Potty Training Toy Schnauzer

I have an Italian Greyhound with a bladder the size of a pea! she is 4-5 yrs old so she isn't going to grow out of it, and here is how I handle it. first of all most dogs do not poo and pee where they sleep that is true but if the crate is to big they will "go" in the crate next to where they sleep. or if their tiny bladders are too small or untrained they will "go" in the crate because they have not other choice. for my little Lucy, I have a bigger crate and inside I have her Doggie Bed, and every time she had an accident I had to wash all the doggie bedding because it would get wet or dirty, so now I have her Doggie Bed set inside a low sided cat box to keep it from getting wet and I don't have to wash it after each accident (and she can easily get in and outof it). next I put a pee-pee pad down so clean up is easier. it has made my life so much easier. Instead of fighting her tiny bladder I have accepted it and make it easier for both of us, now she doesn't have to sleep in her pee and I have an easy clean up. I also have her crate slightly elevated on one side (about a 1/4 of an inch) so that pee never flows toward her bedding, which is helpful too. hope that is helpful! if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

You can't just get rid of a dog because they aren't trained. That's your fault not the dog's. If you do decide you can't keep her, then you need to work at finding her a good home and not dump her at a shelter.

Her crate is probably too big. Try a smaller one. How long are you gone during the day? Have you always left her like that all day? If so, then she hasn't really had a choice but to pee and poop in there, since she probably couldn't hold it. Puppies need to go out frequently. You have created a bad habit with her and need to spend some time re-training her, which can be difficult.

You need to feed her and let her drink, and then take her outside and stay there until she goes potty. Then reward her with a treat. You will have to do this over and over and over again until she gets it. I'm not a dog trainer, but I would think you'd have to take her outside every couple of hours. If you are gone for long hours, then you'll need to hire someone to come in and feed her and let her out. Or maybe take her to doggie daycare. And if you're gone all day and she's home alone, consider finding her a good home where she has interaction during the day.

Great advice from Robbe. Her cage is probably too big and she really needs more frequent walks during the day.

Also note the time you are feeding her and giving her water. My dog is older than yours by about a year and we try to make certain he is walked at closer times together. So my youngest takes the dog out when he gets home from school. If we happen to be gone all day, the first thing that happens when we get in is the dog is taken out.

Consistency is very important for your puppy. She just wants to please you but you have to let her know clearly how to do that so make a big deal out of pooping outside. She probably isn't doing it now because she has completely relieved herself inside the cage. House breaking pads also help too because sometimes dogs just don't know where to go outside but can be taught to gradually go outside by moving the pad closer to the door and then ultimately outside.

Keep trying but more consistency on your part is needed. I think

Hi C., You have a lot of good posts. I don't want to repeat, but I DO agree that the crate is probably too big. That said, since your dog is a 'toy' breed, she may never be able to hold it all day. I had a toy poodle that I finally gave up on and trained her to a litter box (in her crate) .... she took to it immediately. A healthy dog will generally not go to the bathroom where they sleep unless there is no other option. Generally speaking, if they sleep all night and do not get up to go to the bathroom, then they should be able to hold it during the day.

Some things I learned were:
1. do timed feedings - leave food down for 30 minutes, then pick it up whether they've eaten it all or not. (feed her twice daily)
2. never leave food or water in the crate.
3. pick up all food/water no later than 8 PM.
4. take her out just before bedtime and again first thing in the morning.

Keep in mind that she is just like a baby .... you wouldn't 're-home' your child if he wasn't potty trained at 3 years old, right? Give her some time. Some of the other posts talked about consistency...this IS paramount! So, treat her like a baby....she needs to go after she eats, after she plays/drinks water, after she sleeps/naps.

I think if you'll be consistent about her feeding times/potty times, she'll be OK. BUT, if you are gone all day and you don't think it's possible to do all that, by all means, try to find her a home. She doesn't deserve to be kept just because you couldn't fnid a good home for her. She deserves to be loved and if she's going to be a constant source of irritation for you, she will never be able to know the full joy of sharing her life with a person who loves her in spite of......- nor will you ever be able to know the joy of loving a dog!

Good luck,
C.

Sounds like the crate is too big for your little dog, so she's able to poop and pee in one area and still stay clean by moving to the other side. So you need a smaller crate. We got our puppy in December (she was 5 months old) and this is one of the first things we learned. Her crate is comfortable enough for her to sleep in and stand up but there is no extra space, so if she did her business in there she would be forced to lay in it which of course dogs hate. And I learned that puppies can hold it for about as long as their age (i.e., 6 months old = 6 hours), up to about 8-9 hours in total but smaller dogs may not be able to go quite that long.

In all the months we've had our dog she has never done her business while being walked. Instead, put your dog on her leash and walk her in the back yard, in your preferred area for her to relieve herself. And be consistent . . . same time, same location, same process . . . every day. So when you first get home from work, then about 20 minutes after she eats dinner, then a couple of hours after that and of course right before bed. And when she does her business be sure to praise her! The praising really works! And when you start noticing that she heads to her special spot without your guidance, take her off the leash.

It's really all about consistency and praise.

Also, go to a pet store like Petsmart and ask one of the trainers for some pointers. We've gotten a lot of great help from them.

And if you do decide to give up your dog, DON'T give it to a shelter because many shelters still destroy unwanted animals. Go instead to a humane society because they put their dogs in foster homes until a new family is found.

Simple she is being left alone for way too long. My mini schnauzers require toiling every 2-3 hrs and I imagine a toy is a lot smaller. You wouldn't expect a baby to hold their pee all day same thing with a tiny dog. Small bladder equals peeing more frequently. Lots of people use those potty pads for their tiny dogs because it's just not physically possible for them to hold it an entire work day. I would not wait that long before rehoming her it's not fair to her. Please start looking now for a home with an adult home.

Hey there. How big is the crate? It sounds like it is too big. The crate shouldn't be to big. enough for he dog to stand up and turn around. If they can poop on one side and sleep on the other, the crate is too big.. Good Luck.

My "puppy" is now almost 3. Before we got him, I read a wonderful book called "The Puppy Whisperer" by Paul Owens and it really made things go so smoothly. Try it before you give up.
http://www.dogwhispererdvd.com/puppy_whisperer.html