Mihla is a 5.5 year old fixed female. She was claimed from a shelter by the GSP rescue last October, spent 8 months in foster care, and came to live with us in June. From her teeth, we know she was a crate-chewer and from her nipples we know she's had at least one litter of puppies.

She pees in the upstairs hallway, the office, or the kitchen almost daily, sometimes twice, while we are at work (~7 hours of alone time). She sometimes wets even if it's just a couple of hours. If we shut her in the bedroom with us at night, she holds it or wakes us up. However, if we allow her the run of the house overnight, we find a puddle in the kitchen downstairs in the morning. Every once in a while, we get what I call a spite pee, which happens when she thinks we're about to take her for a walk and then we don't.

I take her for a run before breakfast, and we're out 40-60 minutes. My wife takes her for another short walk before she leaves, and Mihla also spends about an hour in the backyard.

Over the last few months, we've had what looked like progress. She'd go several days and even a couple weeks without an accident. Always, though, there's some variation to the routine (i.e., taking her out of town for a couple of days, my wife being away), and we're back to square one.

I've steam cleaned the carpets several times, aggressively pre-treating with Nature's Miracle. I use the NM to immmediately clean up any spots I find.

Crating is probably not an option. Obedience classes begin next month, and I hope that might help some. These are some of the options we've considered:

• Dog walker - I don't want the expense or a stranger in my house 5 days a week.
• Closing her in the bedroom when we leave. It's the one place she hasn't peed, but then again it's also the one place she hasn't peed.
• Doggy door - Not sure at all of the security or energy costs, and I'm not certain she would use it.
• Limiting her to one floor or the other with baby gates; doable, but in either case she would be in an area she has peed.

I'm at a loss. We love the dog and she is staying, but I'm going broke on cleaning products. Any ideas?

We got Shiraz when she was almost 5 years old. Our breeder decided to retire her and we fostered her between litters 2 and 3.

It took her awhile to figure out our routine. We had to learn her signals and she had to learn how to signal us she had to go out. It took a while and a few accidents but we both finally got it.

We also realized she is addicted to drinking water. Sometimes it's like she puts herself into a trance. Again, Bo is part camel so we had never had a problem after his initial puppy housebreaking. So, we went back to square one and always monitor how much she drinks and make sure we put her out to pee often. Our dogs are both crated when we are not home, so even when she has had the occasional accident at least it's confined to a smallish area.

Hope you both make it with your dogs. Shiraz is now 8 years old and there is nothing better than a GSP as they age. Good luck.

 Let me start by saying CONGRATS on choosing this WONDERFUL breed and a rescue!  You won't be sorry!

 If it helps any, we took in a sick stray age 5 months, who is now 5 1/2 years old!  She is an Aussie/Brittany mix.  I didn't think she would EVER be potty trained.... (You have no idea how very serious I am when I say that.)... I'm not exactly sure which party lacked the brains in the potty training operation, but she was not trained until age 3 (and only 80% at best!)_ She just recently became 100% full proof.....nearly 5 years later! We followed the steps below when training our 2 GSP's, and the Aussie  actually became full proof in potty training!  Accident free for 11 months now!!  

The Miracle Steps: 

1. Tile or laminate flooring!!  Just in case!

2. PATIENCE and CONSISTENCY!!  

3.  Routine  and anticipation are KEY...VERY VERY IMPORTANT.  FIRST and foremost: Forbid her access to all areas of the house other than the common area and your bedroom!

NOTE:  Close doors, use baby gates, whatever you need to do to ensure this.  It will make a world of difference. For the next 2-3 weeks, she must remain within an arm's reach ALWAYS!  NEVER take your eyes off of her!  Also, during this time, it is important that she not be allowed outside in the backyard EXCEPT to do her business.  Exercise her away from the house, running, walking, biking, and/or dare I say take her to the dog park!    She needs to associate the backyard for "the place,"  SOLELY!! 

4. Follow the below step by step:

  A... FEED....Feed smaller portions 3-4x's per day instead of 1-2x's per days.  This allows for more frequent practice of the necessary steps and enhances both the speed and level of success.

  B...Immediately kennel after completion of meal. You can designate your room as the kennel since she hasn't peed in that room, and since she doesn't take well to her real kennel. Stay with her so you can watch for signs of needing to go outside and/or catch her if she has an accident.  (note: If her pattern is to eat and then immediately need to go out, then skip ahead to C)   If you cannot watch her in your bedroom, just confine her to ONE room.....the room where SOMEONE can keep a constant eye on her until time to go out.

C.... After one hour, or sooner if she shows any signs sooner than an hour,  or her pattern is different, take her outside on leash (to her favorite area of business!).  The leash just gives you more control.

 D....After she goes, IMMEDIATELY praise the daylights out of her, say "good potty," and IMMEDIATELY bring her back inside.  You don't need to kennel her again until her next feeding unless you cannot trust her.  

E.  ALWAYS ANTICIPATE when she may need to go, and if she tells you, ALWAYS act immediately on it, and take her out.  Using the leash allows for IMMEDIATE praise (literally by voice while she's peeing and then by petting after she's finished), and it also allows you to IMMEDIATELY bring her back inside. I read that in order for dogs to associate praise with the current desired behavior, they must receive praise in less than 1.5 seconds!  The leash helps keep her close to you! Remember, until she is fully trained, she must associate the backyard with her "place" to go, and nothing else.

NOTE:   In the event of an accident in the house, Don't scold or scream out a sudden loud, "NO!!!"  in the midst of her streaming.....Also,  Don't run up to her with wild eyes shreaking, "NOoonnooonono!! while in the midst of her streaming....Why?    If your GSP is as smart as my GSP,   she will quickly learn....."Oh, I get it.... For an IMMEDIATE ticket to the backyard, get mom's attention, pee a little tiny bit on the floor  ( for best results wait until mom is staring into your eyes,)   .....Wait for it.....A loud shreak will suddenly permeate the air, and mom will come running towards me with bulging eyes and graciously  grant me access to my private showing of "The Backyard!"  ....run for the door!!!  That story is 100% TRUE!  In fact, my GSP is SO SMART, it only took TWO escapes of shreaking "NononononNO's"  before he was completely trained in earning his private showing of the backyard matinee!!    I'm still trying to figure out how to fix that wonderful little trick!  Luckily,  I am getting pretty good at reading his body language.....dogs have their own potty dance!  Seriously!   Just watch for it!

5.  Be CONSISTENT and PATIENT!!   If she was raised primarily outside prior to living with you, either before or during her foster care, she will likely have trouble for awhile.  GSP's are SUPER, SUPER smart, and they WANT to do what's right.  She will figure it out!   Ours are SO conditioned to this method, that if we are in a hurry, we will put a leash on them and take them out!! We are talking a difference of about 25 minutes!  They potty and poo on command!  It's insane!  

Hang in there! Persistence will pay off!