Toilet training....going backwards

Ellie is 6 months old now, and came into season two weeks ago.
She has been clean in the house ( using her poochie bells) since she was 4 months old, and clean at night at about 4 and a half months.......Just before she came into season she started both weeing and pooing again every night .....
I am wondering if its anything to do with her being in season??
She has her last meal at around 5-30 pm and always goes into the garden before going to sleep in the kitchen.....She has never slept in a crate......Any ideas as to what I can do?? I can't understand why she is going backwards in her toilet habits

She is still very young to be at all reliable (you can always expect accidents up to about 1 year old) and going through heat is *stressful* for a dog -- it is just the same as early weeks of pregnancy as far as their bodies go and is uncomfortable. So you can expect her to be disturbed in her normal behaviour, but also, at this young age you really do need to be taking her out and remaining with her while she goes, anmd keeping her under a close eye at all times (eg she should not have free rein to wander out of sight in the house, ever). Six months is often an age at which dogs backtrack for a variety of reasons and to maintain a consistent habit of going outside, I'd suggest putting her on a lead at regular intervals and taking her out until she goes. Once they start to slip, each accident is another step backwards towards thinking it is fine to go inside, so it is really important that she be under eye at all times so that 1) she never has the chance again to have an accident, if at all possible! ) and 2) you reintroduce structure by taking her out at regular intervals.

Thank you Karlin for the advise. We do go out with her last thing at night to make sure she 'goes'.....I expect I was expecting too much of her at 6 months old. She is very good with her Poochi Bells during the day.....
Yes she is unsettled at the moment bless her , I am sure once her season has finished, she will be much better:rah:

:xctly: Yeah, what Karlin said. My Beau who is coming up for 6 months still has the occasional accident in the house if I don't keep the door open for him.

Everything gets kind of screwed up with the girls are coming into or are in season. They can get a bit down on it, maybe more cuddly, can cock their legs like a boy & mark their territory. My Scarlett who is normally meticulous in the house has on accasions jumped up on my bed (which she normally would never do) and pee right in the middle of it during her season. I think in part they'd like a guy :luv: and in part maybe because everything is so swollen in the nether-regions it might be hard to hang on. Poor little pets.

Ellie has finished her season now.
Last week we were away and she slept in the kitchen at our sons house.
She didnt make a 'toilet' mistake during the night at all.....
The first night home, she had wee'd again on the floor when we got up
I really think its a habit, and she thinks its Ok to wee on our kitchen floor . I can't think what to do, because she goes in the garden last thing at night, and we tell her ''wee'' and she does.......
Any ideas anyone please??:xfngr:
Forgot to mention that we out a toilet pad down at night and she wee's on that....we also put one down at my son's........

Hi Ann,

I'm no expert, but it sounds like you might want to start at the basics. Even though Ellie was doing such a great job previous to being in season, she is probably just a little mixed up right now. I would imagine that it's a lot to go through for such a young little girl.

Act as if you are starting her training from the first day. I'm sure that you are very diligent watching her carefully. I bet after a few days or maybe even a few short weeks she will click right back to where she was at six months. Good Luck

You could try crating her overnight until she's more settled again? Although if she's really truly desperate she might still go in the crate, but if it's just that she's gottenin the habit of going on the floor in the morning instead of waiting, that should stop it.

Hmm, have to agree that her season has probably disturbed her, also agree that she now thinks it is acceptable to "potty" in the kitchen albeit on a pad. I would also suggest crating her at night so that she gets the idea of what is acceptable at night once again. It can take almost a year for a dog to be fully house trained, some get it right away, others need a bit more encouragement, be patient she'll get there!!

The last two nights I have not put the pad down, and she hasn't wee'd.
So hopefully it was the pad, and the thought she should use it ......
She has never been crated, so it would be a shame to start crating her......lets hope I dont have too.
We do have a crate, it is very handy when we are trying to do jobs and she gets in the way, eg: when we clean our fish tank, or when we have visitors and she gets too excited.....

That's great news!!
I always crate mine at night or when we have visitors or the like and my parents do the same too, used properly and thoughtfully (NOT as a punishment) crates have a really useful and positive role to play I think!

Good girl Ellie, keep it up now! cl*p cl*p

I agree with you Cathryn that the crate should never be used as a punishment. Ellie likes her crate and just wanders in it sometimes and lies down, but if I put her in when I want to do somthing, or when she is so excited that she wont leave visitors alone, I always give her a treat before I close the door.
She has a crate in the car too, and loves going in it. We have always put her in it from being a tiny puppy, and she has never cried or barked, in fact she is an excellent traveller :drivecar: