I brought home a 3.5-year-old female named Penny about a week ago. She was raised at the breeder's farm and has had three litters already. She is now spayed and seems to have been adjusting well to her new suburban life. The breeder told me she was "crate trained," but I need advice on how to train her to potty outside. Right now she ONLY pees in her bed. Whatever bed I provide her, whether it's a round "upholstered" dog bed or the pad in her crate at night, she pees on it. The ONLY thing she doesn't pee on is a folded bath mat she sometimes rests on in the den. While I've gated it so she's mostly in a tiled den/kitchen and she's not just randomly going all over the house, she even peed in her car seat. I've tried retraining her by placing a pee rag outside and leading her to it, but she never does anything. On short walks she will sniff around but never squats. She has pooped outside successfully when I left her in the small fenced area immediately after eating. I took her on the third day here to the vet for a check-up, and he said she looks great. Tests all came back normal. She's been such a sweet dog. I would appreciate any advice on what I should be doing to help her change her habits to go when she's outside.
I would pretend that she was 3.5 months old, and train her as if she was still a puppy. She doesn't just have to learn, she also has to unlearn the routine that she has had up to now. My formerly kennelled girl had lived as a member of a bitch threesome, and it was clear that they were used to just getting out of their shredded paper bed and peeing on sawdust. In a crate there is no escape, hence the wet bed each morning. You did have a minor success when you gave her a toilet break after feeding, I would extend this to letting her in the same area every hour, and after every sleep, playtime, drink and meal. Clean thoroughly with a bio product in the house, but allow a little scent to build up outdoors - she is likely to use the same place(s) each time. Good luck.
Should have added, Don't forget to let her know that you are delighted when she succeeds. Give it a name, Good Quicky, or whatever, and a tiny treat might make her want to oblige the next time!
Thanks, Carole! I will just adopt that puppy mentality. It's been a long time since I trained a puppy and I was hoping to avoid that with an adult dog. But your point about having her "unlearn" her old habits is a good one. She's not interested in the tiny Milk Bones that my son's Frenchie likes, so I need to find a treat she does like. Wish us luck!
