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Having a Very Hard Time Potty Training Australian Shepherd Pup to Go Outside

We have an adorable 12-week-old Mini Aussie puppy who loves his big sister a 3-year-old rescue dog (mixed breed but some Aussie) and they get along great.

I am having a very hard time potty training pup to go outside. I assumed he'd follow the older dog's lead. We do bring him out often, give him treats after he goes, etc. But often he goes out, won't go, comes inside and pee's in kitchen. He seems really distracted outside AND/OR he is just not connecting the praise (although he gets it) and importance of going outside.

We've had him for 3 weeks. And I'd say we are 50% outside, 50% going in kitchen. We crate train at night successfully - he does not soil his crate. He goes in his crate 2x per day at intervals. But there's just no way we can keep him in crate longer and he cries to play with his pal. We are in a cold climate but let him out at least 15x per day.

I'm a bit confused and perhaps this is not so terrible but seems like he should be getting it by now.

Any advise? Especially from dog owners who potty trained puppy with older dog in house?

Thanks!

Comments for Having a Very Hard Time Potty Training Australian Shepherd Pup to Go Outside

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Potty Training
by: Trip and Skyes mom

Not sure as I can help! However it did take us a long time to potty train our 2. Ended up taking 12 week old every 3 hours. If I saw them starting to go I grabbed them up (no scolding) and carried them outside. Never used a crate and just cleaned up puddles. LOL Eventually they get the idea. Always took them outside to the same spot.
Good Luck

crate
by: jcrply

The longer this goes on, the harder potty training will be. He should not have had the opportunity to relieve himself in the house. You can continue this on again off again process that you are doing and it will take a long time but eventually he will get it. Or you can commit yourselves to actually doing crate training. If you do crate training from the beginning, a pup can be totally trained in a couple of weeks or even sooner. You have to keep him in the crate. It's hard to make yourself do that, but it will make life so much easier and happier in the long run for both you and the pup.

It's simple and effective: Put pup in crate. After a reasonable time - long enough that you know he must need to potty; take pup directly outside. When he potties outside, bring him back inside and play for a few minutes inside. Then right back into the crate. He eats in the crate, he lives in the crate. Since he won't potty in the crate, he will quickly catch on that he must potty outside because he really has no other choice. It can work in as few as a couple of days. You must ignore him if he whines. No, it is not cruel. Letting him soil in the house and whatever stress that causes all of you - that is cruel. A few days of tough love is better than weeks or months of the alternative.

takes a while
by: Anonymous

I have an Aussie that is now 13 years old. I thought that he would never get house trained. I tried every method known to the dog world with little success. One day it seemed that the light went on and he went to the door and whined. I let him out and he has only had one accident since and that was my fault (not paying attention). When traveling with him, he does his job on command at rest stops. So give the pup some time, it is worth it.

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