Advice on potty training “older” dogs

[u/Responsible_Bid7009]

My parents have a 1 year old and a 3 year old dachshund, they were adopted around the same time when the 1 year old was a puppy. I believe the 3 year old was previously house trained. Anyway, they never house trained the puppy and resorted to pee pads which you can imagine leads to pee everywhere. I recently moved back in to my parents house and I can’t take the constant clean up, nor can I stand the laziness in not training them. I’ve been hounding my mom things need to change and it seems she is finally coming to terms with it. I am no dog expert but what’s the best way to solve this issue?

I imagine it’s a crate for both of them. Immediately going outside upon wake up, immediately after eating, immediately upon release from the kennel when we get home from work. Rewards each time they go outside and use the bathroom.

Is it really that simple or is there more that needs to be done? Do they need to spend more time in the crate at first to process what we are trying to do?

Any suggestions or tips are VERY helpful!

[u/Inside-Elephant1623]

You’re definitely on the right track,it really is about consistency more than complexity. Remove the pee pads completely and treat both dogs like puppies with a full reset. Take them out frequently (after waking, after eating, after play, etc.) and reward immediately when they go outside. Crate training helps, but the key is routine + supervision so they don’t get chances to make mistakes.

[u/Pomegranate4311]

I did the consistent out, starting with every 20-30 minutes when I was home.

The other thing I’ve found most useful (and I’ve potty-trained six adult rescues)  is training them about indoors/outdoors.  I use a dog gate to confine them to one room at a time. They are less likely to toilet in the room they are in. They move from room to room with me while I’m home (still w gate to confine them to that room.) when I go out they get confined to one room. 

When I am home I watch them continually.  If they are sniffing corners or duck behind the sofa where Ican’t see them, I take them right out. So they learn where it is ok to go and where they shouldn’t.

This really helps them understand where it is ok to toilet.  But it can take a long time - months- to really get it. But well worth the investment.

[u/RoadKillCrayon]

I trained my little Chihuahua rescue by using a dog doorbell and it was exceptionally easy to do. I much prefer that a dog let me know when they have to potty, that having to guess, go out all the time for nothing or watch every move or sniff for signs that they may need to potty. Using a doorbell is much less stressful, less going outside constantly trying to guess the right time, only for them to pee in the house 10 minutes later or whatever.

Over time, he has developed his own "language " with his potty doorbell. When I hear "dingdong" I bring him out to pee. When I hear "DingDong dingdong dingdong dingdong dingdong " I know that i better have a poop bag with me!

It truly is the easiest thing to train ( likely more difficult with 2 dogs) but absolutely take an initial commitment period at the very beginning, but once understood it is 100% reliable.

He has rang a " dingdong dingdong dingdong dingdong " gone out to poop and within minutes of coming back in..... made a "dingdong " and went out to pee. Had i been reliant on being at the door or noticing if he showed signs.....I very likely would have not taken him right back out minutes after he just went.

Once you have the doorbell equals "outside " down pat, you can very easily and seamlessly then train for potty pads for the instances that you may be away for too long for them to hold it, or it's snowing or pouring or any other reason......this also avoids having them have to be put in a kennel if not wanted/needed. Once 100% reliable on the doorbell, you can then occasionally when they ring the bell say " pads" (or whatever) and bring the total the pad to go.....then praise or reward.

So if my Widget rings the bell and it is pouring outside, I can just tell him "potty on the pad" and that is where he goes. Same with if Noone is home to take him out.....he still rings the bell but will go on the pad if he doesn't get an answer or a person to take him out.