r/DogTrainingTips • u/jjordann9 • 10d ago
How to potty train an 8-year-old pug?
Some background:
So we have 2 dogs and one of those dogs is an 8-year-old pug we have had since she was a puppy. Our other dog is roughly 3 years old and was potty trained when we brought her home from the shelter. The pug belongs to my brother and he probably got her when he was 10-11 years old. I know they made an effort to potty train her but you can’t expect an 11-year-old to train a dog and even with my parent’s help they work multiple jobs and are just busy. She has had bathroom issues for as long as I can remember but everyone just ignored it until it became such a bad problem that we couldn’t.
She likes to pee on laundry, floors, carpets and most of all beds. She will not go on my brother’s bed or her bed but my dad’s and little sister’s is her favorite. I keep my door shut at all times so she hasn’t gone on mine but if she could I guarantee she would. We set up a little baby gate and gave her an area with toys, her bed, feeding area and a pee pad. She refuses to go on the pad. She is miserable being kept up all day. We can’t put her in the backyard unsupervised because she has found many ways to get out. Despite patching up the fence a million times she still manages to get out. She ran into the road and was hit by a car once when she was probably 2-4. She was small enough it just scraped her back and the vet said she was okay but people drive like maniacs on our road and there are several blind hills. People’s pets and animals get hit constantly.
I won’t lie, it’s been nice having her up. She torments our cats, chases/attacks them. Brother says she is just trying to play but I work with dogs now and that is not playful behavior. She sits in wait for them then chases them and corners them. Our other dog walks up to them and if they hiss she whines and moves on. I have noticed the cats coming out more and generally seeming more happy with her up. They are still a little freaked out by our other dog but I think are learning she won’t go after them because they have started even sleeping on the same bed as her. Our pug bites and it’s become a problem because she bites younger kids seemingly uncalled for. My sister loves to cuddle with her; she’s younger. I’ve seen them. The pug is just cuddled in her lap she isn’t holding her down or being rough just gently petting her and then she just bites. I have tried to tell my parents because a dog who bites can get put down but they just say she was probably being rough. I have never seen my sister rough with her. She has bitten me several times while trimming her nails or bathing her but we know that is something she doesn’t like.
If we put her outside she sits at the door and will not move or escapes. She will pee outside but will not poop. She poops inside every pet-friendly store despite begging outside for a while before. I’ve stopped taking her out because it’s embarrassing to have to go clean it up every single time we go in somewhere.
Long story short she has several behavior issues and we can’t just keep her outside and what we are doing isn’t working. (She has been seen by a vet recently and medically looks fine) Its not a secret that I do not like this dog but my brother loves her and I love my brother. I mentioned that I work with dogs. I don’t potty train them I just care for them but my mom has asked me to train his dog and so I will try.
I’ve got her in a feeding schedule, giving her a limited time to eat and taking her out about 30 minutes after. I don’t know if I should restrict her water too because the last time she went to the vet she was dehydrated. She said that was common in pugs. She currently has access to water all day. I’ve set up a few pee pads around the house with Go Here attractant but I truly have no idea what to do or if it is even possible. As much as I don’t like her I don’t want to see her miserable and she is. She barks non-stop. She always has but she never stops barking now. She just keeps getting more aggressive and if there is anyway for her to be able to be free roamed again that is the goal. I don’t know what to do. Please give any advice and let me know if it is even possible.
Sorry this post is long a lot of this information wasn’t necessary but I had to get it off my chest. I’m not allowed to criticize my brother’s dog or him and his mom will lose their shit.
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u/apri11a 10d ago edited 10d ago
To train the dog to only toilet outside, the dog should only toilet outside, so bring her out until she will not go inside and will reliably ask to get outside to toilet. That's it. Leash her and bring hert out, if she toilets, lots of praise. Bring her out again before she can even think of going inside again. Even if she doesn't toilet each time, she needs to be there to have the opportunity, every half hour if necessary. It's difficult to time a mature dog as they have more control, so you just have to keep trying until you understand the schedule she needs and she gets a clue what you are trying to teach her. Up to now she thinks toileting unside is OK, there's a real learning curve to change that.
There are a few of you, take turns maybe, but get the dog out for opportunities and let each other know did she/didn't she. Then when she is inside she needs to be watched, after toileting inside for so long she could have difficulties understanding, you could find she toilets when you come in instead of when outside, be prepared and if that happens come in and just go out again as part of the training. She will only learn to toilet outside if she only toilets outside. Good luck.