Author Topic: Potty Training  (Read 10287 times)

Offline MirandaS

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Potty Training
« on: October 15, 2007, 09:27:04 pm »
Hi everyone,

I come to you desperate for help!!!  My Berner is now 6.5 months old and still having issues going pee inside the house.  He does not give any indication to when he needs to potty.  I have even gone as far as to test his urine at the vet to see if it is a medical issue.  He does have a bell that he rings most of the time but he is not able to access it currently because he was neutered last week and can't go down the stairs with his cone on.  Please any help would be greatly appreciated... .how long did it take for you all to potty train your Berner?!  I have heard they take longer to potty train but what is "normal"?  Also, everyone says that the Bernese is a sensitive dog....what is the best way to make it clear to him that it is not ok to go potty inside?!
« Last Edit: October 15, 2007, 09:29:54 pm by MirandaS »

Offline Jeri

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2007, 09:34:24 pm »
They are all different.  My Modoc, is a Great Dane, and he was not potty trained until he was 6 months old.  I'm sure you already have a regiment  but it sounds like it needs to be revived..  We had to do that with Modoc., The dog door was so far away from thhe living area that if he went there we would neveer know.  You need to start taking him out on 1/2 hour breaks and telling him to go Potty.  Modoc is so used to trraveling iin an RV now that he goees potty on command on a leash but you're dealing with a six month old so justt keep taking him out every half hour and rewarding him for going potty.  Use treats.  I know my last dane peed in the house until she was 6 months then one day it just stopped, I hope the same for you,
jeri

Offline SadieA

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2007, 07:02:01 am »
My Sammy is a 3.5 month-old berner pup, and we're working on the housebreaking. He's actually quite good about going outside, in a consistent place, every time I take him. The trick is to take him often, because I'm not at all convinced he really realizes when he has to pee. I take him out FIRST THING after every meal, and every two hours or so outside of that. He has no accidents most days, and he can sleep through the night without peeing in his crate, so if you're not using a crate, that might be a good thing to try as it really seems to work for Sammy.

He does have accidents, though. It's funny, I think he just doesn't quite know when he has to pee, or even when he is peeing! Sometimes (not often, thankfully!) he will actually walk around the house while peeing, dribbling everywhere! Messy! He especially will accidentally pee right after he's eaten, or when he's really excited. I pick him up as soon as I see him go, and take him right outside. Outside, I always praise him for peeing where he is supposed to, and inside, I only reprimand him if I catch him. Even then, maybe sometimes I'm too easy on him, because I think he knows he's SUPPOSED to go outside, but he just can't tell yet when he has to go enough to give me a warning. So I watch him like a hawk, and take him outside a lot!

I'm glad to see someone else with a berner on here! Sammy is my first dog (as an adult, that is), and I am just so proud of him! I think he is the smartest. I'm working on the bell thing with him, but he doesn't get it yet. We'll get there!

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2007, 08:10:47 am »
They are all different.  My Modoc, is a Great Dane, and he was not potty trained until he was 6 months old.  I'm sure you already have a regiment  but it sounds like it needs to be revived..  We had to do that with Modoc., The dog door was so far away from thhe living area that if he went there we would neveer know.  You need to start taking him out on 1/2 hour breaks and telling him to go Potty.  Modoc is so used to trraveling iin an RV now that he goees potty on command on a leash but you're dealing with a six month old so justt keep taking him out every half hour and rewarding him for going potty.  Use treats.  I know my last dane peed in the house until she was 6 months then one day it just stopped, I hope the same for you,
jeri

Thanks Jeri, we are going to start back at square one and go out on the half hour again.

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2007, 08:14:02 am »
Some people disagree with the bell, the theory is that they are training you to come when they chose.  I personally think it's kinda cute.  But I know my dork would be ringing it all day.  Can you move the bell, temporarily, to a spot he can get to?

We too had our old fella, Max (at the bridge) trained to pee on command.  When he was a pup we would say "go pee" as he was peeing.  As he matured, all we had to say was "go pee" and he would.  It came in quite handy at times.

Good luck.


Tina

I can see why some people disagree with the bell but it seems to be the only warning we get.  But he does ring it just because he knows it means he gets to go outside which is hard.  But worth not having him potty inside!

Boomer used to go potty on command but he likes to wander around and take his sweet time now....so I think its time to put him back on a leash outside. 

I think he understands the potty outside thing for the most part...he can go 8 or 9 hours overnight in his crate and 8-9 hours while at work in his crate without going potty.  The only time he seems to potty inside is while we are home...:(

Offline navarre1316

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2007, 08:19:22 am »
He just hasn't totally learned how to tell you yet.  It seemed like Issy was never going to get it.  She'd be running through the house with one of her toys in her mouth and in mid stride, stop and pee!  No warning.  That finally stopped, kind of, but she still wasn't "telling" me when she had to go out.  It's like a light bulb moment, one day she kept coming up to me when I was on the couch, then walking away, so I got up to see what she was doing and she was sitting next to the back door so I made the biggest deal out of that and she hasn't peed in the house since!
God placed me on this earth to accomplish certain tasks...I'm so far behind I'll never die!!

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Offline MirandaS

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2007, 08:19:39 am »


He does have accidents, though. It's funny, I think he just doesn't quite know when he has to pee, or even when he is peeing! Sometimes (not often, thankfully!) he will actually walk around the house while peeing, dribbling everywhere! Messy!

I'm glad to see someone else with a berner on here! Sammy is my first dog (as an adult, that is), and I am just so proud of him! I think he is the smartest. I'm working on the bell thing with him, but he doesn't get it yet. We'll get there!

I know exactly what you mean about the dribble thing....I call it his track marks!  I find that he dribbles most often when he first comes out of his crate :)  This I understand since he needs to potty so bad.  I just don't get why when we are home he HAS to go out way more frequently.... afterall he goes hours on end in his crate at night! :-\

I love my Berner and can't wait till we have a complete trust factor with him!  Also with the bell just make sure that you have a specific command you give him when you want him to ring it...we say "Outside? Ring the bell" and we would repeat this to him every time we took him outside followed by "Good boy ring the bell" when he rang it with either paw or nose.  When training him to ring the bell we would help him ring the bell whenever we took him out.  It took a while and is still trying since he now likes to ring it just to go outside.... :)  But they are the cutest little fur balls!

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2007, 08:21:29 am »
It's like a light bulb moment, one day she kept coming up to me when I was on the couch, then walking away, so I got up to see what she was doing and she was sitting next to the back door so I made the biggest deal out of that and she hasn't peed in the house since!

I will just have to pay more attention when he is seems to ask for attention and walks away...  :)  Good to know that I'm not the only one that does not see the warning signs!

Offline SadieA

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2007, 08:25:16 am »
This is off topic, but since you have a berner, and I'm curious... can you tell me anything about how fast your boy grew? Sammy weighs about 36 pounds at 14 weeks, and I'm curious because he'll be flying at Thanksgiving time, and I need to come up with a weight estimate to give the airline folks. He'll be about 19 weeks then...

Thanks!

Offline schelmischekitty

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2007, 08:42:44 am »
why not just look into one of the no bite (no chew?) collars?  i'm sure someone else will have the right name and maybe a site.  that way he could get down the stairs and you could do your normal routine...?  good luck with it, whatever you choose.  i know a change in our "norm" throws everything off for everybody here!
steffanie in atlanta

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Offline MirandaS

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2007, 08:43:29 am »
This is off topic, but since you have a berner, and I'm curious... can you tell me anything about how fast your boy grew? Sammy weighs about 36 pounds at 14 weeks, and I'm curious because he'll be flying at Thanksgiving time, and I need to come up with a weight estimate to give the airline folks. He'll be about 19 weeks then...

Thanks!

Funny you ask that...I was just making a slide show of his progress the other day.  My puppy was in the 45 pound range.  But he started gaining about 5 pounds per week once he hit 5 months.  It all depends upon your puppy.  I know that when Boomer turned 6 months old it seemed like he doubled in weight.  Also off subject but my puppy has HOD Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy ...in other words he has a growth defect.  We recently learned that it is best to keep large dogs on a low protein diet ("You want a moderate protein/moderate fat food ((around 21-24% protein and 12-14% fat)) for a giant breed puppy.") to slow down their growth.  We recently changed to Eagle Pack which was designed by the Great Dane Lady who has tons of experience with large breeds and HOD.  Let me know if you want any other info.  Boomer got diagnosed with HOD at 6 months and it was horrible...it seems to be common among large breed puppies.  If you can I suggest you go to the Great Dane Ladies web site and read about HOD so that you can watch for the warning signs.  We had no idea what HOD was until we had to rush our puppy to the vet because he was in to much pain to stand....

Good luck with your puppy, they are the best!

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2007, 08:44:52 am »
why not just look into one of the no bite (no chew?) collars?  i'm sure someone else will have the right name and maybe a site.  that way he could get down the stairs and you could do your normal routine...?  good luck with it, whatever you choose.  i know a change in our "norm" throws everything off for everybody here!

There is another collar that is not a cone that would work??  That would be great...I will do some research on it...he hates the cone!

Offline schelmischekitty

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2007, 08:49:12 am »
why not just look into one of the no bite (no chew?) collars?  i'm sure someone else will have the right name and maybe a site.  that way he could get down the stairs and you could do your normal routine...?  good luck with it, whatever you choose.  i know a change in our "norm" throws everything off for everybody here!

There is another collar that is not a cone that would work??  That would be great...I will do some research on it...he hates the cone!
http://www.bitenot.com/index.html
there's the link
steffanie in atlanta

aiden (4), tristan (2), & maya (born sept. 17th)
axle-140ish-lb akita (4)
peanut-5lb, 11 months chihuahua
[img width= height= alt=Image Hosted by ImageShack.us]http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3339/alltogethernowme6.jpg[/img]

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2007, 09:29:57 am »

http://www.bitenot.com/index.html
there's the link
[/quote]

Awesome thank you soooo much for the advice, we found a local vet that carries them!!!  YAY!! ;D ;D ;D

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Potty Training
« Reply #14 on: October 16, 2007, 09:44:17 am »
It took us a while to get Sophie our Newfie girl to "get it" too. Now if she comes to the door and stands there, barks or starts to walk off, we know she has to pee. :) I've picked them up as puppies and run out of the house with them peeing all over themselves...p hew, that's fun :)

Ahh yes, I love the pick them up while peeing part...been there done that!!   :D  How old would you say your little girl was when she stopped having accidents?