We got a 2yo husky from a rescue group a few weeks ago and are having spotty luck with crate training.

She came from a very large 'pack' of dogs and has gotten used to eliminating in her sleep/eat area with all the other dogs. I guess it was the wild west as far as rules and potty. It was a rather stinky car ride home!

I've used search and read many posts on this forum but they all relate to puppys. We are doing allll of the things people have posted for crate training and read numerous other articles online so this is more geared at the older dog that knows/doesnt care to pee/poop in its own crate whenever they feel like it.

Are there any different tips/advice for older dogs who are used to going potty wherever whenever? or is my only factor just a longer time of training?

[Piti Longstalking]

Puppy or older dog, time and consistency are the key to housetraining. How are you rewarding appropriate elimination, and how are you punishing inappropriate elimination?

there are lots of training methods in training your dog and this one is the best so far

Originally Posted by Piti Longstalking

How are you rewarding appropriate elimination

a treat for each pee or poop along with praise

Originally Posted by Piti Longstalking

and how are you punishing inappropriate elimination?

currently I'm not punishing other than 1 of us takes her outside while the other disinfects/deodorizes. no eye contact until we are outside and she happens to go again which then gets treat and praise


I read yelling after the fact does no good since the dog doesnt know what you are yelling at

and yelling at her while she is doing it makes her afraid to go while I'm present

Ive caught her twice peeing in which I grabbed her up as quickly as I can and carried her outside

[Piti Longstalking]

Just checking, it sounds like you've got a good understanding when to reward/punish.

Originally Posted by rschmitty

and yelling at her while she is doing it makes her afraid to go while I'm present

Ive caught her twice peeing in which I grabbed her up as quickly as I can and carried her outside

You don't have to yell or be scary when giving a reprimand. In fact, I would use an instructional reprimand like "outside" before you need to scoop her up. If you can use a word like this before leaving out the door she may associate the word with this behavior. Then if you catch her in the act again and give her instruction, she may stop and proceed outside. It doesn't work with all dogs, but with those that do form the association it can cut down on housetraining time pretty significantly.

I have to also agree that employing a crate to minimize accidents is a good idea. No different than with a puppy.

Dogs get better at behaviors they repeat, so preventing this dog from eliminating in its crate or anywhere else you don't like is key. It means lots of trips outdoors and rewards and praise for 'going' outside. You really can't punish a dog for inappropriate elimination and need to be careful if you do. This can cause a dog to become afraid of 'going' when its owner is nearby. Pooping and peeing are what dogs do and it makes no sense to them when they get yelled at, yanked or whatever when they are doing it somewhere they shouldn't, especially a rescue dog, which is probably already stressed.

Being punished makes no sense to them so you can end up with dogs that find hidden places to go to avoid doing it around their owners (closets, behind couches, etc). There are dogs that will not 'go' when they are out on a leash with their owners cause they've been punished for 'going' and location does not computer for them.

Get this dog out a lot, especially after meals or big drinks. When you dog does go outside heap on the praise. It may take longer than training a puppy or maybe not. Some breeds of dogs have a hard time understanding housebreaking, not sure if huskies are among them.

I rescued 2 Bichons 2 months ago, they are 5 years old. They are crate trained but the female is not house broken. she will pee whenever and wherever. They don't know how to ask to go outside yet, I just have to watch how they are acting. It is getting frustrating. Any ideas?

[Yogi]

are you feeding the dog in the crate? It is many times with a rescue not so much that they will go in their crate as not crate trained but when feeding them in the crate, this in many cases will slow down and eventually prevent the dog from going in the crate. I have crate trained dogs as old as 10 that had never been in a crate before and part of it was feeding them in the crate, waiting for 30 to 45 minutes after they had eaten then taken them directly outdoors and stayed with them and if need be coaxing them to run around and play just to increase their metabolism so they would go. Also, covering the crate has helped in many cases.
One thing to note though, yelling will not accomplish anything at this point. This is a rescue that up to this point has very little socialization in regards to house training issues and most likely like most rescues is suffering a little stress of its own. Just like you or I would if we were uprooted and found ourselves in a strange place. Yelling is only going to amplify the existing mental state of the dog. Finding a routine and sticking to it is most likely going to be the best step at this time. Dogs need a routine like people and by working him into a routine that works with your daily schedule, in time the dog will come around.