Adopted 18 m/o Vizsla won't poop outside HELP!

2993 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by NashOwner, Dec 30, 2010

Snowblsm

Discussion Starter · Feb 23, 2009

I'm new to the forums... If this was better posted in another place, please forgive me. I'm Kristi. My boyfriend Scott and I have been blessed with Vera, an 18 month old spayed female. She is MY first dog. He grew up with dogs and assures me he will be able to train her...

She came to us on Friday. She's our only dog. She is in a kennel at night. She will pee outside and we treat and praise the heck out of her for it. But she has only pooped inside at the vet's and twice in the basement while unattended despite all the trips outside ten minutes after meals and then every 2 hours, 45 minute walks in the bitter cold, standing in one place refusing to look at her after she pees, etc. She just won't do it! I've stopped her mid-poop in the basement, picked up the poop, put a leash on her, taken her outside, put the poop in the yard and shown her where she's supposed to go. Then she just gets distracted by the neighbor's dog, a car door, an interesting smell, or just looks at me.

She seems to be very sensitive to the cold. She doesn't seem too thrilled with the snow or this bitter cold weather we're experiencing. She lifts up a paw occasionally on our walks... I'm wondering if she's starting to RESENT going outside because we're doing it so often! At her previous owner's home she had a buddy; a 12 month old pit bull mix who she was always let out with. I guess they had a dog run, and no one was watching them when they were out to do their business. And it's starting to look like from what I gather, she's never really been housebroken cause when her previous owners weren't home, both dogs were kennelled. With us, because we don't have a completely fenced in yard, we have to have her on a leash. We have tried the tie-out method, but she is so DISTRACTED by everything, she doesn't know what to do; sniff, look around, look for us, etc.

I don't want medical problems. Do I stay strong and stubborn and let her get stopped up? Do I look the other way and let her relieve herself in the basement? Does anyone have any tips on how to get her to go JUST ONCE outside? I think if we can get her to do it ONCE, and I can give her a treat, and praise her, she will catch on. She is SMART. We have broken her almost completely of her jumping habit in one weekend.... I'm not looking for an instantly housebroken dog, I just want want ONE outdoor poop. And one unbound dog. And then we can go from there...

If there's anything I'm leaving out, please ask. Help? Anyone?

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madaboutvizslas

· #2 · Feb 24, 2009

Not sure if I can be of any help on this but here are a couple of ideas.

1) Do not vever get angry at her (no matter what). Just dig deep and have lots of patience. You are obviously trying to overcome some deep conditioning with her.

2) Every time you take her out use a word like Quick or Be Quick to link it with going to the toilet. And use her name first. Always Name then Command (helpful when you are in a noisey environment). Then praise after the event.

3) Try taking some of her doo and leave it out where she is peeing. Most often they seem to sniff around for where they went last and go near there. If this works then start disposing of it.

4) Always thoroughly clean up where she goes inside so she can't smell it later. Don't use an ammonia based cleaner (smells like pee, use citric base etc.).

5) My dog always seems to go 2-3 times a day at about the same times. So see if you can work out when this is and take her out and ask her to Be Quick at these times.

Good Luck.

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Snowblsm

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 25, 2009

Thank you for your response. We did get her to poop outside today after taking advice from the same trainer who showed me the coins in the can trick at petsmart. She told me to do basic potty training boot camp. 10 mins after she eats, take her out. Don't talk to her, except "go potty" once. Then stand in one place, don't look at her and stay there for 10 minutes. Wait. If she pees, great. Wait some more for her to poop. If, within 10 minutes pee and/or poop don't happen, take her immediately inside, leave leash on, kennel her for 10 minutes. Resume. We tried this about 3 rounds without any luck, but after an hour long walk and 2 more rounds of in and out again, she finally went poop outside. We praised her like she got the gold at the olympics.

But that was this morning... Now she's boycotting again.

I've caught her in the act of pooping in the basement and simply told her "no," picked up what she pinched off, put a leash on her, and brought them both out in the yard where it was all supposed to be happening. I never scolded her. She may have sensed the urgency of the situation by how rushed I was, if anything, but that's all.

I have closed off the room where she was pooping (and peed once- while I was on the phone with the trainer getting advice about getting her not to POOP down there). Don't know if that's just inviting her to poop elsewhere in the house or if that's a step in the right direction... She was in a kennel most of her life at her previous home, so maybe she's a once-a-day typa gal. I don't know.

Thanks again. Will keep you updated...

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NashOwner

· #4 · Dec 30, 2010

Keep her on the leash in the house until you can fully trust her. You said it worked to kennel or keep her on the leash so why did you stop? She will sneak off to do her business.

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