Any tips for regulating bathroom breaks?

[alj]

Hi Everyone,

 

As some may know from my other thread, I just got my second border collie, Dodger who is 8 weeks. Jet, my first border collie, who is now 2 years old, used to go to the bathroom just a couple times a day, but the problem was he didn't want to go outside because he was, and still is extremely shy. Dodger, my new dog, LOVES going outside, and getting him to go to the bathroom outside is effortless. However, he also LOVES going to the bathroom inside...and well, anywhere else in-between.

 

Today it is just after 2pm, he has gone pee 9 times and pooped 2 times. I set an alarm to go out every two hours at night, and try to do so every 60-90 minutes during the day (I work from home). Jet was certainly never even half this bad. Is this normal? Does anyone have any tips to regulate this?

 

For those thinking health issues, which I did. Both ways look fine to me. Even took Dodger by the vet when I first got him last week for a full check-up, no issues what so ever.

 

Here are some pictures of both of them...

[Sue R]

Perhaps rather than time intervals during the day, you might watch behavior, taking him out every time he finishes eating, drinking, sleeping, playing, etc. And, if he's playing for a while, give him a potty break partway through the playtime. Also note that some times of day may be more "productive" than others, and you may have to adjust your schedule for that.

 

Also (and this applies to nighttime, as well) do you use a crate to help train? Use of a crate can help a young pup learn that he/she has to hold it *just a little* because they normally don't want to void in their sleeping/eating/den spot. As for night, in my limited experience, use of a crate combined with taking a pup out usually just once in the middle of the night, helped me get a lot more sleep than you seem to be getting! There are many topics here on crate-training.

 

Make sure you are cleaning each "accident" spot with an enzymatic cleaner made for this purpose. Otherwise a tantalizing smell lingers that says to the pup, "This is the place to go!"

 

I have found that, in my case at least, the better I trained *myself* to be observant, proactive, and follow these general rules, the fewer accidents my pups had and the more successful we were at getting all business done outside. It still took my pups about six months each before they were reliable in the house but I have to say that by following these guidelines, with each pup, the process has become more accident-free and less stressful, even though it seemed to take more work and required more thought and effort on my part initially.

 

Best wishes!

 

PS - A urinary tract infection is not necessarily common in pups and less common in males than females, but it still could be a cause that might not be easily noted. If you think it could be the case, have a clean urine sample taken (or take it yourself) and checked, just in case.

[alj]

I do have a crate for him, but I leave it with the door open otherwise he begins crying immediately when it's shut and does not let up. With the door open he goes inside and sleeps without issue. Jet was the same way and I recall it taking a month or two. Now Jet loves to be in with the door shut, no issues. Hoping Dodger will be the same.

[blackeyesue]

What a cutie! An 8 week old has a tiny tiny bladder. We've never had a pup that young, but what we did for our other dog, and still do for Billy, is immediately after eating and playtime, he goes outside. He's just over 3 months. He has had a couple accidents in the house but I got out the shampooer and went over the area and hasn't had a problem since. Puppies are peeing, eating and pooping machines. Billy poops 3 times a day (we feed him 3 times a day) and does pee quite a bit. At least every couple hours he's at the door. At night, we don't use a crate in our bedroom. He has his own bed next to ours and we tethered him to the bed for the first couple weeks. Just to keep him from wandering if he wakes up. We don't have to do that anymore. He stays in his bed all night. No water after 6pm. If he gets thirsty I'll give him an ice cube or two. And he goes out about 9-930pm for one last bathroom break. He's good till around 3am. I have to agree with Sue R. Being proactive and paying attention is the best way to go.

[Sue R]

Pups really vary in their ability to "hold it" and to learn about potty skills (did I just really say "potty skills"?). I got Dan at 8 weeks of age. He only once ever got me up during the night (last potty trip about 9 pm and first potty trip about 5 am) and that was a night when his insides were a little upset. Celt required middle-of-the-night trips for several months (as a pup I got the day after Christmas, in a very snowy year, it was daunting to stand out under the old apple tree in the snow and wind while he did his thing but fortunately, he was very business-like about getting it done).

 

Dan was kept in an area that included his large crate with an x-pen attached. He had a potty box lined with shredded newspaper, as had been the case at his breeder's. The whole thing was underlain with a heavy-duty tarp. I started back to work when he turned 9 weeks old, and he never once peed or pooped in his pen. We'd leave home at 7 am, right after his last morning potty trip, and the neighbor boy would get off the bus a little after 2:30 pm to take him out to potty. He would hold it all that time and yet if I was home, I'd have to take him out about every hour to relieve himself or I'd have a puddle or lump on the floor. He's turned out to be a fastidiously clean dog who is mortified to have an accident (like he did the other week when he had some intestinal upset while we were gone to work) and who will not poop anywhere near the house but must go out of the yard, over by the barn or into the pasture or on our walk up the road. On the other hand, Celt will poop within ten feet of the edge of the porch.

 

Two very different pups (in so many ways) and two very different dogs (in so many more ways) - one size does not fit all and Dan was quite the exception to the normal puppy rules (again, in so many ways).

 

Management makes a huge difference and it's taken me years to grasp certain concepts of house-breaking! It's really all about me doing my part because the pup has to grow to be able to do his part in the process. I've been a slow learner!

[Tess's Girl]

Every pup is different.

 

Crow is now 6 months old and has just recently been able to hold it a couple of hours at a time.

 

He has always been able to sleep 6-8 hours at night while holding it but up until about a month ago if he was awake he had to go outside to pee every 20-30 minutes.

 

It was a hassle but he just could not hold it when he was out and about. I taught him to ring bells on the door when he had to go out and that really helped.

[juliepoudrier]

My experience with puppies has been much like Michelle's. I have never expected a pup to hold it for a couple of hours during the day, especially if they are active/playing.

 

J.

[dsmbc]

Using a crate will help a lot. When we brought Ben home at 7.5 weeks, I lived 30 mins from where I worked, so I cut a deal with my boss to let me bring him to work with me so that I could potty train him. I had a crate under my desk and took him out 2-3 times over the course of the day for walks and play breaks. he slept in his crate at night and I usually got up once a night for about a month. It worked really well. It also had the added benefit of teaching him how to be relaxed and quiet when there was a lot going on.

 

if you are at home during the day, you may also want to use the crate a bit. But I would recommend using it at night. I used Susan Garrett's crate games to crate train him. It took about an hour time to do. Or, there are a lot of crate training treads on here that have good advice. For me, a crate is a puppy owners best friend.