Puppy Potty training...help

Hey L.,
First things first. No, a one year old dog, no matter how big it is, shouldn't be having accidents in the house, especially if she can go 8 hours in the crate and not have any in there. Just as with children, you set the rules and with dogs, the rules are "always" or "never." Either they are always allowed to do something, or they are never allowed to do something. They don't understand, "well just this one time." I understand your dilemma with your husband recouperating, but consistency is important to setting the boundaries for your dog now. I recommend putting her back in the crate at night. If necessary, move her crate to the kitchen or laundry room. You may have an hour or so of whining, but eventually she will realize that she's in for the night and will settle down (if she barks, don't go in and 'ssshhh' her or acknowledge her...that's what she wants). I'm a registered veterinary technician with 16 years of experience and have owned more than my share of dogs over the years. Remember, all you do now shapes her behavior for the future. If you find she's having accidents in the crate, you may want to contact your vet. Urinary tract infections can be a legitimate culprit and cause some significant problems. Hope this was helpful. Remember, tough love!

Okay, I don't have much time, so I wasn't going to respond at all, but after reading these other responses I have no choice. ---- No offense meant to these ladies, they JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND! You have to have an 8 lb yorkie before you can understand one... and even then good luck. Our dog Dinky is 8 lbs and half yorkie, half maltese. He will be two in January. It seems to me that he goes through random spurts when he is upset with a break in our routine by de-potty training. I don't have too much advice for you on what to do and I have the pee-stains to prove it. We haven't had any problems at night since Dinky was just over a year old. He sleeps at the foot of our bed and doesn't jump off unless he needs to potty. I'm a light sleeper so in the event that does happen I wake up and take him out. But that is rare. I do just want to take moment to encourage you. Yorkies are puppies until they are about two (Dinky's just coming out of puppiness), and they are the most challenging (and rewarding) breed I have ever seen. Good luck and God bless. Feel free to message me back if you want to talk more! ----- (ps... Dinky DOES pee and poop in the crate we keep him in when we leave the house (where he also sleeps), so you can't apply a blanket statement to that like one of the other commentators, but count yourself lucky if you don't have that problem!)

Hi, L. - My advice would be to get the puppy back in the crate and don't deviate. You will save yourself a lot of headaches in the long run. Dogs usually adapt quickly; hopefully, the barking will not go on for long. Good luck! N.

I would take away the dog's water about an hour before bedtime, then let him go potty outside right before bed. My dog is 3 and will sometimes still potty in the kitchen at night, so I've just started putting him outside all night and letting him stay inside all day. Thankfully he's built for the cold (lab/husky/wolf hybrid), so I know I'm not a lot of help there. Anyway, I highly recommend the book Dog Training for Dummies. It was written by friends of a lady I work with, who is a dog trainer at our local country club. She said the book covers everything they go over during classes.

One year old is not a puppy. The house breaking time is when they are puppies, tiny little cute cuddly creatures.

What I do with my one year old and my eleven year old doggies is to take them out last thing before my head hits the pillow. First thing in the morning: out. They snore thru the night happily.

Crate is not meant for dogs. Dogs are not cage animals. When you use crate in the house, the crate itself is the house for the dog, and the rest is outside...literally. Toss that stupid cage! I weaned my rescue puppy out of it by keeping it in here only long enough that she was comfortable to be in our house. The door was always open.

We did have to house train her too at older than normal age, but that did not take long at all after the crate was gone. She made our home her home, and outside became outside.

It's great you are crate training. Dogs naturally understand the crate because they liken it to a cave or den - shelter that is theirs. Without a crate your dog feels he must be responsible for your whole home - and that's a lot of stress. The suggestions about limiting water before bed and potty breaks immediately before bed and upon rising are right on. Depending on the breed and size of the dog, some are puppies until they are 24 months old when they go through adolescence. The rule of thumb is that a puppy should be able to hold its urine as many hours as they are months old. Of course, you should never let your dog go more than 8 or 9 hours at a stretch, but certainly by one year, he should be able to hold it through the night. He could be reacting to the stress of the surgery and stress he's picking up on from you and other members of the household. Or, he could have a bladder infection or other medical condition and not be able to hold it. I would have him checked out by the vet to be sure you are dealing with a behavioral and not medical condition. Good luck!

L.,

I know it might be a bit of a pain, but a dog will never wet the place the sleep in. Try moving the cage to your daughter's room. Since the pup is crate trained, potty training shouldn't be a problem. Keep her in her cage at night and then first thing in the morning, take her outside to go potty. It will take a bit of work, but you can do it. I'm glad to hear that your husband is doing ok after his surgery. Remember that dogs and even cats or other animals will act out the stress we feel when things happen. Hope this helps, have fun.