Dog Hosebreaking Advice Needed

OK, so I adopted a 6 year old dog from the pound. She’s very sweet, non-aggressive, and a bit clingy. She used to live with 4 men and a child, and their surrender form said she spent 50% of her time outside. She cannot spend that much time outside with me, since I have to work and am gone for 8-9 hours a day. I walk her 3 times a day for at least 15-20 minutes per walk, and so far she’s only peed.

Yesterday, after I walked her, I went out for 2 hours, and she pooped and peed in the house. I still haven’t gotten her to poop or pee outside, even though I walk her right after she eats. She is a very large dog and I don’t have a crate she could fit in-- it’d have to be room-sized anyway. Should I lock her in the bathroom when I go out? She was locked in there once by accident and she really went nuts on the molding. It’s pretty much ruined, which makes me not want to do that, but what else can I do? I could leave her on the porch, which is screened in and has a concrete floor, but it’s not that warm out right now. Her fur is really thick, but it’s only 30-45 degrees these recent days.

What can I do? How do I train her not to go to the bathroom in the house? I really want to keep her, since she’s so sweet and seems very upset about having to leave the family that raised her. She’s already shown a lot of attachment to me (she follows me everywhere I go and whines if I leave her alone for more than 5 minutes) and and I want to make good on that, but I’ve never housebroken a dog and I need help. Thanks.

I adopted a dog from the pound and it too was older. What our family did was right after it ate, we would put him outside for about half an hour to do it’s thing. When he came back in, we would reward him with treats. If he ever peed in the house, he would get into trouble. He soon associated that going pee outside is ok, but inside is not ok. Maybe you could buy a doghouse to help him stay warm outside. Since it sounds pretty cold where you live, obviously don’t leave him outside too long but I think 30 mins with a doghouse shouldn’t be a problem.

Considering how I just posted in GQ that my dogs were peeing in the bathroom, I probably shouldn’t answer. But I’ll go ahead (hey, it was only a few times, and the older gal is getting up in years…)

When does the dog poop and pee? As a dog owner you get to learn all kinds of discusting things about poop and pee like what color/consistency it is, when they have the need to poop, what food leads to extra poop/pee. More about poop and pee than you ever thought you’d care to learn!

Once you learn what time of the day is “prime poopin’ and peein’ time” make sure you take the dog out then. My dogs don’t poop right after eating. It takes about 10 minutes for the poop urge to hit. It also takes some exercise to get their system working, so I have to walk them for those 10 minutes. My dogs also have to pee first thing when they wake up. (Seriously, I know way too much about my dogs’ poop and pee cycles!)

You can encourage her to pee outside by getting some scented spray at a pet store. It supposedly smells like other dog urine but I haven’t been able to smell it myself (so it’s not like your lawn will reek while you use it).

Is there any way you can take some time off and be with her for a whole day? That way you can take her out every hour or so to make sure she’s outside when she has to go. Then you can praise her to high heaven. To know when to take her out, you need to look for her “I gotta’ go” signals. My older dog scratches in the spot where she’ll go. The younger one spins in circles on the spot. When they were puppies, I’d say “NO” then take them out right away whenever I saw this behaviour. (Did I mention I know way too much about their poop and pee cycles?)

For accidents in the home, get a special dog waste cleaner from the pet store. The kind that eliminates even the odor dogs can smell. Regular carpet cleaner handles it for our noses, but not doggie noses.

You may be able to crate train even a large dog. I’ve seen crates at the pet stores that look like they’d house ponies comfortably! It may take up room, but if your dog is having trouble figuring out housebreaking (or getting destructive when confined in a small room), it may be worth it. They just have to be big enough for the dog to stand up, stretch out, and circle in. They don’t have to be big enough to be a doggie play pen. I’m a big fan of crates. If you’re going to be gone for 8 hours, you’ll like being able to put your dog in a safe place where she feels secure. You won’t have to worry about her eating your sofa or chewing on electrical cords. Plus, my dogs seem to like them.

[b[Rubystreak** - Why can’t you get a crate the correct size - how big a dog is she? My German Shepherd easily could stand sit and turn around in his crate, which makes it just the right size. The good thing about adult dogs is they should have the muscle tone and bladder capacity to hold it while you’re at work.

I’d say the first step is not leaving the dog to roam in the house, either while you’re there or when you’re gone. While you’re at home, make sure she’s in the same room as you, and keep an eye on her. If she seems to be getting restless, take her out. While you’re gone, crate her. Make sure the crate is comfortable, with chewies and toys and a rug or bed. Clean with products meant to eliminate odors, so the dog doesn’t seek out the same spots. Correct her when she makes mistakes, give her treats when she goes outside. You might consider putting a sample of poop and a rag used to clean up an accident outside in a spot in the yard so she can sniff them and know that’s were she should go.

Good luck - a dog is the only love that money can buy.

StG

She’s German Shepard sized, but really fat. I guess I could get her a crate, but I’m imagining it’s going to cost hundreds of dollars, which I frankly don’t want to spend right now, but I will if I have to. If she eliminates in the house again, I will have to invest in one.

Crate training is worth then expense of the crate. It can also be used to transport the dog to the vet for her annual visit.

I would never try to transport her in a crate-- I couldn’t possibly lift her (we’re talking a 90 lb. dog and a 120 lb. girl), when she could walk herself just fine. I think I might try her out on the porch during the day, starting tomorrow, since she pooped in the guest room yesterday. I’m also going to get her into an obedience training class as soon as I can.

Obedience classes might have some good ideas for you. I have never housetrained a fully grown dog, it is worriesome to me that she is going in the house. It almost seems like a separation anxiety thing. I assume her health is ok?

One suggestion I have is to establish a place in your backyard where she is always supposed to “do her business.” Stand there and wait till she actually pees or poops, then praise her when she does. (Sometimes it takes awhile.) Then she will know, when taken to The Place, what she is supposed to do. GS’s are smart, she’ll figure it out. We’ve always done this with our dogs. It works.

I have housetrained puppies with crate, and without, and the crate was by far the easier.

We have two mastiffs (have owned 3) and we crated them for housetraining. The crate (the largest they make, they can stand and turn around in it) cost a little over a hundred bucks. The first dog was finished with the crate at a year, the second (a female, she chewed) at two years, the third at 9 months.

We never use the crate for transport, but we have taken it with us on trips (it is foldable.) Dogs should never be in the crate for more than 8 hours (we never left them in that long other than night time, and during puppyhood we kept the crate in our bedroom.)

That’s what it sounds like to me - this is a good tip-off:

And also the part where you say she chewed the molding when she was shut in the bathroom. She was trying to chew her way through to find you.

It’s unfortunately not uncommon for pound dogs who have been given up to have separation anxiety. Definitely talk to your obedience trainer about it.

Does the place you got your dog from loan crates? It wouldn’t hurt to ask - if they don’t they might have other ideas for you. If a crate is too expensive, try an ex-pen or use a baby gate to gate her into an area where it will be easy to clean up if she pees or poos, like the kitchen.

Here’s the Humane Society’s info on separation anxiety - a good trainer can help you with more specific techniques:

You’re going to break your dogs hose?

Jeez, in my day all we did was cut their nuts off! Talk about making sure! :eek:

Damnit, JohnT! Ya beat me to the joke I was gonna make! Well you know what? I’m just going to pretend I didn’t see your post…
Dog Hosebreaking Advice Needed
Ummm…I believe the term you’re looking for is “neutering”.

Crate training. Personally, I am not good enough to house train a dog any other way. Also, if possible train the dog as narrowly as possible. That is, do not just train it to eliminate “outside” but rather to eliminate in a specific spot outside. Take the dog out on a leash to a specific spot and reward good behavior (elimination).