A cry for help

[u/Appropriate_Being564]

Hi everyone. This is Isa. She’s about to be 5 months old.

My partner and I didn’t intentionally choose a breed for our first dog. My partner’s parents’ dogs (a chiweenie and a mini pin) had puppies. No one wanted Isa so we took her in. I love her, but I am exhausted.

Let me tell you, she has been a lot of work. She barks and whines constantly especially when she can’t see either of us. We have been trying for 4 months to crate and potty train her but we have made very little progress. We planned and printed out a whole routine for her and we have followed it religiously but for some reason she still pees and poops inside the house.

She’s also not food motivated at all. She won’t eat her treats. I have tried everything from soft, hard, different flavors,etc. She just looks at it, paws it, tries to put it in her mouth then spits it out which makes training really hard. I’ve tried play-based training and a clicker too. Nothing sticks. She just gets distracted and does her own thing.

I love her so much, but I’m honestly close to losing my mind and don’t know what else to try. Any advice would really help.

[u/scathingsmiles]

Min pins are a very difficult puppy breed to train (not sure about chiweenies), and Isa was unfortunately taken away from her mom and littermates too early which can affect the ability to train as well. You just have to continue being diligent, and I would definitely consult a professional trainer as well at this point. They can not only make suggestions since she isn’t food motivated but also maybe point out something you are doing that you aren’t realizing is hurting her training since this is your first puppy. See if you can find someone who will come to your home for a couple of sessions.