Advice for Un-house Training??

[LadyCoyote]

I have a question. Our little dog is all of 9 lbs (with her winter coat), but really she is very small, and a stiff wind can blow her down.
I'm wondering -- and this is a serious question, is it possible to train her to go to the potty in the basement (instead of outdoors) when the weather is so awful??
She is 2 yrs old by the way.
Here is what I've tried doing so far:
When she scratches to go outside (that's her indication to me that she's got to "go", she scratches at the door), I put her harness and leash on and I tell her "good girl, let's go potty". Normally at this point, we would go into the yard on leash and she will do her biz. But in this case, I bring her down to the basement (unfinished) where I have some of those potty pad things (the white/blue sheets) on the floor. I walk her around the basement (on leash) and she just sniffs around. Eventually she walks over to the slider door (in the basement and scratches, indicating the need to go "out"). She has not actually gone potty down in the basement yet, and I did take her outside after trying the basement routine several times this morning without luck.
I intend to do the same basement thing when it is time for her to go out again, we'll keep trying -- I suppose.
I'm sure this will require some pretty good patience, but I'm wondering is it possible to teach her this? Anyone here have success doing this, or suggestions?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

 

[jaysewell]

Doggy Potty

Try These: https://www.besttvbuys.com/pottypatch/ver3/index.asp?did=978&refcode=p12

I have a question. Our little dog is all of 9 lbs (with her winter coat), but really she is very small, and a stiff wind can blow her down.
I'm wondering -- and this is a serious question, is it possible to train her to go to the potty in the basement (instead of outdoors) when the weather is so awful??
She is 2 yrs old by the way.
Here is what I've tried doing so far:
When she scratches to go outside (that's her indication to me that she's got to "go", she scratches at the door), I put her harness and leash on and I tell her "good girl, let's go potty". Normally at this point, we would go into the yard on leash and she will do her biz. But in this case, I bring her down to the basement (unfinished) where I have some of those potty pad things (the white/blue sheets) on the floor. I walk her around the basement (on leash) and she just sniffs around. Eventually she walks over to the slider door (in the basement and scratches, indicating the need to go "out"). She has not actually gone potty down in the basement yet, and I did take her outside after trying the basement routine several times this morning without luck.
I intend to do the same basement thing when it is time for her to go out again, we'll keep trying -- I suppose.
I'm sure this will require some pretty good patience, but I'm wondering is it possible to teach her this? Anyone here have success doing this, or suggestions?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

 

[PrepH4U]

I have a question. Our little dog is all of 9 lbs (with her winter coat), but really she is very small, and a stiff wind can blow her down.
I'm wondering -- and this is a serious question, is it possible to train her to go to the potty in the basement (instead of outdoors) when the weather is so awful??
She is 2 yrs old by the way.
Here is what I've tried doing so far:
When she scratches to go outside (that's her indication to me that she's got to "go", she scratches at the door), I put her harness and leash on and I tell her "good girl, let's go potty". Normally at this point, we would go into the yard on leash and she will do her biz. But in this case, I bring her down to the basement (unfinished) where I have some of those potty pad things (the white/blue sheets) on the floor. I walk her around the basement (on leash) and she just sniffs around. Eventually she walks over to the slider door (in the basement and scratches, indicating the need to go "out"). She has not actually gone potty down in the basement yet, and I did take her outside after trying the basement routine several times this morning without luck.
I intend to do the same basement thing when it is time for her to go out again, we'll keep trying -- I suppose.
I'm sure this will require some pretty good patience, but I'm wondering is it possible to teach her this? Anyone here have success doing this, or suggestions?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

I think this is a horrible idea! :i'mjustsayin:

 

[Littlebit]

UCK!!!!!! Why would you do that, she should go outside as she needs, clear out an area for her to go when it snows or whatever weather may be. She may get use to going inside and go wherever she is in the house.
Forget it.

 

[CrashTest]

We had a boxer when I was a kid that was trained so hard to go outside that he would have injured himself holding it in if he was not put outside.

 

[JoeR]

I have a question. Our little dog is all of 9 lbs (with her winter coat), but really she is very small, and a stiff wind can blow her down.
I'm wondering -- and this is a serious question, is it possible to train her to go to the potty in the basement (instead of outdoors) when the weather is so awful??
She is 2 yrs old by the way.
Here is what I've tried doing so far:
When she scratches to go outside (that's her indication to me that she's got to "go", she scratches at the door), I put her harness and leash on and I tell her "good girl, let's go potty". Normally at this point, we would go into the yard on leash and she will do her biz. But in this case, I bring her down to the basement (unfinished) where I have some of those potty pad things (the white/blue sheets) on the floor. I walk her around the basement (on leash) and she just sniffs around. Eventually she walks over to the slider door (in the basement and scratches, indicating the need to go "out"). She has not actually gone potty down in the basement yet, and I did take her outside after trying the basement routine several times this morning without luck.
I intend to do the same basement thing when it is time for her to go out again, we'll keep trying -- I suppose.
I'm sure this will require some pretty good patience, but I'm wondering is it possible to teach her this? Anyone here have success doing this, or suggestions?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

Do you put her harness and leash on every time she needs to go out, or just when the weather is bad? Personally I wouldn't want to try and change her routine.

 

[LadyCoyote]

Yes, we put her in the harness/leash when she normally goes outside. (Our yard isn't fenced). We've cleared a couple of areas where she "goes" in the yard and she does great. She normally gets lots of long walks and romping around on leash around our large property, but this weather sucks.

I am agreeing that is probably isn't best to change her routine.

She's a GREAT little dog and she instinctively knows to "go" in her usual places outside. I've got a coat for her and she wears that, too. Just this weather sucks. (I moved here from the desert, folks).
Thanks for the input --- that's why I posted.

 

[cattitude]

Unless you are physically unable to get outside, sounds a little lazy, not to mention unfair to the poor dog. :shrug:

 

[jp2854]

Unless you are physically unable to get outside, sounds a little lazy, not to mention unfair to the poor dog. :shrug:

i agree....the dog should still be taken outside to do her business. my neighbor out back has a 4lb chihuahua and he takes her outside she sniffs does her business then back inside they go and he doesn't even put a coat on his dog and she hates the cold.

 

[LadyCoyote]

i agree....the dog should still be taken outside to do her business. my neighbor out back has a 4lb chihuahua and he takes her outside she sniffs does her business then back inside they go and he doesn't even put a coat on his dog and she hates the cold.

Yeah, I agree. And I would never, ever be unfair to my little dog. I love her to pieces. I'll shield her in a snowstorm, carry an unbrella over her in a rainstorm, but never be unfair to her. We will manage just fine doing "business as usual", you could say, and adapt to the weather. Luckily my sweet little girl doesn't mess around. Between wind gusts, we dashed into the yard and she found a spot right away. As Dorothy would say, "we're not in Kansas, anymore, Toto".

 

[campinmutt]

I have a 5lb chihuahua...she goes out every 2 to 3 hours to insure she will not potty on the carpet(crated at night)...sounds like your dog is very housebroken and I do not think I would try to change that! she is a good girl and has learned well. maybe you could construct a wind break out the sliding glass door in the basement so the weather is not so rough on you and she can still go outside to do her business .last years blizzards we had to keep shovelling a spot for her to go out ,when she squats she is very close to the cold ground

 

[ICit]

I have a 5lb chihuahua...she goes out every 2 to 3 hours to insure she will not potty on the carpet(crated at night)...sounds like your dog is very housebroken and I do not think I would try to change that! she is a good girl and has learned well. maybe you could construct a wind break out the sliding glass door in the basement so the weather is not so rough on you and she can still go outside to do her business .last years blizzards we had to keep shovelling a spot for her to go out ,when she squats she is very close to the cold ground

I have a 5lb yorkie .. that was blown around but she figured it out... she hugs the house and goes... she came back inside the other day snow covered

I also have a spot where she can go where the wind does not get to her and is up against the house.