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Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / 15wk old puppy not getting house trained
- By Ottyonion [gb] Date 16.08.25 17:38 UTC
Sorry if this is a duplicate post. I’m new on here and havevtfidd to search without success. I have 3 dogs. German shepherd(8 yr old) bichon  cross (11 yr old) and a15 week old westie. I’m trying so hard to toilet train lily, with very little success. I’m obviously doing something wrong, as didn’t have this problem with GS Murphy and rescue BF lottie. I’ve tried pads ( ripped to bits) even a pad with fake grass, but the biggest thing is, the weather has been great so we’ve been spending lots of time in the garden, and she’s praised when she goes, but she will do her toilet in the kitchen or hall even when the doors are wide open. She has me worn out and I’m losing faith. Our puppy was adopted/rescued what am I doing wrong
- By chaumsong Date 16.08.25 17:51 UTC Upvotes 4
Don't assume that she knows what the open door is for. Take her out the moment she wakes up, after she's eaten and every half hour when she's awake. Go outside with her, close the door behind you and wait till she goes, then praise lots.

Make sure you clean up inside with a bio or pet cleaner to remove all trace, dogs have a very good sense of smell.

And lastly, and I know this isn't the current thinking, but I've never managed to house train without a mild telling off if they do it inside, just a uhuh and pick her up and rush her out.
- By Honeymoonbeam [de] Date 16.08.25 20:18 UTC
I've only got toy breeds but my latest 2 have been very difficult to house train.  Despite taking each one (bought a year apart from each other) outside regularly, praising for "going" outside etc etc, the boy took months to become house trained.  The little girl was quite possibly on the slow side due to having to be crated at a crucial point in her life after breaking her leg and, if she can't get outside when she needs to, she will still pee on a doormat or a dog towel if one is lying around on the floor.
- By weimed [gb] Date 17.08.25 11:33 UTC Edited 17.08.25 11:38 UTC Upvotes 2
I agree. you need a solid week of really working on it .
clean the floors well with bio laundary detergent first and then keep her by your side for a week solid even if that means being on a lead. every time she eats or plays,or wakes up. or at least every 2 hours.. take her out and stay out till she performs. say a key word while she does it.. we use the phrase 'Hurry Up!' . say it as she does it and within a period of time you will be able to use that as a command when you want her to go with of course lots of praise for doing it outside.  don't be quick cleaning up outside, you want the pee area to smell a little of pee/poop to clue her in that this is the place.
and although I am not a fan of punishing dogs for accidents if you see her start to squat in wrong place then a sharp NO can help her understand that is NOT the place, immediately sweep her outside and lots of praise again when gets it right.

if you are constant and set her up to win so no possibility of a mistake for a week or so she will get this

and when i say keep her by your side I mean at night too, bed down where she sleeps with her on a short lead by your side. make it so that she can not get it wrong as you are supervising the hell out of her for a while.
A week or so of utter concentration is worth it for a lifetimes worth of not having pee in house
Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / 15wk old puppy not getting house trained

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