Piddle Problems in the House with Bailey still

[MuttleyCrew]

Bailey has started piddling in the house again. I just caught her squatting, on the shower curtain that is still down for this very reason, on the living room floor. Pam, I've GOT to learn how to get her to tell me when she needs to go out. She's got another UTI. We're treating it with antibiotics and cleaning "the area" but she doesn't show any signal like the others when she needs to pee/poo. HELP any and everyone with ideas.

[sam.i.am]

I also posted to FB, but teach her to ring a bell (I just go to the craft store and buy some ribbon and jingle bells of a few sizes and attach it to the door knob).
Teach her to nudge it (treat).
Teach her that the sound of the bell means that the door opens
Teach her that EACH time she goes out to potty she is rewarded in some way that matters to her. At first I use treats, then hugs and praise, or play with a toy..whatever matters to her
Go through this process each hour for a number of weeks until she is realllllly getting it. Reward every time

she will be house-trained after that!
never had any issues using this method...4 dogs (one baby, one 6 month old, one 1 year old, one 2 year old ---NONE were house trained when they arrived, but all were house trained with positive rewards and prevention of accidents by going out really often).

ETA: Delilah had a horrendous UTI/Kidney infection that we treated for more than a month after she got here b/c of how bad the infection was. That complicates things, but she can still learn.

[ALDOGMOM]

I always use a tether and a crate with my dogs at the beginning.
If they aren't tethered to me - they are in their crate.

I also give them lots and lots of opportunities to go - as I work to get them onto my schedule. We stay outside until they do their business and I am right there with something yummy and lots and lots of praise the minute they finish. I don't wait to reward them until we get back to the house - the second they finish squatting I'm handing them liver!

The UTI is making it more difficult but it shouldn't interfere with her learning to go outside.

[Itsapyr]

We use the bell too. Abby started it and Jasper picked up on it from her. Its funny though because now he doesn't ring it anymore he goes and stands and stares at it like that will make the bell open the door LOL.

I think it will take Bailey a bit because she was always outside. It doesn't help that she has an infection. I think just a lot of re enforcement with her. I am pretty sure she is going to have a set back with you leaving and coming back too. She will get it.

[bren]

I was going to suggest the bell also. It worked with Tek, and now he will just nudge the door knob if he needs to go out. That's when I know it's serious, lol.

[kasmith]

We put the bells up, and although admittedly Abby never really learned to use them, I always felt better with them there. Instead, her tell is that she rubs up against the sofa like a cat. It is the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. And then if I miss that queue she will touch the bells. But she always goes sofa first.

We always made sure to take her out every hour, whether she told us she had to go or not, and every time would ask her "Do you want to go outside?" I don't think it took her too long to catch on to it. At first I would miss the sign for her rubbing against the sofa, and sometimes there were accidents, but I never scolded and instead would say "Outside" if I caught her while she was doing it. I figured if I found something I couldn't say anything about it - only what I actively saw. And we were always huge with praising her for going. I don't remember how long before we stopped taking her out every hour and left time inbetween, but inevitably it became clear that she would find her own way to tell us and we knew what to look for.

[ShilohsGirlJen]

My trainer suggested putting a little peanut butter on one of the beels to get them to ring during training also

[Lora]

Tether her to you. She has a sign, they all do. Some are alot more subtle than others and she may only do it once before its "time." Apollo's is very subtle and if I dont catch it he'll pee in the house. Get the infection under control before you get too worked up over it. keep working with her but that infection really needs to be cleared up before she will have total control of her bladder again.

[Swissy Mom]

We use the bells with Cash, too. I had never done it with previous dogs, but I will do it with EVERY dog from now on. In the beginning, I would touch his paw or nose to the bells on the way out the door saying "Outside." We did this every hour at least in the early days and it took very little time to realize that ringing the bell opens the door. The first several times he rang it himself he got a big, happy "Good Boy!" Then as soon as he started to pee outside I would say "go potty" and when he finished he immediately had a yummy treat in his mouth and a super happy "Good Boy!" Eventually, we went to just the praise after he peed. I can still tell him "go potty" and he will pee. It's nice when in a hurry or it's rainy. In the beginning, we also crated him if we weren't giving him full attention.

[MuttleyCrew]

Thank you guys. She IS definitely going to lose a lot of what we've accomplished but that's ok. I'd rather have that than torture her in a kennel or another move to a stranger's place, i.e., a different friend's place as an alternative. Peanut butter on the bell sounds brilliant but I have a little feeling Bryn will be inferring with that. Quite a lot. Its a pain trying to train a pup with two nosey nellies getting in the way, especially in the house.

[MuttleyCrew]

We also were walking around, the three of them and me yesterday, first time I've had the strength to do it alone in a long time. Funny, people stared at us....puzzling.

[Lora]

I have a little feeling Bryn will be inferring with that. Quite a lot. Its a pain trying to train a pup with two nosey nellies getting in the way, especially in the house.

Actually, quite the contrary. They teach each other. As soon as one of them figures it out, they all catch on because they are nosey nellie monkey see monkey dos

[MuttleyCrew]

Here's hoping!!!! Thanks for the information everyone!

[Itsapyr]

Really this is one of the reasons I never liked using piddle pads. I think it confused them that they could pee on one thing lying on the floor but not something else.

[sam.i.am]

I agree with Pam. I am not a fan of pee pads.
Fastest training seems to be vigilance and positive reward every time there is a victory (potty outside). Go out often enough to prevent accidents and reward like crazy when you're there.
And, monkey see, monkey do.
Delilah demonstrates things for Miltie all of the time (and Oliver taught Delilah super duper awesomely, too). Best teacher is a doggy teacher who knows the ropes.