[lexdyl83]

I have a 4 month old french bulldog. She goes outside every hour or hour and a half. Instead ofgiving any kind of hint that she has to go outside she will stop what she's doing and just pee or poop right where she is. My husband is at the point where he want to get rid of her. We have 2 kids that love her which is why I'm trying to keep her. But at the same time our carpets are completely stained and the house is starting to smell like a kennel. Please someone help me!

[joypulv]

Dog training is first and foremost people training. No one properly trained the puppy and once the house started to smell, she thought it was OK to use those spots.
Housebreaking is done starting with a crate or enclosed area that the pup doesn't want to soil after the earliest weeks. You are going to have to try to start from scratch, making a 6' wide enclosure that the kids can still play with her in, maybe right in the middle of the TV area. You can string together gates or buy kits for this. At night she can sleep in a large wire crate or you can make another enclosure in one of the kid's bedrooms.
Then take her out (not every hour necessarily) at fairly routine times and praise her a LOT when she goes outside. All this takes time and work.
And scour out the smelly spots and cover with a horrible cheap cologne.

[Aurora_Bell]

I like using a tee tree oil and vinegar/water solution to get rid of the smell. Cologne is not an enzyme cleaner, and will only mask the odor creating the urge for her to remark.

Crating is an excellent solution for potty training. You a buy a kennel that is only big enough for her to stand, turn and lay down, other wise she will designate a "potty" area. I would kennel while you are away and at night. Bring the kennel into a bed room so she still feels she is with her pack. Every time she eats, plays, drinks or wakes you bring her out side and wait for her to do her business, when she is done, you praise like mad. Housebreaking a dog is all about routine and consistency. As soon as you break the routine, she deters back to bad habits.

[grammadidi]

I agree... if you want to salvage this pup's future you must go back to basics. Get a crate immediately, put it in a quiet, comfortable place (preferably close to the door) and use it relentlessly! I am torn about putting it in the bedroom at first. Initially, I start them close to the door to eliminate the chance of an accident on the way to the door after holding it for a long period. I also feel people are more inclined to give in to the crying and whining the dog often does when introducing or reintroducing a crate. I like my dogs to earn their way into the pack with acceptable behavior.

To start, put the dog in the crate at night just before normal bedtime. Make sure she has had a good playful romp or a nice walk, that she has "peeped and pooped" and is ready to settle for the night. Put her in the crate with a couple of GOOD chew toys (ie: Kongs) and no matter what, do NOT remove her until morning. AS SOON AS the household starts waking up in the morning, the FIRST thing to do is to get the puppy and take her immediately outside. In the beginning, I would hook her to a leash and carry her to the door to ensure she doesn't pee in the house. If you don't want to carry her, that's fine, but make sure you put her on a leash and run for that door! :) I would also hang some bells from the door handle that she will be able to reach with her snouth. Then, as I took the dog outside I would say... "You want to go out!" in an excited voice, jingle the bells yourself and say "Okay!" and take her to an assigned place where you want her to do her business. I would go to the same spot EVERY single time. If she stops to squat on the way just keep walking until you arrive at "the spot". I always say, "Do your job!" but you can choose any little catch phrase that you wouldn't be afraid to utter in public. "Mark your spot", "go pee"... whatever you choose.

Now, you wait. When she "does her job" you must raise a fuss and tell her what a good girl she has been. I personally expect my dogs to poop every morning and every evening before they eat. I know other people expect them to go after they eat. That will be your decision and will depend upon the way the dog's bowels tend to work. Make sure you allow her enough time to explore and do both jobs. Some dogs do need a bit of a walk. The key is to be consistent so that she learns exactly what is required of her.

NEVER punish or scold a dog that has done it's business in the wrong place. Just clean it up quietly. ALWAYS praise the dog for doing her business in the right place. My dogs still get praised and they are 1, 7 and 8 years old. If your dog has an accident in the house it's almost always the owner's fault. Typically dogs need to pee after waking from sleep, after a period of excitement (like play, someone coming to the door, etc.), and after eating/drinking. So, once the dog does her first thing in the morning business she would be allowed into the house into a contained area for a little while where she can be closely watched. If the activity is in the kitchen, then that's where I would have the dog. With Frenchie's being a tad stubborn and bull-headed I think it's important for them to know you are the 'leader of the pack'. Therefore, I would eat first, then feed dog second. After eating, the dog should be taken back to her assigned 'spot' outside.

Once she has done her business I would take her back to the house, let her be loose in a confined area where you can be with her and keep a close eye on her. She can have her toys, etc. there and at this point your main role would be to watch her and keep your eyes open for clues that she might pee or poop. After a little while, take her out for a walk or some light play, then to her "spot". Once she pees again, I would praise her, maybe even give her a small treat. Play with her a tiny bit more, then it's into the crate for a nap. Gradually you can eliminate the need for so many potty times, but while training offer her many opportunities. ALWAYS ring the bell when you expect her to go out and pee. In fact, you can get her to push it around and when it rings get real excited and take her immediately to her "spot". That teaches her to ask to go out and that when she does it's to go to that spot and perform. Later on she will test you to make sure you take her out. Don't get frustrated because that means she is actually 'getting it'! Once it becomes clear that she can hold it longer you can actually remove the bell from the door for an hour at first, then 2 hours, then 3 hours as she learns to hold it longer.

Remember to take pup out directly to her spot after her nap. They key is lots and lots of praise for the right thing, silence and clean up for the wrong thing. Ensure she goes out immediately upon waking and after play/excitement. Watch her like a hawk for about an hour after she does her job and keep her crated anytime you can't watch her and for sleeping. Resist the temptation to take her out every hour. You need to teach her to hold it longer, and that's what a crate teaches. Resist the temptation to make every outdoors time a fun time or she could get confused. Stick to one area for business and another area for fun - AFTER the business is done.

If she has an accident in the house, clean it thoroughly then try to figure out what happened. Did you ignore or miss her cues that she needed to go out? Did she just finish sleeping or playing? Did she have too big an area to play in? Were you unable to keep a close eye on her? It sounds silly to stick the pup in her crate just because we're going to pop down to the washing machine or grab a quick shower but that's exactly what you would do with a baby - put it in the crib/playpen/carriage, etc. - to keep it safe. I think if you stick to this method that your pup will be trained in no time.

Hope this helps!

Hugs, Didi