House breaking a small breed puppy? I'm going to pull my hair out.

[ChristusG]

A little over a month ago we got a 9 week old Chihuahua/Jack Russell puppy. Right now she is 14 weeks old and 2 pounds, 13 ounces. The pet store guy said she is supposed to get to around 7 or 8 pounds.....but my sister (a vet tech) said that she doesn't know if she's going to reach that size. She is soooo adorable!! However, house breaking is just. not. happening. One day I'll feel like we are making some progress, and then there are days like today. I knew that housebreaking a small breed dog is harder than a larger breed, just because of their smaller bladder size. But she does things that I just don't understand.

 

For example, we will take her outside, leashed, to walk around and potty. We will walk and walk and walk. Then we'll try standing still and letting her just walk around us. She may poop, but not pee. She may pee, but not poop. She may do neither. And yet, we will come back into the house and she will either pee or poop (whichever she did not do outside). Why in the world could she have not done it outside when we were out there?????

 

Or sometimes, she will poop outside and then come inside and poop again within just a few minutes!

 

We are doing everything right. Crate training her. Not letting her run free in the house. Taking her out at all the right times, etc. I. just. do. not. understand.

 

Any advice? Anyone successfully housetrained a small breed dog? How long did it take? I feel bad not letting her run around the house. The only time she is allowed to do that is if she peed and pooped outdoors. Then we let her run around with the kids and our other dog for about 10 or 15 minutes. But that's it.

[The Girls' Mom]

Oh, I think you may have hit the stubborn dog lottery with that breed combo.

 

We've had chihuahuas. They were by far the hardest of all the dogs we've had to house break. One never did get it.

 

We have a Jack Russell. The most. stubborn. dog. ever. She is uncannily smart, but will do nothing she doesn't want to. She was fairly easy to house train, but I think it was only because she prefers going outside (she can bark at the birds while she pees :glare:)

 

I cannot imagine that a mix of the two breeds would be easy to train. (Sorry, I know that's no help!)

[hornblower]

small dogs are notorious for this &

 

puppy mill dogs are notorious for this (& all pet store dogs are puppy mill dogs b/e reputable breeders will never allow their dogs to be sold through a store)

 

Patience. Patience.

 

Give her a small food reward every time she goes pee or poop outside. Take her out after every meal, when waking up, and every 2h.

 

Inside keep her tethered to you & if she starts looking like she might be going, carry her outside.

 

She's still very young. I would expect to see improvements at about 5-6 mos of age.

[Blueridge]

I have extra hair if you need it. :D :grouphug:

[Cindyg]

 

My little angel was a nightmare to housetrain. All I can advise you is -- stick with it. Mine was far older than 14 weeks when he finally got the idea. In fact, I wouldn't swear now that he wouldn't go in the house. (He's three now.) It was very, very difficult. And mine is neither a mixed breed or a puppy mill puppy. (And mine is considerably larger than yours, about 15 lbs.) Some dogs just have a really hard time with it. I guess like some kids potty train later. Just try to endure.

[ChristusG]

So there's hope it will get better? LOL

 

I guess I'm spoiled by our first "baby", my ten year old Jack Russell. He was easy to train, is smart as a whip, and is seriously the lowest maintanence dog you could ever ask for. He's only hyper when a new person first comes into the house. After that, he sleeps all day LOL.

 

I knew this one would be more difficult, but I just didn't expect for her to do things like go poop outdoors and then turn around and poop indoors 5 minutes later.

 

We do keep her leashed to us for the most part when she is indoors. But that's a pain because all she wants is to run around and she walks around things, gets tangled, etc.

 

Hopefully it will get better with time.

[unsinkable]

I think you are violating a board rule that I just made up.

 

No talking about cute puppies without posting a picture.

[Teachin'Mine]

I think you are violating a board rule that I just made up.

 

No talking about cute puppies without posting a picture.

 

I'll second the motion on that rule!!! :D

 

This may be counterproductive, I don't know, but some people have litter box trained their tiny dogs. I don't know if it's easier to get them to do that and then they can be trained to outside later, or if once they get this idea then they're going to stick with it. Also don't know what your other dog would think of this. But it's just a thought to help prevent puppy provoked premature baldness. :tongue_smilie:

[Beach Mom]

We have 2 yorkies, one is 3 and the puppy is 4 months. We trained them both the same way, although the puppy was more stubborn (and is a smaller dog than the 1st).

 

We hung a large jingle bell hanging down from the door where the dogs are taken out. We set the timer for 45 mins all day long. When the timer rang, we leashed the pup, rang the bell with his paw and took him out. Once outside you need a phrase so he knows why he is out there "go potty" "do your thing" whatever you choose - we use "Go outside". Say it to the dog as soon as he is out and everytime you take him out to go.

 

When he does it lavish praise. If he goes inside, take him over to the bell, ring it and say your catch phrase.

 

Within a week or so the dog starts ringing the bell when he needs to go. The side benefit is that the bell also tells the people when to take him out. We were skeptical with the bell process, but our breeder recommended it and it really works. Three years later the older dog still rings the bell when he needs to go out.

 

Good luck, puppies are cute and fun, but can try a Mom's patience.

[katemary63]

Have you tried keeping her leashed to you? This way if she pees in the house you can stop her and tell her "no" then take her outside.

 

:iagree: This is what I do will all my puppies. She'd be either attached to me, or in a crate. Every single elimination would get either a reward or a No!

[rafiki]

.

[ChristusG]

Sounds like I need to go find a bell and some puppy treats!!

 

My other dog, the Jack Russell, will paw the door with one foot several times to let us know he needs to go out. He won't know what to think about the bell LOL! Hopefully the puppy will understand it pretty quickly. And I'll be sure to give her a treat every time she goes to the potty outside. We have a phrase that we use already. We just say "go to the bathroom" since that's what we've always said with our other dog.

 

And I'm sorry that I violated a new board rule LOL! Here's Marley! Two pounds, 13 oz of energy.

 

 

[unsinkable]

Sounds like I need to go find a bell and some puppy treats!!

 

My other dog, the Jack Russell, will paw the door with one foot several times to let us know he needs to go out. He won't know what to think about the bell LOL! Hopefully the puppy will understand it pretty quickly. And I'll be sure to give her a treat every time she goes to the potty outside. We have a phrase that we use already. We just say "go to the bathroom" since that's what we've always said with our other dog.

 

And I'm sorry that I violated a new board rule LOL! Here's Marley! Two pounds, 13 oz of energy.

 

 

 

WOW! So cute, I can't believe it!

 

Marley, be good to your Mama!

[KidsHappen]

I can so relate to this. We recently acquired a 4 month old Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix and are having the same problem. I know part pf our problem is that we got the dog for the 13 year old and she is not quite responsible enough to be strict about the training. She was gone all day today so I was puppy sitting. I kept him leashed to me and made frequent trips outside. He had no accidents the whole time but as soon as my dd got home and took over puppy duty the puppy had three accidents within an hour period of time due to the fact that she was not watching him well.

 

He just doesn't seem to be making the connection between outside and bathroom though. I could almost live with it if it wasn't for the fact that he always seems to find a rug to do his business on. Even that would be tolerable if he would confine it to the wall-to-wall upstairs because we are going to have that replaced once he is well trained. It really burns me up though when he goes on my orientals though. I have tried to make them totally off limits to him but he doesn't seem to be getting that either. I have plenty of hard surfaces available but no he has to find a rug and then when we go outside he goes on the patio. It seems as if he is purposely going where-ever it is that I don't want him to go. Very frustrating. :glare:

[Mommyfaithe]

My new little dorky (15 weeks) is also having a rough time. He will not go up or down a step, therefore, he basically confines himself to the kitchen. He goes in the same spot, so I put newspaper down in there. He also has a big rubbermaid tub for a bed, and he likes to be in there and doesn't do his stuff in there either. BUT, he doesn't seem to connect outside with poop and pee...even though I take him every time he begins....I am going to try a bell in the kitchen and see if that works....hmmmmmm.....

 

Faithe