She is 2 years old. She knows to go outside. It isn't anything medical. We had her on a routine, she went out at x,y, and z times, went potty, walked, and we went back inside. The reverting process was slow. First, i'd take her out and she'd refuse to go, but after enough time of letting her walk around she would go. The time before she went grew longer and longer. Started making me late for work in the mornings, etc. So I started setting a timer. 5 minutes for a potty break. If she takes any longer than that, we go back inside. If I'm home we try again in 20 or so minutes, if I'm headed to work, she stays in the crate until I come home or my neighbor comes over to take her out. Figured she would learn to go when she gets taken out. Now she is holding it in whenever we go outside and unless I constantly watch her, she will go in the house. If she has to go one and two, she will pee outside, and then come right in and poop in the house as soon as my back is turned. I don't get it. I've done everything right. I take her outside 3 times during the evening and once in the morning before work. I bring her over to play with the neighbors dog daily. But this is an issue. She holds it in as long as possible when you take her out, and then goes inside shortly after bringing her in as soon as she knows you aren't watching. She knows its wrong because as soon as she sees you look at the mess, she lays down and "apologises".
Dog reverting potty training
- Thread starter john1949
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- dog training
@john1949 Do you ever do stuff with her when she goes potty? Like a quick walk or train or play session. (5-10 mins is fine it doesn’t have to be long). Take her out, wait in the most boring fashion possible until she goes- and then she gets to have fun after!! She’ll learn pretty quick that the sooner she goes in the grass the sooner her favorite thing happens!
@john1949 How long are you waiting? Are you keeping her on leash until she goes? My dog wasn’t this bad and it definitely took a good 10 minutes at first. Also keeping her next to you on a leash for a while after you get in so she can’t sneak off and go (if she starts verbally correct and physically move her outside and start the boring outside time until she finishes outside and then immediately party)
@john1949 She’s probably very underexercised and is getting too distracted by the outdoor environment and then too distracted to potty. I think good long walks, especially the slow sniffy kind will help you immensely in making this possible for her. Make sure you have something really tasty with you so that if/when she does go while you’re walking you can pay handsomely for it.
@tke129 I will try that, I do take her to play with the neighbors dog and rough house for a couple hours as much as time allows with my school and work schedule. We typically go everyday on weekends and 3 days out of the week on average. When its warm we sit out on the porch and I let her run around.
@john1949 I would keep the walk time leashed for a while so it’s less enticing to not pay attention to you/there’s less to have fomo about. While I love watching dogs play together, that can be a high arousal activity that distracts the dog from her needs. Maybe go for a slow boring leash walk to start and then when she goes big payment and immediately getting to play with her friend 
@john1949 8 hours a day in a crate is really not okay. This could be contributing to the issue- if she is in there all that time when she finally is let outside she has a lot of boredom and energy to burn off and so isn't really focused on peeing.
I would definitely ditch the crate and stair gate off a room for her if you don't want her in certain places.
Is there another reason for the crate or is it mainly for potty training?
I would definitely ditch the crate and stair gate off a room for her if you don't want her in certain places.
Is there another reason for the crate or is it mainly for potty training?
@john1949 Motion can encourage bowel movement. A quick jog/walk or a Treadmill before potty time is great to get a poop holder pooping. Regardless, you’re giving too much freedom when coming back inside. The crate can and should be used even if you’re home right from outside to the crate then after brief time in crate back outside. If you don’t like the idea of crate while home, then keep the dog on leash inside when she’s holding it. Your focus should be on getting her to go outside and reward vs. catching her in the act inside.
@john1949 Have you used a 'command' to tell her to pee?
For my pup I used 'go pee-pee'. Started just by saying it whenever she would pee outside saying 'go pee-pee! good girl!!' and rewarding her immediately and eventually she learned what pee-pee means.
She gets distracted in the yard by toys a lot but to get her to pee I literally just give the pee pee command and she remembers to go.
Your pup might be the same? Just too distracted by the fun of outside.
Is there a spot she pees or poops inside most? Lay some training pads down and then when she soils them move them outside to remind her this is where the pee and poop goes.
For my pup I used 'go pee-pee'. Started just by saying it whenever she would pee outside saying 'go pee-pee! good girl!!' and rewarding her immediately and eventually she learned what pee-pee means.
She gets distracted in the yard by toys a lot but to get her to pee I literally just give the pee pee command and she remembers to go.
Your pup might be the same? Just too distracted by the fun of outside.
Is there a spot she pees or poops inside most? Lay some training pads down and then when she soils them move them outside to remind her this is where the pee and poop goes.