Hi everyone, I've got a 6-month-old male Jack Russell and even though time is moving on, he's still not house-trained. He goes out at least three times a day and I have a little garden where he does his business when he's outside; however, when he's in the house with us, he still goes inside.
At night, he sleeps in a crate (as he gets into too much mischief otherwise) but he even poos in there. What I don't understand is that I've read that dogs have defined areas for sleeping, so why on earth is he pooing in his own bed?
To try and house-train him, I've tried telling him off when he wees or poos in the house, saying "no, that's bad!". When he goes outside, I make a massive fuss of him so he knows it's a good thing, but it hasn't changed anything. I've even tried rubbing his nose in it and scolding him, but he still doesn't get it. I'm at my wits' end.
Translated from French
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Hi there,
If it’s any consolation, you’re definitely not alone... I have a 5-month-old Staffie. She’s alright in the afternoon, maybe the odd wee now and then. But the mornings are a total nightmare. I take her out at 7 am, she does her business. I get back at 12:30 pm and she’s done both inside in the meantime, and then she goes again at 1 pm, but outside that time. If I go out in the evening, I know for a fact I’ll have a mess to clean up when I get home... but apparently, it’s all normal. So we just keep praising her when she goes outside and taking her out 5 or 6 times a day! We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but I really do get what you’re going through...
Boys are different from girls; females don't need to pee as often as the males. My Bichon had to go out every 2 hours at first, and I was trying to work up to 3 hours. If you give him a little treat every time he goes outside, he’ll quickly learn that doing his business = a treat. In Belgium, we have these little dry biscuits, a bit like plain tea biscuits but shaped like letters of the alphabet. I didn’t give him a whole one to start with—just a quarter, then a half, and so on. They’re called Nic-Nacs and they’re very budget-friendly. You can get them in the supermarkets. If you’re from the North, you’ve probably come across them.
The males are distracted by everything—lamp posts, the scent of females obviously, the grass, leaves, you name it... Don’t worry, house-training a baby isn't easy either; one might be sorted by 15 months, while another takes a bit more or less time. It just takes patience and kindness. Shouting is no use at all—it’s actually counterproductive. Speak to him in a gentle voice; they’re certainly not stupid. Give it a try and you’ll see.
Best of luck to you and give the Jack a pat from me. gigi397, love to Kikaah and Jenijen
Hi Wtigger7, well, your little one might just need a bit more time than others, and 6 months is still quite young after all. You know, locking him in his crate at night doesn't seem like a great solution to me. I came here for advice before getting my Pumba and people advised me against crating at night, so I followed their lead.
If your pup is having accidents in the house at night, it's up to you to really ramp up the praise when he goes outside. As he gets older, he'll be able to hold it in for longer too.
I also think you should take him out more often during the day, as 3 times seems a bit low to me. The more you take him out, the more he'll go to the toilet outside, the more you can praise him, and the sooner he'll be house-trained just to get that praise.
Are you giving him treats every time?
I hope my advice helps, although I've only had my puppy for 3 days! I must admit he's already house-trained, apart from the odd excitement wee. But I have to say I take him out regularly, at least every 2 hours; he doesn't go every time, and last night he managed 10 hours without an accident, but I’m not getting ahead of myself lol.
Hi there, you just need to keep at it and try to avoid any accidents indoors or in spots where you don’t want him to go. Take him out regularly so that he only goes outside and doesn't get into the habit of going elsewhere. Every time he goes outside, you can say "be quick" and give him a reward once he’s finished. Try not to head straight back inside the moment he's done, or he might start holding it in just to stay outdoors for longer. In time, he could even learn to go on command. If he's going indoors, he might be stressed, so give him some games or food-stuffed toys to keep him busy and stop him from having accidents; just try to reassure him. Rubbing a dog's nose in it is actually quite pleasant for them, so if he goes inside, you should just pick him up as quickly as possible so he stops and finishes outside, then praise him like you always do. It’s quite surprising that he’s going in his crate at night; likewise, leave him some toys and take him for a walk as late as possible before bed and then first thing in the morning—or even during the night if he’s still struggling to hold it.
Floriane
And at night he sleeps in a travel crate where he poos (because he makes too much of a mess otherwise). What I don’t get is that I’ve read dogs have designated areas, so why on earth is he pooing in his own bed?
If he's in the crate: it's because he physically can't hold it in and he's stuck in there, so he has no choice but to go where he is.
If he's not in the crate: it's because he can't hold it, doesn't know how to ask to go out yet (or you’re not taking him out often enough and/or at the right times), and he feels safe in that spot. He likely feels the need for some security after being told off so much for a natural urge that he just can't control yet.
A 6-month-old Jack Russell—what kind of mess is he actually making at night? If it’s just damaging things that you could protect just by tidying them away, then using a crate isn't really justified...
Have you tried leaving him out of the crate to see if he still causes trouble?
Hi there, he’s only 6 months old so you need to take him out more often. You don't have to go on long walks, it’s just so he understands that outside is the place to go. I used to take mine out every two hours when he was 3 months old, and then each month I’d leave it a bit longer between trips. Otherwise, try using a puppy pad for him to do his business on. If you see him starting to go, pick him up straight away and put him on the pad.
Where did you get your puppy from? It’s not at all shocking that he’s not house-trained yet at his age and—without wanting to judge—you might not have been teaching him quite the right way. What is a bit surprising, though, is that he’s messing his own bed, although that really depends on how long he’s being left in there.
It’s brilliant that you’re praising him when he goes outside, but there’s no point scolding him or rubbing his nose in it. You wouldn’t rub a toddler's face in their pants when they’re potty training, and it’s exactly the same for a puppy. If you tell him off long after he’s done his business (first thing in the morning, for instance), the pup won’t have a clue why he’s being shouted at so early on. Pointing at it or rubbing his nose in it won’t help him understand either. When he’s being told off and shown his “accident”, he just sees the mess without making the connection as to why he’s getting a bollocking. He doesn’t speak our language, so he can’t understand our words.
If you actually catch him in the act, he might end up associating the telling off with the act of going to the toilet itself. Eventually, he’ll probably just start hiding from you so he doesn’t get into trouble. Don’t say a word—just pick him up and take him straight out to the garden.
Hi there,
Maybe he needs to be let out more than three times a day?
I’d also read that puppies don’t usually go to the toilet where they sleep, but mine, on the rare occasion he has a wee indoors (even though he’s only three months old), it’s always in his bed too...
People haven't rubbed a puppy's nose in its mess for decades now. It’s completely counterproductive...
I know it’s a struggle when a dog isn't house-trained yet, but your puppy isn't an unusual case. Not all puppies get the hang of it at the same age. Some are clean by 4 or 5 months, while others take until they're 6 or 7 months old. This doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a behavioural issue; they simply need their sphincters to be mature enough first.
