The potty training process for dogs and puppies can look different with each individual case, although the same general principles will typically help you see quick housetraining success.
However, there is a certain type of case that requires a bit of extra training – the dog that absolutely refuses to eliminate outdoors. This dog will typically wait around for a while outside, and then will potty as soon as they get back indoors.
We refer to this as reverse housetraining, and it can be a nightmare for pet owners! As frustrating as this behavior can be, keep in mind that dogs showing this behavior generally don't understand that the indoors is off-limits for potty breaks.
Dogs that show reverse housetraining behaviors often:
- Lived entirely outside and potentially had negative experiences outdoors
- Lived entirely indoors through puppyhood and are not comfortable outside
- Were trained initially using potty pads or a litter box
- Came from a compromised background, such as a puppy mill or hoarding situation
These examples certainly aren't always the case, but do run a higher likelihood of housetraining issues.
So, how do you housetrain a dog that won't eliminate outdoors? The solution is easier than you might think – it just requires some real patience, consistency, and commitment on your part.
Step 1: Create a small outdoor confinement area.
Your first step, and the most critical one, is to create a small, outdoor confinement area (like the one pictured above).
If you live in an apartment or otherwise don't have direct access to an outdoor area, you can do this on a patio or balcony, or you can bring a lightweight foldable playpen to your nearest fenced area.
Ensure your dog is always be supervised when in this area.
Start your training first thing in the morning, when you know your dog needs to go. Take your dog outside immediately, and place them into their new pen. Now stand back at least a few feet, ignore your dog, and set a timer for 10 minutes. You can give them an initial cue like "go potty," but don't continue to repeat it.
Your dog will likely eliminate in this confinement area within 10 minutes – yay! Praise your dog and reward with a food reward as soon as they are done.
If your dog doesn't go within 10 minutes, go back inside, but your dog must be tethered to you with a leash, confined indoors, or under your direct supervision.
If your dog then tries to eliminate once back indoors, you must interrupt them and put them back outside in the confinement area.
Repeat this until you have a successful elimination in the pen!
A few tips for dogs still struggling:
- You can put potty pads in the outdoor pen to encourage elimination, if your dog is uncomfortable with grass.
- As a last resort, you can even put down a strip of carpet or laminate in the area, temporarily!
- Ensure you aren't scaring your dog when they have accident indoors. Your goal is to interrupt them and quickly redirect them outdoors, not punish them for making a mistake.
Step 2: Wean Your Dog off the Confinement Area
If using the confinement area is suitable to your lifestyle (for example, you don't have a fenced yard, etc) you are welcome to keep using it.
But to wean your dog off of it, start by gradually removing any flooring or pads you placed inside the pen. You can start by making them smaller, and then take them away altogether.
Next leave the pen door open, and gradually remove it altogether.
Step 3: Complete the Process
In order for this process to work long-term, your dog cannot have indoor accidents that go unnoticed. Each accident that your dog has without a consequence will increase the time it takes for you to reach 100% success.
So, give your dog a confinement area outdoors where they are heavily rewarded for relieving themselves.
Gradually remove the pen and any pads or flooring you have inside of it.
Be vigilant about catching accidents indoors and redirecting your dog outdoors.
If you follow these steps closely, most people see success within just a few weeks (if not sooner)!
Need extra help with potty training or other training issues? We are available for board and train, in-person and virtual sessions and you can access us from anywhere in the world. Feel free to contact us to learn more about ways we can help, or schedule a virtual session with one of our experts.
We have tried with no success to potty train our mixed breed puppy (1/2 beagle 1/2 weiner dog).
She gets up early (5:00 am) and taken outside. Many times she will pee. She gets treats and "good girl" remarks. Once inside again, she will pee and/or poop within 20 minutes. We had the vet look into her and found she had crystals in the urine. She had antibiotics for 10 days. Made no difference in her habit. My daughter works from home but is many times distracted with work and unable to supervise the dog. The pup goes to bed around 9:00 in a cage big enough for her. We take her outside several times a day but her "accidents" are numerous throughout the day.
We are very frustrated. Please help.
Hi Joan! Did you read this blog as well? It has some additional tips: https://peachonaleash.com/solving-puppy-potty-training-problems/ I would also suggest a recheck for the UTI – sometimes it requires multiple rounds of treatment.
My dog is potty trained in the house during day. Crates at night but when indicates needed out, she refuses to go outside so we put her back into crate. What are we doing wrong?
It sounds like she may not need to go out at night! You may need to ignore any whining for a few minutes and see if she settles back to sleep.
Hi Alex, my Yorkie Chewbie. We are attempting to apartment train him to use pad to pee and poop in the apartment. He is 4 yrs old. He has been in a caged area with bedding, pad, water, food and toys for 36 hours and he has not peed or poop. He likes to go outside to do this and we are trying to get him to do it inside. He is sad and just laying around. Normally, he is playful.
Could you try an artificial grass pad instead, especially if you have a patio? It can be tough for pups to transition solely to indoor elimination!
My puppy a bichon/shiztu 10 weeks old pees and poops inside. Were trying to pay as much attention for any signs of him peeing and pooping but so many time you can't really tell that he's peeing.He pees while he's playing we need alot of help.
You're right – it is VERY hard with small dogs that are low to the ground! It can be hard to tell if they are peeing or not. You may want to rule out a UTI with your vet first. Right now, using a confinement area when you can't be actively supervising will be very important. It will get easier over the next few weeks!
We have a rehome terrior chi small dog we've had her about a week.she is pad trained and trying to get her to do it outside she'll pee,then hold it for a long time.or pee in the morning.we had an accident this morning.she peeed and pooped on the couch and my husband's computer plz help
Try creating a potty pad area outdoors, then gradually make the pads smaller and smaller. It can be tough for pad-trained dogs to move to outdoor potty training, but it is doable!
Our our puppy retaliates by pooping inside, for instance we crate her for a short while after she comes inside (she has a large lead and has no problem being outside as when we got her at around three months she was outside her whole life before we took her in). We stop her and take her outside, reward her when she goes outside, it then not even 20 minutes later she’s pooping inside even though she just went. We take her outside every hour and a half or less but she refuses to go outside even though she knows she’ll be punished by going inside (we tell her no, take her outside for twenty minutes, bring her inside and crate her for a little bit). How do we stop this deliberate behavior? (She’s approximately 6 months (I know they don’t have full bladder control but it does make sense for her to be outside with us for an hour and still come inside and poop), and like I said she knows she has to poop outside she just doesn’t want to.
You may want to look at changing her food & ruling out any medical possibilities – it's unusual for dogs to need to poop multiple times. I would suggest bringing her in from outside on leash so that you can interrupt right away if she starts having an accident. Make sure it's just an interruption like "ah ah!" vs. something that scares your dog, as that will make her more likely to hide accidents and not make the association about needing to go outside. It may also be helpful to teach a bell alert – we have a blog on this!
So I know this post is from 2021 I'm a bit behind I see but I read where its unusual for a dog too poop multiple times? So my dog will poop at least 5 times a day she's 13 weeks old and is a rottieshepherd. She refuses to poop outside and will poop inside almost immediately after coming back in,she does pee outside and not in the house. She knows she's not supposed to be pooping inside because she waits until we're not paying attention to her or thinks we're not anyway and she'll go downstairs and poop right at the back door where we take her out in the fenced yard but she'll run away when she knows she's caught and hides so I k ow she knows it's wrong. I'm so frustrated with her but I love her and refuse to get rid of my dog, she's a great dog on every other way loving loyal she did tricks even she's amazing Except for the 💩 inside she had only 💩 outside maybe 5 times since I've had her abs i but her she she was 9 weeks old age she's about 14 weeks and 3 days old as of today. She was highly praised and given a big treat for 💩 outside. She gets a special longer lasting treat (pig eats are her fave) when she 💩 outside. So with the 5 💩 a day and refusal to go outside I don't know what to do I've read your articles and have followed instructions with no permanent fix. Please help!!!.
I have successively potty trained my mini schweenie outside this summer and early fall but now with the colder weather she refuses to go outside. I live in a condo with a balcony, so for the time being she goes on the balcony. I have placed a bell at the door and she rings it to go out. I want to get her out of that habit. She would ask to go out at 5:00-5:30 but now sleeps in a little so taking her out is not the problem. She won’t let me put her harness on and when I do, she will not budge to go out.
Please help
Just so I understand, she will not go onto the balcony, or the balcony is the only place she will potty? And would you like her to keep ringing the bell?
I have a Bassett Hound/Beagle Mix who is 5yrs old and pregnant. She is fully potty trained, and knows the benefits to going out to do her business but she has decided to go to stop going out to potty. Anytime I even mention it or don't and just try to get her out she runs and hides under furniture where she knows we can't get to her. She does this when it comes to allowing us to do any grooming as well. It is basically her thing, she loves to run and hide when she doesn't want to do something. She is now abusing this privilege and is now peeing only on my carpet. This is not the first time she has done this either, she did it a couple of years ago as well but, that time I had her go stay with my daughter for a bit as I was a stressed and had a job working long hours and knew she could help with retraining her. We got her trained again and now she has gone back to the same bad behavior. What am I supposed to do with this dog?? Other than finding her a new home because I have a toddler grandbaby I babysit regularly who can't be breathing dog urine fumes because my dog wants to be lazy and spoiled. That is the only reasons I can come to as to why she is doing this. No one outside did anything to scare her so I know that isn't an option either. I'm at the end of my rope with this but really don't want to re-home a dog I have had since she was born.
Hi Christine! The behavior change you're seeing is likely due to hormonal changes from the pregnancy. You may want to consider creating a safe space for her with some potty pads, a crate, and a soft spot to lay on. Some dogs tend to become spooky during pregnancy (the brain's way of helping keep the offspring safe) so my guess is that after pups are weaned, she'll be back to normal.
I have a pit bull and lab mix puppy is 5 months old and she refuses to potty outside and I do not have a place where I can put a confined area I have a 3 year chihwinnie and she was so easy to potty train I'm at the end of my patience and my carpet is getting worn out from. Having it cleaned all the time please help me!!!
You can also use a crate to help with this. The idea is to give your pup the opportunity to go outside. If she doesn't go, she can go back into the crate for 15-20 minutes and then try outside again. The goal is to eliminate opportunities to eliminate indoors. Starting first thing in the morning will help as well!
would you suggest making the confinement area the backyard if its small enough and she can be supervised? How do you suggest going about it when we have 2 dogs (siblings) one which goes outside well and the other one is the one we're trying to train via your method? She refuses to pee outside even if we wait 30 mins she'll just start messing around and looking for her brother and crying. then when we bring her in she pees on the pad right away.
I would start with a pen outside, and they can both be inside of the pen. Start this training in the morning when you know she will urgently need to go. You'll also need to remove all indoor pee pads, as it can provide mixed messages. Hope this helps!
We rescued a pit mix puppy who was found on the side of a highway down south. Noone knows how long he was there or at what age he was dumped. He is approximately 7-8 mths old now and we have had him a bit over 3 mths. We took him to puppy training classes and he learns commands well so he can be smart. He knows what go outside means and we praise him, give treats everything all trainers recommend. He had 2 UTI's which have been treated but he still pees and poops in the house – even after we let him out – right in front of us etc. He sleeps 7-8 hours of the night (except twice) so he can hold it. We are at our wits end he had ruined my floors, rugs and my spirit at this point. We cannot even bond with him (which has never happened with any of our other dogs). We are ready to try and return him to the rescue unless we can get a fix for this. We cant live like this forever always on edge, upset, mad, disappointed. I love my pets more than anything but I am beginning to hate him. Help please.
I am so sorry you're going through this! It does sound like he has not figured out that outside is his only option for pottying. I would suggest tethering him to you at all times for at least a week (and he is otherwise confined if you can't supervise him directly.) Any accidents should be interrupted (but not punished) and then immediately get him outside. Reward if he finishes outside! Feel free to reach out to us if you'd like some extra help via a virtual session – they can be quite helpful for this issue!
Everything you said applies to me. I am in tears tonight because I am trying to bond with a 2 yr old adopted yorkie. We have our moments, and he is somewhat trained, but sneaks around and pees in the house usually once a day. I don't want a house that smells dog pee and I don't want to surrender him to the rescue organization where I got him. I am going to start the tethering training tomorrow.
My husband and I recently got a Jack Russell Shih Tzu mix puppy and he refuses to use the bathroom outside. We have a lead for him which gives him a confined area to run around and we’ve also tried using a leash, but when we’re outside with him he climbs our legs and wants to be held. When we try to step away he barks like crazy and freaks out, almost as if he has separation anxiety. We stay out there for plenty of time but he just won’t seem to “go” outside. He usually will have an accident or use the pad inside right after coming in from outside. Help!!
Try the method described in this blog using a playpen – it will work more effectively than a leash or tether. Be sure to start first thing in the morning when you know your pup has to go!
Hi, I have a 3 month old English springer spaniel puppy in New York City . Originally she lived on a farm inside a barn the entire duration of her puppy experience until we got her- there she would just potty on the straw within the puppy pen. She has a set schedule for eating and goes around the same times each day – but has not used the bathroom once since I’ve had her (over a month). She is comfortable now on a leash and used to the city noise … we will walk in the park and even lay for a few hours , but she still will hold it until we go inside. She will hold it for more than 5 hours to avoid going outside, and immediately uses a puppy pad when she’s let inside. Any tips?
The advice in this blog should resolve the issue for you! Just be sure that you start first thing in the morning when you know she has to go. You'll need to find a spot where you can set up an outdoor pen (it can be small and portable). You can then put the pad on the ground in the pen, gradually making the pad smaller and smaller until it goes away entirely, and then the pen can go away as well!
Hello! I am in a similar situation. I live in a city (Paris) with very limited green space. Most dogs will go potty on the street. My puppy refuses to go potty outside and will hold it for hours until we return home and then will pee when inside. Maybe he is still scared of the city noises? Any advice? Since I do not have a backyard or area to set up an outside pen, is there any alternative?
You can try utilizing a potty pad outside – one you can easily bring with you outside. It's likely that the city sounds are a contributing factor to your pup going only indoors. I would suggest trying first thing in the morning when you know he has to go, and find the quietest possible place you can.
My springer puppy has a very similar situation. I got him at 3 months old and he was in a run outside. He refuses to poop outside. He will pee outside sometimes, but I have had him for 6 weeks and see very little progress. ..I hope you got yours trained. If so, did any tips on this blog help?
I have a four month old pomsky and she doesn’t poop or pee outside. She only does it when goes inside and does it on the pad. I tried taking her out more so that she’ll get use to it and that she can go potty outside but NOTHING. PLEASE HELP!
The most important thing is to take the pad away inside the house – you'll never see success until the pads are gone. Be sure to follow the exact instructions in this blog, including setting up an outdoor pen. You can start by putting a pad inside the pen (outdoors) and then gradually making the pad smaller and smaller until it can go away entirely :)
I took away the pads in the house, but now he just hold it until we get back inside and now he’s ruined the hardwood floors with no pads. I’m ready to give up, tried all these methods to no avail with my 14 mo Pomeranian. In tears, I’m so sad I got this puppy I’m extremely attached to him but he has ruined my house, and I don’t know how I’m going to be able to keep him like this.
I would suggest enlisting the help of a professional to help address exactly what's going on – we can work with you virtually or I'm happy to provide a referral in your area!
I have a 10 week old Rottweiler German Shepherd mix named reese who refuses to pee or 💩 outside she holds it all night long and when we get up in the morning if I don't carry her downstairs and outside she'll pee on the floor, but even when I do carry her until I get her outside she will continue to hold it pee and poops we've stayed outside over 30 minutes and she still will not go but the moment we come back in the house shes peeing on the floor I've interuppted her doing this and taken her back outside but she will not finish until you've guessed it were back inside. I've never caught her 💩 inside she sneaks to do that then she'll run in my bedroom and hide under my bed. So I know she knows what she's doing is wrong. I've crated her she's been to the vet and has been cleared of any medical
reasons for why this could be happening. I've had dogs my whole life and I've never seen or had so much trouble potty training a dog. Please help I'm at my witts end and I don't know what else to try and worst part is she will pee right in front of me and look at me while she's doing it I'm confused and truly don't know what else to do.
Try the playpen method mentioned in this blog – it works really well for this issue! You'll need to pick her up and carry her directly to the pen first thing in the morning to start.
Hi! Recently adopted a golden mix/ Pyrenee puppy from a shelter! I’ve had him since Tuesday evening (7 pm). Today is Friday. He has only peed 3 times. And he pooped once in his crate yesterday while I was at work. He hadn’t eaten yet- but yesterday ate in his crate and now ate quite a bit of food last night. Since he’s been here we’ve been walking around 5/6:30/7:45/8:20:8:45/9 in the morning till I go to work, and then as soon as I’m home- we immediately go out before 6pm. He’s in there longer then I wanted, but it’s life. It’s only day two in his crate, but my main concern is the only peeing once a day despite drinking water- having access to that and food- and not going potty. On top of this, I’m doing these walks ( anywhere from 15-45 min walks) and he’s not tried to pee outside once. What Can I do! He’s exactly 4 months old.
This is very normal for a newly adopted dog! As he starts to settle in, you should start to see a much more normal elimination routine.
Hi! We have a 2-year-old rescue that we just adopted who was somewhat housebroken when we got her and did okay with us at first, but we have struggled to find a routine due to our current schedule, and she’s regressing and exclusively going potty inside now. Instead of a pen, could we use a harness and tie out cable to serve the same purpose? We have a huge backyard, but we could put it in the area she has favored in the past.
You can use that as long as you're actively supervising! She will need positive feedback (praise, food, etc) once she does eliminate outdoors :)
Hello, I have an 9 week old Rottweiler, she is a sweetheart and she is very much loved in her new home….however she has only peed and pooped outside maybe twice. And she will turn into a statue if you place a leash on her but when you take it off of her she Immediately runs up the steps to go back in the house where she will then use the rest room on the floor. I have a small metal pin/cage. Will this work if I remove the floor of it and place it outside In the morning?
Yes, that pen should work perfectly to help her get comfortable pottying outside! Continue to support her through this transition and I have no doubt she'll be more comfortable pottying outside within 1-2 weeks.
I put her in the small confined place like you said, outside…and she doesn't get it. She wines and barks, and doesn't potty.
Be sure you start this first thing in the morning! You may want to also try a larger confinement area if needed ( you can put two playpens together.) Be sure to ignore your dog – don't talk to her or otherwise engage with her until after she potties. We often suggest that for the first day or two, put a chair next to the pen and read a book while you wait!
My 6 month old French Bulldog just won’t catch onto the idea that he is supposed to go potty outside. I have tried treats, potty bells (he refused to use them) praising when he does go outside on occasion. His sister dog – an older dachshund – is potty trained and he goes outside when she does but he doesn’t catch on that he is supposed to do what she does. I tell him let’s go potty and I even made up a potty song that he knows means we are going outside and I tell him okay let’s go potty. He plays and chews on stuff but barely eliminates while he is outside. He may pee outside but poop is always inside for some reason. My husband and I are frustrated and not sure how to change his behavior. Please help. I am speaking English to him and he is French and doesn’t understand me. Lol
Thanks,
Christy
Oh my goodness – it sounds like you have your hands full for sure! Have you tried using the potty pen outside? That tends to be a big help in these cases. You'll also definitely need a confinement area for indoors to ensure no accidents are missed!
We have a 5 month old mini poodle. She will NOT potty outside! the rare tiems she does, we attempt to reward with a treat but she has no interest. I am taking her out hourly for minimum 15 min and most times she will come right back inside and potty inside the house. I am at my wit's end as I am having to neglect my life and other responsibilities for this with no success.
Try the playpen technique mentioned above! Start with the first potty of the day. If needed, you can even put potty pads in the playpen initially, then fade them out. It works like a charm!
I have a 5 month old Pomeranian female. We live in a condo so she has only been pee pad trained until recently when she was fully vaccinated.
She also territorially marks the pee pad as well. On average, she’s doing one or the other on the pee pad multiple times an hour. I’m scared to just get rid of the pee pad completely, but I tried gradually moving it toward the front door and she refused to go on it.
Long story short, I can’t do the confined pen area outside since it’s public grass. Should I just crate her if she doesn’t go potty within 10-15min? And then take her back out 15-20min later? She can hold her pee like a champ for a 4lb puppy, never soiled her crate or needed to go in the middle of the night.
Honestly I think having to pee on leash is throwing her off. Plus all the distractions outside. She is not food or praise motivated at ALL.
Yes, try using a crate or small playpen in between trips outside. I would also check for a UTI since you're seeing such frequent urination! It definitely sounds like she's struggling with the change, but she should acclimate with a few more weeks of consistency.
My 10 week old great dane puppy is the first dog I've ever struggled to potty train — she is also, coincidentally, the first dog I've ever purchased from a breeder (who kept the puppies indoors from birth to me picking her up at 8 weeks). She's being crate trained, contained indoors, and I take her out constantly but I'm starting to suspect she may have a UTI. We have a vet appointment set for this Sunday but this is really killing me as I've never had trouble with this before. She doesn't seem to care if there's a potty pad or not — she shows no preference. She is great at holding it through the night but even after our first morning trip outside, she's back to peeing inside within 10 minutes — even if we had been outside for a significant amount of time. It just doesn't make sense — she's been rewarded outside, but she quickly tires of any reward and spits it out, more interested in a falling leaf (she isn't the most food motivated). Any suggestions? I don't have a level spot outdoors to set up a pen but I've started working outdoors with her on a 50ft lead to keep her from making so many messes inside.
If she's peeing outside and then peeing again inside, definitely look for that UTI just in case! If she's not peeing outside at all and instead waiting until she's inside to pee, I would suggest trying the potty pen outside.
Help! I have a French bulldogs that is 2, I am constantly putting him outside to go pee, he will poop outside, then he comes in and 30 mins later, pees inside. I watch constantly and I can’t seem to break him, he will do this on carpets, furniture, I’m at wits end!!!
If he doesn't pee outside, I would confine using a leash tether to you, or a crate/play pen. That way there's no opportunity for him to have an accident that isn't immediately interrupted!
My husband and I just adopted a 7 year old Lahassa and Shitz mix. He was rescued from a puppy mill. Head stud. He is very skittish and dodges us but super sweet when we are just chill and relaxing. He’s refusing to potty outside and so we got the gate. He does not go outside but my problem is catching him once he’s inside and getting him out when he starts to go inside. Any ideas how I can get his confidence and redirect him to trust so we can catch him? He does not like treats.
I would utilize a leash tether (where he is tethered to you) so that you can avoid chasing him, which can be frightening for a skittish pup. You may want to try very high-value food, like string cheese or shredded chicken.
Hi, I have a great Pyrnees whose seven months old, just a week ago, she decided that she wants to stop going outside, I have trouble getting her outside either way, she comes from a compromised background, I'm not entirely sure, what had happened to her, but when it comes to potty time lately it's been exclusively inside. I just want to stop having anxiety about her destroying my house and trying to eliminate her fear.
Is it possible something spooked her outside? 7 months is a classic age for a fear period to develop. Try creating a safe space for her outdoors where she can potty – usually a play pen is an easy option for this. Also try bringing very high-value food outside with you to help her make a more positive asssociation!
Hi, A month ago I adopted a 2 year old rescue dog, Very nice girl Husky/? breed. During the day she happily run down to the garden to do her business but night is a nightmare. At bedtime we go for a walk or go to the garden and nothing, she then goes to her bed, which is now a blanket and immediately pees all over it. In the night she pees and poohs more but only on the bed. now using pee pads. As a result she is now sleeping on the large kitchen balcony, as there are many rugs in the house. My garden is not fully fenced so I don't feel happy that she has access to it at night as my old dog it. How do I stop this, the is no medical reason. I don't want to crate her.
I do think starting with a crate is going to be your best bet here – you can eventually transition away from it, but it's the best way to help her learn new nighttime habits. I would start with the crate near your bed, as it's possible this is an issue of anxiety as well!
I have a 7 year old mastiff. He has always been good with not using the bathroom in the house. Just recently he has started not wanting to be outside. I will let him out and he will immediately either lay down or just sit on the back porch because he just wants to come back inside. If I make him go into the yard he will just find a spot and lay or sit down. If I walk with him around the yard, he will just walk around and not do anything. If I physically go outside with him he will pee but he will not poop And he will later poop in the house. Once he was outside for an hour and a half and immediately came inside and less than 30 minutes later he pooped in the house. He is 100% kennel trained and will hold his urine and feces but no matter how long he’s in the kennel it is the same situation outside. I’m at a standstill and I don’t really know what to do. He does not have any health issues, he is just wanting to go back inside to lay down.
This does sound potentially pain-related. I would first have a checkup on his hips and spine, and perhaps a senior bloodwork panel as well. You can try setting up a playpen outside with a potty pad system to help encourage him to go, then reward with food anytime he does go outside!
we have a 5 month old boston when we first got him he was pretty good about going outside and now all of a sudden you take him out he wont go and just goes in and poops all around the house so now we are trying the crate training but he still refuses now he just sits outside and shakes and wont do anything. he just will not go outside and its becoming very frustrating.
It sounds like perhaps something spooked him outside – you may have to go back to basics a bit and have him spend short periods outside doing something he enjoys – eating food, playing with a toy, etc. You can also try utilizing a playpen outside (which you will only use under active supervision to help him potty in a specific place more quickly.).
We adopted a rescued 2 yr old mix breed and her 6 month old female puppy about 9 months ago. Ella, the puppy has been spayed, housebroken, has been to training classes and is doing well. Her mother is extremely anxious, hides under the beds most of the day, is unable to comfortably ride in the car, and has been very difficult to housetrain.We are giving her a calming supplement, Vetoquinol Zylkene Capsules Calming Supplement for Dogs, We have a fenced yard, go outside with her when we finally get her outside, reward her generously for all positive behavior, but if we don't pick up on her cue that she has to potty, she will pee in our bedroom every day. We are at our wits end and just don't know what to do about her anxiety and unwillingness to housebreak. As a long time dog owner, I admit I have never encountered a dog this difficult to live with.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
This does sound like a challenging case! I would strongly suggest professional guidance if at all possible; we would be happy to work with you virtually, or I can recommend an in-person trainer in your area. One thing to try would be tethering her to your body to help prevent her from hiding all day and allowing you to see accidents as they happen. You can also utilize a potty pad spot in the house if needed (it's not ideal, but at least gives her a targeted place to go).
We just got a 4 month old staffy puppy and she is scared of a lot of things, she went outside the first night we brought her home and now she will not go outside, we take her out 2 times before we put her in a kennel at around 10 and she won’t go. I take her out again when she starts whining a few hours later and nothing. She’s had one accident in her crate and the others on our floor. We have puppy pads out but she hasn’t used them. I feel horrible putting her back in her crate especially if she has to go to the bathroom. Is there anything else I can try??
Try the outdoor playpen (supervised) mentioned in this blog. It works wonders in these cases. She is going to get much more comfortable with the outside world over the next few weeks. Hang in there!
Hi, what do you suggest for people who live in buildings and can’t put a playpen outside on the sidewalk? I have a 4-month old puppy who has learned to go potty on pee pads in the balcony. But he doesn’t go outside on grass. He is scared of the outside because of the cars, strollers and people walking by? Thanks
Hi! What might be helpful is to find as quiet of a spot as possible, and go back to that same spot repeatedly. You can even place some food there so your dog learns to anticipate going to that spot and getting good things. Put a potty pad down each time you take your pup there – start first thing in the morning! Then you can begin to phase out the pad after your pup is going there regularly.
I have a shihtzu, she Mmmm we got her at about 8 weeks old from a breeder. We did potty train her with puppy pads and then gradually moved them closer to the door and then moved it outside, she did well adjusting. We recently moved into a new apartment and she refuses to go potty on our walks, and if she does potty I’m outside for about 45 minutes.. I bought a doggie door and some turf for the patio to try and make her feel more comfortable and she won’t go potty out there either.. so you have any suggestions on what steps I should take next ??
You might want to try going back to the pads for a bit just to get her re-acclimated – start with the pads on the patio and begin first thing in the morning when you know she has to go. As soon as she potties outside, reward with food.
I have a 6 month old German shepherd she's always been out some as a pup and rewarded for .going out side how ever still take her in garden and literally the second we walk in the house she runs upstairs and wees every where any help please its driving us mental
I'd suggest starting first thing in the morning when you know she has to go – watch her outside and reward her as soon as she finishes pottying. If she doesn't go, she should go into a confinement area like a crate for 15-20 minutes, then bring her back outside. We want no opportunity for her to come back into the house and pee!
I have a lab mix. He’s 8months. I’ve tried everything to house train him. He will pee and poop outside and maybe 30 min later he does both inside again. Most of the time right in front of me. The worst is on my bed, he will wake up and just pee. I’ve tried treats I’ve tried praise. I even tried crating when he doesn’t go outside. He just goes in his crate. There have been times where he won’t go until he’s in his crate. I’m at a loss.
I'd strongly suggest a urine test and a fecal test with the vet – this absolutely sounds like it could be a UTI. Let me know what the vet says, and then we can look at behavioral possibilites.
i have an 8 month old out mix and because she didn’t have shots she hasn’t gone outside to potty. now i take her out for walks and to get her to pee but she refuses. i even bring a pad with us that she used to use inside. any tips?? as soon as we get inside she goes potty and i reprimand her but it’s ineffective. please help.
Try the confinement area tip mentioned in the blog and start first thing in the morning. Make sure you reward with food right after she pees. It generally does the trick!
Hi, we have an 11 month Rat Terrier. He pees outside every time we take him out, and we take him out frequently. He knows to ring the bell when he has to go out and we take him out every time he rings the bell. . He has never pooped in the house. Never peed or poop in his kennel even when he has to be in it all day (6-8 hours). But even with peeing outside frequently he will still pee inside. Sometime 2-3 times a day. We have tried confining him in a play pen several weeks in a row and he doesn't pee in the pen but as soon as we let him out and take our eyes off of him he'll pee. Help, we're about ready take him to a shelter. He is neutered, up to date on his shots and healthy.
The key is going to be not taking your eyes off of him – when loose, he needs to be directed outside and/or supervised closely so that accidents can be interrupted and redirected outside. You can use a leash or baby gates to help make this easier :)
We recently rescued a 1.5 year-old Aussiedoodle from a puppy mill farm. She is a wonderful dog, but a little timid. We are struggling with adult potty training. She knows to potty outside, but struggles to tell us she needs to go out. Sometimes she does by pacing or pawing at us, and sometimes she doesn't. We will go two weeks without an accident in the house and then she will start pooping in the house again. She never pees in the house. She sleeps through the night without accidents and during the day she is in my office with me.
It feels like we have to start from scratch every few weeks. She also won't go potty without me or my husband (usually me) outside with her, even if she really has to go. If we try and let her out alone, she will stand by the door outside and wait until we come out. My other dog goes out with her and does his business, but she wants one of us. Sometimes I'll bring her out knowing she needs to go, give her the command, and she just stands next to us or stares at us. We go outside roughly every 1.5-2 hours and I'm often walking her around the yard for 30 minutes at a time trying to get her to go. I've tried the bell on the door to get her to signal to us when she needs to go out, but its not working. I don't know if I'm confusing her by taking her out even if she doesn't need to go, but I don't know what else to do to reinforce the behavior.
I would start with a fecal test to ensure you don't have any parasites affecting her digestion. I would try a confinement area in the yard like a playpen, so that you can sit there and get work done or keep an eye on her. Start first thing in the morning when you know she has to go and reward with food when she finishes. Hang in there!
We have a new beagle puppy that we got at Christmas. He was outside full time as a pup and has no issue going outside but even though he can hold his pee all night sleeping at the foot of our bed he has multiple accidents throughout the day. We have confined him to a floored area of the house and people are home all day but he still pees. Sometimes he will poop but less that. We have an indoor kennel but havent used it a lot because we are home. He is starting to go behind things to to eliminate even though we have been doing only positive reinforcement. It feels like we take one step forward and two steps back. It should be noted he does go to the door sometimes and asks to go out- What is our next move here if you can suggest?
The key is going to be catching the accidents as they happen – that might mean making your confinement area smaller or keeping him with you on a leash. If accidents are missed, it's going to take longer for it to click for him that it's inappropriate to eliminate indoors. I would also go back to rewarding with food when he does potty outside!
I have a 12 year old Chihuahua rescue, who has been with us for almost 3 months. She can't go outside to do her business because it's too cold for her, she's only 4 lbs. She mostly knows to pee on the pee pads, though does have accidents near the pads. She usually poops next to the pee pads, and rarely on them. I can't figure out why she prefers to do it this way, She gets super excited when she pees and sometimes poops on the pads and lets me know what she did. Any way to get her to always pee on the pads, and poop on the pads as well?
Try creating a barrier around the pads to make it more of a defined space. You can either purchase a pad barrier, or put an x-pen around a series of pads. Hope this helps!
this sounds that it would work for someone with a house and a yard or a apartment with a balcony but I live in a small apartment and fenced community, I have to take him outside of the gate to the park to poo and pee but my puppy refuses to do his business outside, he's always been an inside dog. What could I do for him to start peeing and pooping outside, he ABSOLUTELY REFUSES to pee or poop outside, he will hold his bladder and his poo as long as possible.
Try utilizing a 15-30' long line so your dog has a bit more freedom to roam once in your area. Start first thing in the morning when you know he has to go, and be prepared to reward with food when he does. You can also try bringing potty pads outside at first, and/or set up a potty area on your balcony.
I just adopted a year old cattle dog that has previously lived entirely outside on a farm. It seems like show never learned to squat to pee and definitely does not know to pee outside. I take her for frequent walks, then she’ll come inside and once she relaxes and lays down, she pees. Yesterday this happened 9 times within like 4 hours. I am unable to set up a pen outside and have no idea how to teach her how to pee properly.
I would suggest a urine test for a UTI before approaching this behaviorally! It is unusual for a dog to pee when laying down.
I have a 3 month old Bernese mountain dog and the biggest issue is the amount of time in between I have a timer for 30 minutes that I take her out at but sometimes I’ll take her out and she’ll go potty and then come back in and in 10 minutes she’ll potty inside again please help.
Check first for a UTI & parasites! This could absolutely be a medical issue. If nothing medical, this is still within the realm of normal for such a young pup. Make sure you are always interrupting accidents and redirecting outside.
I just got a 10 week old Shitzu mix who was trained on a pee pad. Because of that, he goes on anything that sits on top of the carpet/hardwood (my rug, any blankets laid out on the ground, my bath mat, etc.). I started him on a feeding schedule today at 6am and 5pm since he’s used to grazing his food and water dish all day where he was before. I started training him today. I took him out first thing in the am and then right after he ate. Nothing. He refuses to go outside. He peed and pooped on one of the blankets at 8am. I’ve been taking him out about every hour since and he will not go poop or pee outside. I’ve got him right next to me when I’m working and I won’t let him leave his bed except to feed or go outside. He refuses to go outside and hasn’t gone inside since the 8am accident. We are going on 14 hours now with nothing inside or outside. I don’t want him to get an infection by holding it and I know he has to go but he refuses to do it outside and I won’t let him go inside. He’s sleeping in his crate tonight so it will be almost 24 hours since he’s last gone to the bathroom. When he’s outside on a leash, he just sits there. And when he came back in, he tried to go under the kitchen table so I picked him back up and took him back outside where he won’t go. Help! Pulling my hair out over here. Lol
Start with a pad in a pen outside. You can gradually phase out the pad, but it will get you started on the right track outside. I would also suggest upping to three meals a day!
We have a 6 month old chipoo mix. We got him from a shelter about 3-4 weeks ago. He was at the shelter for maybe a week after being pulled from a hoarding situation of about 42 dogs. He was doing pretty good so I thought. I would take him out first thing in the morning and about every two hours and he would pee and/or poo. This morning I tried to get him to go out but just turned the other way and would not go out. It had snowed so not sure if that was the issue. I could tell he was needing to go and was in the process of crouching. I made a noise to get his attention to get him to stop and telling him to go out but would not listen and ended up leaving a trail of pee around the house! I was not happy at all! He still does not let us pick him up or pet him. He’s still very unsure of what our hands are doing when we try to pet him and runs the other way. He has bonded a bit more with my daughter and has let her pet him a bit. The other thing he does is continuously sniffs around the house seeming to look for food even after we feed him and he practically swallows all his food in one gulp. Need help!
I would suggest hiring a professional to help you get through these challenging first few weeks! Dogs from a hoarding environment often need some extra support in acclimating to a home environment. We are happy to work with you virtually or I can recommend a qualified trainer in your area.
I have a 17 week 4 1/2 month old Great Pyrenees puppy that I've had since he was 10 weeks old. From the very moment I brought him home I have been training him with positive reward for basic obedience commands as well as the potty training. He has always been given treats and thrown big praise for going potty outside. Unfortunately right when we got him, his breeder had recommended putting him on probiotics and I think between that added ingredient and the stress of going someplace new gave him diarrhea for almost a week, where despite bringing him outside almost 20 times a day he frequently had diarrhea accidents inside. When he finally stopped having diarrhea he was so used to just popping a squat wherever he wanted to, despite us always trying to bring him outside the moment we catch him even sniffing around, that he is continuing to use the bathroom inside with little to no care about how we feel about it. I frequently have to steam clean the carpet and I use a no mark and enzymatic cleaner within the steam cleaner to try to ensure that I get the whole carpet picked up, but he honestly does not care, as before I can even get the steam cleaner put away he's already pooping or peeing somewhere. As a Great Pyrenees he is prone to barking and is extremely hard to train to try not to bark, so where he does regularly hang out in his crate inside as his comfort zone when inside, the moment that door is shut he will not stop barking no matter how long it goes, so it becomes very hard to use the crate properly for crate training inside. He does go pee and poop occasionally outside when he feels like it, especially first thing in the morning is that seems to be his only routine time that he really goes outside regularly, so I really don't think any negative experiences have happened to him with outside or he wouldn't go at all; but frequently he will still stay outside for 30 minutes sometimes even an hour I'll sit out there with him and he'll just do everything else but potty and the moment that door opens to go back inside he's run off down the hall or into my bedroom somewhere to pee or poop. Honestly was not expecting how hard training a Great Pyrenees would be at the time I got him, as I was unaware of how much of a stubborn independent breed they are, despite my own background in puppy training and he honestly has many destructive behavior issues that I've worked with other trainers for already and it's been very hard to get him to stop doing anything he's not supposed to do. But the pee and poop in the house is my number one concern as I do have two small children that like to play around on the floor and at this point they are not allowed to as my entire floor is constantly coated in his eliminations, despite frequent cleanings it never really gets it all up and it's so frequent it's very hard to stay on top of. He even goes for walks on leash around the park and around my neighborhood two to three times a day, in addition to being let out in the back fenced in yard constantly, and he won't even go to the bathroom when he's on Leash he refuses to no matter how long the walk is. I've also tried keeping him on a leash inside with me but again he's an extremely stubborn dog and when I'm trying to walk around or go anywhere to do anything he'll just sit and not move he won't care. So then I either have to drop the leash to go do what I need to do especially if it has something to do with my two year old who's getting into something he shouldn't, or I have to drag him and he ends up throwing this big freak out trying to get off the leash despite him walking good on it and outside, and I'm worried if I keep that up that eventually it'll create a negative association with the leash and he won't walk nice for me and our walks anymore. Other times if I'm just sitting in the same spot he doesn't need to go anywhere that I need to drag him to inside, he'll sit there and chew and chew and chew on the leash trying to bite it off of him. I am literally at my wit's end with this dog he's driving me up the wall between his numerous behavioral issues. But again the potty training is my biggest concern for the safety and health of my children, so please if there is anything that you can do or suggest to help me with this it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Try utilizing a playpen (it will need to be a pretty small space) so that he absolutely does not have loose access to the house if he doesn't eliminate outdoors. He will need to go right to the pen from outside for 15-20 minutes, then you can give him another opportunity to go outside. Rinse and repeat :) Hang in there!
I just got a rescue dog since a couple of days. She is one and a half years old. I take her outside 3 times a day, as she is really stressed outside and afraid. Maybe that’s the reason she does not want to do her business there. A lot op training options don’t work as I don’t have a garden. Redericting her also does not work as it takes still some time to get her harness on and go downstairs. She also only owes or poops in the house when I am away. Is there any kind of method for this? It’s hard to find some specific training method if you live in an apartment. Trying to keep a good attitude about this and maybe time will help.
A realistic place to start might be potty pads in a playpen while you're gone. Eventually, you can start taking a pad with you outside to encourage her to go outside, then eliminate the pad altogether. It can take at least a few weeks for a nervous dog to adjust, so time will definitely help!
My girlfriend and I live in an apartment complex. We just recently adopted a 6-month-old Pom/Lab mix (looks like a mini-German shepherd, only about 10 pounds). We’ve had her for about 10 days and I’ve yet to see her potty (either pee or poo) outside. I’ve stood outside with her for hours on end and I have the bug bites to prove it, but still she just refuses to go. I know she has a little anxiety, but I’ve never seen a dog have zero interest in going outside. I’ve been trying to crate train her, but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything and I feel bad. Please help!!
Try the playpen method outside if possible! It really works wonders for these cases.
Thank you! We didn't know where to start with our rescue Chihuahua – she simply refused to go outside and actually saved her poo/wee for inside (probably because she's more comfortable inside). We have tried your method for only 1.5 days and already we have seen a great improvement. I hope it continues and we can stop watching her inside every moment!
Yay! Love hearing that!
Great advice but I live in an apartment building on the 14th floor so I don't know if the potty pen would work for us . Any other suggestion? I do have a terrace but will that translate to "outside" for my pup?
You could try an artificial grass patch on your patio! That does tend to translate well for outdoor potty training.
Hi there we do not have any grass outside at all. Mainly concrete and tiles. If we go near grass our puppy just eats it. Is it ok to make a confinement area with puppy pads on the concrete and just leave it like that ongoing. We are taking walks twice a day to try and catch an outdoor elimination but she continues to come inside and then eliminate inside (even when it’s first thing in the morning and after a walk!) should we remove all pee pads inside and just focus on the little area outside on the concrete? I’m so confused! Please help!
They make some excellent grass-style pads that might be helpful in this situation! If you are ultimately wanting your pup not to potty indoors, I would recommend eliminating all indoor pads.
Hello! I have a almost 1 year old Frenchie.
She did come from a breeder but it was not a puppy Mill by any means. She from day one has always peed inside the home. We have a dog run including a doggy door that leads to their potty area, and another gated area for the grass to her separate.
She does very well all day long, then evening comes and she was crated for several months near the doggy door so she had the ability to get outside at night if needed. We have more removed the crate and she has started peeing in the house again. We have her area still limited. She has full range of the living room and kitchen including her doggy door to get outside.
She continues to pee in the house at night time when we are sleeping and if she can find clothes or blankets to pee on she will. What am I do wrong?
I would recommend going back to a crate at night. Many dogs sleep their best this way and this greatly reduces nighttime accidents.
Hello, my name is Sophia and I have a chihuahua terrier mix that I rescued from a hoarding situation. She is very sweet and playful. She knows how to pee outside, but pooping is the real issue with her. I’ll say “go to the bathroom” or “poop outside” and she’ll ignore me. I’ve tried walking her on a leash but that doesn’t seem to do the trick either. I need some advice, thanks.
Follow the exact method in the article, especially the outdoor confinement area, and you should see success! Try to avoid overly talking to her or engaging her outside – often once you leave them alone, they will get to business.