Please help! I just got a new Jack Russell puppy and he refuses to be potty trained?
November 24th, 2008 | 
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My boyfriend and I just purchases a 12 week old Jack Russell puppy. He was not potty trained so we have been working to try to get him to go outside. I have followed everything I have read: taking him out when we wake up, after he eats, I was even taking him out every 1/2 hour to hour just to hope to catch him doing something good!! But it never fails, every time we go back inside he pee’s or poops somewhere in the house!! So then I immediately take him back outside but he just plays and doesn’t seem to understand why he is out there. We have taken him on long walks, hoping he will smell that other dogs are doing it, and still no luck. He just does not like to go outside. This morning my boyfriend was out with him 10 minutes and he wouldn’t go and the minute he got back into his crate then he went. We are getting really frustrated and don’t know what to do. Please help!!
Posted in Jack Russell Terrier Training | 
Tags: Jack Russell Terrier Training, jack russell training, Pee, Plays
6 Responses to “Please help! I just got a new Jack Russell puppy and he refuses to be potty trained?”
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Be persistant and make sure you reward him when he does the right thing.
First of all he is still adjusting to your home. Second, he is only 12 weeks (a fully housetrained dog will take months). When you cannot supervise him, confine him. Always praise and reward him for doing the right thing and never punish for accidents (especially if you do not catch him in the act). Establishing a regular schedule as you have done is commendable. You may want to invest in some good products for clean up (e.g. nature’s miracle help to remove the odor as well as the stain). Now, try a little patience and consistency. See links for more on housetraining puppies and other normal puppy behavior.
Keeping him in his crate should make it easier since most dogs will not go where they sleep. Persistantance is required but many owners don’t wait long enough. A small treat after each successful episode will help. Eventually, he will associate the treat with his training and learn how to get the reward. Some dogs require longer training than others. Immediate response to mistakes is also required.
when i got my dog, when he peed or something I would make him smell it and say bad potty it usually gets thru when you say it when they do something bad and when he does go outside be very nice to him, give treats pet him and say good potty
housebreaking takes a lot of patience.
10 minutes might seem like a long time, but be more persistent.
always take him to the same spot where you want him to go.
stay firm and use words like “make” or “go potty” until he goes. when he finally does go, say words like ” good make” or “good potty” and immediately give him a treat and praise him generously. this will show him that he gets a ton of attention for making outside. also, don’t play with him while outside and show him you mean business.
it might take more than 10 minutes so be prepared to be out there a long time [ he'll eventually have to go. at times when we were potty training our doxie, we'd be outside at the same spot for over 30 minutes! ]
another thing to think about is controlling his food. only feed him at certain times of the day. since he’s a puppy, you’ll probably want to feed 3X a day [ morning, noon and night ] if he doesn’t eat all his food after 20 minutes, remove it and throw it away. he doesn’t get food until his next meal. this way you can control when he has to eliminate better [ what goes in, must come out ]
if you’re saying he’s doing it in his crate, his crate may be too big. does he stay in the crate when you’re gone? if so, he should have his things in there like a blanket and bed. he should treat his crate as his “bedroom” and usually they don’t like to go to the bathroom in their bedrooms. if his crate is lined with newspaper and nothing he likes, he’ll think it’s the toilet. make it a safe and fun place to be.
good luck and be patient.
[ training is repetitive, but you'll be rewarded with a happier pet! ]
Don’t let the dog back inside until he potties outside. You really need to stick to your guns with this – otherwise, the problem will keep coming back.
Here’s a link to help – don’t worry, you’ll get it soon! Oh – don’t expect your puppy to be fully potty trained for a few more months at least. It’s just not realistic to assume that a puppy will be fully and reliably trained until it’s at least 6 months – and longer, if there have been problems like the one you’re having.
***Never “make your dog smell it” – this is rotten advice. I wish people would quit saying these things, it’s ridiculous. Trying to punish your puppy in this way will not work.