# Puppy Pee Monster - trouble with crate training/house breaking



## AmandaW (May 23, 2013)

Our adorable Knox is 13 weeks old, doing great with initial training, but really struggling with house breaking and crate training. I'd love to hear everyone feedback on solutions, experiences and tips on how to break him of peeing in his crate and anything soft/absorbent. We love our nugget and want to help him, ASAP.

Crate training: My fiance and I work during the day, so the morning process starts at 6am (pup goes out once during the night). He goes outside for the first potty and a short walk. We come back in, have water and breakfast and between 7 - 8am, goes out around 3 times before I leave. One of us comes home at 12:30 - 1:15pm for potty breaks, a little water and lunch, a trip outside again, then we're home at 6pm. We've had to resort to no padding in his wire crate, which is partitioned so he can comfortably stand up, turn and lay down. He also can't have furry toys, as he's peed on those recently, so has rubber toys and bullysticks instead. Music is on too. We can't figure out what else we can do to prevent coming home to a screaming, unhappy, wet puppy and know rationing water even more can cause behavioral problems. Completely stressed our puppy is experiencing this....is it simply he can't hold it during the day for five hours? If that's the case, are there any other working V-parents that can share their puppy plan?

House breaking: outside of Knox's crate, he's doing pretty well. We know that most times, if he's peeing in the house, we've missed the signs or were 30 seconds too late. But, we could have just taken him outside, and he comes in and pees on the inside door mat or carpet. The question here is, how can we break him of the habit of peeing on anything and everything soft, including any bed we've given him?

Thanks everyone, really appreciate it!


----------



## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

In this new book I am reading "Before and After Getting your Puppy, by Ian Dunbar. ( we get a new pup next week)
He suggests giving your pup treats when he pee's where he is intended. Take him to his spot, give him the pee command, when he goes, give him a special treat right there, so he gets the connection.
He also suggests putting them in the crate with KONG chew toys stuffed with food, kibble, treats, all mixed up so he has to work at getting it out. check it out, great book, I put it on Kindle.


----------



## lonestar (Jun 2, 2013)

Hi Amanda,

First, it sounds like your Knox...great name, btw...is really doing the best that he can. If he can make it thru the nite with one potty break at 13 weeks, he's really trying very hard and succeeding. Your expectations might be a tad unrealistic.

First, put the blankets and softies and towels back into his crate. You'll just be doing more washing, but removing these things only makes his crate time even more unbearable than it already is.

5 hrs. alone during the day is a bit much for a 13 week old, so either you have to arrange some form of day care or walking, or expect to come home to tumult for a bit longer. Eventually, their itty bitty bladders grow and they can tolerate being left alone longer. Until then, stock up on towels.

The other issue about urinating immediately upon return is usually a function of digestion. I'd bet he has a full bladder when you take him out, and the water he's recently drank just passes thru his system as you bring him back. The solution is to keep him outside longer. He's urinating on the mat b/c it's the first thing inside and he might realize he's a moment too late.

More frequent walks x more time outside.


----------



## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

Same as above. As little pups I'd stay outside long enough for a few wees. Don't just take him back inside the moment he's finished. Let him sniff and decide whether it not he's done. To this day our female (16 months old) still takes 2-3 back-to-back at lunch and after work.


----------



## AmandaW (May 23, 2013)

Lonestar, 

Great feedback, thank you. We totally acknowledge he's doing his best and perhaps we're placing too high of expectations on his tiny bladder. I think tomorrow we'll start putting towels back in his crate during the day, because if accidents are going to continue, I'd prefer he be in less misery. We have a dog walker, however, she doesn't come every day, so we will strongly consider uping her visits to suppliment our existing plan.

Thanks again.


----------



## CatK (May 29, 2013)

Hi Amanda W – fellow working vizsla mummy here, my pup is nearly 15 weeks so I can’t claim to be an expert but I might have a few tips that have worked well for us.

Ian Dunbar’s book is a bit stressful as it makes you feel like everything is going disastrously wrong if the pup has one accident, but does have some good tips if you can try not to take it too seriously (just in my opinion). Treating for peeing I think was one of the most useful things, happy voice ‘good pup!’ and treats and cuddles/playtime for peeing in the right place, no reaction for the wrong place (other than ‘outside outside’ and carrying them pronto to the right place, then treating if they squeeze a bit more out), a few treats for a number two outside. I can now get Morris outside, say ‘pee time’ and he’ll do everything he can to squeeze a bit more out  Very useful.

Morris is now dry at nights (10.30pm-6am), probably 99% of the time. We make sure he’s gone before bed, and is on a nice comfy squidgy bed so he sleeps well (as if he wakes up he’ll realize he needs to pee). In the morning he gets rushed outside with me saying ‘outside outside’ and he’ll hold it till outside so he gets his treat!

During the day we’re still working on, but he’s currently getting put in the crate, morning and afternoon, for 4.5 hours each time, on a towel with a couple of good toys. Enough that his slim little Viz elbows aren’t uncomfortable on the crate floor but something that washes and dries fairly quickly. We have given over all of our old towels/bath mats to this cause and bought ourselves some new ones (good excuse, they were all in need of replacement anyway!), as we can get through 2 a day and they need to be bone dry before they go back in.
We’ve started to have the occasional dry half day which is amazing; he’ll always have either me or a dog walker let him out at lunch for food and play/training, and then loads of attention obviously in the evening. Since the first week or two he doesn’t bark when he’s left, and the neighbours tell me he’s not barking during the day. I think it’s because he’s realised he’s not being deserted, and he always walks into the crate out of choice because he wants the stuffed kong I have in my hand. No big fuss when you leave or come back so he knows it’s no big deal.

Training is more tiring for him than walking at this point, and he loves it, so loads of that morning, noon and eve to help him sleep so he doesn’t have to think about peeing. Never tell off for peeing in the crate obviously, and keep reminding yourself he’s just a baby and he’s doing really well!


----------



## MCD (May 4, 2013)

Both Mark and I work full day jobs too. Our morning starts at 5:30 AM with letting 10 week old Dharma out to pee but only after she is quiet in in her crate and the initial "Good Morning happy to see you" stops. Feed the cats, feed Dharma in her crate with the door open. She will not go all the way in-too smart for that. Give her water out of the crate. Let her out again, Go and have cuddle time in bed if I am lucky. Only I get shark attacked and she chews the sheets before settling down. Sometimes the cats will come up too and no one settles quietly. So I start my day- phone calls, laundry etc. Often I have to go to physiotherapy before work at 11:00 AM so I get stuff done and take Dharma for a walk and some play time before I leave for the day. Mark comes home most days at 4:00 PM unless he has physiotherapy. Dharma is in her crate for 3-4 hours a day and is only just getting being in the crate and not peeing. I give her a Kong with peanut butter(she only just started liking this). a dentastix and liver treats. She only whines for a few minutes. I think we have missed the signs too. Dharma has quite a vocabulary! I don't think we have helped her that way. But 3 weeks in it is coming. I am sure you will figure it out. I have to work at the crate training which is frustrating.


----------



## AmandaW (May 23, 2013)

Hearing all of your feedback is reassuring. Since this post, we've added towels back into the crate and even though we've come home at lunch or EOD to some wetness, we've also come home to dryness. You're all right in saying it's just a matter of time until his little bladder catches up. He's getting lots of praise for successes and corrections for missteps we catch (quick sweeps outside) . Knox loves Kongs with peanut butter and loves bullysticks even more.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories, thoughts and confirming we're on the right track!


----------



## mrmra (Jul 18, 2013)

I cheat with my Piros -- he comes to work with me at my full time job. He's about 12 weeks old. He can make it 3 hours if he's napping, 4 if he's sleeping, and 2 if he's awake but not too bouncy, and less than 1 hour if he's been hard charging, tearing up everything in sight.

At work, I take him outside to pee every hour or two. Use mostly verbal praise, but have sporadically treated. He now "gets" that he should pee outside.

He started to pee for attention for awhile (always on a rug), but just ignored him or locked him in a room by himself for a couple minutes and that stopped.

He will delay pooping if he thinks I'm going to take him inside right after pooping.

Still struggling with crate training -- will stay in it overnight now so long as the door is cloth and not metal bars (e.g. throw a sleeping bag over it).

Anyway, just data points for you.

Cheers,
-mra-


I think it's just physiologically impossible for your pup to hold it 4.5 hours if he's at all awake in the crate. But hey! In another month the problems should start to subside, so long as he gets that it should be outside and not inside, right?


----------

