[Alty]

As you all know we have a puppy. He's now around 5 months old, he's a border collie crossed with a stubborn little... he's adorable. :)

I've had border collie mixes for a long time. I've never had an issue with potty training. The thing is, my first border collie mix lived with my parents for the first year. Potty training him was a combined effort, and it worked very well. My second border collie mix was trained mostly by Indy, the first dog. Then along came our beagle, the most difficult dog I've ever trained. It took 6 months before he stopped peeing and pooing in the house. Now we have our little Rascal.

When we first got him I was working. My husband works split shift, so for 2 weeks a month he works nights, which meant that he was at home with the puppy for the day while I was at work. I took some time off when hubby was on days so that the puppy wouldn't be alone. I had him almost completely potty trained, then R would go on nights and it would all fall apart.

Now I'm off for the summer. I've been working with Rascal, taking him outside, staying with him until he potties, praising. It's been working, then R will come home, and for some reason it all falls apart. Rascal starts peeing and pooing in the house. Now we've gone back to the start. He's no longer even trying to pee and poo outside. I'll take him out, he'll potty, come inside and potty again, seconds after he just went.

I know what the problem is. R isn't consistent with him. Instead of showing Rascal what he wants, he tries to reason with him. I've actually heard him talking to Rascal "You know that you shouldn't pee and poo in the house. Why are you doing it"? Um, R, he doesn't speak English, and no, he doesn't know what he's supposed to do until you teach him. R doesn't agree. He thinks Rascal should have figured it out by now. I'm in shock. He knows how to train a dog!

The kids will be asked to take the dog out, because I can tell when Rascal needs to go. I only ask the kids when I'm busy with something. Well, 9 times out of 10 they wait too long, Rascal can't wait, and we have an accident.

I'm the only Indian in a house full of Chiefs that aren't consistent with Rascal.

I don't need advice on potty training. I need advice on training my family. Anyone know how to potty train a dog when 3 out of 4 people aren't on board with the program?

I'm at the point where I tell them all that they're no longer allowed near the puppy until I have him trained. :(

[Alty]

Bump.

Ya, I'm bumping the question. I'm that desperate.

Anyone?

For those that don't know me, I should mention that I know how to potty train. I've helped many people on this site with their potty training issues. My only problem is my family. They're not on board with doing this the right way, and I'm getting ticked. Rascal is a smart puppy, a great puppy. I know he can learn. I just can't be the only one doing the training. Everyone has to fall in line, and they're not willing.

I know how to train a puppy when the family is on board. I have no idea how to do it if I'm the only one willing to train him. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Wondergirl]

As you mentioned more than once, Rascal is not the problem. Time for a family meeting?

[Alty]

As you mentioned more than once, Rascal is not the problem. Time for a family meeting?

I've already done that. R truly doesn't get it. He seems to think that Rascal will just magically get it. When I asked him why he thought that, he said "Because the other dogs did". Um... no they didn't! Indy was trained by me and my parents. When Jasper came along I was a stay at home mom. I was responsible for training him, and I did. Same with Chewy. The only difference with Rascal is that I was working when we got him.

It's clear that R doesn't realize that I have been the main ingredient when it comes to training the dogs. He really believes that all the dogs were trained by themselves, that they just figured out how to sit, come, stay, potty, and all the other things I taught them.

Sigh.

[Alty]

A side note. When we got Rascal, and I was working, I took a week off for every week that R was on days so I could train Rascal.

During the week when I had to work I'd crate him, and come home during my lunch break to let him out for a pee, poo and a play.

Since I've been home for the summer, the past 3 weeks, I've seen what R does when he's on nights. He sleeps until 30 minutes before his shift starts. He doesn't get up for anything. I asked him if this was the norm. He said yes.

In other words, he starts work at 4pm, leaves home at 3pm. When I was working I'd leave the house at 8:00am. I'd take Rascal out for a pee and poo at 8am and trust that R would take him out during the day, before I got home at 3:30pm. Well that didn't happen. From 8am to 3pm, Rascal wouldn't get a potty break, because R was sleeping. :(

[LadySam]

My last resort when I had this problem with my children (no husband involved can't help you there) was having them deal with the mess.
After talking with them and going over the importance of proper training did no good it was all I could think of. Yeah, sometimes things got left laying around a little longer than I wanted, but if they were home when it happened then they had to clean it up.
Thank dog (quoting you now) for linoleum.

[shazamataz]

I was just going to suggest that, leave any mess Rascal makes for them to pick up.

Except for wees on floating wood floors, I did that at my exs house and it bubbled the wood, whoops.

A family meeting sounds good, or maybe some strategically placed noted around the house reminding them to all take him outside at the right times.

[Lucky098]

Ohhh.. I battle this with my dad. He only likes the fun part of owning a puppy, never the work part.

As hard as it is.. I just take over completely. If the puppy isn't in front of me, he is in his crate. Its unfortunate for the pup, but it's the only way the pup becomes house trained.

I don't know if you are in that position to do that.. or even if you want to, but it worked for me. The rescue pup I have right now, the weirner dog, he is having a hard time going outside.. and my dad will just let him run around right after he ate his meal or drank a lot of water. There are messes in the house... but the puppy at least tries to go close to the door.

If you're able to, just take over.. and make it clear that if they're not going to watch the puppy, the puppy should stay in his crate.. Do the whole gilt trip thing. It may work.. It may not.. I don't know... Thank goodness my pup is just a little guy and the large dog crate is more like a playpen for him :(

[Alty]

Well I had a talk with the kids last night. This issue didn't actually prompt the family meeting, it was the way Syd was talking to Rascal. She was getting upset because Rascal wouldn't sit, and wouldn't stop nipping her. So she asked me "Why does he always listen to you"?

Well, I told her that her tone of voice, and how she carries herself, are the main reason. I demonstrated by getting Rascal to sit, lay down, shake a paw, to fetch, etc. etc. I asked her to listen to my voice.

Well she learned right away, has lowered her voice, no more "Rascal boo boo sitty poo". She's learned to be more dominating, have a sterner voice. I also showed her the importance of praise, and that that's when you go all high pitched and nuts. :)

Well this led to a conversation about the potty issue. I actually took both kids outside with Rascal, and showed them what I do when Rascal potties outside, and what I do when he goes inside.

This morning Rascal started peeing, Jared grabbed him mid pee, said "no", took him outside, and then praised him to the moon and back when he pottied in the yard.

I'm beginning to think this may be my fault. I think I'm as guilty as I thought they were. Instead of teaching them how to potty train, I expected them to just know how to do it.

Damn. I hate it when I'm the one that's the problem. :(

[Wondergirl]

Glad things are finally turning around. Role playing and live demonstrations do wonders. Kids (library volunteers, new library staff, husbands) must be told how to do something and also be shown how to.