house training

Question
QUESTION: We adopted a 1 1/2-2 yr old english bulldog he is awesome very well behaved trained well, first week he was fine then last week and still he won't go outside he stands at the gate and just looks stubborn he won't go pee  outside he goes in the house if we leave its for sure he's going to , he just really has to go bad to go outside and then he rushes whats wrong and how can we fix this?

ANSWER: When you adopt a dog, you are generally taking on someone else's poor training techniques and always the unknown when it comes to habit patterns that were developed before you got him.

There are many issues you could be facing. 1)he may have a tactile sensitivity to some plant life in your yard or to something you use on the yard. If it causes his feet to itch, etc. it would not take long for him to learn that your grass is not where he wants to be. Try putting him on a leash and walking him off of the property to potty.
2) If there is a raccoon or some other form of wildlife that inhabits your property, he may smell it and not want to go out into its territory.  He may have had an encounter already that you don't know about. Try going out with him into the yard (you can even take him on a leash) and take him to a spot where you want him to go and say "go potty" or what-ever, or just wander around the yard with him for as long as it takes, and praise him and go in when he does what you need him to. Be patient and persistent, because it can take a while. Give yourself plenty of time before work, etc. so you don't have to rush. Also, when you are away, crate him, and when you are home, keep him on a leash in the house, hooked up to where ever you are sitting so he can't wander off out of site and go to the bathroom somewhere else.

These are just a couple of thoughts. Rain can be another factor. You are going to just have to start over with house breaking and adjust him to your environment and schedule.

by the way, bulldogs are well known for their stubbornness, but they are willing to please you if your are more stubborn than they are.  :0)

Hope this helps.

Sue

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have tried the leash and walking him, he seems to not want us (people) in general to see him go.I had thought it must result from some traumatic training or other issue but am not sure how to go about retraining him.He always goes first thing in the morning but really quick like he does not want me to know he went I always praise him and give him a treat every time. Its just the rest of the day. We can take him out and he will be gone with us along time and won't go.How do I start retraining him? Like I said he went great the first week and I know some of the problems are separation anxiety he has issues every time my son leaves he's sad and barks alot.Do I just go about it as if he were a new puppy? How big a crate do I use just enough for him to fit or space to move around? He is very eager to please in everything but this.Sometimes he looks at me like "why are you making me go with you out here I'm not going to move once we step off the porch" I have tried both leash and walking him and letting him go out by himself.We have a pug and at first if she went he would now he's used to us and we have the stubborness kick in.

Answer
Do you have a fenced in yard? If so, try just putting him out and let him have some alone time. Just watch him through a window or somewhere he can't see you. Crating him when you aren't home is probably a good idea. The crate should be big enough for him to stand up and turn around in comfortably.

Another thought is this: was he neutered when you got him? How long before or after you got him? Sometimes neutering will throw off the dog's hormones and cause issues with "to lift or not to lift"..which can cause housebreaking issues. It is a bit too complex to try to solve a psychological issue without really being able to converse. I just don't have enough information to even ask the right questions, let alone give you the right answers. You can call me in the evening if you'd like. My office number is 727-327-8769.

Sue