Ces asked:

My daughter got a female shih tzu puppy for her birthday and I’m trying to housetrain her. I’ve read a ton of websites and I have a lot of the basics down, but here are my questions: When I take her out, how long should I stay before I determine that she doesn’t have to “go”. It’s hot here and it’s raining today and I just don’t want to have to stay out any longer than I have to.

Also, how do I handle it when she doesn’t go? I’ve only had her for a couple of days, and she’s 11 weeks old. What should I be realistically expecting out of her?

I wanted to add: here is what I’m doing currently. I get up in the morning, before I have to wake my daughter up for school, and take the puppy out for 15 minutes. She doesn’t go (hasn’t yet, anyway). I bring her in and feed her and give her water. Then, I have to take my daughter to school. When I come back (which is about a half an hour later), I take her out again for 15 minutes-ish, and she STILL doesn’t go. So, I bring her back in and a few minutes later, I’ll find a spot where she’s gone on the floor. I know I need to watch her constantly, and I really do try, but it’s hard.

I’ve even caught her sniffing around a spot where she’d already gone on the floor earlier and thought, “hey…she needs to go!” so I quickly took her out and sat with her for 20 minutes or so and she DIDN’T GO!!! I can’t figure out why she almost refuses to potty outside!!

Reply:

Each dog is different and each situation is different. There is no set amount of time for her to go outside. Viagra If she has been running around inside and drinking water then she is more likely to go. She should go fairly soon after waking up.

I would not use newspaper or pee pads because she needs to go outside every single time, never inside if at all possible. Pads, etc. make training a longer, drawn out process.

She is more likely to go when you put her on leash and walk her briskly. Water, movement, cold all increase chances that she will go. An alternative is to play vigorously with her inside before you take her out.

When she goes, even if it takes an hour, praise her and give her a really nice treat immediately after so she associates going outside with a really great treat. Inside, when you can’t watch her, place her on a short leash, crate or small room with a gate. You can clean up inside with an enzymatic cleaner so she does not get a reminder.

She may prefer mulch to grass and dogs can be trained to go in the same place over and over again. Female dogs especially like to go in the same place which causes the grass to die so mulch is good for that purpose as well.