Dutch Shepherd Forum

Our dog Callie is 81/2 months old and is the first puppy for our family. She is crate trained, and when she is in the house she is either in the crate or has her leash on so that she can't get too far away from us. During some times of the day she is free to roam around our screened porch, as it gives her outside time without stuff she can get into. (We have a yard with no fence, so i have to go out with her on a leash or long line if we go into the yard) I can see and hear her on the porch from the kitchen when i can't be working with her. Lately, since the kids have started school and sports, and we go through periods during which I can't watch her for cues because I am with the kids getting ready for school, she has used the bathroom on the patio furniture. I know that it is my responsibility to keep an eye on her, but it has happened a few times recently, and I am now afraid that I won't be able to undo this behavior.

1) how long should she be able to hold it? And 2) how do I fix this? Today I set the timer for 10 minutes after we fed her so that I would not lose track of time. That worked in the morning. I tried the same thing at dinner, however she heard the kids playing and seemed too distracted to even look for a place to go potty. Our family had to go to out for the evening, so I finally put her back in her crate. My husband took her out when we got home and I had forgotten to tell him we were still waiting for the poop. Of course she did not go right then, and he brought her back to the porch thinking she was finished, where she went again on the furniture when we were putting the kids to bed. Please help! I am determined to train her well, but I worry that I will inadvertently allow bad habits to form when I can't be with her constantly. How do people with children do this?

Our children are 4, 6, and 8, and Callie the dog is all over the place with puppy energy, so we do not have them all running free in the house at the same time. That is why I go back and forth between either the kids or the dog and let the dog have time on the porch to play if we cannot be working directly with her.

It was hard with a puppy and two kids. I had my gun ready. I do have a fenced yard so that did help. I set the time all of the time. Every 45 mintues - Walk. I would do a longer walk in the morning and evening, crate her when I couldnt watch her while i was getting the kids ready. Could you set up a small pen or something in the yard? By 8.5 months she was holding it pretty well, she was only crated at night. I still put her on a leash though if I was busy with the kids. Can you turn your furniture upside down for a bit or put something on it so she dosnt get up there? Start to not let her on the furniture. If she dosnt get up she cant poop on it.

thanks! I have mommy guilt a lot these days. I am either not with the kids, not with the husband, or not with the dog. It is all management and not so much quality! I knew that I was asking on a huge responsibility getting a puppy, but I wanted to have the time to train her before the day comes that all 3 kids are in school and I am possibly at work during the school day. We usually do a walk of about 30 minutes early and late in the day, but the late one has been hard to get in lately with homework and evening sports. the kids don't like to walk each time because they think it is a chore, so i try not to force it until i really need it. They want to ride bikes beside me, which makes the dog pull faster than i can run. However, they do well a making her work for food, and she responds well to them in that way. She is not allowed on the furniture inside, but I will put something on the outside furniture for a while to keep her off. Also will keep using the timer. I think that as with small kids, I do feel less frustration if I have a good understanding of what expectations are realistic and if I am not worried that I have started a bad habit that I can't undo!

Oh, she does not have a pen in the yard, but she can be tied when I am an
able to watch her. We are working on that too, because right now she barks for us to go out with her when left in the yard. We don't want to reinforce the barking by going out while she is barking, but we can't let her go for too long because my husband works from home and the barking can be an issue. I left her with a kong in the yard yesterday though, and she was able to entertain herself for a little while before she started to miss us.