# Why isn't the housetraining working?!?!



## StephStew (May 6, 2013)

Ok, I am at a loss. I feel like I have done everything by the book but my little guy is just not getting it. He's crate trained and we also keep him in the laundry room sometimes. He's on a pretty regular schedule. I pretty much know when he is going to need to go so I take him out. But of course, as much as I try that doesn't happen all the time. I've been training him with the bell from day one. He knows to ring the bell right before we go out. Here's my question. When will he get to the point where HE tells me he needs to go out? He just won't tell me. If he's in the gated off laundry room he will cry. But if he's in the house he won't tell me. He will just go wherever. Is their a certain time/age that it should click? I don't really know what else to do. We praise and give treats when he goes outside. We take him out very regularly. I'm just at a loss. I would love any tips.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Maybe not a popular thing to say here but cockapoos are on the list of slow to toliet train breeds. With Rufus we went strictly by the book and he still had accidents. We turned the corner only after I showed him that we did NOT want him to go in the house. I would catch him in the act, show him the mess and give a low gutteral ahhhh sound. Then I'd take him out and make a big fuss whenever he peed outside.

I'm not talking about pushing his nose in it, just making him aware, which he hadn't been til then, that he was not to go in the house. I think it is worth the effort to keep him leashed to you indoors until you have cracked this. The life opportunities of an unreliable dog are so different from one ou can trust. 

Good luck!


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

You may be right fairlie as Bonnie took forever but Dexter was instant. Neither of mine ever asked to go out and Dexter was terrified of the bells I bought. I can only suggest you take him out every half hour and give him lots of praise when he goes. Also spray over every pee he does with a good cover up spray to make sure he doesn't go there again. Males love to go in the same place over and over again. Good luck don't despair you will get there!


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

It sounds like he knows that he shouldn't go in the laundry room. Kind of like he is house trained, but just sees the laundry room as his house. Lexi got it much faster than Beemer and Beemer just had an accident last Monday because I wasn't paying attention as I was working on something. I have an industrial sized enzyme spray because what I realized is that the urine was going through my grout and the smell would be there unless I really soaked it. If you have carpet, same principle except there's also carpet pad and wood below the pad. So when you spray, it can't just be on the surface but think how much pee has soaked into the carpet/floor. I also will feed them on the spots they (well, he) likes to pee. I had read that they won't use their feeding area to toilet so I move their food bowl all over. They do get it. Also if you are taking him out every 30 minutes, he never really needs to tell you he needs to go. Someone told me a great way to think of it - accidents are the way we learn. Catching them in the act (of course not being mean) made a big difference for Lexi. Good luck. You will get there.


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## Nellies mum (May 12, 2013)

I just think some dogs take longer then others. I'm a little confused as you say he rings the bell before you go out the door but doesn't ring them to let you know to go out!? Is this because you are telling him to ring them and he hasn't learnt to ring them by himself. I have used bells from day 1 with Meg and she is 100% house trained at 3 months old and Nellie was at 4 months. I think it was quick because of the access to the bells and catching them in the act and telling them no then taking them straight outside whilst ringing the bells on the way out. Does he always have access to the bells?


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

6 months...keep at it it will happen....Lady wasnt even close for a long time....she took forever to learn it. just keep at it, keep using the bells. it will happen


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## GorgeousGeorge (Jan 19, 2013)

Yep as Fairlie says a lot of cockapoos take a while to be house trained George did I think he was about 7 months old. OH was fed up with him not being house trained but then suddenly he was xx


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## StephStew (May 6, 2013)

Yes, he has access to the bells. And yes, if I am taking him out he will ring it on his own. He just won't go ring it by himself if he needs to go out. And we do make it clear that we don't like him going in the house. Thanks for the tips. I will continue to work on it. I know we will get there. I just didn't realize it would take so long.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Is it just wee accidents, or poop or both?
When you take him out for a walk does he poop and wee away from home - or does he hold on until he gets back to a familiar safe place, ie his home?

Dot prefers our garden to the big out doors and I have to always come in from a walk via our garden and she'll zoom off and do a big wee, even if we've been out for 40 mins or so. She does not ask to go out - but she has amazing control and hangs on until I let her out.

They are all different, as others have said your pup will get it, eventually  Keep at it and try not to get too frustrated, although it does get old constantly having to clear up accidents particularly when other people's pups seem to be really quick to get it.

What are you feeding him - on a dry diet dogs do drink more and some dog foods have a lot of fillers that mean there is more waste... Dot is the first raw fed dog I have had and I have been amazed at how little she pees and poops compared to other pups we have had.

I'd try keeping a note of exactly when he goes, and what he does, and see if there is a pattern - it might help to be able to anticipate.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

Btw, I know when I was going through the thick of it, it was hard as my guys weren't getting it and all these other people were talking about their poos not having any accidents and sleeping through the night. It helped me with reassurances that they would get there and to not worry about the fact that mine were a bit behind. But what will be remarkable is that once it happens, it's like they got it overnight. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

You will get there. Both of mine were trained very quickly but it just does click one day. Hang in there.


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## Grove (Oct 17, 2012)

Give him a bit of cheese as well as the praise when he goes to the toilet outside


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## Caira (May 27, 2013)

we are trained (and by *we* I mean us humans) we take Summer out religiously every 2 hours no matter what, since we brought her home I never let her go into other rooms unattended, she's always in the same room as me/or hubby or she's in the crate, so no rooms for making a mistake. Right before we got Summer, I watched one video on house training puppies and the man said " if you give them the opportunity to make a mistake, they will do it" so we took her our every hour and we only had in total about 8 wees in the house and 1 poo on the papers due to human error and forgetting the time. I guess by not having the opportunity to make a mistake, she now knows the only place she's used to doing it (and where she gets all the praise) is the garden and that's where she's happy to do it, But she won't "ask" she just sits by the doors quietly, waiting to be let out, so we have to really watch her to notice. I guess if I just left it up to her I'd be wiping up puddles non stop.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Max wasn't reliable until about 9months of age.....it just dawned on me suddenly that we hadn't had any accidents for ages! So stick with it. It will happen.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Lexi&Beemer said:


> it was hard as my guys weren't getting it and all these other people were talking about their poos not having any accidents and sleeping through the night.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


Dead right! With human children it is even worse, just when you boast that your baby finally stopped with the twenty four seven screaming you are bound to meet a mother whose baby happily eats tofu and slept through the night from the get go. One upping is a time honoured condition of motherhood, human or dog! You need a good sense of humour and thick skin to survive it!


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## John B (Nov 1, 2013)

Stick with it I'm a new puppy owner too and took JJ a few weeks to even realise he needed to go in the garden, I tried off lead but as my garden isn't fully secure I use a lead and he does go 95% of the time and most of the accidents are when we're walking through to the back door but I don't tell him off just say calmly no and rush him to the garden to finish and then he gets lots of praise  I wish his problem with chewing was going as well lol


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## John B (Nov 1, 2013)

John B said:


> Stick with it I'm a new puppy owner too and took JJ a few weeks to even realise he needed to go in the garden, I tried off lead but as my garden isn't fully secure I use a lead and he does go 95% of the time and most of the accidents are when we're walking through to the back door but I don't tell him off just say calmly no and rush him to the garden to finish and then he gets lots of praise  I wish his problem with chewing was going as well lol


I should add he doesn't "ask" to go I just take him out every hour or less and when he paces or has a big drink of water ect and he does still have the odd wee during the night on the pad in the crate (the only place I use them) then shreds the evidence so he isn't there yet either! At nearly 15 weeks


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## Sam1 (Mar 6, 2012)

Im sure max was 7-8 months when i could really relax.

Keep up the good work, it will happen, youll suddenly notice you d not had any puddles and rejoice!
X


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## Florida Cockapoo (Aug 24, 2012)

I didn't think Piper would ever get trained either. But in the lasted 5 days and she has had only one accident and now asked to go out side. She will either voice she wants to go out or sits in front of our sliding glass door. Which is the main "door" we use to go out side. 

I do have to say her last accident happen even though I had taken her out 3-4 times. So I'm sure I will have a few more accidents before she is fully trained.

Piper is almost 6 months, so some poo's do take longer. But I think she is finally getting it, but when she asked to go out it's not always to go to the bathroom. But I still take her out no matter what.

I was lucky when she was young as she did sleep through that night. I did take her out the first few weeks. As I was told that's what you are suppose to do. But I figure out she didn't need to go out in the middle of the night. But did take her out right away in the morning.


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