# Dog People...I need HELP!



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

I had 5 dogs, now down to three. The two young ones I have had for a year , since they were 8 weeks old. Older one is my GP and she is 4 years old. My problem is house breaking them! I have never in my life had such a hard time with this!

The previous owners of this house had a bunch of little dogs that peed and probubaly pooped in the basement. We took the rug up off the basement floor (floor is cement) but it is still on the stairs to the door. GP got in the habit of pooping a peeing in the basement, so we put in a door at the bottom of the stairs to keep her out of there. She was house broke at the time we moved in here. The pups pooped a bit in the house while being trained, natural mistakes of pups. Then a roommmates dog had a litter of pups and of course they had mistakes alll over the house! So, the smell is here. I would love to have a professional come in a super clean the carpet, but that is an expense I can't afford right now.

Anyway, I used to feed in the evening, now I feed their big meal in the morning thinking that would change the behavior. And a behavior it is...it is a habit they have formed that I cannot seem to break! They are scolded, ignored, etc to no avail. 

My regular day goes like this...Hubby wakes up around 5am, lets dogs out. I wake up around 7. I go out and feed livestock, come in and feed the dogs. When they are finished I let them out in their yard. During the day they are in and out, mostly out. I give them a treat in the evening and put them out for 1/2 hour before I go to bed...that is around 8:30-9 pm. They are in the house til hubby wakes up and lets them out at 5am. I think they are pooping in the house between 3-4 am. There are nights when there is nothing. I have even let them out, seen them go potty and one of them still poops in the house in the early morning hours! This is a habit, it is not that they cannot hold it as I have had them locked in the house for 8 hours and came home to no poops or pees! I have even let them out, brought them in and one will poop within 1/2 hour of being let in!

I am at my wits end here! Does anyone have any suggestions on how to break this other than selling myself to make the money for a professional carpet cleaner to come in? Even then, they may still do this as it is such an ingrained habit.


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## pitchik (Dec 2, 2011)

The dogs need crates! I have a 8 dog household and have had more in the past. I have rescued and raised dogs for over 25 years. THE ONLY way I have ever had success with housebreaking my dogs, is to crate train them.

They each have a crate. Their crate is their everything. They sleep in it at night, they get their bones to chew on in there. They also have time outs in the cages. They even eat in them.

When a dog has an accident, you show the dog, take it immediately outside, and upon entering the house you put them in a cage for 5 minutes or so. Time out. When you leave, they go in cages.

The object is the crate be big enough for the dog to stand, turn, and lay comfortably. It may take a couple accidents but they will realize that if they have an accident, they will have to lay in it or get it on them, which dogs do not like.

If need be, I STILL get up at night, 4a.m. and let one of my rescues out to potty every night. He was abused and IDK if that has something to do with it or not, but if not he will go in his crate.
Goodluck, but seriously, all dogs should be crate trained regardless, even if it is for just overnight.

If you think the dog may just have a bad habit, either the crate will brake this, but if not at least it will be in a plastic crate and not on the floor.

We also feed early and cut off wather by 6p.m.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

What kind/size of dogs are we taking about?

First off no more scolding them if they go in the house as you see this does not work. When they get scolded over going in the house they learn to hide it moro; go behind the sofa or a corner where it is less likely to be noticed. 

Are they males or females are they nutered/spayed? 

Are they trained in other ways? 

Crates would be a good start. 
Keep them in there when you are not with them (and with them I mean eyes on them or them on a leash attached to you). When you get up in the AM feed them in the crates and leave them in there when you go out to feed the other animals then let them out to do their business. Then back in the crates till you get home. Out only under supervision and as soon as they come out of the crate they go outside to do business. Make a command for it if you don't have one like tell them to go potty and after they do praise then bring them in. If you see them about to go inside bring them out and give the command. 

They should be able to have their food for a half hour at each feeding and then they can hold it a bit longer so if you give them food and go do chores about amour later come and take them out. 

Water should be offered anytime they are out of the crate. Do not take this away at evening outings!

If they were having accidents like puppies do then this would be a bit different but these are not young puppies and are plenty capable of holding it for short periods. 

This is a behavior issue and they need to be taught. 

I am happy to talk to you over the phone about this. You can call the dog training company I work for at (800)933-6489. That will ring thru directly to me and you can leave a message. Tell me you are from TGS and I will get back to you.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks Lgan, I may call you!

There is no way I could do crates. I do have them and there is no way I could afford the sizes I need!

Logan: to answer your questions...they are all over 50#..two are malamute mixes (those are the ones going on two years old) and the third is a GP who is 4 yrs old. They are all females, not fixed. As far as traing, they aren't obidience trained if that is what you mean. The GP is a runner, meaning when she gets out of the yard she goes for a cruise and doesn't come when you call her right away. She has to do her run around first! The other two will come when called. They sit, shake, stay on command. These are not accidents like puppies have. It is a bad habit in my eyes. They can hold it if they have to. I have had them in a car for 8-10 hours at a strech...even take them out to go potty and they don't! I can put them out and they will still go in the house during the night. Hubby said they had to have done it before 3am last night as he was up at 3 and the piles were already there. I had let them out for nite note potties at 8:30 pm that night before I went to bed. I try to keep them on a routine...like out after eating, out as soon as hubby gets up, out at aprox the same time every night. They also stay out for hours at a time during the day.


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## SandStoneStable Farm (Dec 8, 2010)

I have a rescue that never learned not to poop where she slept. She convinced my other dogs to go potty in the house with her.

We did the crates for a while (I really recommend it) then tapered all dogs to certain areas (where they were not pooping) with childrens baby gates.
They are fine on carpet now, but during work stay baby gated in the dining room (poly coated wood floors) incase theres a throw up or an accident because you can eliminate urine smell (I use nature's miracle... love it!!) from hard surfaces not from carpet or cement as well.

I agree with above, yelling/ punshing never did a thing, but what really helped was controlled outings on leashes only. Trained them to "go potty" on the "go potty" command, then reward and let off the leash to play. Way harder to do, but when I'm in a hurry now, I can run them out without leashes, say "go potty", they go and run right back in instead of playing around.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

I thot of the lease thing..but it's dang COLD out there right now! Tonite I am going to try to stay up later and see if that helps. I know they go out and fool around instead of doing their jobies. I try to leave them out as long as possible. I would like to rip up the rest of the carpet on the stairs and then bleach the cement...someone told me that would get rid of the urine smells. I have a plan to do that soon. But, the living room carpet has to stay for now. They always go in the same spot (s).


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Unfortunately, I agree with pitchick. You have to go back to the beginning, and start with crates. All my dogs are crate trained and happily go "to their room", when asked. My dogs go in and out similar to yours. But, when we go away, and at night they sleep in their "room". 

You are probably not going to be able to break this habit without crates. Unless you can watch them 24 hours/day. Their are enzymatic cleaners that clean the area and get the smell out, but it would probably be pretty expensive to do the whole carpet.


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## Jdyson (Jul 20, 2011)

I would recommend crate training as well. I have an 87lb mutt that is crate trained. They eat and sleep in their crates and stay in them at night and when I go to work. No mess unless they have an upset tummy. They love their crates, it is like their own bedroom. Have you tried craigslist or yardsales for them? Good luck


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## Springbett Farm (Jan 5, 2011)

I know crates are expensive but keep and eye on Craigslist in the "pet" section. I see them on there all of the time. Check thrift stores as well; you might get lucky and find one.


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## Karen (Jun 22, 2010)

Also, you do not need the expense of having the carpets professionally cleaned, you can do it yourself with the right cleaner. There's one called "Nature's miracle" available at pet stores that is enzymatic - so it gets out the things we (feeble) humans cannot smell, but tell the dogs "good spot here." Work on that, and paying attention to their schedule, and see if you can be more vigilant about taking them outside right before it would usually happen. Also, everyone in the house needs to be on board with the training, and keep the routine consistent. You might try putting a bell rope on the door, and ringing it every time you are letting them out to do their business, so they will learn "this noise means time to go out and poop, and will learn to ring the bell themselves when it's "that time."

Do not give up, this can work, it's just a lot of effort, consistency and training on the part of all the humans involved.

And when others say "crate training," remember, it need;t be an actual crate. The place under the kitchen table, blocked off with baby gates, can be a good "crate" ... for example.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Oh wow. this sounds like a lot of work. This will not be easy at all. It may mean loosing a bit of sleep to catch the moment of poopooish event and catch them in the attempt. 

I think I would consider a crate system.. if they are not trained to it.. sometimes it will make them hate it.. it will need to be a place that they like to go into.. start by putting them in there with a treat or a chew bone. Eventually they will like it and decide it is a good place to sleep(hopefully) or perhaps a gate system.. something to get them under control. I do not know how I would have survived in our dog's puppy years without a crate at night to put her into. She has outgrown it but still uses it on camp trips.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

This thread is from December guys. 

Kymi...how did this turn out?


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