pleae help!!!!

Question
My puppy is a 10 week old Pomeranian I hvw another dog that was very easy to train and have had others not at all like this one. I give my puppy 2/3 a cup of natural choice puppy bites which the vet suggested the amount and brand. My problem is she poops in her cage 24/7. I take her out at 7 am then feed her take her out 15min later and then 45min if she poops I let her stay supervised in my living room for a half hour take her out again and let her play for an hour and then she still pees on the floor and put her in the cage for 2 hours she poops and pees in that time. then i tried feeding her once a day i know it sounds terrible but vet allowed it I gave her 2/3 she eats it over an hour and take her out between 1pm and 11pm at least 10x then I get up at 5 am and taker her out but she is still pooping and peeing i even tried feeding her once in the am my husband is tired of her. I do not want to get rid of her but I have tried everything its gotten worse in the last week i have had her a month. I even blocked of her cage where she could barely lay down with a divider and she still poops and lays in it and gets 2 baths a day. Opening her whole cage doesn't work either please help me. She wont even go 3hrs with no poop

Answer
At just 10 weeks of age, your puppy does not yet have full control of her bladder and bowels. Housetraining takes time and patience.

Another thing is that if she came from an environment that was not kept clean (such as a backyard breeder, puppymill, or pet store), she has adapted to having to be in her own filth, and it can be difficult sometimes to break a dog of that once they get to that point. Most dogs instinctively do not want to soil their den area, but if they are forced to do so over a period of time, they adapt to doing it.


The first thing I would recommend that you do would be to get her on a strict feeding/water/potty schedule. Feed her 2/3 cup twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, at least 2 hours before bedtime. Leave her bowl down for 30 minutes, and then pick it up and dump whatever she has not eaten back into the dog food container (I recommend storing dog food in an airtight container such as a Rubbermaid tote or containers made especially for storing dog food in rather than just leaving it in the bag).

Give her access to water for up to an hour after mealtime, and then take it away (again, at least 2 hours before bedtime or before you will need to put her in her crate).

Puppies her age will usually need to pee about every 2-3 hours, and within 20 minutes of eating, most puppies will have a bowel movement. When you feed her, watch her closely for signs that she needs to 'go.' These signs vary from puppy to puppy, but often include intently sniffing, circling, & squatting. When you see any of these signs, you should immediately ask her "Go outside?" and encourage her to follow you to the door (either with a happy voice, the leash, or both) so you can take her out. You want to try to get her to come to the door on her own, rather than you carrying her out, so that she learns to go to the door when she needs to go outside.

I often recommend keeping a 6 foot leather or cloth leash on a puppy or dog that is being housebroken, while it's loose in the house, because that makes it easier for you to get them outside quickly when they need to go. You can either keep the puppy 'tethered' to you, or let it drag the leash around. Use baby gates to keep the puppy confined to the room you're in so you can keep an eye on it, if you choose to let it drag the leash.

If you don't catch the initial signs, and instead catch your puppy in the act of going potty in the house (or in the crate!), clap your hands or make a sudden loud noise to startle the puppy, and immediately take it outside to finish. Do not rub the puppy's nose in the mess, or scold it harshly, because neither of those methods work.

When you take the puppy out, try to always take it to the same spot in the yard so that it knows what it's out there to do. Walk the puppy around in that spot to stimulate her to go to the bathroom. When she does, wait until she's finished, and then you can let go of the leash (if your yard is fenced) and praise and play with her. Make sure she understands that going potty outside makes mommy very happy! If you want, you can teach her to associate a word or phrase with going to the bathroom. I tell my dogs to "Go hurry," in a normal, neutral tone of voice, but you can say whatever you want. Wait until she has started going to the bathroom, and then begin repeating the word or phrase over and over while she is in the process of 'going.' When she has finished, you praise with "Good hurry!" or "Good *whatever word or phrase you choose*!" in a happy tone of voice.

When you go back inside, keep that leash on her, either tethered to you or letting her drag it around, and still keep a close eye on her for those signs!

Make sure that she has gone pee and poo before putting her in her crate, and don't make her stay in the crate for more than 2-3 hours at a time without a potty break. At night, you should get up at least once or twice to take her out. She's still a baby, and cannot be expected to hold it for 8 or more hours yet! It could take a week or two for her to figure out the eating and pottying routine, so you will have to be extra diligent during this time and try not to let her have accidents in the house or in her crate. If you have bedding material in her crate, take it out until she is completely housebroken.