# Quick query re accidents



## Cris (Jun 15, 2011)

Hi, just wondered if anyone can offer advice. Keltie has been brilliant going outside to do her business, but today we've had two accidents where she has peed on our rug. It is raining heavily and I've got the doors shut, but she didn't seem to mind going out earlier and whined by the door. 

However, would I set her training back if I put a puppy pad by the back door in case she needs to go, or should I just watch her like a hawk and let her out when I think she wants to go?


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Not sure Cris... I'd be inclined to get my coat on and go out with her when you think its time for her to go. Mine are both reluctant to go out in the rain but are old enough to hold it for hours.... however when Mable was little we kept a towel by the door for them to walk on to dry their feet when they came in ( we got Mable in Nov) and she often squatted on this to wee .... alot cumfier than cold, wet, frost or snow x


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

I'm an advocate of proactive potty training, ie when Dylan was little I would take him out every hour rather than watching him for signs that he wanted to go. I would give a command and reward and praise when he went, so he learned quickly to go on command. Even now I still do that before we go to sleep at night.


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

I agree with Helen. We took Lolly out often and named her going to the toilet in a praising tone of voice ie "Toilet". While the weather is warm at the moment the back door is usally open so she will take herself of to the garden but I still praise her when I see her going. 
Lolly will now go on command which is handy as I can be sure she has gone before we get in the car for example.


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

Cris, its the watch like a hawk for me. I'm up and down like a yo-yo, when she wakes up from a nap, when see finishes playing, when she starts to sniff about its out of the door and on the hour every hour and our word is quickly and lots of praise. An umbrella is permanently by the back door. 
Karen's right its better now than trying to get a puppy to go out in the winter and 2 foot of snow. We got Poppy in November.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Yeh thats what I did out all the time, not fun in winter. Wilf would wee to command but Mable only really caught on once she was properly trained and could hold it. If I tell them to wee when we are going out Wilf will go if he needs to and generally comes back in and gets in his bed cos he realises that why Im asking x


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

She's young, you're going to get accidents I'm afraid. Certainly be diligent but definitely take her out every hour. If she doesn't go after a few minutes, take her back indoor.

There's a theory that using puppy pads is counter productive as they end up only going on those. However, I got so fed up with Millie having accidents that I tried puppy pads. She ignored them and still had accidents elsewhere 

I was told by my dog trainers that a puppies bladder is late is developing control at 16 weeks, so don't be too hard her or yourself. She's only a baby. I was advised to clear up any accident with a biological cleaner to remove odour that may attract her back to the same spot. Not sure it worked, we still had accidents.

One day she did nothing but accidents and I was in despair. I goggled to see what I was doing wrong and I read a lovely piece by someone which went something like this....

_If you puppy has an accident in the house, get a rolled up newspaper and hit yourself with it! When they are very young puppies its not their fault, its yours for not paying attention._

It helped me get my sense for humour back, clean up and get on with the job 

As she got older, say 14-16 weeks she had the very odd accident as if she didn't mind going inside or outside!! A police dog trainer said that even if I find the accident some time later, I had to take Millie to it, hold her nose near to the spot and give a firm No and take her straight outside and give the toilet command. And of course give plenty of praise for actually going outside. I felt mean telling her off, but only had to do it a couple of times. She got the message.

I think puppies are like children, good at some bits of development, bit slower at others. Millie never gave us a disturbed nights sleep, but was a nightmare getting the hang of toilet training.


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## Cris (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks everyone. I think the rain caught us out today, as couldn't find my umbrella, rain jacket was upstairs in wardrobe, and shoes nowhere to be found! Lesson learnt, will now leave all 3 by back door, plus large towel to throw over myself if can't get clothes on quick enough! I really don't mind accidents, it's inevitable, and you're all right we've slackened our guard a bit - just had chat with kids and told them they have to be more alert when I'm not around. 

On a positive note, Keltie has taken herself to bed already tonight. She popped into her crate, snuggled down and is now having sweet dreams. So glad she sees her crate as an extra home and doesn't seem threatened by it.


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

You do let your guard down sometimes, don't you? I think that it's not a straightforward road - two steps forward, one step back (just like potty training with kids!) and when you think they've got the hang of it, suddenly you realise that your socks are wet and they clearly have gone backwards somewhat 

Rosie is 6 months and I still walk her out morning and night, and every time I let her out of her cage during the day, to make sure she wees. And the door is generally open when we are home during the day. So when the weather turns, we are going to have to be careful and make sure we are letting her out as I'm not convinced she will whine at the back door!


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

We took Beau out every hour too as she wouldn't even use the puppy pads! She then started to run to any door in the house whilst looking at us to let us know she needed to go out. If you don't have any stain and odour remover our trainer said to use biological washing powder/liquid as removes the odour so she wont keep going back to the same spot


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

weez74 said:


> So when the weather turns, we are going to have to be careful and make sure we are letting her out as I'm not convinced she will whine at the back door!


Thats a good point. Millie will bark when she loses her ball under the settee, but won't make a sound when she wants to go outside, just stands quiety  How do you teach them to bark at the back door?


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

Lolly went at sat at the back door yesterday and luckily my son noticed her. I'm wondering if she would have started making noises as she got more desperate. We've discussed getting a bell by the back door (as I've seen discussed on here before) and trying to train her to ring the bell. Might be something we'll do as Autumn aproaches and the door is shut more often. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has bell trained their dog. i'm presuming you ring the bell each time you open the door to let them out into the garden and hope the dog catches on and rings it too?


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Dexter always sniffs the ground when he needs to wee- I must admit I watch him like a hawk and whip him outside at the tiniest sniff! Luckily we have had very few accidents.


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## spindlelegs (Mar 25, 2011)

Cris said:


> Thanks everyone. I think the rain caught us out today, as couldn't find my umbrella, rain jacket was upstairs in wardrobe, and shoes nowhere to be found! Lesson learnt, will now leave all 3 by back door, plus large towel to throw over myself if can't get clothes on quick enough! I really don't mind accidents, it's inevitable, and you're all right we've slackened our guard a bit - just had chat with kids and told them they have to be more alert when I'm not around.
> 
> On a positive note, Keltie has taken herself to bed already tonight. She popped into her crate, snuggled down and is now having sweet dreams. So glad she sees her crate as an extra home and doesn't seem threatened by it.


We had the same problem with Isla yesterday when it rained, luckily back to normal today Isla takes herself off to bed at 8.00 every night in her crate and always jumps in it if I am washing up in the kitchen where she can see me. It's good to know she likes it too.


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## francesjl (Mar 24, 2011)

I always took Scamp out every hour and told him to 'do a wee ', whenever he did I would jump around and praise him, he soon caught on and even now when I tell him he does it !! Only need to tell him if we're out or visiting somewhere and have a car journey.


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## dogtastic (Jun 12, 2011)

Hi Cris

Apart from a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon and a brief lull this evening it hasn't stopped pouring with rain here since we brought Biscuit home  We are getting VERY wet with all the visits to the garden ... after waking up, after play, after drinking, after food etc etc!!!! 

She loves the rain and doesn't want to come back in. She's now discovered digging in the soil which is lovely as she is filthy to come back in the house. We've got a towel as a doormat (she's eaten the real doormat) which we make her wait on while we use an easi-dry towel to get the worst of the mud off her paws.

I can't wait for some nice weather - I've never spent so much time in the garden before  Best wishes, Karen x


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

dogtastic said:


> Hi Cris
> 
> Apart from a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon and a brief lull this evening it hasn't stopped pouring with rain here since we brought Biscuit home  We are getting VERY wet with all the visits to the garden ... after waking up, after play, after drinking, after food etc etc!!!!
> 
> ...


Ah, that made me laugh - puppy owning is such fun! The intervals do get longer, honest. I am not very good at schedules or organisation or anything, and I found that after quite a short time, I had stopped taking her out every hour, I was just picking up on the signs. You'll notice them soon enough. With Rosie, it was a slightly excited sniffing, whilst wandering around the edges of the room. 

Luckily for us, Rosie's arrival coincided with that HUGE long dry spell from the end of February onwards!


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