Housebreaking

[kathnwes]

Hi,

I have read all the threads on potty training, I guess I am just looking for a little reassurance from the more experienced frenchie owners out there. I have owned many dogs ( I currently have a 4 year-old lab) and have acquired them all as puppies, so I am familiar with housebreaking. I just got my new frenchie a week ago, she is 13 weeks old ( just a real sweetheart), so I am prepared for the house breaking ordeal. I do not work, so I am with her all day, and take her out after waking up, playing, etc. so really no accidents to speak of. I am only worried because I have read how they can be stubborn, and hard to house break, and after reading some of the threads of the issues some people are having I am thinking uh-oh. I guess I worry because I had a brussels griffon a couple of years ago that I had for nine years (i got him at six months) and he was never really reliable and I have the carpet to show it. They are known to be stubborn in that area, and I wonder if I am in for the same situation with a frenchie. I am buying an brand new house for the first time in my life, it will be ready in August - she will be 10 months old then. I am training her the way I trained my lab, by being very vigilant and crate training. How old were some of yours when they became reliable, and what technique did you use?
I just don't think I will be able to deal with a situation like I had with my brussels. Any input is greatly appreciated.

[phoebesmom]

I found my Frenchie as easy to train as other dog breeds I have had - i.e. Boxers and Rottweiler. In fact, I have to say it was a piece of cake appicon .

She is 4 years old already, so I don't remember exactly how old she was when she was 100% housebroken, but it was around 4 - 5 months, and since that time has never ever had an accident in the house. You are at an advantage being at home with her all day and I bet she will surprise you appicon .

[franp]

Dari was housebroken at 7 months..
Now, she has never given "signals" as my other dogs have done..No scrathing at the door etc..Just staring at me..
One of the reasons I think Frenchies get a bad rap is that people do not know how to read thier signals..Also they are stubborn as heck..

But with consistency and patience, it does happen..Not as easy as a Lab or GSD..but it does happen...

[chickenjudy]

I agree with the others! After hearing how stubborn these little guys can be, I too was worried about the housebreaking ordeal. Isaac has been super and at 6 mos of age I am leaving him alone in the house for brief periods, he's sleeping with us in bed through the night and hasn't had an accident in I don't know how long. He doesn't "ask" to go out, either, but will go stand in front of the door and look at us. It used to be a quick pass by then he would head off to the DR if we didn't notice quick enough but now he will actually stand there for awhile waiting on us-but no sound. He's actually learned to take advantage of the "go out" as he loves to go romp in the yard with the big dogs at night and will want out every 30 minutes or so. I have gradually been making him "wait" until I'm sure it's a NEED instead of a WANT;) so he won't keep pulling my chain!! But compared to the dachshund (took 2 YEARS:rolleyes: before he was reliable), the Frenchie has been a piece of cake!! Good luck with the new house and don't worry too much-these guys are smart and you'll have it accomplished in no time I bet!!!

[louie's mom]

I also expected alot of problems with house training- BUT they never happened. We got Louie at 12 weeks- so the breeder had him started-but we did train him to ring big bells on the back door when he wants to go out. He started ringing them himself within 2 weeks and may have had one accident after that! This dog never seems to need to go out! He will hold it forever- hates the rain-cold etc. so he has been very easy. He is 1-1/2 and has been out of the crate since about 6 months old. I guess we were very lucky- but the problems I expected never came about0 I hope the same holds for you! Good Luck!

[Martina]

[QUOTE=franp]One of the reasons I think Frenchies get a bad rap is that people do not know how to read thier signals.QUOTE]

I have to agree with this. I didn't do bell training with my three (wish I had!!) and it is still sometimes difficult to read their signals. Usually Gigi and Tigger will bark at the door if the REALLY need to go. But at other times, they'll just start walking around the house ... or stand in front of the door in the kitchen. So I have to be really vigilant. I have to realize that someone isn't with me in whatever room I'm in - and is probably standing at the kitchen door. If I see Lola go to a particular area, I know that she's got to go. But really, it's just vigilance and paying attention after feeding - especially since it's cold outside :rolleyes:

[imogene]

At almost six months Belzie is mostly house trained.

We are using a crate and using a bell. After a couple of really bad weeks, we started using her crate, and keeping her teathered. She has tried to "fake" us out, by squating outside then waiting until she get back in to sneak off in the nice warm house. We introduced a bell about 3 weeks ago, and when she has been holding it for a while (like when we let her out of her crate in the morning) she will go and attack it.

Whenever I start trusting her a bit she always demostrates why I am a fool in doing so by walking to the door and without warning, no snif, no sit, no bell, no signal at all - she will squat and pee by the door:eek: . She is so quick about it that all we find is the puddle (too late to even dicipline her for it), so now I am in the habbit of following her everywhere when she is free in the house.

The only time she is really good is durring her puppy class - last night she wouldn't go before we left for class -so she held it for the whole car ride, walk to the school, and the whole class -then peed like mad once we done - and on the sidewalk. Silly puppy

Good luck with our house training - hopefully your puppy isn't as stubborn as ours:)

[bulldoggin30]

We took Dutchie for his evaluation at Doggy daycare tonight. He held it in the whole time we were there, playing with the other dogs, getting petted, everything. Not one accident. Then, as soon as we got in the car I put him in the seat and he PEED!:eek: Good thing I had a blanket down!

[slakker]

Seems like the same for our Belzie. She can hold it for the whole puppy socialization class, but right after we leave, we need to give her a few "private" minutes on some nearby grass as she needs to pee and poop. If we try to for go this, she's done it in her car crate. Must be all the excercise durign class... get's things going... :D

[maks]

NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY FRENCHIES!! wow, they were a breeze! now can someone help me with my puppy chihuahua im housebreaking now????? give me a frenchie any day to housebreak!!!

[chickenjudy]

LOL!!! I have a feeling that a chihuahua is similar to a dachshund. Ugh!:eek: I didn't know a dog could be soooo hard to housebreak! My hubby fought me for several years before allowing me to have a "little" dog as his prior wife had a min pin that never got housebroke. Seems to be a little dog thing.....:rolleyes: Glad that Frenchies THINK they are big dogs!appicon

[lollerskates]

I definitely agree about the reading their signals. lola is a tricky one. and the only accidents she's had since about 5 or 6 months have been because i wasn't paying attention. good little girl that she is though, she always does it in the bathroom! :lol: i don't know how she knows. but she does.

[Piperloo]

I won't even touch the housebreaking issue here with Piper because she was not the norm - constant UTI's and very difficult to housebreak. HOWEVER, I will add to the repeat theme here that they don't give signals! She won't scratch at the door or cry to go out. Maybe she'll sit in front of the door and wait for me to notice she's there or maybe she'll wait until I read her mind and ask her if she has to go out! :lol: Very different than the types of dogs I was used to growing up! I guess the bottom line is you just have to really get to know your dog and when you expect they may need to go.
Piperloo

[wendykei]

Ugh. Well, Sidney and I are still having issues with the housebreaking and he's one week shy of 8 months. I've started leaving him uncrated in the bathroom (no free reign, but I had made that decision based on his chewing issues as opposed to not having confidence in his ability/willingness to not pee in the house)... He'd been great for the past month with no accidents!!! But Saturday night, I walked him at 5:15 and left him around 5:30. Then when I came home around 7:45 he had peed on the floor!! I'm hoping it was just an anomaly...

[Martina]

Ha, ha - that Yankee is one funny guy! I actually had a problem yesterday and I was wondering if it was about 'getting back at me.' I know that frenchie grudges have been mentioned on this site, so I'd like to see what anyone thinks ...

Water was up by 9pm and all dogs had been out to potty at about 11pm. At midnight I opened the door to my bedroom and let them all race around before bedtime (then I put them out again before sleepy-time). Between the 11pm pee and the midnight bed hopping, I tried - AGAIN - to trim Lola's nails. Walked into the bedroom and someone/s had peed on the bed :eek:! The bed, I tell you! I was getting ready to strip the bed and wash the sheets before I got in anyway ... but holy cow!

Do you think it was just me missing cues? Someone really needing to pee again (I'll have to watch for excessive urination and bladder infection signs) that quickly? Or was it pay back for attempting to trim her nails?!? She goes ballistic when I try to trim her nails. Gigi & Tigger hate it too, but they at least concede after a while. I've got so many scratches from Lola at the moment that you'd think I was in a real fight :rolleyes:

By the way, all 3 of mine are angels for the groomers and vet assistants who trim their nails. Not, however, for the vet. So it's only the vet and myself who bring out their nail trimming evilicon

[bulldoggin30]

Yes, twistNshout, I know you're kidding about the bad mommy! Hindsight is 20/20, eh? Martina, have you tried trimming nails when the pup is asleep? That works for us!

[Roland]

My dog does in fact signal when she wants to go out. She scratches at the back door and sometimes even barks. She wasn't that hard to housebreak, BUT she needed to go out very frequently at first. I mean, every half an hour.