HELP!!!

[Cassie D]

Hello all!

So, my boyfriend and I recently adopted an english bulldog. She used to be a breeder dog, she lived in a kennel her whole life, but was supposedly potty trained. She is 6 years old and her name is Harley.

She is not potty trained at all. She will hardly go outside and when she is, it takes her at least 30 minutes to finally go. She has only gone number 2 outside TWICE in the 2 months we have had her. We have given her treats, rewards, she goes outside on a regular basis.

Once she is inside and no one watching her, she will go to the corner and let it all out. I am taking ANY AND ALL advice on potty training.

We have tried...
Spray to encourage her going outside.
Spray to stop her from going inside
Treats every time outside.
Using a key word for when she does go potty
She will NOT go on a leash as we have tried many times
She only goes when no one is watching her.

She is also a very shy dog, and is easily scared of loud noises. She is on anxiety medication now which seems to help her, but not with potty training. We DO NOT want to get rid of her, but if this keeps happening we may have no choice. please help us!!

 

[CCandMurray]

I have no idea if this actually works or not, but I saw a similar product in sky mall I believe https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010...tDescription_secondary_view_div_1476149157306 they suggest you put some of the dogs urine (maybe even a stool near it) on it and the scent is supposed to attract them to use it again. I know potty training can be frustrating, probably even more frustrating with an adult dog. When I was potty training mine as a puppy I took a week off of work when I first had him and we went outside all the time, any time maybe 5-15 minutes after they drink water and just stay consistent with it. They are smart dogs and I'm sure she'll pick it up soon. Maybe seek out a trainer? Good luck and keep us posted with your updates

 

[2BullyMama]

Welcome to EBN.... schedule is a big help for this ... what timing are you using to train her?


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[Cassie D]

I have no idea if this actually works or not, but I saw a similar product in sky mall I believe https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010...tDescription_secondary_view_div_1476149157306 they suggest you put some of the dogs urine (maybe even a stool near it) on it and the scent is supposed to attract them to use it again. I know potty training can be frustrating, probably even more frustrating with an adult dog. When I was potty training mine as a puppy I took a week off of work when I first had him and we went outside all the time, any time maybe 5-15 minutes after they drink water and just stay consistent with it. They are smart dogs and I'm sure she'll pick it up soon. Maybe seek out a trainer? Good luck and keep us posted with your updates

Thank you for the advice! We bought some spray, stuff that is suppose to keep her away from going inside the house, and spray that encourages her to go outside and neither have worked so far! Unfortunately, my boyfriend and I are both in school so cannot take time off. One of us is home at almost all times. She is left alone for maybe an hour tops during the day by herself, but still goes inside! So frustrating. Thank you for the advice!!

 

[Cassie D]

Welcome to EBN.... schedule is a big help for this ... what timing are you using to train her?


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She goes out every morning right around 7 - 7:30, then again about 10:30, next time is 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and then a final time before bed. She will wake up in the middle of the night and go, and during the day when she is alone with no one watching she will go again.

 

[Lalaloopsie]

Sorry to hear this. I stay in China and here I saw a lot of animal cruelty normally not occurring in developed countries, especially towards breeding dogs. One of it includes keeping breeding dogs almost all time in cages, where they urinate and defecate, and all stuff just falls down through grid. They are actually never let out, so, in fact, they get used to relieve themselves in cage, and not used to hold urine and poop like normal house trained from puppyhood dog. You must also understand, that important natural instinct not to wee/poop where you sleep in these poor dogs is broken. From my experience here in China even if puppy spent 6 months in pet shop in cage, it is extremely difficult to house train him and accidents will occur. I think, that in her age you will face a lot of problem. The best you can try, is pee pads, try to teach her to wee and poop on the pad, and later move it closer to door. Good luck!

 

[2BullyMama]

She goes out every morning right around 7 - 7:30, then again about 10:30, next time is 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and then a final time before bed. She will wake up in the middle of the night and go, and during the day when she is alone with no one watching she will go again.

That is a damn good schedule... as hard as it is try to stay positive with her, her trust is still growing and if she was a puppymill momma (in crate 24/7). It is going to take a long time for her to be trained [emoji29]


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[Karen100]

My first bull dog was locked up forc7 months and it was very difficult to get her to stop going in the house. Everytime she went outside we gave her some Cheerios. Eventually she did get it but it does take time. Please be patient with her and it will happen. Good luck.

 

[2BullyMama]

[MENTION=15364]oscarmayer[/MENTION] Any insight?


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[Biscuitsmom]

Do you have a fenced yard or are you walking her each time? I rescued a pitbull that I don't think was ever inside either and it took forever for her to get used to going on a leash. Is she in a crate when you are not watching her? Until you can get her under control I would keep her crated until you let her out again. If you don't have a fenced yard how about a tie out for her just to go potty?

 

[Cassie D]

Do you have a fenced yard or are you walking her each time? I rescued a pitbull that I don't think was ever inside either and it took forever for her to get used to going on a leash. Is she in a crate when you are not watching her? Until you can get her under control I would keep her crated until you let her out again. If you don't have a fenced yard how about a tie out for her just to go potty?

we do not have a fenced in yard. she's a very good listener and so we usually let her wander as our house is backed up into a wooded area. However, if we need to go inside for a second we do tie her up. We just got a crate so hopefully this will help!

 

[oscarmayer]

First, let me say thank you for taking on a rescued puppy mill bulldog. As a rescuer for the past 17 years I can honestly say that puppy mill dogs have been some of the hardest work and most rewarding we have done.

As you are probably aware, most mill dogs live their entire lives in cages/crates with wire bottoms where waste falls through. They are never allowed to walk on the grass or smell fresh air. They are rarely ever taken out of their crates unless it is for breeding purposes or for delivery of litters. So you have to understand their lives have been very "flat", for lack of a better word. There is nothing for them to see but other miserable dogs, nothing for them to hear but other dogs barking, nothing for them to play with, and nothing for them to smell other than a meal that's shoved in their cages. They have never had a kind human touch or a mild voice speaking to them. So they have lived a life with NO stimulation whatsoever. Many of these dogs are 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation living like this. This environment takes its toll on an animal's mind, just like it does on people that have been captured or abused.

Your little girl honestly does not know how or what to do now that she has been lucky enough to find herself in a real home for the first time in...forever. She is shy with people and sounds because the only human hand that touched her were to just grab her, breed her or deliver her and shove her back in the cage. She may have never had a gentle scratch behind the ear or a belly rub, so she doesn't know how to react to this. She doesn't know what it's like to not be filthy dirty and smell like feces or urine. It was the normal for her for years. She seems to be getting the idea if she is going over to a corner to potty after coming back inside. I wouldn't fuss at her or spray her for making a mistake...her whole life as she knew it is completely wrong compared to what's now expected of her. She simply does not know any better.

I will be the first to admit that mill dogs are EXTREMELY difficult to housebreak and can be very trying to one's patience. Give her time....a couple of months is not long. We wouldn't expect a puppy to be totally house trained in a couple of months and this little girl is most likely going to take longer than any puppy given her previous conditioning. I have worked with them for 9-10 months before seeing marked improvement. Just keep remembering her brain is not used to having stimulation, so things have to be shown to her slowly and give her mind time to adjust to all the new things that are happening to her.

The things that the other members have mentioned on this forum is great advice as always. But I would add a couple of things if they have not already been mentioned.

Keep her crated when she cannot be watched. If you catch her in the act don't yell at her just quietly get her outside and hopefully she can finish the job outside. Continue with the routine schedule. I would add a brisk walk, if you can get her to do this. This will often get "things moving" and you will get the desired result when you stop moving. She is not use to feeling the grass/ground beneath her feet, so it may feel weird to her and she just isn't sure about it...maybe she doesn't like it. Try walking on a sidewalk/hard surface and see if that gives you results. If you have a yard try putting up an X-pen and leaving her in it, you can walk away from her and give her privacy. If the feeling of confinement is what she needs(and this may seem a little strange) put a crate in your yard and pull the crate pan out. Put her in the crate and walk a little way away and see what happens. Keep a log of the times she goes potty....for instance, 20 minutes after she eats, 10 minutes after waking in the morning, etc. If you can come up with a schedule then you can arrange her feeding, walking, & potty schedule around this. I would also find something extra yummy, like boiled chicken cut up in bite size chunks. Keep it in the fridge and take it with you every time you go out with her. Reward her behavior outside. Not just for going potty, but for just spending a few minutes outside or taking a few steps on the grass. Give her a little treat of the chicken and tell her how good and sweet she is. If you get her to go potty outside make a really big deal out of it. She will eventually realize that these new humans are not bad and they give me yummy stuff to eat.

I know some of this sounds a little over the top but the poor dogs that come out of puppy mills are so sad and need so much help getting their mind to accept what we take as normal dog behavior. If you can hang with her on all of her issues and be patient, really patient, she will most likely come around and be a wonderful and forever grateful best friend.

To those that have already been down this road with their rescued puppy mill Bulldog(any dog), you are very special!

 

[Cassie D]

[MENTION=15364]oscarmayer[/MENTION]
wow! thank you for all of your insight on this! Youre definitely right about noises and touches. She's getting better and is slowly becoming more loving towards us and is getting used to this new life. We just got her a crate and so far it has helped TREMENDOUSLY. She now goes outside and hasn't had an incident since crating her. She seems to be happier with herself as well, running back to us with a smile on her face after she goes potty outside.

Thank you all for your help! I think with all of your advice we are going to get through this with our Harley girl, she is already showing improvements!!

 

[2BullyMama]

@oscarmayer
wow! thank you for all of your insight on this! Youre definitely right about noises and touches. She's getting better and is slowly becoming more loving towards us and is getting used to this new life. We just got her a crate and so far it has helped TREMENDOUSLY. She now goes outside and hasn't had an incident since crating her. She seems to be happier with herself as well, running back to us with a smile on her face after she goes potty outside.

Thank you all for your help! I think with all of your advice we are going to get through this with our Harley girl, she is already showing improvements!!

AWESOME!! please keep us posted on how you are all doing

 

[TyTysmom]

[MENTION=15364]oscarmayer[/MENTION]
wow! thank you for all of your insight on this! Youre definitely right about noises and touches. She's getting better and is slowly becoming more loving towards us and is getting used to this new life. We just got her a crate and so far it has helped TREMENDOUSLY. She now goes outside and hasn't had an incident since crating her. She seems to be happier with herself as well, running back to us with a smile on her face after she goes potty outside.

Thank you all for your help! I think with all of your advice we are going to get through this with our Harley girl, she is already showing improvements!!

Love this update! It will only get better from here. My Tyson was a rescue and the love and appreciation they show once they know they are finally "home" and "loved" is the best feeling ever. Bless you & sweet Harley!


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