Losing my mind

[thinker108]

My dog is 15 months old. He is STILL not potty training. I am at my wits end. Please if anyone has any resources please help. I literally cry every time he has an accident now because it’s so stressful.

I got him when he was 3 months old, and immediately started trying to potty train. That means I’ve been working with him for a year on this. I have another dog who I successfully potty trained within 4 months. Idk what is going on with my new boy.

On top of these steps I’ve tried, I always monitor his food, and have a set routine of out times. He ALWAYS gets treats and praise when peeing outside, and I don’t react at all when he goes inside.

1. I took him out every hour on the hour for the first 2 months. He would come inside and pee after peeing outside at least once per day.
2. After that I had him stay in his kennel. We’d go outside 5x a day. He’d get an hour outside of his kennel and then he’d be back in until the next “out time”. This helped, but he still had accidents nearly every day during his free hour.
3. I hired a private dog trainer who told me to keep him leashed to me when I walk around the house. That was working but unfortunately now he’ll just piss right next to me while he’s leashed. (Even going out 5x a day)
4. Anytime he gets free roam of the house now, like even for a few minutes, he will immediately pee. Whether I’m watching or not.

Is there a resource where I can send him off somewhere and they potty train him? I’m losing hope y’all he is really really not understanding. I have never wanted to be someone to give up a dog but my life revolving around cleaning up piss for over a year is really a nightmare.

 

[heavenhome]

@thinker108 What breed? Is he neutered? Is he peeing or marking?

 

[thinker108]

@heavenhome He’s a papillon/chihuahua mix. He is neutered, and it seems like he’s just … peeing. He’s not lifting his leg on things. But he’ll do it like an hour after going outside and peeing 5x outside. (In his kennel he can hold it all day if I have to leave) so it’s not a bladder issue

 

[heavenhome]

@thinker108 Does he go to a specific place or just pees anywhere? Have your met with a vet about it? With training issues, I always rule out medical causes first. I inherited a senior dog that was never let out to potty, just used pads. It wasn't until we removed his teeth (they were all bad), that going outside started to become comfortable. If we hadn't addressed that issue, then he wouldn't have ever been successful in any training.

 

[bella_lee]

@thinker108 Have you talked to your vet? The frequency with which he’s peeing sounds like there could be a UTI or something else going on medically.

 

[thinker108]

@bella_lee The only reason I haven’t talked to my vet is because if i leave the house for like 6 hours for a work day, he holds it the whole time in his kennel. Do you think he’d still do that if it was medical?

 

[bella_lee]

@thinker108 Yeah I think it’s still worth talking to the vet—it could be very uncomfortable for him to hold it but he’d rather hold it than sit in pee for 6 hours? Idk for sure but I’d investigate that possibility.

If everything is medically okay and he does hold it in his kennel, you could possibly use that to get him on a very consistent schedule and then go back to giving him very limited free time outside the kennel.

Also are you using an enzymatic cleaner? It’s possible your entire home smells like a bathroom to him.

 

[thinker108]

@bella_lee I actually am not using an enzymatic cleaner. But I will buy one and scrub the floors this week. Thank you for the suggestion!! I probably should also talk to his vet about it just incase.

 

[justjude]

@thinker108 Potentially unhelpful bc im sure you are doing this - but in off chance you are not, for the tether method - make sure you interrupt mid-pee when he pees next to you - clap or let out a shout - and immediately bring him outside & praise when he pees out there. Main goal of tether imo is to increase chances you catch him mid-stream so you can teach him what a better choice would have been.

 

[jul1a]

@justjude N= 1 but this worked for me. My dog had very few accidents in the house but she when she did they were always in one particular place she seemed to think was acceptable.

The last accident she had in the house was when she squatted in the place and before I could think I grabbed the leash and took her outside. She never went in that place or anywhere else in the house again.

 

[truefaith4u2]

@thinker108 To be honest I think one of the main contributing factors to this problem is you not using an enzyme cleaner. Your dog can still smell his potty all over the house (even if you can't) and this encourages him to keep going inside.

Please don't send him away to a board and train, they are all pretty horrific across the board and even if he is potty trained in one space, he still won't be potty trained at home. Even if a dog is potty trained at their home it's common that they have accidents in other people's home because potty training is for their specific home, not all houses in general.