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smatulewicz User is Offline

Michigan

MH
Posts:1188

01/20/2012 8:37 PM
There is another recently posted potty training issue...so while those experienced are thinking about it...here's another Bella is almost 4 and half months old. She picked up on going outside within the first week of being with us (10-11 weeks of age). I am home right now and took her out before she had the opportunity to have accidents, but should it almost occur she would try and sneak it because she knew it wasn't acceptable. When would see her squat we would sternly say NO (which cut off her flow immediately causes very few full blown accidents) and usher her outside and praise for finishing. Bella makes it through the night with no accidents, if in her kennel during the (never really more than a few hours if anything) she lasts fine. She can hold her potty on errands and will wimper even in the pet store to let me know she needs to go (which is common when she smells a lot of new smells and gets excited). We always potty before getting in the car or going in any place (including home). Bella has never learned to give us clear cut signs she needs to go out. Early she would wimper, and I would take her out and things were going well I assumed that was her sign. But now, she has grown to wimper in protest at more things and I have to guess which is to go out. This would be no big deal IF she was holding her potty longer than she is. She may wimper 15 minutes aftering being out, no water upon return, nothing overly exciting so I'll assume it's not to go out..and within a few seconds she is squatting. We are taking her out when she is out of her kennel probably every 20 or 30 minutes. If this is normal for her age... wonderful. I feel better! But I talk with other people with puppies saying they can reliably trust their pups a couple of hours when they are up and active. I have started having her piddle about two times before we go back in but this hasn't made a difference. My other fear is I took her out TOO much in the early stages and she isn't learning to control her bladder. My husband did not want a bell on the door or teaching her to bark...and I'm not sure whatelse to do to teach her to tell us. I try having her "touch" the door each time we go out, but it's just not doing anything.

Texas Belle User is Offline

Austin, TX

MH
Posts:7835

01/20/2012 10:35 PM
My experience with shorthairs is they sometimes have a backslide on potty training just before they finally get it which may be what is going on here. My advice is don't wait for her to let you know because she is still young enough that she may not think about it until she is too late. Anticipate and take her out. If she does whimper err on the side of caution and take her out. I know it is a pain right now, but it won't be much longer and she will be fine. That said my oldest shorthair will sit at the back door literally till the pee runs out without a sound and she is now 8 years old. My other dogs will come and get me, but before I had other dogs I had to check periodically. Each one is different, but most do let you know one way or another that they need to go out once they are a little older.

Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna) Yellow Rose GSPs "A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato

Splat

Illinois (Northern)

MH
Posts:3130

01/21/2012 6:05 AM
my oldest dog Blitz just stares at you and doesn't even go to the door just gives you this stare which was hard to pick up on...now my youngest Striker he will go to the door and whine or knock on it with his foot... I don't think you did wrong by always taking her out, I did that with mine cuz I didn't want to clean up accidents so I just always took them out...they figured it out... Plus I think when they are laying down at night or in their crate it is easier to hold it than when they are up and doing stuff...I know alot of people get up at night to pee (lol) but I don't and I have to go a few times during the day, LOL!

mckee.lucie User is Offline

Seattle, WA

MH
Posts:202

01/21/2012 4:43 PM
Bella sound very similar to what Luna did when she was her age. I knew she could hold her bladder for 3-4 hour stretches if needed, because she did great in her kennel that long, and would last 8 hours at night. But when we were at home during the day and were either playing or just "available" to her, she seemed to be wanting to go out more often than that, and we weren't sure as well whether to take her out when she asks every time just in case or make her wait. We found out that what worked best for us, which may be different for every puppy, was that we rather preferred to take her out every 1-2 hours because over time she did outgrow the "whimpering" to go outside to just take a quick short squat, and need to go out soon again. We also though had to pay attention to make sure that as soon as we came inside she didn't go straight to her water bowl and drink a bunch because then she really would have to go out within another 10-15 minutes. I think in the long-run it paid off because she didn't make any accidents for us in the house from around 4 months on and we would always give her LOTS of praise every single time she went to the bathroom outside and kept a very close eye on her at all times when she was in the house with us to see any cues she was giving that she needed to go to the bathroom, and when she got to around 6-7 months old she seemed to outgrow her need to go out just to take a little pee. She quickly figured out that indoors was for napping, snuggling, eating, and more calmer play/relaxing time and going out meant it was time for some more active fun exercise/play that would get us really tired and ready for nap and lounging afterwards. If I had to do it all over again I'd probably do it the same way. Before you know it she'll outgrow this stage and her bladder will be able to hold it much longer! Don't forget, she is still only 4 months old Sounds like you're doing a great job with her!

smatulewicz User is Offline

Michigan

MH
Posts:1188

01/22/2012 6:30 PM
All day today she has been great. Holding it longer, looking at me before running into the kitchen and sitting on the rug near the door. I was mostly worried she was going too much compared to what others mentioned theirs go at that age, but sounds fine. She is does not drink water many times a day but when she does she drinks a pool.

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