Expert: Jannie Balliett - 4/8/2008

Question
I just got a boxer from the pound a week ago. She is very smart has learned her new name, sit, lay, and working on stay. I am have a very hard time with house breaking though. She is 5 months and gets fed at 5 am. and PM. She is urinating all over my house almost like its uncontrollable. Ill take her on plenty walks where she will go outside then come back inside and urinate in the house.  I only give her water with her food. How much water a day should she have?

Answer
She should have an unlimited supply of fresh water at all times, available to her when she is thirsty.


Try this recommendation below, and if no improvement, consult with your vet for possible physical problems.

Each morning, take her outside. Do not bring her in until she pees.

Feed her breakfast.

Wait 5-8 minutes and take her back outside. She should pee again, and poop.

Between meals, take her outside every 30 minutes to pee and/or poop. Do this for a few weeks and see her behavior to this routine.

Notice when she pees and poops. Those times are a key to the routine you'll need to establish.

Now, every time she pees and/or poops inside, get a paper towel, scoop up the poop, take it outside and dump it in the area you want her pooping in. Take her outside to it. Get her to notice her poop and tell her to do her job there in whatever terminology you use.

When it's pee, use a paper towel to absorb it and carry it outside and lay it down where you want her to pee and go through the same routine.

But, do not reprimand her for peeing and pooping inside or it will make her shy to do it at all-- even outside and in front of you.

If it's a physical problem, bladder control problem, she can't help herself anyway and scolding her would be cruel.

Get a routine established that she can associate to her pee and poop times.