Dog Housebreaking Advice

[SeaConquest]

Some of you may remember Cody, our deaf King Charles Cavalier. He is almost 11 months now, still intact, and having difficulty house training.

 

We are now living in a 5th wheel, so space is an issue. He has access to an off-leash dog park multiple times per day (where he plays with other dogs and sometimes poops), and my husband also takes him for a 15ish minute walk twice per day (morning/night, where he is 50/50 on pooping.

 

We have tried to "crate" him at night by keeping him in our room. He is not on our bed, but on the floor around the bed. It's about a 8 foot by 3 foot space. He has occasionally still pooped in our room at night. He will mark and poop in the kid's bedroom, so we have been keeping him out. He also has pooped in the living room/kitchen area.

 

We tried to crate him when we first got him in May, but because he is deaf, when he couldn't see us, he barked and cried all day and night long. My husband couldn't take it after a few days.

 

He does go outside regularly. The problem is that he still also goes inside. Sometimes, he is good for a week, then he will have accidents two days in a row.

 

My husband has been more nonchalant about it than me. From my perspective, the dog is not reliably housebroken, and this will continue unless we do something.

 

Any assistance is appreciated.

Edited October 31, 2016 by SeaConquest

[Pawz4me]

On average, how many times a day is he pooping? Do you keep to a relatively firm meal schedule? By his age most dogs who are kept on a schedule of eating and walks/trips outside are pooping either once or twice a day, usually fairly soon after a meal. If he's pooping more than that I'd look at feeding amounts (dogs who are over fed poop more) or consider trying another food. Needing to poop during the night can often be fixed by adjusting the last meal time of the day either earlier so he'll go before bed time or later so he'll be able to wait until morning. So . . . It could be a straight "he's not house broken" thing, but it also could be related to meal timing, how much and what you're feeding him.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Pawz4me

[ktgrok]

Nope, not housebroken!

 

So...you need to create an incentive for going "outside". Is he just pooping, or both, in the house?  Either way, whatever you are working on, be it both or just poop, give him a treat immediately after going (if he's outside, obviously). So he poops on the grass, and as soon as he is done (not when you come inside!) give him a really yummy treat. As he poops you can tell him calmly what a good boy he is, but don't get so excited he stops going, lol!

 

Then, put him on a leash and keep the leash attached to your body all day. Take him out every 30 minutes to an hour at first. I mean be totally over the top with it. Sooner if you see him acting like he needs to go. And since he's on a leash on your body, you will see him. 

 

If something happens and he somehow goes inside, you will see him, since he's attached to you. Startle him enough to stop if you can, but don't scare him. If you punish him or are over the top with him, he may learn to hold his poop around you. Then, he won't go when you take him out because he's scared to go in front of you, and will wait and try to sneak in the other room to go, or behind furniture, etc. 

 

So, attached to you. (not a kid, you). Treats every time he does the right thing in the right place. GOOD treats, not kibble. Feed him on a schedule, twice a day, so he will poop more on a schedule. Do this for 2 weeks religiously, and he should be trained. 

[SeaConquest]

I think the feeding is a big part of it. He seems to be a very picky eater. He is getting a complete diet of high quality frozen raw food. Most of the time, he lets it sit all day until he gets hungry enough to eat it. Often, that will mean that he is only eating once per day, as I don't replace it until he eats it. And it can mean that he is eating at all different times.

 

I've tried varying his diet with different raw food diets. Invariably, he is excited about it for a few days, eats twice per day, poops a ton, and then goes back to not really being interested, and eating only once per day. I've tried beef, chicken, rabbit, you name it. All different brands. I even mixed it with green tripe to try to entice him. It worked for a few days.

 

Also, there's no easy way to tell him no. He doesn't hear, so it's hard to show him you're upset. I just use his "no" sign. Poop seems to be the bigger issue vs. pee, except for the marking in the boys room and when we have had a lot of kids over. I'm assuming the marking is territorial vs. the pooping.

[ktgrok]

The peeing could also be him getting excited about all the company, and forgetting to let you know he has to go outside. Or playing more, so drinking more, and then needing to pee more. 

 

But follow my advice, I promise, I'm the housebreaking queen!  It's total bootcamp for about two weeks, but then much much better. 

[ktgrok]

Oh, and you can tether him to the bed with a leash as well, if you are careful. Or put him IN bed with you...seems he'd be less likely to poop in there, and you'd feel him if he wakes up and starts circling around. 

[MercyA]

Can you place his crate (securely!) up on a table, so he can see you while he is in it?

[SeaConquest]

Re tethering himself to me, he almost always is right next to me. He doesn't seem to care. He will still poop right next to me while I'm laying in bed.

[ktgrok]

Re tethering himself to me, he almost always is right next to me. He doesn't seem to care. He will still poop right next to me while I'm laying in bed.

He needs to be where you are watching him. The tethering isn't to make him not poop, it is for you to see when he's about to go, so you can get him outside. Put him up in your lap if need be, while watching TV or what not. 

[SeaConquest]

Can you place his crate (securely!) up on a table, so he can see you while he is in it?

Nope. No room for that in an RV.

[SeaConquest]

He needs to be where you are watching him. The tethering isn't to make him not poop, it is for you to see when he's about to go, so you can get him outside. Put him up in your lap if need be, while watching TV or what not.

He is always on the couch with us if we are there. We tried having him on the bed with us, but I'm pretty allergic. I might have to suffer through it.

[SeaConquest]

Do you think those little door bells would work with a deaf dog? He's cute and sweet, but not the sharpest tool in the shed. Do you think he would get it?

[ktgrok]

Do you think those little door bells would work with a deaf dog? He's cute and sweet, but not the sharpest tool in the shed. Do you think he would get it?

 

I think that works only if he really wants to go out to potty. You have to get him wanting to go out. But yes, being deaf wouldn't matter. Dogs don't do it for the sound, they paw the bells for the treat, lol. 

[MercyA]

He is always on the couch with us if we are there. We tried having him on the bed with us, but I'm pretty allergic. I might have to suffer through it.

 

How often do you bathe him? My husband and I are both slightly allergic to dogs, but giving our dog a bath about twice a week almost totally takes care of it.

[Plink]

Your cell phone is a lifesaver when housebreaking.  It is so easy to get distracted for "just a moment" and then suddenly realize that pup hasn't had access their only appropriate potty location for hours and hours. We always start with 2 hour intervals so that we have plenty of opportunity to reward for good behavior, and then adjust the length in 1/2 hour increments until pup is reliably telling us that they need to go outdoors.

 

Use ktgrok's method of keeping pup on your lap or tied to you at all times unless he is outdoors or in the crate, and make sure to keep super yummy treats to reward EVERY appropriate potty incident.  You want them to associate going outdoors to pee with good things.  We actually use one door for potty runs, and another for fun play, so the dog quickly learns what is expected of him from each door.  (Oh, and for anyone training a hearing dog, remember to set the ring tone to something other than one you use on a regular basis -  You don't need a dog dancing by the door while trying to answer a phone call from your realtor)

 

In addition, I'd revisit crate training for those moments when you really can't keep an eye on him.  Your dog will only whine and fuss in the crate as long as it works for him.  If you stop letting him out while he is vocalizing, he will learn to settle down.  Feed him in there with the door open.  Place lovely treats in there when you need to close the door.  Toss a thin blanket or towel over the crate to make it cozy and dark (and prevent him from seeing you), and he will slowly begin to treat it as his beloved den.  When it is time to let him out, make sure that he is quiet, even if that means counting to 10 between barks and trying your best to time it right.  Crate training is really a blessing to anxious dogs.

[SeaConquest]

 

In addition, I'd revisit crate training for those moments when you really can't keep an eye on him. Your dog will only whine and fuss in the crate as long as it works for him. If you stop letting him out while he is vocalizing, he will learn to settle down. Feed him in there with the door open. Place lovely treats in there when you need to close the door. Toss a thin blanket or towel over the crate to make it cozy and dark (and prevent him from seeing you), and he will slowly begin to treat it as his beloved den. When it is time to let him out, make sure that he is quiet, even if that means counting to 10 between barks and trying your best to time it right. Crate training is really a blessing to anxious dogs.

This is exactly what we did. He hated every second in the crate. He is not an anxious dog at all. He's just incredibly social and attached to us. Cavaliers are just people dogs.

[SeaConquest]

How often do you bathe him? My husband and I are both slightly allergic to dogs, but giving our dog a bath about twice a week almost totally takes care of it.

About once per week, but sometimes more. It does help. :)

[Plink]

Also, there's no easy way to tell him no. He doesn't hear, so it's hard to show him you're upset. I just use his "no" sign.

 

 

I watched a trainer do a disc-dog competition with a deaf dog.  Her "watch me" signal to her dog was a sturdy stomp on the floor. The dog couldn't hear it, but he could feel it.  As soon as that foot hit the floor his head immediately swiveled to his owner and he watched for his next command.  

 

Be careful of using the word no - It really has no meaning to dogs other than "hey, Mom's upset, look at that!"  Instead, use the commands that you know the dog can do reliably.  For example, if you notice dog is about to squat across the room from you, get his attention and sign "down-stay."  That will put him in a position in which it is impossible for him to poop, and give you enough time to walk over to the dog and carry or lead him outdoors before he finishes his business.  Then you can reward him for finishing outside, and have a positive end to the interaction, rather than a negative one.  

 

Drop it, here, leave it, roll over, heel, sit, off, - all of these have meaning.  No doesn't tell your dog what to do.  It is a complaint, and dogs don't really know what to do with your emotions.

 

 

ETA: How to start teaching a "watch me." Simply reward the dog for peeking in your direction every time you stomp. Do it at different times of day, on different surfaces (carpet, hardwood), and in different places so he learns that it means instant food and begins to get excited when he hears it..  Make sure he associates that stomp with praise from you.  If he thinks he is going to get berated, he will choose not to look, so you won't be able to use the stomp in conjunction with the potty issue for a while, but with a deaf dog, I can't imagine not having this important tool in your arsenal.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Plink

[quark]

This is exactly what we did. He hated every second in the crate. He is not an anxious dog at all. He's just incredibly social and attached to us. Cavaliers are just people dogs.

 

Very few dogs are not people dogs! (ETA: that read weird) Most dogs are people dogs! :laugh: I know it's hard and I have no wise words to offer on how to get him to not be anxious in the crate but I do know that he will try every trick in his book to get you to let him out of his crate. For mine, putting the crate in my room helped a lot. Now as long as he sees the crate, even if it's outside my room, he is happy to step inside and spend time in it. Keep trying if you can! Most dogs will not want to soil their crate. If you can get him to stay in there it might help speed up his potty training. :grouphug:

 

Edited October 31, 2016 by quark

[The Governess]

Very few dogs are not people dogs! (ETA: that read weird) Most dogs are people dogs! :laugh: I know it's hard and I have no wise words to offer on how to get him to not be anxious in the crate but I do know that he will try every trick in his book to get you to let him out of his crate. For mine, putting the crate in my room helped a lot. Now as long as he sees the crate, even if it's outside my room, he is happy to step inside and spend time in it. Keep trying if you can! Most dogs will not want to soil their crate. If you can get him to stay in there it might help speed up his potty training. :grouphug:

 

If you aren't sure about the crate, an alternative would be to allow him a fenced off/gated space that is only big enough for his bed. An 8x3 area is too much freedom for now. Once he is trained you could try adding back some space and see how he does.

 

That said, I wish our dogs were crate trained... ;)

[Pawz4me]

I think the feeding is a big part of it. He seems to be a very picky eater. He is getting a complete diet of high quality frozen raw food. Most of the time, he lets it sit all day until he gets hungry enough to eat it. Often, that will mean that he is only eating once per day, as I don't replace it until he eats it. And it can mean that he is eating at all different times.

 

I've tried varying his diet with different raw food diets. Invariably, he is excited about it for a few days, eats twice per day, poops a ton, and then goes back to not really being interested, and eating only once per day. I've tried beef, chicken, rabbit, you name it. All different brands. I even mixed it with green tripe to try to entice him. It worked for a few days.

 

Also, there's no easy way to tell him no. He doesn't hear, so it's hard to show him you're upset. I just use his "no" sign. Poop seems to be the bigger issue vs. pee, except for the marking in the boys room and when we have had a lot of kids over. I'm assuming the marking is territorial vs. the pooping.

 

Ahhh, yes . . .. the world of the small dog picky eater. See my avatar. I know it well. ;) It can definitely make it much more difficult for them to get on a schedule for pooping.

 

Are you open to using pee pads? I know that's hard in an RV where floor space is so limited, but they really can be sanity savers. You've got an issue here where being in an RV cuts down on some of your easier options (even baby gating him in his own space is probably going to be more challenging than in a house) but at the same time it's plenty enough space for a small dog to feel comfortable doing his business somewhere w/o feeling like he's soiling his den.

 

As far as crate training, have you tried working on systematically training him by putting him in the crate, shutting the door and having him stay for like two seconds before letting him out and rewarding? And then ever so slowly increasing the time? Some dogs really need that type of very incremental training to accept a crate. But some dogs never will. A lot of people think all dogs love or at least will tolerate a crate, but it really does drive some of them absolutely nuts. I think it's something like claustrophobia for some of them.

[TheReader]

There's already tons of great advice here, the only thing I would add is, rather than leave his food down for him all day long (once he's not eating it), take it up and then only give it back to him at a set time later in the day. This way, even if he's only eating once/day, you can still be in charge of what time he eats. 

 

We've had to do that with our dog at times; he's normally a good eater, but when we go on vacation, my MIL watches him and spoils him with extra attention at meal time and extra treats between meals. When he comes home, he mopes and won't eat normally. What we do then is, set his food out in the morning, per usual. After an hour, if he's still not eaten, take the food up and put it where he can't get to it. At "dinner time" the food goes down again and he is then free to eat. (and again, only for an hour, and then it's taken up again). 

 

At least by doing this, you can still maintain a schedule, which should help. Best of luck!

[Ellie]

Some of you may remember Cody, our deaf King Charles Cavalier. He is almost 11 months now, still intact, and having difficulty house training.

 

We are now living in a 5th wheel, so space is an issue. He has access to an off-leash dog park multiple times per day (where he plays with other dogs and sometimes poops), and my husband also takes him for a 15ish minute walk twice per day (morning/night, where he is 50/50 on pooping.

 

We have tried to "crate" him at night by keeping him in our room. He is not on our bed, but on the floor around the bed. It's about a 8 foot by 3 foot space. He has occasionally still pooped in our room at night. He will mark and poop in the kid's bedroom, so we have been keeping him out. He also has pooped in the living room/kitchen area.

 

We tried to crate him when we first got him in May, but because he is deaf, when he couldn't see us, he barked and cried all day and night long. My husband couldn't take it after a few days.

 

He does go outside regularly. The problem is that he still also goes inside. Sometimes, he is good for a week, then he will have accidents two days in a row.

 

My husband has been more nonchalant about it than me. From my perspective, the dog is not reliably housebroken, and this will continue unless we do something.

 

Any assistance is appreciated.

 

 

We fostered a charming miniature dachshund a few years ago. We thought she was housebroken, but no. I tried at first taking her out regularly, which didn't help. I discovered one night that while I thought she was snoozing with me while we watched TV in my recliner, she would actually quietly ooze out of the chair, go poop or pee, then ooze back up, the little rascal. So I resorted to tethering her all day, either to me, if I were sitting down or walking around the house, or the the leg of a chair in the kitchen or wherever I was working. I'd go out with her and have her potty while still on the leash. After a couple of days she figured it out and never pottied in the house again.

 

[Dynamite5]

Some of you may remember Cody, our deaf King Charles Cavalier. He is almost 11 months now, still intact, and having difficulty house training.

 

We are now living in a 5th wheel, so space is an issue. He has access to an off-leash dog park multiple times per day (where he plays with other dogs and sometimes poops), and my husband also takes him for a 15ish minute walk twice per day (morning/night, where he is 50/50 on pooping.

 

We have tried to "crate" him at night by keeping him in our room. He is not on our bed, but on the floor around the bed. It's about a 8 foot by 3 foot space. He has occasionally still pooped in our room at night. He will mark and poop in the kid's bedroom, so we have been keeping him out. He also has pooped in the living room/kitchen area.

 

We tried to crate him when we first got him in May, but because he is deaf, when he couldn't see us, he barked and cried all day and night long. My husband couldn't take it after a few days.

 

He does go outside regularly. The problem is that he still also goes inside. Sometimes, he is good for a week, then he will have accidents two days in a row.

 

My husband has been more nonchalant about it than me. From my perspective, the dog is not reliably housebroken, and this will continue unless we do something.

 

Any assistance is appreciated.

I think you've gotten some really solid advice concerning the feeding issue (I agree with taking his food away after a given period of time if he's not eaten and waiting to feed a meal again until the next scheduled feeding).  You may find he's a once a day eater, and that's ok.  

 

The other issue you may be dealing with is that he's intact.  This can be controversial, so I'll only say you might want to check with your vet.

 

The third thing could be that 15 minutes to poop is not enough.  Perhaps walk him longer.

 

Lastly, I'm wondering if you gave up on crating too early.  A few days is not long enough to crate train a dog.  

 

I wholeheartedly agree with you that this behavior will continue until he's actually trained.  It currently sounds like hit or miss, which would be a no go in my house!  Best wishes to you!

[SeaConquest]

Ahhh, yes . . .. the world of the small dog picky eater. See my avatar. I know it well. ;) It can definitely make it much more difficult for them to get on a schedule for pooping.

 

Are you open to using pee pads? I know that's hard in an RV where floor space is so limited, but they really can be sanity savers. You've got an issue here where being in an RV cuts down on some of your easier options (even baby gating him in his own space is probably going to be more challenging than in a house) but at the same time it's plenty enough space for a small dog to feel comfortable doing his business somewhere w/o feeling like he's soiling his den.

 

As far as crate training, have you tried working on systematically training him by putting him in the crate, shutting the door and having him stay for like two seconds before letting him out and rewarding? And then ever so slowly increasing the time? Some dogs really need that type of very incremental training to accept a crate. But some dogs never will. A lot of people think all dogs love or at least will tolerate a crate, but it really does drive some of them absolutely nuts. I think it's something like claustrophobia for some of them.

I've always read that pee pads are the devil? Do you really think they'd help vs. just confuse him.

 

Again, re the crate. I really think it's going to be more traumatic than anything for this dog. He won't even accept it for car rides, and he loves car rides. Doesn't matter how much I treat him.

[SeaConquest]

There's already tons of great advice here, the only thing I would add is, rather than leave his food down for him all day long (once he's not eating it), take it up and then only give it back to him at a set time later in the day. This way, even if he's only eating once/day, you can still be in charge of what time he eats.

 

We've had to do that with our dog at times; he's normally a good eater, but when we go on vacation, my MIL watches him and spoils him with extra attention at meal time and extra treats between meals. When he comes home, he mopes and won't eat normally. What we do then is, set his food out in the morning, per usual. After an hour, if he's still not eaten, take the food up and put it where he can't get to it. At "dinner time" the food goes down again and he is then free to eat. (and again, only for an hour, and then it's taken up again).

 

At least by doing this, you can still maintain a schedule, which should help. Best of luck!

This is going to be the first thing I try, as I suspect it's the largest issue.

[SeaConquest]

I think you've gotten some really solid advice concerning the feeding issue (I agree with taking his food away after a given period of time if he's not eaten and waiting to feed a meal again until the next scheduled feeding). You may find he's a once a day eater, and that's ok.

 

The other issue you may be dealing with is that he's intact. This can be controversial, so I'll only say you might want to check with your vet.

 

The third thing could be that 15 minutes to poop is not enough. Perhaps walk him longer.

 

Lastly, I'm wondering if you gave up on crating too early. A few days is not long enough to crate train a dog.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with you that this behavior will continue until he's actually trained. It currently sounds like hit or miss, which would be a no go in my house! Best wishes to you!

We will definitely neuter him, but the Cavalier breeders generally make you sign a contract that you will wait until their growth plates close. We were wanting to honor that, even though I doubt it's enforceable. Mostly, we were waiting for him to settle in with us. But, yes, it's going to happen in the nearish future.

[Pawz4me]

I've always read that pee pads are the devil? Do you really think they'd help vs. just confuse him.

 

Again, re the crate. I really think it's going to be more traumatic than anything for this dog. He won't even accept it for car rides, and he loves car rides. Doesn't matter how much I treat him.

 

I'm a huge fan of pee pads and haven't found that they confuse dogs at all. Most are way smarter than that.

[Catalytic]

I don't know much about Cavaliers specifically, but small dogs can take a while to potty train...like over a year.  I'm firm about crating from the day they come home...including my deaf GS puppy.  They have to earn freedom, it took my shih-poo about 13 months to earn full freedom.  Make DH go stay in a hotel for a week while you force the crate issue.  (I do agree some dogs can't be crate trained, but that doesn't sound like the case with him.)

[Liz CA]

You've gotten lots of good advice reg. the house training.Haven't been able to read all responses. If this is a duplicate suggestion - disregard. I would also get a vibrating collar for him so he knows when you call him. When he looks at you, you can pet him and reinforce good behavior.

The vibrating collar is similar to a shock collar. Dog wears collar and you have a little control unit and push a button. He feels the vibrations and knows you are calling him. Training for this is pretty much the same with food reward, happy face and belly rubs.