Why is my 8-month-old Corgi mix defiant about house training?

Potty training issues like this can be very frustrating! The key is that you have to be very diligent, and more stubborn than your dog. Unfortunately, when it comes to potty training, going out 3 times a day isn't enough. If there is a way you can take her out more frequently, I would recommend it. Because if she doesn't go when you take her out, but she doesn't have access for another 6 or 8 hours, she is unlikely to hold it that long. You also need to make sure there is nowhere for Cardi to pee inside. This means she either needs to be picked up and carried inside (past where she normally pees), and stay on leash at your side at all times, or in a crate when unsupervised. The crate should be small enough that she can't get away from a pee spot, but big enough that she can stand and turn around. The other big thing is to get rid of the odor of urine inside. This means having the carpets cleaned, and in some cases rip up the carpet and pad underneath. As long as she smells the urine, she will recognize the area as an appropriate place to pee. Once a dog is trained to go inside, it can be a tough process to get them to go outside. The more you can give her opportunity to go outside the better. It might be a process best started over a weekend or a day you can be home. You have to give her frequent chances to do the right thing. Good luck!

It sounds like you may need to go back to the basics with Percy. I sometimes recommend a house training 'boot camp' weekend where you keep Percy either confined to a crate or tethered to you so that he is within your sight at all times. Let him out every 2-3 hours on a leash and don't pay any attention to him until he urinates or defecates, then be sure to give plenty of praise and good treats. Some people will train dogs to ring a bell in order to ask to go outdoors, but if Percy likes to go out and play training this behavior could backfire and you might be letting him out constantly. Good luck!

Put him on a leash and take him outside to his designated spot. Do not walk around. Just stand there and repeat "go outside" or a similar phrase. As soon as he starts to go, repeat "go outside" and praise "good dog!" as he goes. When he is finished, or if it appears that he is not going to go, bring him inside but do not remove the leash, e3ven if he has done his business. Attach it to your belt loop and keep him with you. Don’t let him out of your sight! When you see him start to circle or sniff, take him right outdoors again and repeat the process. If he does mess in the house, do not scold him unless you actually catch him in the act. In that case, say "NO!" and take him right outside. Tell him to "go outside" and praise as he finishes. Keep him in a crate at night, or for short periods when you are not at home. For further assistance, click on the prompt to start a consult, where we can discuss this at length.

I'm sorry you are having such troubles potty training Ginger! I will give you the method I regularly give to puppy owners, and hopefully it will help you get her house broken. Start by keeping Ginger on a regular feeding schedule, and taking away her food between meals. Take her out to potty first thing every morning, and once every 30 minutes to an hour. Always make sure she goes out after meals, first thing when she wakes up from a nap, last thing before bedtime at night, and right before you leave the house. Take her to the same spot each time to go potty. Her scent there will encourage her to go. Stay with her outside each time she goes to potty, at least until she is fully house trained. When she goes outside, praise her and give her a treat. You might want to consider crate training as part of her house training. It allows you to keep an eye on her for signs that she has to go potty, and will teach her to hold it until you put her outdoors. The crate needs to be big enough for her to stand up, turn around, and lie down, but it should not be big enough for her to go potty in. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry that you're having this problem with your pup! I don't think he's stubborn at all - he just doesn't understand what you want. If Zatar is only about 8 weeks old, he's too young to be able to have much control over his bowels or bladder yet - so it's normal for him to "go" wherever he happens to be when he gets the urge. Most pups naturally want to use the bathroom on absorbent surfaces, so I would recommend covering the bathroom floor in potty pads for now if that's the area you eventually want him to use. Every 20-30 minutes or so, and after every meal, take him into the bathroom with you and close the door. Sit with him and be patient - if he uses the bathroom, praise and reward him right away with a treat. If he doesn't, then put him in a crate or keep him with you on a leash so that you can watch him closely - then bring him back to the bathroom right away if you see him starting to squat. Then praise and reward when he finishes up there. It's very important not to punish him for accidents, as this will only make him afraid to potty in front of you - which will make it much harder to teach him what you want! Please don't make him smell his urine or stool and scold him, as he won't understand this at all - it will only confuse and scare him. Potty training usually takes several weeks or even months before your puppy will be reliable, so be patient and understand that you will need to watch him closely and be very consistent for a long time in order for him to "get it." Good luck - I hope that helps a bit! :)

Housebreaking puppies can be tough, especially the little guys. With Leo, what I recommend is that when you take him outsid, you go out with him, use a leash if he can’t stay focused and give him 5 minutes to go. Keep saying, Go Potty! or whatever command you want. If he goes, tell him, Yes! And give him treats outside immediately. It’s important to mark that behavior you want. Now, if Leo doesn’t go. Bring him back in and do one of the following- put him in the crate for a bit, carry him around, or leave him on his leash and hold onto him. The trick is to not let him out of your sight or have him in a crate. This is important! Then wait a 5-10 minutes and take him out again. Repeat until he goes. If he stays to go inside, clap your hands, say NO. and take him right out. Reward him profusely when he does go outside. The key is not to let him have an accident inside by watching him like a hawk!

Great question! I will give you the method I typically recommend for house training a dog. Crating training is a great way to do it, but it's also important to put Bambi on a schedule. Start by keeping him on a regular feeding schedule, and taking away his food between meals. Take him out to potty first thing every morning, and once every two to three hours at first. Once he gets better at holding his bladder, you can stretch it out but he can never go longer than eight hours without a bathroom break.. Always make sure he goes out after meals, first thing when he wakes up from a nap, last thing before bedtime at night, and right before you leave the house. Take him to the same spot each time to go potty. His scent there will encourage him to go. Stay with him outside each time he goes to potty, at least until he is fully house trained. When he goes outside, praise him and give him a treat. In terms of the crate, it needs to be big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lie down, but it should not be big enough for him to go potty in. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. I hope this helps!