My 5-month GSD won't signal for potty. How to stop indoor accidents?

Small breed dogs can be very stubborn with house training. If you haven't tried the method of crate training it may be time to switch methods and try this. Crate training is where she is in a crate when y'all aren't at home and during the night the crate only needs to be big enough for her to stand up and turn around. MOST dogs do not want to pee or poop where they sleep so this teaches them to hold it. I usually do not put puppy pads in there unless you will be gone for several hours and unable to let her out. I also do not put water in there because they tend to drink then they inevitably have to urinate. You will likely need to get up once in the middle of the night to let her out as she is too small to hold it all night. When you get up or get home you will immediately pick her up and take her outside to the designated potty area. If she doesn't pee put her back in the crate for 5 minutes and try again. If you ever catch her peeing in the house in an unwanted area, you can tell her a firm no and then take her to the designated potty area outside to help her with the association. If crate training isn't something you want to do they yes, you may have to be more patient. Pee pads can take longer to house train and sometimes they never become 100% potty trained a lot of people recommend to move the pads closer to the door. You can also try to train her to use a bell to signal that she wants to go outside. You place a small bell hanging from the door and every time you go outside you ring the door bell. Be patient with this little munchkin. She will eventually become more potty trained. The key is consistency.

This generally doesn't take long, take him out to the same place when you expect he needs to go (after sleeping /playing /eating etc) or any time you notice him going to his indoor spot. Praise him for going in the right place and then give him treats/play ball etc as a reward. Do not punish indoor accidents and if he is used to training pads or newspaper move these outside the door if possible

Luna likely has not been trained to let you know when she has to go outside, so you will need to figure out a way to do that. The most common way people will train this is to use a bell on the back door that you ring each time you go outside. The goal is to get Luna to go to the door and ring that bell when she needs to go outside. I have included a link below with some instructions for this protocol. http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-housetraining-bell.html Good luck! I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Dogs can be taught to ring a bell easily to go outside. Such bells are easily found in pet stores or you can get something from a craft store or farm store. As long as it can hang at his level to reach it and you can hear it easily within the house, it'll work. Keep in mind that a younger dog can only hold his bowels and bladder reasonably for as many hours as he is months old, so 4 months= 4 hours. Start by showing your dog the bell. Then show him the bell and only feed him a treat when he rings the bell by touching it. Hang the bell by the door that you want your dog to use to go out and show him the bell. Give him a treat when he rings it. Once he is ringing the bell by the door each time you point to it, go on to the next step. Put the bell away when you are not practicing with it. Put your bell up by the door. Let him watch you as you place a treat outside the door. Close the door and then point to the bell. When he rings the bell, open the door and let him get the treat. Once he rings the bell right away when you place a treat outside go on to the next step. Leave the bell in place by the door. Next time you think he has to potty, go with him to the door and point to the bell. When he rings it, open the door and let him potty. Reward him with a treat when he finishes. Each time you let him out to potty, ask him to ring the bell first and feed him a treat when he finishes. Leave the bell on the door and when he rings it let her out to potty. If he starts to play or dawdle outside, bring him in. This will prevent him from ringing the bell when he sees a squirrel (or at least prevent him from learning that he can get you to let him out to play instead of just to potty)

It sounds as if Lily needs a refresher course in housebreaking! Put her on a leash and take her outside to her designated spot. Do not walk around. Just stand there and repeat "go outside" or a similar phrase. As soon as she starts to go, repeat "go outside" and praise "good dog!" as she goes. When she is finished, bring her directly back inside. If she does not go after a reasonable amount of time, bring her in but do not remove the leash. Attach it to your belt loop and keep her with you. When you see her start to circle or sniff, take her right outdoors again and repeat the process. If she does mess in the house, do not scold her unless you actually catch her in the act. In that case, say "NO!" and take her right outside so she can finish her business there. Tell her to "go outside" and praise as she finishes. Keep her on the leash, or in her crate, at all times until she starts to let you know she has to go. For further assistance with this, click on the prompt to initiate a consult.

Thanks for your question. Bell training can be a great solution. Some dogs pick it up very quickly, but some take a bit longer. My biggest suggestion is to go out a little less frequently. You might be taking her out before she would ask to go, so she hasn't learned to ask. At 8 months old, she can hold her bladder much longer than a younger puppy can. Try putting her leash on her and waiting near the bell. She may wonder why you are just standing there when she needs to go out. Give her a few minutes to think about it, and see if she touches the bell. Wait at least 5 minutes, ignoring her before you direct her to the bell. If she does touch it on her own, make a big deal about it with lots of praise, and immediately head out the door. I hope this helps her make the connection! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

That is very impressive for a puppy Bailey's age! Training her to bark may be difficult. Many people will hang a bell (bells) from the door knob and teach the pet to ring the bell. Basically, gently touch it to her muzzle to make it jingle and then open up the door. Most dogs pick up on this quickly. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!