb 10, 2012)

pastel said:


> If she pees that often, you might need to check her for UTI


thought of that - but she holds it ALL night with no problem! --- so that is not suggestive of uti at all... (And she has a pee pad to use at night if she needed but has only ever used it once!)
She can hold it during the day too since when I leave her during the day - she has never peed in her kennel pee pad. Held it for 4 hours without a problem.
So...she just has no clue that she should hold it while out of her kennel or use the appropriate area.


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## AussieLass (Mar 1, 2012)

With my 3 still very young puppies I use both wee pads and 2 of these (so I can eventually get rid of the pads altogether and keep 2 inside and a third grass toilet on the outside covered patio) Quality Indoor Pet Potty Dog Training Pad Toilet Loo 3 Tier Easy Clean 64x51cm | eBay These toilets are fantastic, super easy to hose down every day and so much better for the environment than those darn expensive pads.

In addition, the French doors leading on to the patio from all rooms they live in are kept wide open 24/7 so they also take themselves outside in daylight hours. I also leave a night light on all night so they can see their pads and toilets in the middle of the night.


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