I have just adopted a 7 month old female puppy from a rescue shelter. Her history is unknown. We've had her for a few days and she has yet to use the bathroom outside. We walk her several times for 15 mintues and the minute we get back inside she eliminates on the carpet. She has no concept of going outside. We are also trying to crate train her. After leaving her for a short time she pooped in the crate. And every time we leave her in the crate she poops. She also howls and barks for hours - throughout the day and night. We're having a very difficult time getting her to calm down in the crate and using the bathroom outside. We are also worried the neighbors (we live in townhomes) are getting tired of her barking and will soon start complaining. Any suggestions? Thank you!

Start with the sticky at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post251802

One thing when you take her out, keep her moving until she does eliminate. They can't hold it and walk very far. Then you can praise her.

Thank you for choosing to adopt over purchasing a dog.

Please follow labman's advice on the link he gave to you. His crate training & housbreaking tips should help you tremendously. You do need to recognize and accept that if she doesn't go potty during the 15 minute walk, then you need to extend the walk until she finally eliminates fully. As labman states, they can't hold it. And they don't, if you give them the time they need to do their business. Definitely praise her when she does eliminate outside. Inside, if she does it and you don't see her do it, ignore it and just clean up the mess. It is apparent that this dog is starting from scratch with housebreaking and training. So, you need to train her as if you were training a very young pup. If you catch her in the act, tell her "NO" firmly (don't shout at her), immediately get her on a leash and outside. When she does her business outside, praise her with an excited "Good Girl" and pet her. Since she is 7 months old and was living in a shelter, it may take her longer to catch on than a younger dog would. Using the crate to defecate/urinate is also quite normal for shelter dogs or pet store dogs. They aren't walked as often as they need to be and training/housebreaking is not the priority in most places. You need to undo the learned behavior and that does take a little time, so please be patient with her.

Regarding the barking, it should subside a bit once she starts to respond to the training and she has gained a comfort level that where she is now living is her home. It does take time for a dog to adjust to new surroundings. If you haven't owned a dog in a while, it might be helpful to enroll yourselves in a basic training class. Speak to the shelter you adopted her from and ask for who/what they recommend.

Please post back and let us know how you are all progressing.