Help Needed - Toilet Training Advice Questions

Discussion in 'French Bulldog' started by CornB33F, Jan 23, 2019.

  1. CornB33F

    CornB33F New Member

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    Help Needed - Toilet Training Advice

    Hey There,

    I’m looking for some advice for my 6 month old French Bulldog.

    We’ve been very fortunate with him as he has a fantastic temperament and personality, but unfortunately he has problems with toilet training in the house. To help understand where we are at with Freddie here’s some background.

    When we received him from the breeder, Freddie was four months old and hadn’t any toilet training. During the past couple of months we’ve worked tirelessly with him and have seen so many positive improvements, the problem is with him that he doesn’t show any indication of when he needs to be let outside to do his business, this can be quite frustrating at times as we have walked him and let him in the back garden a number of times before the accident does occur. These are now rare but unfortunately they do still happen.

    In terms of sleeping at night. We began by crating Freddie, but we would have to get up during the night to allow him to go outside, we did have a few accidents in the early days. Then he would bark and whine and this went on for a number of weeks.

    We then decided to bring his bed upstairs in our bedroom, he did go to sleep no problems but he would persist to get into bed with us, again it meant us spending the time getting up with him and putting him back in his bed. The only plus point to this was that Freddie never once had an accident.

    We then decided to move him back in the closed kitchen in his bed, again he settles without a problem. But unfortunately, Freddie will have an accident and use the kitchen as a toilet during the night.

    We feed him around 5pm, walk him and let him out a couple of times before bed to toilet, again no problem.

    We’ve now come to a point, we’re we believe we could do with a helping hand in getting Freddie trained to not do this in the house.

    It would be great to hear from anyone on the best approach.

    Thanks
    Matt

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  3. Chris B

    Chris B Member

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    He's only been with you about 8 weeks and you have changed his routine (sleeping area) a couple of times within that time.

    To be honest, I'd bring the crate back out and use it only overnight if he was clean when in it. My girl had 12 months of sleeping in her crate at night so that she was well into the habit of keeping clean overnight. At that stage, the crate was put away and she has had free run of the house ever since.

    Once he is more sure of his toilet training, he will start to give you some indication of when he wants to go. Remember, 8 weeks isn't a long time to establish solid habits. Be consistent and persistent with his training and that 'light bulb' moment will come very quickly
  4. CornB33F

    CornB33F New Member

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    Thanks for the reply Chris. The problem when we crate him is that he couldn't go all night. The only time he does'nt do it is when we moved him upstairs. Agree, we haven't been consistent enough and it will be a question of us sticking with the sleeping arrangement we have set up for him. We have started crating him again in the kitchen, with accidents. But we just need to persistent and embrace the messing start to our days.

    How did your crate experience go with your dog, guessing accidents, did you have to get up during the night regualry?
  5. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

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    For the first few weeks I always had mine in a high sided cardboard box beside my bed, so they could hear and see us, and could hang my hand nearby to reassure them if need be, Alarm set for every 2/3 hours for first week, working time up till they would whimper if they wanted to go. When they whined to go to the toilet it was a swift, out of the bed, outside for a wee/poo, No playing or fussing or anything else.

    During the day I kept them on lead when taking them out, go to the door use a command for them to go, and stay there until they did poops and pee's.(repeating command ) if you do this enough times, he will get the idea he needs to go outside for his business, have a tit-bit ready and praise once he has gone,I also had a fun play session outside .
    The more persistent you are the better.
    Also be sure to clean where he pees with an enzyme cleaner or vinegar and water.
  6. Malka

    Malka Member

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    Hello - the advice that Vee @GsdSlave has given you is far better than any I can. One thing I would ask you though, you say that you have started crating Freddie again in the kitchen "with accidents". Do you close the crate so the "accidents" are confined to the crate, or is the crate left open so he messes in the kitchen itself?
  7. Chris B

    Chris B Member

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    What's the set up in the crate? With Rosie, she had a crate big enough for her to stand, turn around etc and the bottom of the crate just had her mattress for her to sleep on. She never had an accident in the crate.

    If your guy is having accidents in a similar set up, then you need to set your alarm and get up to let him out during the night until he learns to hold it overnight. When I say 'let him out', you do need to keep him in sight and praise him when he's 'been'. Rewarding the behaviour you want (we used treats and/or play) will work far faster than reprimands which have a tendency to result in the dog doing it's business in corners or behind sofas where you can't see it
  8. BronsonTheBulldog

    BronsonTheBulldog Member

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    CornB33F likes this.
    I was wondering the same, as I open door crated little man and expected little presents each morning on the kitchen floor (which is easier to clean than bedding every time!) But eventually he could sleep all night without accidents.
  9. BronsonTheBulldog

    BronsonTheBulldog Member

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    CornB33F likes this.
    I can't believe how much he looks like mine!
  10. CornB33F

    CornB33F New Member

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    We have started to close the crate during the night, with accidents the past couple of nights. With the advice given, it might be a case of us getting up during the night and letting him out. The reason we haven't done that again, is that when we did have him upstairs with us he managed to go through the night with no accidents at all. Just persisted waking us up to get into our bed, which is something we don't want him to do.
  11. CornB33F

    CornB33F New Member

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    It's sounds like we have the same set up. We're just reluctant going back to that method as he has proven he can go all night with no accidents. I'm sure we will get there, eventually.
  12. CaroleC

    CaroleC Member

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    Great advice from Chris and Vee.
    Your boy is bound to be confused by all the changes that he has experienced in the last couple of months. I would pretend that he is a baby puppy, and go right back to stage one. Go outside with him and reward - a little tasty treat and lots of fuss - for doing his pees and poos outdoors. Leave an umbrella by the door in case it is raining, you may need to be out there for a while.
    Indoors, pay attention to his body language, is he looking for a corner to wee in, or hovering near a door? Take him out after every sleep, meal, or giddy play session. If you are consistent it will soon come.
    You may need to set a time to give him the opportunity to go out during the night. Yes, it is a pain, but it won't be forever. I use a crate in the same way @Chris B has described, covering the sides with a blanket makes it feel more like a den. Perhaps you could put it in, or next to, your bedroom, as it sounds as if he could still be missing the contact with other dogs - plus you are more likely to hear if he is unsettled.
  13. Malka

    Malka Member

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    Tikva's crate, which was and still is only for night, is in my bedroom and always closed. When she was tiny I lined the bottom of the crate with a puppy pad, and put a soft sleeping pad or folded blanket at the sleeping end, with a couple of Pereg's soft toys and the kaftan I was wearing when I picked her up, and she would eep to wake me when she wanted a bottle.

    She still sleeps in the same closed crate at night, but with obviously no need for a puppy pad in it now it is lined with a full size soft pad, and with a thicker sleeping pad at the end on which she curls up. And she eeps to wake me when it is time we surfaced. Late! But she does not expect me to let her out as soon as she knows I am awake because she knows how long it takes me to even get out of bed.

    It is the smallest size crate that the store at the Pension sell - but even though she is no longer the 450/500g three-week-old shrimp, now being 6.5kg and three-years eight-months-old, she still has plenty of room in it - even stretched full out.

    And when I do open her crate she takes a flying leap onto my bed so I can give her her morning cuddle, and only then will she race through to wait by the door until I can get there to clip her tether on and let her out.

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