Potty training a dog when you're the only consistent trainer.
As you all know we have a puppy. He's now around 5 months old, he's a border collie crossed with a stubborn little... he's adorable. :)
I've had border collie mixes for a long time. I've never had an issue with potty training. The thing is, my first border collie mix lived with my parents for the first year. Potty training him was a combined effort, and it worked very well. My second border collie mix was trained mostly by Indy, the first dog. Then along came our beagle, the most difficult dog I've ever trained. It took 6 months before he stopped peeing and pooing in the house. Now we have our little Rascal.
When we first got him I was working. My husband works split shift, so for 2 weeks a month he works nights, which meant that he was at home with the puppy for the day while I was at work. I took some time off when hubby was on days so that the puppy wouldn't be alone. I had him almost completely potty trained, then R would go on nights and it would all fall apart.
Now I'm off for the summer. I've been working with Rascal, taking him outside, staying with him until he potties, praising. It's been working, then R will come home, and for some reason it all falls apart. Rascal starts peeing and pooing in the house. Now we've gone back to the start. He's no longer even trying to pee and poo outside. I'll take him out, he'll potty, come inside and potty again, seconds after he just went.
I know what the problem is. R isn't consistent with him. Instead of showing Rascal what he wants, he tries to reason with him. I've actually heard him talking to Rascal "You know that you shouldn't pee and poo in the house. Why are you doing it"? Um, R, he doesn't speak English, and no, he doesn't know what he's supposed to do until you teach him. R doesn't agree. He thinks Rascal should have figured it out by now. I'm in shock. He knows how to train a dog!
The kids will be asked to take the dog out, because I can tell when Rascal needs to go. I only ask the kids when I'm busy with something. Well, 9 times out of 10 they wait too long, Rascal can't wait, and we have an accident.
I'm the only Indian in a house full of Chiefs that aren't consistent with Rascal.
I don't need advice on potty training. I need advice on training my family. Anyone know how to potty train a dog when 3 out of 4 people aren't on board with the program?
I'm at the point where I tell them all that they're no longer allowed near the puppy until I have him trained. :(