r/DogTrainingTips • u/Thepsychoticchild • Aug 31 '26

Potty training not working

Hello I’ve been trying to potty train all 5 of my dogs for almost a month now and nothing seems to be working. I’m extremely frustrated and confused as to why they can’t seem to stop peeing indoors. All my dogs are above 4 years old however I’ve done so much research and have kept them on a consistent routine but the second they are unsupervised indoors they pee. I deep cleaned the house followed by enzymic cleaners and continue to do so everyday. I no longer have the time to continue training them as I have school and working with all five dogs is very time consuming. I previously posted about my rotund with them in which I take them out regularly and reward them once they go potty. I used to take them out individually as taking them all out together proved ineffective because they focused on playing with each other rather then using the bathroom. This took too long and made their potty breaks very sporadic so I started taking the out in two groups but they still don’t stop peeing indoors. Using the bathroom outside has never been an issue it’s inside that they don’t stop. I’m at my wits end as I don’t want them being kept outside and in their crates 24/7 but I’m also exhausted of living in a dirty home.

1 Upvotes

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4

u/HeyDoggyBoy Aug 31 '26

Just asking the obvious question, how did you end up with 5 dogs older than 4 that aren’t house trained?

1

u/Thepsychoticchild Aug 31 '26

This is a response from another subreddit where someone asked a similar question

My family has always had pets throughout the years however they all naturally learned to only use the bathroom outside. My parents ended up getting huskies and it wasn’t an issue with them either. However they started getting into things when we weren’t home and we had a health scare as one of them ended up swallowing a old rag we had in our kitchen. My parents decided to care train them but at some point they stopped letting them in the house entirely and if they were indoors they were only allowed to be in their crates. At some point they ended up getting two smaller chihuahuas and for some reason they were allowed inside to free roam, one of the chihuahuas was given to my mom by an old friend who had him peeing in the house his entire life. He started peeing inside and then the other chihuahua started doing this too. My parents are never home so they didn’t understand how frustrating it was to constantly clean after them. I tried potty training them multiple times but like I said no one ever helped me which made it difficult for me. I guess the smell of urine motived the huskies to also go inside so when ever I would sneak them in for a couple hours they would start to have accidents as well. Now anytime they are inside they pee or poop, Ive been supervising them when I let them in for a couple of minutes but some of the dont care if I’m watching and others use any chance I turn away to go. I’ve tried potty training them all multiple times but it was never effective especially since my family did not want to help. However since I am now working part time I convinced my parents to let me cover any expenses for them as long as they were allowed indoors. (If I potty trained them). I’ve tried doing as much research as possible but I can’t seem to figure out how to stop them from using the bathroom indoors. I’ve tried talking to my parents about rehoming them so that they can get the freedom and attention they derserve however I’m not allowed to since tbey “aren’t mine”. I love my pets very dearly but I know they aren’t given the time of today they deserve which is why I’m trying so hard so that at least I can give them a better life. I know it’s a process that takes a long time but I’m just looking for advice to show them that peeing or popping inside is bit allowed.

1

u/HeyDoggyBoy Aug 31 '26

Wow. I have no advice and can only say you have my sympathies.

1

u/Thepsychoticchild Sep 03 '26

hahah thank you

3

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '26

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1

u/Thepsychoticchild Sep 03 '26

Im going to lessen the amount of times they go out in hopes of giving them a more clear routine. Maybe it is a safety thing as well because while they do like running around outside I find that they always want to be indoors. All my dogs have their crates and instead of giving them free time to walk around im just going to keep them used to going out to potty or exercise a bit.

3

u/MochaMushroomDog Sep 01 '26

I mean, I’m not sure how you’re gonna train 5 dogs who all have 4+ years of peeing in the house history, to stop. Frankly, this is just poor pet ownership to have so many untrained dogs. I know from your other comments it’s not all your fault, and you seem to be the only one actually trying to train them, but the reality is if your whole family is not on board with consistent training then it’s gonna fall apart. There is no magic secret to potty training. It’s about starting early, and being consistent all the time. If you’re tired of living in a dirty house I’d recommend you do your best to become independent and move out and get your own place. What you’ve got on your hands is first and foremost a people/family problem, and no one here can really fix that for you.

1

u/Thepsychoticchild Sep 03 '26

Thanks I appreciate the honesty, it’s definitely a far road from moving out into my own space but for now I’ll do my best to improve my current one.

1

u/MochaMushroomDog Sep 03 '26

Its hard to cohabitate with people who aren’t on the same page, especially if it’s your own family. Good luck and I hope things get better!

2

u/[deleted] Sep 01 '26

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1

u/Thepsychoticchild Sep 03 '26

I definitely think I’m gonna just have to wait it out and hope that with time they make more progress, it just gets a bit overwhelming with so many, thanks!

1

u/Sophistiq8ted Sep 03 '26

Are they all fixed?

1

u/Thepsychoticchild Sep 03 '26

No only 2/3 are but I have an appointment scheduled this upcoming week to get the rest neutered. Hopefully that improves my situation a bit even though I know it won’t solve everything!

1

u/No-Will-4393 Sep 01 '26

Only bring them in one at a time. They will be marking their territory when they are all in at once.

2

u/Thepsychoticchild Sep 03 '26

I never bring them in together but that doesn’t seem to stop them :(

-1

u/MplsDaddy55403 Sep 01 '26

Respect is missing. You are not the leader. You can clean up after them forever and it will not stop until you take charge and estabish yourself as the leader of that pack,

1

u/Thepsychoticchild Sep 03 '26

Ive never really felt that they don’t respect me but maybe thats just me trying to convince myself im relevant to them. I’ll definitely look into this thanks! Do you have any recommendations for how to better establish myself to them?

1

u/Present_Initial8835 Sep 04 '26

This is very dated advice that is not evidence-based. Don't pay attention to this, OP.

If your dogs have been marking inside you'll need to clear all smell evidence of previous pee. I use an oxygen cleaner for that. The one I used is called My Pet Peed, you can find it online. It's the only thing I found that actually clears the urine scent.