Housebreaking A Dachshund

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Boss Mare

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I feel like I have really messed up training my last dog. Spencer is a 15 month old Dachshund, spayed. I bought her at 8 weeks old and she was wee wee pad trained by the breeder. I knew better but continued using them. I also never crate trained her, instead she has a dog play pen. She is not food or praise motivated.. She is stubborn, loses interest easily and is always busy and on the go. She has a lot of toys and things to interest her -- if not she will find stuff to do.. Spinning on the shower floor, chasing the cats, drop kicking the other dogs from the back of the couch,.. She uses her wee wee pad about 90% of the time. She makes no attempt to hold pee, a tiny spot here and there in the span of several minutes.. Outside she is too focused on everything else to go potty, but inside she will go to her wee wee pad and potty.

My other dogs (Dachshunds and a Pointer) are like soldiers.. Crated trained, house trained, commands, etc.

I let all my years of working with dogs out the window with Spencer -- now I don't know where to pick up because she already is 15 months old and complicated. Suggestions are appreciated!
 
I really don't know what to tell you, as I've not had a doxie, but my MIL does and she's had a heck of a time housebreaking him. I do know there was a thread about doxies on here awhile ago, so perhaps a search will find it and there will be something there to help you out.
 
For starters, its never too late! She can still learn all she needs to know you will just have to work at it a bit harder and be very consistent. If it were me I'd start with kennel training. She needs to learn to sleep there in case she must visit a vet overnight or you might want to travel with her someday (I always imagine what my dogs need to know if for some reason in the future I am not their caregiver any longer - after all things do happen) Second I would keep her on a leash and with me at all times (or in her kennel when that was impossible) remove her abundance of toys and make play a thing she gets to do because of you. Then use that as her reward for good behaviour. I would also phase out the pee pads, move them to right by the door then outside and finally gone. Since she is with you you can catch her if she begins to go and rush her out of doors (try to take her out often anyway to hopefully have success with outside pottying) once her pads are out there. It isn't much fun going out in the rain snow or late at night but she can learn this and it won't be forever (it'll just seem that way ;) ) The one other thing, have the vet check her out to be sure that she hasn't got any bladder issues. Some dogs who are spade struggle with leaking urine. Good luck, don't give up on her, she needs you to help her be a good canine citizen to help her be wanted if you aren't able to look after her.
 
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start all over. Not being mean, just real. She needs ALL freedom in the house taken away. She must never be allowed free roaming until house broken. On leash at all times in the house. If she is not on a leash, she must be in a crate or an x pen. Clean up your house as much as you can with natures miracle or something similar. Then and only then can you begin to make her understand the basics of beginning housetraining again. I loathe puppy piddle pads as they teach dogs to pee in the house on absorbant surfaces, but the most important thing you need to do is have a positive attitude.. Lots of praise for peeing outside. The book "what all good dogs should know" is a great book.

I rescued a tibetan spaniel a few years ago. She was 7 years old, not spayed, had bladder infection, bladder stones, ear infection and she was used to peeing everywhere in the house and even in the bed and on the sofa of her elderly owner. Many thought she was a lost cause. In my house, dogs earn their freedom. I took away all her freedom, she was either leashed or confined. She now is very well housebroken and allowed the roam of our house. Yes old dogs can learn proper behavior. Easy to train the dogs, harder to convince the owners it can be done. I used to chuckle at a friend telling me about her scottish terrier puppy pooping in her dining room. she was complaining and I said, well... what did you do when you saw her pooping? She says... well, I wasn't there when she did it.... hmmmmm. I said. Then you werent using the leash in the house then? She laughed and said "caught me". Her dog just needed her to have some consistency. It is easy to train difficult to house break breeds to be housebroken if the owners will just keep the dog at hand during the training phase. Dogs will rarely do it in front of you. Put a clip on your beltlook and hook the leash to it. When you catch your dog in the act of going potty in front of you, interrupt the behavior, take pup outside, and praise praise praise. I typically set up a designated potty area outside for difficult dogs. I had an xpen for my bonnie with a tarp over it outside and I would watch from the door on a rainy day. As soon as I spotted her going potty I would rush out, praise and reward and let her come in. I have a rule, I am not going to get wet and walk the dog all over the place while they hold it and save it for inside the house. I say, hey... u get wet... I will let you come in when u are done. Some dogs like privacy to do business and this approach works for those. If you can at all get spencer some obedience training that would help too for respect. Dogs that are coddled too much can often become tyrants in the home. Also a good idea to rule out medical reasons first. With my tibbie, if I had concentrated on only the housetraining issue, I would have missed the bladder infection and bladder stones my girl had. It was impossible for her to be housebroken with her medical issues. She needed medication and prescription food and diligent training and now she is a happy well adjusted sweetheart of a dog. Best wishes.. never too late! You are a great owner to take the responsibility on your shoulders rather than blame the dog! I wish everybody was that honest about themselves.
 
I will try some of the tips and start over with her. I can really kick myself because I have raised so many dogs, am a dog groomer of over 7 years, certified in canine education, grooming, nutrition, first aid..

Most of my Dachsund clients explain how hard they are to house break and I always had pride in mine, until Spencer. I let the rules slip through and not to pass the blame, but she was also my now fiancé's first puppy, so together we didn't discipline her like we/I should have. I have raised three other Dachshunds that are near flawless -- even a "problem" pet store dog.. And an elderly puppy mill breeder rescue (the Pointer mix).. Among other breeds over the years.

Thanks. Guess I needed the push that it's okay to start from ground zero even though my training and knowledge says it is never too late!
 
You sound like you are ready in mind and spirit. Great job. I do have a chuckle for you. My toughest dog to housebreaker was a min pin I got during a tough time in my life. I tried and tried with her. Could not train her and could not house break her. She would never even do a sit and she peed in her crate. It wasn't that she couldn't be trained..she wouldn't be trained. Had her own mind and she was a little stinker. I loved her with all of my heart. She would defend her crate like a honey Badger. If allowed run of the house she would pee on your sofa or pillow. I used up enough papertowels in her life time to fill 19 tractortrailers. When she went blind we all lived in "fear" as she would leap and click those little Badger teeth in empty air. She would hide under blankets and launch at the other dogs and often scare them bad enough that they would pee in fear. We called her the little pee pot. She peed in her crate 18 years! I loved her because she reminded me to be humble and never think I was too smart for mybritches trainer and she helped me understand more from my students that claim they have a dog they cant house break. Yes they do exist. When she died we had the most horrible thunderstorm as soon as she passed. I told my family she was kicking butt at rainbow bridge. Miss her forever. Ps. Moral to story..do your best.. don't be hard on yourself if your baby turns out to be one of those special needs cases that needs understanding doggie parenting.
 
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Oh my your little Min Pin sounds like my little Sugar. She is a chi/poodle cross and came with her name. I would have named her Damien! She was difficult to train also. Finally got the hang of it, but when she is mad she tinkles. Right in front of me. And she lifts her leg like the boys. No squatting for this little miss. She is alpha and gives the other dogs a really really hard time. Have tried everything and anything. Have had mutliple trainers work with her. They basically shook their heads and told me they were sorry and would pray for me. Have even had Bonnie give her a go. She told Bonnie
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that she is going to do what she wants, when she wants, and that is the way it is going to be. She is lucky I love her to pieces. And she adores her human family, which helps. I think when this little miss passes on, the entire sky is going to fall in. Run Chicken Little!!
 
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