Re-housebreaking an adolescent

Question
I have a Pyrenees/Lab mix (Phoenix) who is almost 18 mos and approximately 90 lbs. (She has been spayed, is current on shots and in good health.) I also have an 11 year old lab mix (Solo) so she has had some canine socialization in that sense but she is very dependent on him for cues. Both of us work and sometimes the dogs are there by themselves during the day but it is usually only 1 -2 days a week. We did not use crate training because I have raised 2 other pups and never needed it so I just assumed it would work out again.   

She was very young when we got her (only 5 weeks.) Training has been a bit difficult and there are a few things we are still working on, but when she finally catches on, she is usually very good about repeating it. The one problem that I can't seem to correct is housebreaking. I used a potty patch when she was little, which was sheer ignorance on my part, so now if we can't let her out when she is ready to go, she goes in the house. It is usually in the same exact spot every time, so I guess that is a plus, but I feel like I have tried everything to correct the problem and nothing has worked. I figured that when she got a little older, she would learn from Solo since he never goes in the house. When we moved back in February, she stopped doing it for awhile and I thought the reason she kept doing it at the other place was because of the scent but now it is back in full swing. (That is what makes me think it was the potty patch that created this habit because it seems like she stopped while she was adjusting to the new place but now that she is comfortable, it has started again.) It is also very hard to catch her in the act because it is very sporadic and usually happens while I am otherwise engaged. She doesn't give the normal signs...whimpering, sniffing...the only indication is that she suddenly disappears. For example, last night it happened while I was in the shower. I have even tried to train her to use the bells, which she does use, except she thinks it is just to go outside, not as a bathroom cue. I am not sure where her motivation lies. She likes treats, just like any dog but that does not seem to be enough to keep her interest. What I mean by this is, we have also been trying to break her from pulling on the leash but it only works until we try to walk her and Solo together, then it all goes out the window...treat or no treat.

I hope that all makes some sense. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your question.

I obtained my Golden Retriever at the age of about a year and a half and she was not housebroken, so I can empathize with you.

She is now fully housebroken but it took some time, sorry to say.

I work with people all the time on housebreaking so I hope I can help you.

First off, are you cleaning where your dog eliminated with an enzymatic cleaner? This type of odor eliminating cleaner will break down the proteins in the urine or stool so the dog cannot smell it anymore, and attract her to the same site over and over to eliminate. One of the better known products is Nature's Miracle, but there are others. Just read the labels and follow the manufacturer's instructions for using the product.

Next, I have to ask if you have corrected her in any way when she has an "accident" in the house? If you ever correct her, she will go somewhere out of your sight to eliminate since she associates you with punishment, even if you are giving her treats for eliminating outside.

I would also recommend blocking off her access to the place where she is eliminating, and when you are unable to completely supervise her, until she is totally housebroken do not leave her in the house unsupervised but always in sight with limited access to other areas of the house.  

You can create a make-shift kennel for her by putting her in the bathroom or other small area and blocking off extra space with boxes or a baby gate or something since she is such a large dog - depending on her size of course and the size of the bathroom. She should only have enough room to stand up, turn around and lie down. This would not be ideal and it wouldn't be my first choice.

My first choice is a real crate, but you cannot leave her crated for longer than two hours - it would be inhumane and make her crazy. You could hire a dog walker to come let her out at lunchtime while you are at work, or if you live close enough to come home at lunchtime, come home and let her out. If you leave her crated for an hour or two, make sure you give her a food filled Kong or some other hard, safe chew toy to keep her preoccupied.

If you are not feeding your dog on a schedule, rather than "free feeding" (food always available), I suggest you begin doing so as this will help keep elimination regular and predictable.

Another thing to consider is a medical issue, such as a urinary tract infection, so if you have not taken your dog to a vet recently and had her checked for any urinary problem, I suggest doing so.

Housebreaking takes time and consistency. Some dogs take longer than others, especially if they weren't incompletely trained from the beginning.

I suppose you know your puppy left the litter at least 3 weeks ahead of schedule. This can cause behavior problems later in life, but usually what I have seen is aggressiveness toward other dogs since these dogs lack three crucial weeks with their dam and littermates. But that's just FYI - there's nothing you can do about it now - maybe you were rescuing her from a bad situation? Just keep it in mind should you decide to get any more dogs or people ask you, 'When the best time to leave the litter?'

In terms of leash walking, I can refer you to a good video. The other thing you may want to try is a Gentle Leader: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWFPWj08Bhs  You may be able to find a similar product that works such as a Halti or other head halter product online. I am not a big fan of the Gentle Leader any more because Premier, the original company that marketed the leader was sold to Radio Systems, a shock collar company and they will be changing the Premier name (original product name)to PetSafe in October. However, the Gentle Leader has been a mainstay of positive reinforcement trainers for a while.

Please bear in mind that these should be fitted by a professional trained in fitting - not usually a pet store employee or even pet store trainer. Dogs need to be properly desensitized to the Gentle Leader, properly fitted and the Gentle Leader needs to be used properly to be safe and effective.

Here's the leash walking video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFgtqgiAKoQ

Please also see a video I made - pay attention to the "opposition reflex" as I demonstrate it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdm0nadKldY

See this article I wrote to get a better idea of what clicker training is all out: http://www.animalinfo.com.au/fact_sheets/view/2/25/175/What_is_Clicker_Training

On that same website there is another two-part article on how to get started with clicker training. Be sure to find a qualified instructor - there are many imposters out there and people who say they are doing clicker training when in fact all they are doing is some sort of training using a clicker.

Look for a Karen Pryor Academy trainer in your area: https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer  Call the 800 number if you don't see any listed in your area since not all Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partners pay the fees required to be listed on the site: 800-472-5425

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have further questions.

Cindy