My Westie Has Lived With Us For 5 Months And Is Still Not Potty Trained. Help Please!!!!?
November 16, 2009 by admin
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
We have a West Highland White Terrier. She is the cutest dog we’ve ever had and one of the best. She behaves well around strangers and likes children (too hyper for babies though). She gets plenty of attention and someone is home all day everyday with her. Yet she still goes to the bathroom in the house. She may do good for about 3 or 4 days but then she has an accident again. It’s horrible. I mean we shampoo our carpets all the time because we try to get the smell out so she knows that this is where you don’t go to the bathroom. What can I do to potty train my dog. She has accidents also when people come over. That is so embarrassing. We think that may be from overstimulation, because she is so little and people all love her and want to go to her at one time. Anyways. I desperately need your help to fix this problem with my dog. The rest of my family has just about given up.
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Do you actually watch her have the accidents? Reason being that the best time to correct your dog is to catch her in the act, say no loudly pick or drag her outside to finish her business outside. Its not cruel, but you have 30 sec to associate the peeing inside as bad. I understand when she does go, she acts guilty but thats because you are upset with the stain she doesn’t associate it with the act of peeing that is bad. If you can catch her in the act…I would also recommend starting from the beginning again- with taking her out every 2-3 hours when she is not being crated.
You’re right but the piddle accidents when people coming over…ask people to come in calmly and not to get her all excited since she is a cute puppy. Once she is calm then let her approach your guests…(my puppy did the same…but once we took a calmer approach we didn’t have our piddle accidents)
good luck- it will get better
kennel/crate training really works, even though it is hard to see them in a little crate for a long time, but with our puppy it has only been two months since we had her and she doesn’t hardly ever have accidents in the house anymore. Here is a website that may help:http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pe…
this is a good link to help you maybe you made some mistakes early on…. read the linkhttp://www.gomestic.com/Pets/How-to-Succ…
if you still need – make sure a vet checks the pup for medical problems – especially if you got it from a backyard breeder or worse – a pet store!
I remember the day’s Clyde (my dog) wasn’t Potty trained!… i used the old “put or rub there nose in it and then put them in the garden for ten minutes” it worked for me… good luck… don’t give up , she will understand in the end.
For hints on potty training, see the sites listed below. We have an 18 week old BT and we’re still working on it!
well you could use those doggie mats and train her to go there. i know someone with a shih tzu that does this.
have you tried crate trainging??
go to:http://www.pets.com/articles/7/0/344
hope this helps…
Begin toilet training from the beginning , take your dog every half an hour & say a word like wee wee & keep that word for that event. Stay outside a minimum of 10 mins or until the dog does something, give your dog a treat & praise like a nutter. Repeat every half hour then you can gradually increase to every hour & so on. Feed at the same time every day then you will get some idea when they need to do a number 2 , (usually not long after eating)
keep doing this until you can go a couple hours , baring in mind your dog will take longer to understand they need to go the door to let you know they need to wee. so watch her for sniffing or circling the floor , if she does take her straight out.
The weeing when people come is part of being a pup , ideally when someone comes make her sit still while they come in, no jumping up!
When the guests are in for 5 minutes or sat down then she may go to them but ask them to make her sit before she is stroked this helps reducing excitement so she wont wee.
punishing her for it is not good , it is not her fault she needs more time & proper training from the beginning.
you need to go back to basics with her & train her properly.
to the person below ” lisa ” never ever rub your dogs nose in its own wee or poo how bloody cruel of you ! it is your own fault your dog is weeing in the house as you havent let it out or often enough to do its business. you have to learn your dog right from wrong !
poor thing
anyway good luck with your westie op
just to add ..i house trained my pup in 6 days …. so im sorry but months is to long … you need to be firm & consistant. xx
my chihuahua who is very tiny did not go to the bathroom outside until she was about 9 months old
we kept her trained on the training pads
then finally she got the idea to start going it took lots of patience but it was worth it
just keep taking the dog outside when you wake up & keep her out there till she goes
then after she eats about 20 mins later take her outside & play with her & encourage her to go potty by saying it over & over
when she goes praise her & even reward her with a treat
hang in there their smart dogs..