Need advice on potty training

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Jessica
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Need advice on potty training

Post by Jessica »

I need some advice on potty training my chow. His name is Simba and he is currently 6 1/2 months old. I have tried everything to get him trained. He is very stubborn. I have to keep him in my laundry room or else he goes straight to the living room and goes pee. He's never went poop in the house but I can't seem to get him to quit peeing in the house. Every time he goes in the house I put him outside then put him in back in the laundry room. I don't know what other methods to use because he's so stubborn. He doesn't listen very well to me either. I try to be stern with him and when he does listen I do reward him. Any advice on potty training and getting him to listen to me? The main problem I have with Simba not listening to me is when I do let him out in the house he likes to get rough with my 5 year old son he likes to knock him down and bite at him. (He's been biting things a lot because he's teething). Simba won't listen to me when I tell him to leave my son alone so I have to end up putting him back in the laundry room. I give him pig ears to chew on that's one of his favorites. Any advice is much appreciated thanks!

Oh and also, crate training or puppy pads didn't work for him either. Like I said he's really stubborn!
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Laura
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Re: Need advice on potty training

Post by Laura »

I'm not really sure what to tell you but I will try. Chows are usually pretty easy to housebreak. I would start by taking him out very frequently and praising each and every outside potty. I would block off if possible the area he is using indoors and watch him constantly. Close doors so that he is with you and not out of sight. When you catch him in the act indoors (not after the fact) give a sharp no or negative sound and immediately take him outside, don't just put him outside. When you take him out use key words like let's go potty and then praise him for it. I'm not sure what locking him in the laundry does? He doesn't understand. He has to learn that peeing in the house is not allowed and connect it to outside. I would also suggest a puppy class in your area to help you with basic training. Petsmart and all sorts of places offer them. It is great for socialization as well. How much exercise is he getting? Are you taking him for walks around the neighborhood and to parks and places for socialization and exercise/fun? He is full of energy and play and he needs an outlet for that. He is energetic and bored and beng confined only adds to that. Chows play rough with each other and pups are all about the mouthing. He needs to learn that putting his mouth on you and the family is not ok. Play with him with toys between you and his mouth. If he bites/nips you shriek ouch and play stops/ignore him for a bit. They do outgrow the nipping but you also have to work on it from day one.Use the search feature on here and go through old threads on these topics and hopefully others who are way smarter than me will offer you more advice here.
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Jessica
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Re: Need advice on potty training

Post by Jessica »

Thanks Laura! He plays all the time outside with my other dog so he gets plenty of exercise. I have to put him in our laundry room when he's not listening to me, I have a baby gate up so he can still see us and not feel left out. He's got plenty of toys to play with and we also play with him with his toys as well. He is stubborn lol. I had a black chow before him and he was so easy to house train and listened very well. Simba loves to carry around shows and pillows lol. He never tears them up just likes to carry them around. He also has his blanky he carries around a lot. Thanks for your advice :) I will definitely try ignoring him for a bit when he's not listening to my commands.
Rory's Dad
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Re: Need advice on potty training

Post by Rory's Dad »

If you are putting him in a separate space, but he doesnt feel left out, then there doesnt seem to be much purpose to separating him. It's not a 'time out', but i dont have much confidence in that approach anyway.

The biggest problem i hear is that he ignores you. Find a focus point. Treat motivation or a favorite toy. Use whatever that might be to get his attention and to behave like you want him to. Start easy. Waive a bit of treat under his nose and say his name. Bring the bit up to your nose and make eye contact. You now have his attention. Have him sit, then reward him. Repeat on regular basis adding additional commands.

I suspect that the peeing is actually marking, or that the spot is not getting cleaned sufficiently (not a dig on your housekeeping abilities, it can just be really difficult to completely clean the scent out of an area).

As for reactions to your son, watch both sides of that. Your chow likely views him as a litter mate, and they tend to play rough. They are trying to establish position. Kids can pull on fur and push pups around a bit as well, so the dog may view that as play. Otherwise, i would have your son involved in discipline and general training. He should know how to tell the dog 'off', 'no', etc. He should be able to reward the dog for appropriate behavior as well.
Jessica
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Re: Need advice on potty training

Post by Jessica »

Thank you great information! And I've noticed that he doesn't even "sniff" before he pees he just goes to the carpet and squats. He is getting better with peeing in the house. Thank you for your advice!
Rory's Dad
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Re: Need advice on potty training

Post by Rory's Dad »

Definitely sounds more like marking.
Jessica
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Re: Need advice on potty training

Post by Jessica »

Is it possible since I don't have any other dogs in the house?
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