Archived Message

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Marsha Tagert

HELP!! I just bought a 4 month old male maltese. In his former home he was kept in a crate most of the time and was not given much, if any, attention. He was very shy when we got him and after 2 weeks of constant work we have finally gotten him over that. Now, if we could just get him completely housebroken. His former owner claimed he was paper trained but when I got him home he refused to go on the newspaper. I bought puppy pads which he uses sometimes, but he still has many accidents. I always scold him and place him on the pad when he has an accident. We praise him and give him a biscuit when he uses the pad, but he still has frequent accidents. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

DISCUSSION:

My maltese had this problem when I got her and I was told to make sure her "area" is not close to where she sleeps, eats, or plays because Maltese are very clean dogs. Also, I was told to keep her in one part of the house until she is trained. We had a door on the den and were able to keep her in there until bedtime. these things along with puppy pads and she's been fine. I hope this helps.
-Lisa

Hello, We got our maltese, Abby a few months back. I can share some of my experiences as far as housebreaking her. We decided that right from the beginning we wanted her to go outside to relieve herself. So we didn't use newspapers/pads etc. In my opinion, it gets confusing when you first train your dog to go on newspapers and then shift her to the outdoors. But whatever you choose to do (indoors or outdoors) just be patient and consistent. Some things to keep in mind. First, do not let your puppy have the run of the house. Until he is housebroken keep him confined. We bought a crate for Abby and when no one was around to play with her, we put her in there. Most dogs like to keep the places where they sleep clean. Abby never once soiled her crate. When we opened the crate, we first took her outside and waited for her to do her thing. We praised her bunches when she did. After about 10 days of that she understood that she needs to go bathroom outside. She used to go and sit by the back door when she wanted to be let outside (we don't have a doggie door). There were a few times when she did have accidents inside the house. There is no point scolding your dog if you don't catch him in the act. If you do that, they just get scared of you. But when the puppy urinates right in front of your eyes, then make a loud noise ( NO ! or a shake can or a BAD DOG). Take him to the spot you want the puppy to go and praise the puppy when they do urinate out there. Also remember to clean the accident spots in the house thoroughly. If not the puppy will sniff and go to bathroom at the same spot again. Keep the puppy on a feeding schedule. Usually a puppy wants to go to bathroom about 20 minutes after he/she eats or drinks. This was kind of long. But I hope it helps. The key is Patience and Consistence. Your puppy will learn fast. Good luck
-Rebecca

Hello, I am having similar difficulties. I got Emma two weeks ago and she is now 4 and a half months. She was not trained by her previous owner, and she was bought in a pet store, so I believe she was relieving herself in her crate. I got her a crate a few days ago, and she cries sometimes, but settles down quickly. I have been taking her out every 2 -3 hours, and once in the middle of the night. It is taking alot of time and committment (more than I thought it would!). She gets its most of the time, but still has accidents. Last night I went out for a couple of hours and when I got back, she had pooped in her crate! Very disappointing. I am still trying to figure out how and when she has to go after eating. It hasn't been consistent. This is very difficult, and it's taking over my life, so I hope she learns fast!! Sometimes I think she gets it because she goes a a day with no accident, and then I find one... I think I am going to start keeping her on a leash while in the house, so I can watch all the time. I've been letting her roam free after she does her business outside, but apparently for too long! How is your training going? Any progress? Insight? How much of the time are you with your pup?
-Jessica