Hello - me again

Let me start off by saying that Molly's problem is totally of my own making and I fully hold my hands up in taking the blame.

When we first saw Molly we were two weeks away from moving into our new house (we were in a flat).  Thinking we would be moved a month before we got her, it didn't seem a problem - until the sale fell through.  Of course we shouldn't have got her but I was in love by then.  Molly was about four months when we moved.  So our moving has cuased her a lot of upheavel and when we were in the flat we didn't have a safe place for her to wee (before her jabs) so she used those pad things.

The problem is that she is 8 months old now and still messes in the house.  Sometimes we're lucky and she'll be good for a day, but other days she messes a couple of times.  We do not punish her for this.

We went back to basics but with small results so over christmas we made a huge effort for the whole family to get involved in letting her out every hour on the hour with huge praise and a treat when she did her business outside.  She greatly improved, but we can't seem to get over that last hurdle.

She will stand by the door and wait, but most of the time she just wants to play outside or dig.  I use the 'go for wee' command but she seems to ignore me.  I think when she does do it outside we are just lucky - she doesn't seem to realise that that's what she's actually meant to do! she doesn't seem to hold on to her wees or poos - if she goes outside at 2.30 and doesn't do anything, but then at 2.45 she might need to go so she just does it.  She doesn't wait or let us know she needs to go.

So I'm after advice on how to get over that final hurdle reallly how do we teach her to wait til she's outside and to let us know she wants to go?

It isn't very long since Christmas ..I really think you need to carry on as you are doing :) Some dogs just take a lot longer than others ...

Another thought ..have you had her checked for a urine infection at all?

Are you giving her lots of praise and treats ( i say treats hesitantly now as my dog is now a right porker) when she does go outside, she really needs to notice a marked difference from you between doing it inside and outside

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious :D

I have a 7 month old boy who I took on at 4 months and we are still working on the housetraining. He had only ever toileted indoors on paper previously. He would also choose to play with empty bowls so I suspect he was a puppy in the heat wave and they didn't get enough water so he drank for England when he first arrived.  Consequently he needed to wee every 20 minutes.  It has been a long haul with him but like you I am now determined to crack it.  So when I take him out for a wee I will not let him back in until he has done one however long it takes.  When we are out and playing frisbeee or ball we take a wee break.  All games stop and all dogs must take a wee before the game starts again.  If I didn't do this he would wee in the kitchen after we got in.  So stick with it and lets see who gets there first.
Sally

Have you thought about crate training her?? dogs rarely, unless ill, will soil or pee where they sleep.  I have had one for my boy since I got him at 7 weeks, but you can introduce them at any age. If you get one, and just put bedding in that covers the floor ( make sure its big enough for her to stand / turn around in ), put in a few safe favourite toys, and let her wander in and out for a few days, try feeding her in it, giving her treats etc. Once she is happy in there, after breakfast, give her approx 45 mins free time, take her out to do her business, then bring her in and put her in her crate until midday, take her out for a pee, give her water, another 45 mins free time, out for another pee then confine her until teatime, again - out for a pee, feed her, 45 mins free time, out again, then confine for a couple of hours, let her outside again, another drink - freetime then bed again, if she needs it, out for last pee around 10.30, confine over night, then she should last till morning. If you stick to this she should be sorted in a week. If not, do it all over again. The idea is to limit her free time, and teach her bladder control for longer and longer at a time. Once she is settled with the above, gradually extend her free time. Try not to stay outside with her too long - if she's done nothing within a few minutes, bring her back in and try again 10 mins later - she will soon realise why she is out there. I've had 2 dogs before, one was a rescue Irish Setter I got as an adult, but the other was a Golden Retriever I got from a puppy - he was paper trained and it took ages to house train him, but my Gordon Setter has been used to his crate ( its his personal den now!! ) and was clean and dry at night ( from 11 pm till 8 am ) at 8 weeks, and by approx 10 weeks had no pees in the house, only the odd excitement dribble when playing! I think they are fab ideas - I also know I can go out and leave him in it for a few hours, and come home to an unchewed house!  Good luck!

the way we house trained our gsd dog 7 years ago was when outside with him when we saw him actually going to the toilet on his own accord we would say " hurry up max" every time.
Now we take him out and he hasnt been and we want him to go we say "hurry up max" and he promptly goes shortly after, we have also taught him to only go in long overgrown grass areas where people cant walk...