How do I potty train an older puppy that grew up outside?

My boyfriend kept our puppy outside from 3 months to 9 months about, but now she is living inside at my house and I'm having a terrible time potty training her. She doesn't know when she goes outside that's when she is supposed to go. This morning she…

    How do I potty train an older puppy that grew up outside?

    My boyfriend kept our puppy outside from 3 months to 9 months about, but now she is living inside at my house and I'm having a terrible time potty training her. She doesn't know when she goes outside that's when she is supposed to go. This morning she…...
    Dogs Training Discussions : How do I potty train an older puppy that grew up outside?...

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.

    • How do I potty train an older puppy that grew up outside?

      How do I potty train an older puppy that grew up outside? Dogs Training Discussions
      My boyfriend kept our puppy outside from 3 months to 9 months about, but now she is living inside at my house and I'm having a terrible time potty training her. She doesn't know when she goes outside that's when she is supposed to go. This morning she started to go so I took her right outside to let her finish, left her out for a bit, then took her back in and she went as soon as she got in. Please help! Thanks.

      How do I potty train an older puppy that grew up outside?

      How do I potty train an older puppy that grew up outside? Dogs Training Discussions
    • Trying to re-train a pet that has already learned a behavior can be done, however it will take patience and vigilance on your part! When your puppy was outside she learned that when she wanted to go she could- anywhere she wanted. Now that she is inside, she sees no difference in her potty areas since she was never given any parameters regarding where she could and could not go. Positive and negative reinforcement of her behavior is crucial. When she goes inside, you need to use a stern voice and tell her NO, then take her outside. When she goes potty outside praise her wildly and give her a treat to reinforce that it is a good thing to pee and poop outside (since she gets praised and yummy treats) and that it is a bad thing to go inside (since she does not get any treats or praise). Never yell or scream at her though- she may become afraid at going at all around you for fear of being punished. Never hit her. If you find a puddle or poop inside, clean it up but don't make it an issue- you need to catch her in the act. Dogs live in the moment, and scolding her for going inside when you don't know when she did will only confuse her and make her anxious. You and your family need to be consistent with her potty training and learn the signs that indicate that she is about to go- nose to the ground sniffing in a particular area, circling an area, and eventual positioning for her to go. Nip it in the bud and take her outside. It will take several weeks of constant vigilance- but you will be successful! Just think of it as if she were only 3 months old- she learning proper potty rules only 6 months later!

    • Get a plan and stick to it. Limit the space in the house until the puppy can behave in that space, supervise the puppy until it can behave in that space and then graduate to more space. Take the puppy to the potty spot, use your commands, (you really just have to tell them what to do,), sit in a chair and wait, (You really have to make sure they do what you asked,) praise her when she does well. I use a crate* to potty train with, but only for potty training and then I break it down and store it. I put blankets and a small food and water dish in the crate. Dogs don't potty where they eat and sleep. When they are first little, I only expect them to hold their potty for 4 hours, and then 6 hours, then 8 hours and so on. So when they are first little, I set a timer or alarm clock to wake myself up at night to take them *out. I only allow my puppy in the bedroom* or the living room, only one room at a time. They have to graduate to more space. If I allow them to have full run of the house, it will overwhelm them. I take them out the same door each time. I tie a dinner bell to the door handle. Do not use a jingle bell as they could get their toe caught in it. So when they are little, I ring the bell for them, and then open the door to go *outside to potty. When they get bigger, I take their paw and whack the bell and open the door to go potty. Eventually getting to the place where the puppy will ring the bell and let me know when they need to go potty. Dogs want to please you, so it is your job to let them know what behaviors please you and what doesn't. So when my puppy goes potty, I give her a treat*, and clap, and make a fuss and praise her. So she learns that going potty outside makes me happy. If she has an accident, make a disgust sound like “tsst” and take her out right away. I never yell* or spank* my puppies. Take them out when they first wake up, after they eat or drink, before nap, finish romping, when their activities change, or when they are sniffing around. Some puppies go pee right away, but may not go poop until 10 minutes later, so wait for the poop. I have a little play time here, because sometimes I think they are done, and they are not. Puppies train at their own pace. While I may have a puppy that hasn't had an accident in several weeks, I don't let my guard down. I don't expect my puppies to be "fully potty trained" until one-year-old. If they have a setback, shake it off, and start over. I only have my puppies in the crate when I am not watching them. When I am sleeping, cooking, ironing, doing chores, basically when I am not watching her. All other times, she is out of the crate practicing being a "big girl." This is the time I train her how to behave in the house. So we are practicing "no barking", 'no biting", "no jumping", and "don't eat the furniture." I also have to practice "playing inside" so she doesn't knock over things. You must keep the puppy in sight when they are little because they don’t know the difference between newspaper and carpet, and you don’t want them sneaking off and getting into trouble. Some puppies can sleep through the night around 3-months-old, but their bladder is grown around 6-months-old. REVISIONS: *I use a CRATE to train with. It is the method I prefer, compared to other methods I have tried. I noticed that if they are in the crate, while I am doing chores, they are o.k., because the crate allows them to see me and be re-assured. The crate can also be a comfort when stored in the basement for dogs who live in areas where thunderstorms and tornados are an issue. . However, use the method that works best for you.....a laundry basket, a cardboard box, a woof-woof house, x-pen, child gates, whatever works for you. *OUTSIDE, pee pad, litter box, whichever method you are using. When the puppy is first little, keep the pee pad, litter box near the food and water dish, so the puppy can eat and drink, and then go potty. You can move it away as they get older. The pee pad has a scent that smells and initiates potty. Sometimes a pee pad makes a sound that scares some puppies, so you might want to use a litter box if that happens. The pee pad allows a puppy to walk around, but a litter box keeps the puppy in one place. *BEDROOMS, I use the bedroom and living room for training, because it works for me. Choose rooms that work for you, but watch for rooms that are damp, or drafty. While my puppies sleep in the bedroom during training, once they are trained, I let them sleep where they want to. They don't have to sleep in the bedroom forever. *TREATS. While I use treats for training, you don't have to. I like Charlee Bears for training (a little cracker for a little mouth,) I use them for training, but once they are trained, I cut back on them. *SOME PUPPIES will go potty in the same spot each time. Some puppies have to be told to go potty. A command like "go out" for pee, or "go finish" for poop, might work for you, keep saying “go finish” until the puppy poops. This is a good thing to train if you travel with your dogs. By using commands, the puppy won't get confused when you are visiting someone, on vacation with you, or when you get to a new home. The command will tell them what you want them to do in an unfamiliar place. You might also want to use a leash method, so the puppy doesn’t sneak off, or for strange places. *YELLING. It is not a good idea to "yell" or "spank" your puppy and then take them outside when they have an accident. They may get confused and think that going outside is punishment. While you want to correct them, if you are extreme, they may not want to go outside again. Shake it off, and resume your schedule. You have to keep it real. Puppies train at their own pace, but a puppy can only hold their potty for a few hours. A guide would be 1 hour for each month of age, plus 1 hour, so a three-month-old puppy should only be expected to hold their potty for 4 hours at most. SOURCE: These tips, tricks, and ideas were contributed from many brilliant minds. Thanks for your help!