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Hello Meira,
I am hoping that you could help me out with my puppy! Jake is a 10 month old Chihuahua that I adopted two months ago. He is super sweet, and we love him to bits, but the peeing in the house is a real problem! I take him out often but he won’t pee outside, no matter how long we stay out. But he will pee when he gets back inside. I try to take him out often, after he eats and I have also been taking away his water at night. I don’t know what to do, can you help me please?
Thanks!
Megan
Hi Megan, thanks for writing in with your question. Ah, puppies and their peeing! Potty training questions are probably the most frequently asked questions I get from new puppy owners., so you’re not alone.
I’m glad to hear that you’re taking Jake out often, that’s important. Pups who know how to hold themselves even a little bit can be expected to hold it in for as many hours as they are months old. This means that Jake should be able to hold himself for quite awhile at this point.
I’ve written a couple posts about potty training puppies, so you might want to check out those other posts in the archives.
The biggest things to remember are keeping the puppy on a potty and feeding schedule, as well as management when pup is in the house, so he doesn’t get the chance to run off and pee without you seeing him do it. Vet checks to ensure there are no medical issues are advised as well.
When pup does pee, it’s important to clean up with an enzyme remover, that actually breaks down the urine, so that your pup isn’t attracted to that same spot again. Cleaning pee messes with household products won’t do the trick, and the spot will still be a beacon to your dog to go pee there again. You can find these products at your local pet supply shop. I like Nature’s Miracle and Knock Out.
The next important thing, which is where i believe the problem lies, is in how long you stay out with Jake for him to do his business. Pups learn to pee outside best when they are taken out, on leash, for only 5 minutes. Yup, just 5 minutes. If he does go, then praise him, but more importantly, stay outside with him and play! Don’t take him into the house right after he’s peed. Doing this sometimes teaches puppies that peeing outside only means that they’re going to brought back into the house, and it may signify End of Play Time Outside. Which is why they then pee as soon as they get into the house, or not long after.
If your puppy doesn’t pee within the alloted 5 minute pee break, then bring him back inside, while still keeping him on leash. Don’t stay out, hoping he’ll finally pee. Keep him on leash inside, and return back outside every 10 minutes, or when you notice him starting some pre pee behavior, such as sniffing the ground, turning circles, whining and so on. Keep this 10 minute routine, until he finally does need to pee, and you can take him out. Rinse and repeat until he learns that peeing outside is more rewarding for him.
I know that this type of schedule might be annoying and difficult at first, but I can assure you that this will teach Jake very quickly that outside is where he should pee.
Good luck and happy training!
Meira
