Pets > Dogs > House TrainingNovember 30, 2009

Housebreaking Older Dogs

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

Answers

Read answers for this post below.

By
12/07/2009

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.

By
12/03/2009

Here's a tip about using peepads. The doggy pads that you buy at Walmart,etc. are expensive!!! Go to a Sam's Club and buy a box of those underpads that are used for people. There are 120 in a box and I then cut those in half. A box is around $25 but lasts a lot longer than made-for-dogs pads.

By
12/03/2009

Has the Vet given them a clean bill of health? If so, I would crate "train" the dogs, with walks several times a day until they go potty. I have dog walker who take mine out for a 30 minute walk during the day and I have never had a problem.

Good Luck, Jennifer Northern Virginia

By
12/02/2009

Try using those indoor pee pads, and ask your vet for suggestions. Good luck, and did you know they have doggy diapers? But I would try the pee pads.

By
12/01/2009

Any dog that is held in a crate for hours on end, will probably hold their urine, then spill their urine after several hours of holding it. It's like people, we can hold our urine for so long, and then we have to go potty. Don't blame the dog. Dogs don't have access to toilets the way people do.

Questions

Here are questions related to this page. Click "Ask a Question" if you have a question to ask about this topic.

Housebreaking an Older Dog

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.

 

Most Recent Answer

By FARSTAR 08/01/2011

Breeders don't sell show Dogs if they are winning so be careful not to pay extravagant price just because the animal has a Pedigree that is not worth the paper it's written on unless you intend to show him. They can be house-trained but be aware Spaniels are an excitable breed. Good luck.

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Archives

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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.


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.


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