Potty-training: hardest dog breeds to train?

Hello everyone! I think potty or house training is one of the most important things you have to work on when you get a new dog. I've owned several dogs during my lifetime, and I must say the dog breed plays a big role when it comes to potty training and obedience in general. Most dogs can be trained after a while tho, but there are dogs that learn way too fast!

My schnauzer is a standard one, and she had no trouble learning it wasn't ok to poop and pee inside the house. She actually learnt it wasn't ok to do that in my room (her room as well, since she sleeps there) since day one. Sadly, she thought it was ok to do her business in the rest of the house. But after a couple days she learnt the house was off limits. Now she wakes me up very early in the morning... because she wants to go out to do her business outside.

I also owned a miniature schnauzer some years ago. This puppy pooped everywhere! I tried EVERY single method to trian her, I used newspapers... but she avoided pooping there! This puppy was so messy, she didn't mind doing her business in the place she slept, so no... the crate method NEVER worked with her! It took her months to actually learn she shouldn't poo and pee inside. For me it felt like years...

What about you? What's the dog breed you had the most issues with while potty-training it?

 

So far, I've only owned one dog and with Homer, it was pretty easy to teach him to do his business outside. Whenever he was listening to me, he was getting a small and delicious reward, a carrot or a special dog treat. Since he is very intelligent and always hungry, he quickly realized that it's more beneficial not to be messy

 

I think some dogs are very intuitive about such things and some are just clueless. My dad would always bring home mixed breed puppies from the shelter and they always seemed to know where to do their business. Our back door that led to the garden was always open morning till early evening and our pets would just go to the garden when they needed to. I've had 3 dogs since I started my own family and two took around a month before they got the idea straight. My dachshund however just could not be taught. Murphy pooped and peed pretty much where and when he needed to. We finally decided that he could only be allowed in the garden, the garage and the kitchen area which had a side door that led outside. That seemed to be a better alternative for us since he would not poop and pee in the kitchen as he ate and slept there.

 

I have owned several dogs but usually the breed is Aspin or our local breed, sometimes mixed breed. Almost all of those dogs are easy to potty train and actually some just learned from themselves.

 

My aunt owned an Italian greyhound, he was a purebreed and a champion, yet he wasn't able to learn that he shouldn't do his business at home. He simply didn't understand it and during his whole life, he kept peeing at walls and furniture. My aunt loved him despite of it and I remember that she claimed that the dark spots on the walls are shadows, nothing else
Anyway, I think that there are dogs that learn faster and dogs that learn slower, it doesn't really matter what bread they are.

 

Damn!!!!! I'm sooooo sorry for your aunt!!! You know? That's one of the reason why I don't like to have male dogs inside, all of my dogs are females So if they happen to pee inside, at least they will do it on the floor and not on the walls or furniture My... I feel so sorry for your aunt, dogs urine has such a strong smell, and even worse when it's all over the furniture LOL, I laughed at the shadows bit She must have loved that dog deeply

 

Wow, really??? Your yorkie likes to eat carrots??? I had never heard such a thing before My dogs seem to hate vegetables with a great passion! I guess you got him used to eating carrots since he was a little puppy? I've heard yorkies are smart, it's easier to train them when they're smart dogs... standard schnauzers and poodles are also super smart, we never had troubles potty-training those

 

In general, Homer wants to eat everything, edible and not edible . He isn't a picky eater at all. Vegetables are one of his favorite treats! He loves carrots with all his heart, but he also likes salad, green peas, cucumber, sweet corn and many others. He doesn't like tomatoes though
To be honest, it's the first time when I hear of dogs that don't like vegetables. Maybe try giving them fruits instead? Homer likes apples

 

Wow, your dogs sounds like a really special little thing When I give something to my dogs that contains a couple carrots pieces or any other vegetable, they're super careful not to eat them They're not big fans of fruits either The standard schnauzer I have likes to eat mostly meat, but if she saw some carrot on the floor...nope, she'd not even bother with it I wish I had a vegetarian dog just like yours

 

Yeah, it seems some dogs are more intuitive than others. Sorry to hear about Murphy, it's so frustrating to when they can't just get the idea straight, no matter how much you praise them everytime they go outside and do it I'm glad you guys found a solution for that tho, to be honest I have no tolerance for that kind of things... specially when it comes to dogs peeing on furniture. Removing the smell form that furniture is really hard, and that's why I rather have females than males! Because at least if the female pees inside the house... she most likely do it on the floor, but a male dog... he just lifts his leg and...

 

That's amazing. I'm guessing those dogs were big ones, right? A big or medium breed? I've found smaller breeds harder to train, I don't know why is that. My standard schnauzer practically taught herself after just one day!

 

Well, whenever Homer can choose between meat and carrots, he always chooses meat. But when he can choose between meat and fish, he usually prefers fish
Do you give your dogs any supplements then?

 

Based on my experience and my friends', one of the most difficult potty trainees are breeds that are strongly independent. These are the ones who have the closest genes to the wolf. It's not that they poop where they sleep, it's the fact that if they were taught to use the newspaper to potty, owners normally have to deal with a lot of resistance.

One of the more difficult breeds to train are the bulldogs. I guess this is because they were bred to have a different drive.

 

WOW!!! You dog likes eating fish?? Mine wouldn't even dare to touch a fish!!! What kind of fish homer likes? My dogs don't like fish because the smell, and I guess the flavour must be kinda strange to them , they'd prefer meat over fish! Your Homer is a very interesting little fellow I asked the vet about the supplements, he said they're not really necessary right now

 

Your dogs are so picky
Homer loves all kinds of fish
Once, I had taken him to a pet store and a nice lady there gave him samples of different foods, so he could choose his favorite. And of course he chose the fish-flavored one

 

Wow, hahahaa! Your dog makes mine look like they're a couple of divas I guess I haven't been very daring with the food i give them, I have always liked to feed them with dog food, because the vet warned me that dogs shouldn't be eating what I eat. Sometimes I do give therm something they really like, for example cold cuts

 

Yeah, I had so much resistance from a miniature schnauzer I owned! I tried to teach that mini meanie he had to use the newspapers, but no... pooped everywhere excepting on the newspaper I tried everything lemon + vinegar, but not even that worked! Some breeds are just too hard to work with, I've owned several miniature schnauzers, and I must tell you it never gets easier with them. It takes them so long to understand the most basic commands.

 

I feed Homer dog food too, but it's clearly not enough for him, since he always begs for more. He just loves eating I don't want him to be overweight, so giving him vegetables sounds like the best solution. I sometimes share my food with him though, because I simply can't say "no", when I see him jumping around my table, whining and barking

 

My miniature schnauzer did the exact same thing He loved eating people's food, but he was a bit too picky. He'd first smell the food, if he didn't like the smell he'd not eat it! So I was kinda surprised when he rejected things that I knew he'd like, but he never dared to give a bite to the food first

 

Lol, then your schnauzer was very cautious Homer always takes everything I give him. So once, I gave him a banana, it's the only one fruit that he hates. Of course he took it quickly from my hand and then he started spitting like crazy, poor thing And poor me, I had to clean the carpet