We installed a Doogie door that opens to an 8 X 12 X 6 cage for our 1 yr old Chihuahua named "Mousie".

She loves the door, will run in and out. Since she is fully house broke she still considers the cage "Off Limits" for going potty:. She will not go potty until we take her out as normal with the leash in the yard.

Any ideas?

Thanks

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by revwd01

We installed a Doogie door that opens to an 8 X 12 X 6 cage for our 1 yr old Chihuahua named "Mousie".

She loves the door, will run in and out. Since she is fully house broke she still considers the cage "Off Limits" for going potty:. She will not go potty until we take her out as normal with the leash in the yard.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Does the cage have a bottom like cement or is it open ground with grass? If it is cement---how about "building a plot of ground"--planted with grass in one corner of the cage and also put some of her "poo" there (with or without the plot of ground) Maybe don't take her out to go potty on the leash also while trying to get her to use this corner. The one problem I can see is that she wants to mark her territory--the yard!!--but she can still do that when you take her on the leash at a later time. The trick is to get her to know she can still do both, I guess. Sorry, best I could come up with at this time.

Welcome to the forum too!

[lil mutt]

nice advice... in my case, putting a little of the poo in the litter box we have made my dog realize that she should poop there and not in other parts of our house...

Thanks for the advice that makes sense.

This morning we put her out there and she had to go so bad she didn't hesitate, she went both barrells.

Thanks

Now she will go out and do her business, but only when we take her to the door and put her through.

How is the best way to get her to go herself when nature calls?


Thanks

[CorkyMax]

Is she going in the house if you don't take her to the door? If not I would think if you don't take her outside (on the leash) or not take her to the door---sooner or later she would have to go through the door to go potty. Maybe you could put some poo right outside the doggie door to "coax" her to go out too. Good luck!

So far today She has not gone in the house. We opend the DD this morning so she can go in and out. She is still leary of the flap is why we had to push her through.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by revwd01

So far today She has not gone in the house. We opend the DD this morning so she can go in and out. She is still leary of the flap is why we had to push her through.

Lol, now you might want to try putting treats on the other side of the doggie door flap---far enough so she just can't reach it until she is through the flap but make sure she can smell it or let her see you are putting it there---I assume you have a gate that you use to get in the pen? If so, I would 1st have the door off the flap (not let her go out yet---have another person distract her while you open up to the flap. Then let her see you go outside with the treat--but still have other person distract her from the door flap until you get back in the house and then let her go and hopefully she will head for the flap if she realizes the treat is there---Could use a warm smelly pc. of meat too, etc. Another thing would be for you to go outside and go into the pen and walk to the farthest end of the pen and just call her to come through the door. Repitition is the key here I think till she is use to going through the flap. I have a doggie door too for my 2 dogs. They use it all the time. After you get her to do this--you can "reverse"---You go back out of the pen and not let her out that way and just causually ignore her when you get back in the house and when she comes back through the flap--act like you are really glad to see her! (give a treat?)