Help Needed! Potty Training Advice

spork3127

Big Easy Brain Drain
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May 13, 2012
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Rome, Ga
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Lady Ellie Mae McPigglesworth
After skimming through a few topics here hoping to find something similar, I decided to start my own. Ellie seems to be going backwards with crate training. She has gone from making it from about 10:30ish until 6:30 a.m. without peeing in her crate to a wet blanket almost every morning over the past week. Also, she is kenneled during the day in her crate while we're at work. The week before last she was going from her last morning potty (7:30) to lunchtime (11:30ish) without wetting her crate. The past week, there's been a wet blanket everyday. I know at only 4 months, there are going to be mistakes, but it seemed like we were starting to turn a corner for the mornings. Afternoons always seem to have a mess as she's had plenty to drink at lunch and has to wait until close to 5:00. That part isn't the most frustrating.

Here lately she has been VERY stubborn in regards to peeing outside. We have a fenced in back yard that is mostly wooded with a tiny piece of grass that's more like weeds and she has no problem pooping in the back yard. She only seems to pee back there in the morning and at lunch if there isn't already a mess in her crate. We've tried the giving her 10 minutes to potty, then 5 in her crate, and then back outside routine, having her on a leash, giving her however long it takes, etc. She just seems to want to play with all the sticks. The kicker is that we can take her around to the front or side yards and she squats within a minute or 2. That was the case tonight after staying outside for 45 minutes to get her to pee. 25 minutes off leash and another 20 on leash. I took her around to the side yard and she was squatting in under a minute. This isn't the 1st time that this has happened, but every time that she's went around to the front or side yards, she's been on leash. I'd prefer that the front/side yards not be an option as they are not wooded and we have them treated and actually have grass there. Is there anything that we're doing wrong? We've been keeping her on the same schedule from day 1. She has only pooped inside twice the 2 months that we've had her, but she seems content to just pee in her crate. It's really frustrating.

:wallbang::wallbang::wallbang:
 
Last edited:

JAKEISGREAT

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Mar 25, 2011
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Well..I would take the blanket out of her crate. I know it seems mean and uncomfortable but often this is the problem. My thought is she likes to pee on the grass. I would let her pee on the grass. They do get easily distracted when presented with sticks and "stuff"!! The other thing to watch out for is the possibility of a bladder or UTI infection..but I doubt that because she is holding it so as to not pee in back area! Just be persistent...I know sometimes you feel like she will never get it..but she will.
 

RiiSi

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So she is crated during the day and night? 5 hours is the max you can expect for a 4 month old to hold it. Maybe try an X-pen around the crate with a pee pad?
 

RaRett

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She might equate 'Backyard' to Play area - are you doing alot of play there? Dont feel so bad, I'm a stay at home dad, and I'm still trying to get Hershey house broken. I have to walk him out of the house, across the patio and stand in the grass for him to come down and do his business. Keep on working :) its called 'Training' for a reason, but my question is, who is training who? LOL :)
 
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spork3127

spork3127

Big Easy Brain Drain
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May 13, 2012
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Rome, Ga
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Lady Ellie Mae McPigglesworth
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Thanks for the replies. I'm not "too concerned" about the length of time that she can hold it given her age. With our work schedules, I fully expect there to be accidents until she's older. My thing is that having a heavily wooded lot, I do like having a nice looking yard in the front and would prefer that it not have crop circles if I can prevent it. :2thumbs: She'll :poo:in the back yard without hesitation and she was doing the same about peeing until recently. I did try taking up her blanket this morning before I left for work and gave her just her pee pee pad and some toys. Hopefully I won't have pee soaked confetti when I go home at lunch. :pray:
 

Baconator

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Apr 12, 2012
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Bacon went through a regression as well with regard to wetting his crate/day pen and it was extremely frustrating. We just kept doing the same thing and after some time he got back on track. Now he is to the point where he won't even go outside to pee during the day even though he has a doggy door to go out, he just holds it from when we leave for work until when we get home and he's 8 months old.
 

GatorRay

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They like to urinate on a soft surface and the grass and crate blankets might be just what she likes. Take the blanket out of the crate to start then offer a treat when she pees in the back yard. I know it is FRUSTRATING!!! But she will get it and it will be a happily ever after :)
 
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spork3127

spork3127

Big Easy Brain Drain
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May 13, 2012
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Rome, Ga
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Lady Ellie Mae McPigglesworth
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Thought I'd update this, but we took the blanket out yesterday and had a pretty good experience. She did wet on her pad in the morning, but was dry at lunch. Since lunchtime yesterday, she's done much better about wetting in the back yard. Maybe it was just a stubborn phase for a week or so.
 

JAKEISGREAT

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Thought I'd update this, but we took the blanket out yesterday and had a pretty good experience. She did wet on her pad in the morning, but was dry at lunch. Since lunchtime yesterday, she's done much better about wetting in the back yard. Maybe it was just a stubborn phase for a week or so.


​STUBBORN???


A WEEK OR TWO??? :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:

ummmm...sorry.....try a lifetime....after all these are :bully: we're talking about.
 
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spork3127

spork3127

Big Easy Brain Drain
Community Veteran
May 13, 2012
542
35
Rome, Ga
Bulldog(s) Names
Lady Ellie Mae McPigglesworth
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  • #10
​STUBBORN???


A WEEK OR TWO??? :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:

ummmm...sorry.....try a lifetime....after all these are :bully: we're talking about.

She's actually been pretty good so far. but I'm sure that there's more stubbornness to come. I guess some of us are just better bully parents than others. :whistle::tease::tease::lmao:
 

2BullyMama

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