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Please bear in mind when reading topics pertaining to health issues, that most of these questions were answered by helpful Maltese owners with no formal education in veterinary medicine. When in doubt seek a professionals advise.

Archived Message

House breaking question
by Tricia

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
Hi All! I have a dumb question. My four month old, Beau, which I got a week ago is doing great with housebreaking. He always goes outside and does his "thing"; without failure. When he goes in the house, it is on his wee pad. Here is my dumb question. How do you get them to "tell you" when they have to go outside? I failed on this count with my last dog, and Beau is doing so well, I don't want to fail him too! Thanks for all of your help once again.

DISCUSSION:

Have him follow you to the same door each time, while saying your command word/question (Outside/Go-to-it/etc) with all the enthusiasm that you can muster, being sure to make eye contact.
marti

I got so that I could tell when "Susie" had to go outside by her behavior. Rounding around in circles for example. I would then say want to go outside and open the door to the back door at the same time. By saying exactly the same thing each time she now barks when she has to go outside if I do not notice. Repeat the same saying in the same tone of voice. Remember it is the tone and not words that they learn.
Birgit

Taffy is the first dog I have had that does not bark when she needs out. She just looks at me and I am supposed to read her eyes, but I guess I have learned to read them

. Or when I get up from a chair she starts trotting in front of me like she is leading me to the back door. She is so precious!
Robin K.

When I was potty training Lucy, I was told always take them out through the same door so they "get" that the way to the bathroom is through that door. After we were pretty regular on the housebreaking (with me being the one trained most thoroughly in getting Luce out when she needed to), I noticed her sitting in the corner by the door one day. I said "Lucy, do you want to go pee-pee." She didn't say a thing, but I put her leash on and took her out and that was exactly what she had in mine. After a couple of times of her sitting, me noticing and asking (using the same words) she would just go sit by the door. Again, I was trained by her to meet her needs. Now that she's a grownup girl, she is much more vocal. Although she will sometimes still sit at the door, if she really is in need of a walk and either she is off schedule in her body or I have gotten off the normal walk schedule by too much, she will just sit and bark at me, top of her lungs and incessantly until I take her out. So keep an eye on Beau to see if he is trying to show you what he needs, always ask him, using whatever word choice you have for the BIG question, and make sure he goes out the same door each time. Sounds like you lucked out with this little one and the potty training--his fur mom must have trained him well on the cleanliness score!
cathy brown

Would you believe my dog Max will only come get me when he needs to go out?! Oh, I think he's giving my husband signs but he knows where he gets results.
Sharon

I have read this but never tried it out. Hang a bell (or other noise making thing) near the door that you use to take Beau out. Then everytime that you take him out for his business, remember to hit the bell as you are going through. After some time, switch to getting Beau's paw to hit the bell. After some time he will get the idea that he is to hit the bell if he wants to get out (of course, he may be so smart that he will hit the bell even when he wants to go out to play!). Oh yes, the bell must be hung low so that Beau can reach it.
Sim