SearchPotty Training
Hope everyone is doing well. Been a minute since I've been online to discuss Sasha. She's doing quite well. Her ears have been cropped and healed with little to no fanfare. Entire process took about 8 weeks. Stood pretty quickly.
Potty training has gone fairly well with one hiccup. She is now nearly 6 months old and knows that she does her "business" outside. She will scratch at the door to be taken out. Problem is that if she has to wait at the door more than 3-4 minutes she goes right there. Hold doesn't seem to be part of her makeup in the house yet she holds it in the car on long trips all the time. Suggestions? It doesn't happen often but we would like to be able to leave her alone in the house for hours at a time without worrying that she won't hold it.
Are we expecting too much at this stage?
Sasha's Dad
In my opinion, until a year or older you should not leave them free roaming in the house. A room, perhaps, after successful crate training.
Small space to fairly larger space to house in my mind is only way to properly transition. Otherwise it's eaten couches and walls, no matter how much you'd like to trust them.
I know everyone says not to punish the dog for going in the house, but at this age I would make it clear that what she's doing is unacceptable. She already knows she's supposed to go outside so I would give a firm NO and BAD GIRL as soon as she starts to pee inside.
Pet Profiles
I know someone with more experience than me will chime in. My first thought was, I don't trust Reesie alone in the house at all! :-) maybe we'll get there someday.
Maybe she doesn't think you're coming so, she just goes near the door.?? I wish Reesie would go to the door. We've had to look for other clues. Whenever he leaves my sight, I wonder where he's going. If she's willing to go to the door, I'd try real hard to keep up with her signals to you as quickly as possible. It will be positive experience for her and I think she will learn to hold it if she knows you are going to come quickly. I think it's hard b/c they look like such big dogs and seem like they should be doing more, but really they are just still puppies. I'm sure things will smooth out as you watch her and she learns what to expect.