Re: Still not house broke after 6 mo

In Reply to: Still not house broke after 6 mo
Category:   Behavior Problems
Posted by:  Brandy
Posted on:  October 29, 2002 at 22:33:02

: I have a 6mo old female. We really LOVE her, but I am beginning to not LIKE her! At 6 mo old we are still not house broke. I have read everything that is offered on this site about housetraining and done it. Plus I own 9 differant book pertaining to JRTs. Im at the end of my rope. I have done everything I can possibly think of. From the taking her out every 30 mins to using the crate and then taking her out again. We can walk for our 30 mins, she never does anything, come in the house and she will urniate. Same with taking her out side. One time she was being really stubburn, so I got my lawn chair and sat there, determined I was going to win and she would potty no matter how long we sat there, NOT! I lost. I have praised a job well done, and "shamed" when she was in the process of pottying on my floor. Its not even in the same spot every time, just where ever she feels the need. She knows she has done wrong because she will go hide afterward. There are times when she does remember to go to the door, then when I take her out, she will play and forget, then we come back in, thinking I will wait the 10-15 mins then take her back out. But we are in the house a few mins and she goes potty in the house. What do I do???? I know to take up her food, but should I give her water in the Morning, when I come home at lunch and in the evenings? Is that enough water for her or will she dehydrate? Im at my witts end. Like I said we LOVE her but I dont LIKE her very much. My aunt raises them, and is an avid JRT lover and she is out of suggestions also. PLEASE HELP!

Response:

Dear Brandy,

I don't understand why you expect your pup to be house broken at only 6 months of age. She is barely old enough to physically be able to "hold it;" she is also too young to fully understand when and where you expect her to go potty...especially since you are giving her conflicting signals.

Before you re-start the training (this time, use a leash to keep both you and your terrier focussed), I suggest you take her to the vet to make sure she doesn't have any health issues. Urinary tract infections in young pups will affect their ability to "control" their bodily functions.

If she is healthy, please consider the following; it takes time to develop a routine and consistency to make the routine work. This does not happen overnight...nor in a month or even 4 months. Give her a break, Brandy, and don't be so hard on yourself either.

Regards,
Leslie