6 Month Old Won't Ask to go Out!

2511 Views 17 Replies 17 Participants Last post by Bock, Nov 9, 2009

sareza

Discussion Starter · Nov 9, 2009

Wondering if anyone has any suggestions....
our 6 month old does not "ask" to go outside to urinate. Up to this point we have just watched her and when she goes near the door we let her out. Instead she keeps having a few accidents every week (about 2-3) and we are all becoming frustrated. I keep hoping she will scratch on the door or do a little whine so we can hear when it is time, rather than following her around, but it has yet to happen. I'm sure it is because in the the summer when we were training her, we kept our screen door open because it has a doggie door, but now the weather is colder and the door needs to be closed. When she does have an accident, I really try to positively reinforce the next few times she does go outside and give her a yummy treat and lots of praise, but a few days later, we are wiping pee off the floor.
Any ideas are appreciated.

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

Daisybones

· #2 · Nov 9, 2009

My Hudson didn't do this either. I was becoming very worried. At about maybe 10 months he started coming up to me and just going "MMMMMMMMMMM" a low gutteral growl. I learned very quickly this meant "I need to go outside mom" after he did it a few times and then peed right in front of me. Be patient. I think it is a very good sign that your pup goes near the door when she has to go out. I guess I would consider that "asking".

SimTek

· #3 · Nov 9, 2009

When Samantha was that age, we had a string of bells hanging from the door knob, left over from Christmas, she would ring them when she wanted out.

Nicole74

· #4 · Nov 9, 2009

How's Sadie doing? I'd try and train with the bell to see if that would work. I'm one of the lucky ones where Bailey whines at the door when she needs to go.

fostermom

· #5 · Nov 9, 2009

Sometimes they signal in a way that we totally miss. Jasper used to come and jump up in my lap, I thought he was just being affectionate. I finally realized that he was telling me he had to pee. Danny used to just get extra hyper. No real sign, no real idea what he was telling me until one night he peed after bouncing in front of me way back in our bedroom, no where near the back door. Now I know if he starts bouncing from one foot to the other, he needs to pee.

Jasmine just goes to the back door, sits down and stares at me. She doesn't take her eyes off from me until I get up to let her out. She is pretty obvious about her signals. LOL

FlyingQuizini

· #6 · Nov 9, 2009

My Golden is 6 years old and doesn't "ask". I simply remember to let him out every few hours.

Don't take this the wrong way, but is that really so hard?

I think your issue is that b/c you left the door open in the summer, she never learned that she has to "hold it" until given a chance to go out. People who use dog doors often have the same problem. It's really a form of "fake house training." If I were you, I'd just back up in the house training dept., go back to treating her like a little pup and keep her under your direct watchful eye all the time - and if you can't do that, confine her where she won't want to pee, like in a crate of very small area of your home. Take her out often and don't give her the chance to make the mistake. That's how she'll learn not to pee inside.

If you really want her to learn to ring a bell or something, look it up online. Lots of websites explain how to teach it. But even that won't fix her current problem of thinking it's okay to pee inside. You have to make it so that she can't practice that and then teach her to ring a bell.

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FlyingQuizini

· #7 · Nov 9, 2009

fostermom said:
Sometimes they signal in a way that we totally miss. Jasper used to come and jump up in my lap, I thought he was just being affectionate. I finally realized that he was telling me he had to pee. Danny used to just get extra hyper. No real sign, no real idea what he was telling me until one night he peed after bouncing in front of me way back in our bedroom, no where near the back door. Now I know if he starts bouncing from one foot to the other, he needs to pee.

Jasmine just goes to the back door, sits down and stares at me. She doesn't take her eyes off from me until I get up to let her out. She is pretty obvious about her signals. LOL

YES! Quiz is like that! He's always a "busy" dog, but there's a certain frantic-ness to it when he's about to blow a bad poo and REALLY needs to get outside. If he just needs to pee, he'll pretty much hold it 'til I remember to take him out.

My Whippet will come find me and yodel.

Griffyn'sMom

· #8 · Nov 9, 2009

Griff RARELY goes to the back door when he needs out - he comes to me and stares at me intently.

Sometimes he'll come to me and sit down abruptly - that means he needs to go #2 - NOW!

:

The longer you have your dog, the better you will be at reading her signals. Soon it will be 2nd nature.

Willow52

· #9 · Nov 9, 2009

FlyingQuizini said:
...I think your issue is that b/c you left the door open in the summer, she never learned that she has to "hold it" until given a chance to go out. People who use dog doors often have the same problem. It's really a form of "fake house training."

We have a dog door from our screened porch to the back yard. Now that the patio doors are closed to the screened porch Hank knows the difference and asks (scratches) to go out. The dog door didn't cause any confusion. IMO they either know that it's not OK to pee/poop inside or they don't, dog door or not.

CaptCooke

· #10 · Nov 9, 2009

We are really fortunate Joy has not had an accident in months. She is now 7.5 months. We still take her out on set schedules. 6AM 9 then not till 2-3 after dinner and 10PM. If off schedule Joy comes up to me and gets very nippy on my hands. Some times I think she is just being rude, then I realize she is trying to "drag me outide". Signals are difficult structure seems to work better till you understand your dog.

Loisiana

· #11 · Nov 9, 2009

Annabel is my only dog that actually barks to be let outside. Colby will starting running around the house and standing at different doors (like my bedroom door). I haven't figured out a sign Conner gives, but he does fine holding it until I let him out. I'm still figuring out Flip's signs. I wish I could hurry up and figure them out because he's still having way too many accidents.

NapaValleyGolden

· #12 · Nov 9, 2009 (Edited)

Griffyn'sMom said:
Griff RARELY goes to the back door when he needs out - he comes to me and stares at me intently.

Sometimes he'll come to me and sit down abruptly - that means he needs to go #2 - NOW! :

The longer you have your dog, the better you will be at reading her signals. Soon it will be 2nd nature.

That's exactly what Cody does, he will sit down at the entry to whatever room I am in and just stare... He had an accident this week, just because I wasn't paying attention to the time and to him. I started walking downstairs with him but stopped off a couple of times and next thing I knew he was peeing on the floor.

It was totally my fault, not his. He has never barked, whined, etc., I have just learned his signals and his schedule.

cinnamonteal

· #13 · Nov 9, 2009

I don't remember Caleb giving any sign when he was a puppy. Now, he just comes to me and gives me a very meaningful look. I tried the bell, and it was really easy to train, but he started abusing it just to go outside. So now it's down most of the time.

Jax's Mom

· #14 · Nov 9, 2009

It took Jax, my 6 month old, about 3 days to figure out how to use the bells and it worked GREAT. Everyone in my family thought I was NUTS! I attached bells that I made from a parrot toy, right to the front door knpb. EVERY time I took him out, I rang the bell and/or took him over to the bells and used his nose to move the bell. After 3 days, he was jingling the bells on his own. Now we don't have to "look" for signs, we "hear" them. I am hoping my 3 month old picks up the same habit!

hollyk

· #15 · Nov 9, 2009

My 9 month old does not have clear signs. She just becomes a bit hyper and does not settle down. I mostly just remember to take her out every few hours. I used a kitchen timer when we first got her. Now I seem to have the timer in my head, plus she can hold it longer when the internal timer is a bit off.

Florabora22

· #16 · Nov 9, 2009

I totally agree with what the others have said about your dog maybe giving a signal that you just don't notice. Flora doesn't go to the door when she has to potty. Instead she will come into whatever room I'm in and kind of circle around in front of me and give me a knowing look. If I wait too long she'll give a REALLY quiet peep. She's very subtle.

If your dog for sure isn't giving any indication that she has to go potty, I would just start over with the potty training so your dog gets the idea that she should be going outside to pee and poo.

2Retrievers222

· #17 · Nov 9, 2009

maybe try going on other side of door and start calling her and if she barks or wines open door and give praise. let her know you have a treat to

Bock

· #18 · Nov 9, 2009

Tysen will pace a bit but it's really hard to tell if he's just walking around or asking. I just let him out every few hours regardless like Stephanie mentioned.

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