Potty Training

[Taylor_B]

Hi All
As I've noted in two of my previous posts, my husband and I recently adopted a 7-8 month old male English Setter from a shelter.
As such, they warned us that he wasn't fully potty trained. We're not sure what training he received prior to the shelter, and I've read that English Setters can be slow to fully potty train. What's confusing us is that, just when we really thought we were making a breakthrough (no accidents in the house for a little over a week) he had two days of accidents back to back: peed in the house twice last night, and pooped and peed in the house this morning. We let him out nearly every time he heads towards the door (which is often - he loves being outside). In both incidents yesterday and today, he wasn't even heading towards the door - just walked right into the kitchen and went!

He's a great dog - very sweet and loving. Our big issue right now is that we'd like to put a stop to the accidents in the house. I keep reminding my husband that this will undoubtedly take time and a lot of patience.

Just curious if anyone else has had a similar experience with a young setter, and what steps you might have taken to break the habit of going in the house!
Thanks!
-Brooke

[shags]

Until my dogs are reliably housebroken, they are crated during the night and while we are away from home. We also keep a fairly rigid feeding schedule so it's a little easier to have an idea when they might need to "go". That's not to say their systems are always on schedule, but it helps a little.

Being in the depths of winter makes this a bit inconvenient, but I find it helps to not just let them out to do whatever; potty breaks are just that. They do their business then come right back in. Use a lead or a small area but be aware that sometimes they need to run around a little to get things moving. I think it helps to have a command, I use "hurry up" to cue them; it really helps later when traveling etc to make pit stops quick.

I have no compunction about dragging a dog back to the scene of the crime and really getting on his case about so-called accidents that i don't catch immediately or while it's happening. Some folks only correct when they catch them in the act, and I agree that's the most effecient, but IMO it doesn't help to ignore puddle and piles just because I didn't see it happen. So my guys get dragged to the scene of the crime and scolded. I want them to associate the mess with an unpleasant outcome.

IME once my setters are housebroken they are fastidious forever, or at least until old age and infirmity changes things.

Good luck, hang in there.

[pooch897]

I have a 9 month old Brittany that was having a lot of pee accidents. It was very frustrating but someone suggested a bell that hangs from the door knob. I was skeptical but figured it was worth a try. I put it on the door and made sure to shake it every time I let him out. Amazingly he caught on to it with in a couple days. Now it's been about 2-3 months since I did this he is doing great with it. I got it on Amazon

[Taylor_B]

Until my dogs are reliably housebroken, they are crated during the night and while we are away from home. We also keep a fairly rigid feeding schedule so it's a little easier to have an idea when they might need to "go". That's not to say their systems are always on schedule, but it helps a little.

Being in the depths of winter makes this a bit inconvenient, but I find it helps to not just let them out to do whatever; potty breaks are just that. They do their business then come right back in. Use a lead or a small area but be aware that sometimes they need to run around a little to get things moving. I think it helps to have a command, I use "hurry up" to cue them; it really helps later when traveling etc to make pit stops quick.

I have no compunction about dragging a dog back to the scene of the crime and really getting on his case about so-called accidents that i don't catch immediately or while it's happening. Some folks only correct when they catch them in the act, and I agree that's the most effecient, but IMO it doesn't help to ignore puddle and piles just because I didn't see it happen. So my guys get dragged to the scene of the crime and scolded. I want them to associate the mess with an unpleasant outcome.

IME once my setters are housebroken they are fastidious forever, or at least until old age and infirmity changes things.

Good luck, hang in there.

Hi Shags!
Thanks for the feedback!
We definitely crate him both at night and when we leave the house. Aside from not being completely housebroken, he's very curious, and I'm sure he'd end up destroying something while we were gone if he wasn't crated!
He will not poop in his crate, though he will pee out the side. I'm wondering if enclosing the crate would help him to hold his bladder? I know dogs aren't very keen on going to the bathroom in their "den," so I'm hoping that enclosing the crate would help with the peeing while in the crate.

With our two dogs, we let them outside to potty, but also to get exercise. As we both work during weekdays, we like to get them outside for some good playtime in the fenced in area, or a long walk through the woods/fields behind our house. Usually in the spring/summer, it's much easier to get them exercised as I run with them, and we're able to more comfortably do gun dog training without feeling miserable from the cold (...it's nasty cold in Pittsburgh right now). In the winter though, I play it safe and keep my running to a treadmill as the trails become pretty slick.

We also reprimand both when we see the accident, or if we're able to catch him shortly after one (there's never been a case where he's gone potty in the house and we haven't found it almost immediately after). And as for reprimanding, we point out his accident and sternly tell him "no" and "Bad" ... based on his posture when he hears that tone and looks at his mess, he seems to acknowledge that it was wrong of him to go in the house - and usually walks to the door.

I think he understands it's not good to go in the house, and MOST of the time he's so good about going outside, but it just seems like when we ALMOST have the housebreaking moving to the next level, we deal with a big accident or two. UGH. Patience!!!

[Taylor_B]

I have a 9 month old Brittany that was having a lot of pee accidents. It was very frustrating but someone suggested a bell that hangs from the door knob. I was skeptical but figured it was worth a try. I put it on the door and made sure to shake it every time I let him out. Amazingly he caught on to it with in a couple days. Now it's been about 2-3 months since I did this he is doing great with it. I got it on Amazon

Thank you! We might have to try a bell!

[shags]

Try a plastic airline type crate. We've had both them and wire, and prefer the plastic ones 100% hands down better. The dogs seem much more secure and happy in them and they contain all the hair and dog scurf that just migrates out the sides of the wire kind. Your dog won't want to pee in there and wallow in it. The plastic crates do double duty as transport crates in the truck, too. Don't go too large with one, my dogs fit in about 30X24X22.

[gonehuntin']

Until my dogs are reliably housebroken, they are crated during the night and while we are away from home. We also keep a fairly rigid feeding schedule so it's a little easier to have an idea when they might need to "go". That's not to say their systems are always on schedule, but it helps a little.

Being in the depths of winter makes this a bit inconvenient, but I find it helps to not just let them out to do whatever; potty breaks are just that. They do their business then come right back in. Use a lead or a small area but be aware that sometimes they need to run around a little to get things moving. I think it helps to have a command, I use "hurry up" to cue them; it really helps later when traveling etc to make pit stops quick.

I have no compunction about dragging a dog back to the scene of the crime and really getting on his case about so-called accidents that i don't catch immediately or while it's happening. Some folks only correct when they catch them in the act, and I agree that's the most effecient, but IMO it doesn't help to ignore puddle and piles just because I didn't see it happen. So my guys get dragged to the scene of the crime and scolded. I want them to associate the mess with an unpleasant outcome.

IME once my setters are housebroken they are fastidious forever, or at least until old age and infirmity changes things.

Good luck, hang in there.

+1. Dogs LOVE their crates. Do yourself and your dog a favor and crate him if you can't watch him every second.

[Sharon]

Very common problem with a shelter/kennel raised dog who has been peeing where ever for a long time. Mine had
lived in a kennel for 2 years when I bought her.

I worked hard at it, but finally gave up and got a dog door ( fenced yard)= no more problem

[pooch897]

I have a 9 month old Brittany that was having a lot of pee accidents. It was very frustrating but someone suggested a bell that hangs from the door knob. I was skeptical but figured it was worth a try. I put it on the door and made sure to shake it every time I let him out. Amazingly he caught on to it with in a couple days. Now it's been about 2-3 months since I did this he is doing great with it. I got it on Amazon

Thank you! We might have to try a bell!

I forgot to mention he is in the crate at night and while we are at work.

[polmaise]

Hi All
As I've noted in two of my previous posts, my husband and I recently adopted a 7-8 month old male English Setter from a shelter.

You certainly are having a few issues in such a short time for sure.
Have you resolved any of the others.

[Taylor_B]

Hi All
As I've noted in two of my previous posts, my husband and I recently adopted a 7-8 month old male English Setter from a shelter.

You certainly are having a few issues in such a short time for sure.
Have you resolved any of the others.

Hi there!
He's been getting a WHOLE lot better with obedience. It helps that he's learning his name, and we've been working occasionally with the e-collar.
And his potty training really is coming along, just has an occasional accident.
As he's a rescue, and already 8 months along, it's been a little bit harder to train him than it was our first dog that we had from 8 weeks old.
We have to try and correct bad habits that he's already learned, and we also want to make sure we don't get too far behind on field preparation.
So it helps to be able to reach out to folks on this forum who have experience with rescues or older pups.
That being said, he's definitely going to be a great dog.

[Taylor_B]

Very common problem with a shelter/kennel raised dog who has been peeing where ever for a long time. Mine had
lived in a kennel for 2 years when I bought her.

I worked hard at it, but finally gave up and got a dog door ( fenced yard)= no more problem

Hi Sharon!
I definitely attribute it to the shelter environment. He was only living there for a month, but we don't know what level of potty training he had coming into the shelter. That being said, he's been doing well, aside from occasional in-house accidents. (2 to 3 times a week). We're trying not to raise our expectations to high as 1.) he's only been with us since Dec 31st, so there's a learning curve he needs to adjust to, and 2.) he lived in the shelter where peeing on the floor wasn't a bad thing, and was actually a necessity as they weren't there to let him out 24/7.

I've considered the idea of the dog door .. my concern is having the two dogs outside when we aren't home. While we do have a fenced yard, I always worry that if there's something beyond the fence that they want badly enough, that they'll make a way to go get it! They are both excellent diggers (lol) and while they don't dig in our fenced area, I still worry that they might get rambunctious and find a way out!

[ezzy333]

I have always found it easier and faster dealing with an older dog than a small puppy to house break. I do not find there are additional problems developed in a shelter over what any kenneled dog has learned. I think the biggest difference is you are dealing with a dog that is capable of being house broke while we all have dealt with a small pup that just isn't physically able to control everything. Our line of thinking older means harder or even impossible is a direct result of hearing over and over that you can't teach an old dog new tricks and nothing is further from the truth Dogs learn from repition and that by it's very nature says it takes time.

[Taylor_B]

I have always found it easier and faster dealing with an older dog than a small puppy to house break. I do not find there are additional problems developed in a shelter over what any kenneled dog has learned. I think the biggest difference is you are dealing with a dog that is capable of being house broke while we all have dealt with a small pup that just isn't physically able to control everything. Our line of thinking older means harder or even impossible is a direct result of hearing over and over that you can't teach an old dog new tricks and nothing is further from the truth Dogs learn from repition and that by it's very nature says it takes time.

Hi Ezzy -
I completely agree with you when you say that old dogs CAN be taught new tricks! Considering our new pup is only 8 months old, he's got a lot of potential left in him. We look forward to working with him.
However, with the potty training scenario, we actually found it easier to train our first dog at 8 weeks old, than it has been to train him! She was potty trained by 10 weeks and never had another accident in her crate, or the house, aside from one incident shortly after her spaying surgery. All dogs are different though! That being said, our male setter has been making GREAT progress. Initially, I think some of his "accidents" were attributed to marking as he wouldn't have a full-on pee in the house - more of a "spritz" here and there, throughout the house. That, luckily, has subsided. Now, we're just focused on breaking the cycle of full-on accidents. And he's doing good - he's not perfect yet, but he's really getting there. As noted, I don't know that he was fully potty trained before going into the shelter (they warned us that he was still learning), but I suspect he wasn't. And then the time in the shelter probably contributed to the habits of going in the "house" since potty training isn't a priority in that environment.

Regardless, progress is definitely being made! I often like to reach out to this forum though, and just get feedback from the folks here regarding what has worked for them!
Thanks for your consistent feedback, we appreciate it!

[Sharon]

Very common problem with a shelter/kennel raised dog who has been peeing where ever for a long time. Mine had
lived in a kennel for 2 years when I bought her.

I worked hard at it, but finally gave up and got a dog door ( fenced yard)= no more problem

Hi Sharon!
I definitely attribute it to the shelter environment. He was only living there for a month, but we don't know what level of potty training he had coming into the shelter. That being said, he's been doing well, aside from occasional in-house accidents. (2 to 3 times a week). We're trying not to raise our expectations to high as 1.) he's only been with us since Dec 31st, so there's a learning curve he needs to adjust to, and 2.) he lived in the shelter where peeing on the floor wasn't a bad thing, and was actually a necessity as they weren't there to let him out 24/7.

I've considered the idea of the dog door .. my concern is having the two dogs outside when we aren't home. While we do have a fenced yard, I always worry that if there's something beyond the fence that they want badly enough, that they'll make a way to go get it! They are both excellent diggers (lol) and while they don't dig in our fenced area, I still worry that they might get rambunctious and find a way out!

For the same reasons, I never leave mine outside when I'm away . They are kenneled or now just kept in the closed den.
Only negative is that when winter come s, the door lets cold air in and puts up the heating bill.