I have two altered Chihuahua's; one 5 year old male, and a female which we believe to be around 9 years old. They have a very bad potty problem. The male goes outside really well, but the female just marks (pees very little) when she goes outside. They never poop outside, so they pee and poop everywhere in the house.
I tried a lot of different things to stop the problem, but nothing has helped. So we just try to keep anything that we want to keep off of the floors, and we shampoo our carpets much more than a normal family without 2 little dogs. I had adopted them both and have had them for around 6 years now, so I don't want to get rid of them.
We have a 3 year old big dog, who is a male lab mix and is also altered. He just recently started marking over the spots where they pee at, which is a much bigger problem since he pees a whole lot more than they do.
Also, I have recently found out that I am going to have a baby and I can't have a baby crawling around on the carpet with pee and poop everywhere. I have tried crate training, but they just howl and cry so much that they get sick all over the place. If you lock them outside, they will hold it until they come back in. And I have no luck getting them outside when it's cold or raining, which is often here in the winter.
Any ideas would greatly help. Please, I am at wits end. Also, my husband says if I don't fix the problem I will have to give them up. They have been with me so long and are my babies. Please help!
By Monica from Fort Bragg, Ca
Dogs have a very strong sense of smell, you need to remove all traces of the messes with an oxy cleaner-or they will continue to go there. Then, get a black light and check for anything you missed, it will glow in the light.
Start taking them out on a regular basis, every hour if possible. If not, every 3-4 hours is ideal. They need to understand they should go outside and if there are any traces of the mess they will continue to go and they need to be on a schedule.
It will help a lot. Trust me, I know! Pee pads confuse them.
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We are considering purchasing an 18-month old male Cocker Spaniel. He has been used as a show dog, so he has not been housebroken. The breeder said to just train him the same as a puppy, but I am concerned about buying him if he is not housebroken at his age. He seems to demand a lot of attention, too. We are trying him out for the weekend and need to make a decision. Is it just better to buy a puppy and train it from a young age?
By Linda S.
I got a one-year-old Weimer from a shelter; she was not treated very well at her previous home and was really quite skittish and not house-broken. With just a week or two (and not constant!), we were able to train her with lots of love and attention. She followed us around quite a bit at first, but then got used to being by herself in a room while we were in another room.
How do I housebreak an older Min Pin?
By Cristina from Napa, CA
Hello Cristina,
I am over in Petaluma. Please take your new fur-baby to the veterinarian for an exam. Ask your Vet about anything. Please write down all your questions before your appointment.
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I have a 1 year old Shitzu I'm trying to train. She has been in her crate all day, and been taken outside every 45 minutes. She has not been to the potty since this morning. I'm very concerned that she has not gone yet.
I have three dogs. The one that is just over two years is a male. The one that is just under two years is a female.
Is it possible to housebreak a dog that's older? When they had to have their old dog put to sleep, my frail (can hardly walk any distance) elderly parents, against my wishes, got 2 new dogs (one a puppy!).
