House training a German Shep?

element05

Hi there,

A mate of mine has a female GSD that he's having great trouble trying to house train.

He got the dog from a kennel when she was about three months old (dog is now just a little over a year old); in the kennel she had apparently been allowed to go to the toilet in her cage, so didn't get any training there. Since he's had her, he's not been able to get her to learn that she should only go when she's outside.

My mate and his partner work during the day, so it's maybe understandable that when they come back in the evening they find a mess waiting for them, but the GSD really doesn't seem to understand the difference between inside and out as she'll go to the toilet at any time. For example, this morning my mate fed the dogs (after clearing up pee from overnight) and took them out for about 45 minutes - the GSD hadn't pooped the night before, so he wanted to give her extra time to make sure she went. Despite the 45 minutes, she didn't go, so he let them back in. After he'd gone upstairs to put on his work clothes, he came back down to find she'd pooped in the utility room where they stay during the day.

When they're home, my mate and his partner take the dogs out for a quick run and bathroom opportunity about once an hour, so the GSD has plenty of chances to go outside. They get fed twice a day, and brought out for a good walk right after each feeding. The GSD gets a treat when she goes to the toilet outside. My mate doesn't hit the dog or anything, and only verbally gives out to her if he catches her soon after she's gone (as in the example from this morning above).

Just in case it's useful, the GSD has just finished going through her first heat. My mate also has a three year old male lab who's fully house trained, and the two dogs are kept together - the GSD doesn't seem to be learning anything from her older brother tough

I've read through some of the posts about house training here, but they all seem to be dealing with dogs that are still puppies - this GSD is over a year old now. I've picked up a few things he might be able to try (ensuring there's no scent left of where she's gone to the toilet inside, maybe crating if that's something he's comfortable doing, pineapple chunks or juice, etc), but does anyone have any other things I can suggest to him? Or are there any special considerations given that she's over a year old?

Thanks for your time!

John

andreac

If the dog wasnt trained then you need to go back to basics, exactly like a pup.
The dog thinks its ok and has learned to go inside so thats where she will go unless corrected or retrained. So its the same for any dog for toilet training no matter what age it is.

Skillie

Think the crate method is the best but have never done it myself and it may be difficult with a 1 year old gsd. have had toilet probs with our newf so know how frustrating it can be.

Little A

It sounds as if the dogs are on their own for large periods of time so it's going to be hard to retrain the dog. Is there any chance one of them could take a few days off work + a weekend & they might be able to get a head start. They will need to go right back to basics.

Bring the dog out on a regular basis (about every hour) and always have a small treat to reward the dog. Go outside, say a key word ("toilet"," busy" etc....can be anything, but it must always be the same. I found keeping the dog on a lead was easiest as it ment the dog is less likily to get distracted. Basicially ignore the dog until they do something & immediately say the key word and give the treat+loads of praise. They'll have to keep a close eye on the dog inside & if they catch him going, a rapid "no" and bring the dog straight outside.

Good luck

boardbrowser

Hi there,

Crate training the dog would be the most effective way to get the job done provided it is used in an appropriate manner (ie. dog not confined to crate for longer than she is able to comfortably 'hold it').

If they are out of the house for extended periods of time (normal working hours)maybe a neighbour/friend/family member could stop by and let her out of crate for a potty break during the day. Otherwise could the dog be left in the back garden only during the day so at least she has access to a toilet?

There is a great book called 'house training for dummies' that takes all the guess work out of the house training procedure.You'll probably find it easy on amazon.
good luck