Could I get some house training support from nice dog owners?
This past October, I was blessed with a geriatric dog. We didn’t know when we adopted her, but she was likely raised in a puppy mill and used as a breeder. She was not housebroken when she came here, but now she is as long as it’s not snowing, raining or below 40 degrees F. I have taken to tossing her outside 3 times a day and standing at the door, saying “go potty.” I can’t get too close to her or she won’t go. I feel terrible doing it! Can I get some support?
Pom, this isn’t a normal dog. She will not pee on a leash or if I am close by. I would love to walk her, but she’s not strong enough yet for long walks. I’m working very closely with a very good dr on her health, but no one around here knows how to train a dog who lived in a wire crate for 10 or more years. I was kind of hoping someone here would.
Frankly, I don’t know why I come here for help. You guys are so mean and you don’t know anything about rescue dogs.
If this is truly a puppymill breeder, you may have to look at things a little differently. First off, three times a day really is NOT enough. She needs to be taken out every time she drinks and every time she eats.
And if she is fearful, she needs to be taken out even more than that, to get her used to doing so.
You could try training her to pee pads first. Make sure you put them in a place that is convenient to outside, and don’t change the location-ever. If you can coax her to begin eliminating in one spot with you around, you can then move the whole process to outside, but you need to go WITH her every time, not just put her outside.
You have admitted that she is a mill dog, and you obviously aren’t having success treating her like a normal dog, so this is going to require work on your part.
A mill dog can be challenging, as in many cases they don’t respond to attention-they may not even want the attention. If you can find a wy to reward that works with her, stick with it. It could be a piece of food or just a pet, but you need to find the one thing that she will respond to with a little excitement. That will enable you to reward her when she does her business outside.
Puppy Training – Viewer Q&A