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Potty Training 13 week old mastiff

mastifmom

Member
So I just got my female mastiff Roxy 2 days ago. I know for sure she wasn't crated before and was never taken outside. She keeps peeing in her crate and has pooped once already in there. Its like she doesn't care either, she will lay in it and walk all over the poop, its gross! I am assuming the breeders let her sit in nastiness and that why it doesn't bother her. I was just wondering if anyone has advice for breaking her of this habit. Also, I was wondering if its common for mastiffs to not pay attention when you call them. I know Ive only had her for 3 days and she has a new name, but I feel like she completely ignores me when she starts sniffing around. I say it very nice and excitedly but nothing. AND when she potty's I always drop down to her level and praise her, tell her good girl, but she literally walks away.. its like she doesn't care to hear it she just wants to go sniff around?!? I don't get it. When I first got her and I would do this, she would come running to me and get excited when I praised her.And when I try to call her, she doesn't look at me, come towards me… nothing. I know she isn't deaf cuz she hears me and stops when I tell her no?!? I don't know what is up with her. I don't know if her breeders just really didn't work with her at all and that is why. HELP!!!

PS: I take her out as soon as I wake up. Then we eat breakfast and go outside immediately. If she goes poo and pee we play.. if not she goes back in crate for about 15 min. Then I feed again at 1 then go out and same routine. Then dinner at 6. Same routine. Also, she hasnt used the bathroom at night.. its just during the day she goes in her crate. Maybe she's mad at me for keeping her in their during the day?!? But I have a 6 week old and I nurse her and I have a 2 year old.. so when I cant have 100% attention on Roxy.. I crate her.
 

Dogue-Dude

Member
sounds like you're pup was probably crated and allowed to stay in the crate for longer periods of time and soiled her bedding and just got used to it. As far as her ignoring you, remember its only been 3 days, the 2 of you will bond soon enough, give it time. Can I ask, what age is you're pup?
We currently have a 17 week old female Mastiff mix (3/4 French mastiff & 1/4 Boxer) and a 16 week old male Bullmastiff. The female was potty trained in a matter of a few weeks but the Bully still has urinating accidents daily, only peeing but thank god #2 is always done outside. We picked up the female at 7 weeks of age and the bully we didn't pick up till he was 12 weeks old. Seemed like the younger dog bonded sooner and we were able to potty train her much easier.. maybe a female thing?? I don't know?? I've always felt females were much easier to train and less stuborn than males. I spoke to our Vet regarding the potty training issues and he thought that the Bully was probably trained with those silly indoor potty pads. He too used to urinate in his bedding also, and I think he was probably left in his crate for extended periods of time and got used to peeing in his bedding? or maybe even those potty pads were placed in the crate and he thought it was OK to just pee there? I feel those breeders that use the potty pads are not doing any of us a favor as they are basically telling the pup its OK to urinate or poop indoors. A proper wleping box with 3 separate designated compartments is a much better way to bring a pup into this world.. that way they learn at a very early age to sleep in one area, play in the other , and learn to poop and pee away from those two areas in the 3rd compartment. Our male Bully is urinating less frequently inside as time goes by, and I found that as soon as he awoke from a sleep we immediatly took him outside to do his business. We also started taking him outside every 30 minutes when he wasnt sleeping also. It all helps but it an be a slow process. Good luck with your new girl, just be patient with her, she come around soon enough..
 

mastiffico

Well-Known Member
the puppies will use the potty wherever they are trained to do so ...that is the bad part about a breeder that doesnt get them use to going outside ...if you crate her you might want to invest in a large kennel (fence kennel where she can be on the ground ) where she can play alot outside while she is being crated ...the sooner you get her to going outside the better off you and all will be ..i use to have shihitzu puppies and when they got old enough to walk around and play i took them outside during the day to a large fenced in kennel ...that way they got use to going on the dirt ..everyone that got one from me said they was the easiest to potty train because that is what they got use to doing their buisness on ...you can ruin a dog and have the new owners fit to be tied if you dont get them started on the bathroom ...i have seen many a dog get sold because of their bad potty habits and some people dont have the time or the know how to train the properly ...i always wanted the new owners to love the dog and have a good realtionship from the get go ...that is why i thought it was important to have them on the right path to being housetrained ...just makes it so much easier on all
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
Do you feed her in the crate?
If the crate becomes her dinner table as well as sleeping quarters that might help kick-start the "keep it clean" den habit?

As for ignoring you... sounds like she might not have gotten a lot of people-socialization before you brought her home. I think she might need more bonding time with you. You could try tethering her to you, so she has to follow you around all day instead of sitting in the crate (learning how to be independent) - or tethering her in the room, in sight but out of reach for when you're dealing with the kids. I'd recommend more time playing with puppy, bummer!! :)

Maybe find some really, really good treats (Freeze dried liver is normally a 'high value' treat), and use that in addition to verbal praise, so she starts to make the connection that all good things come from you and your happy voice means good things are coming!

You could probably work on the 'spring loaded recall' exercise, even if she's too young to know what she's doing by name.
Sit in a circle with some other people (your older kid might still be too young for this...), call her name once, then pound on the floor, rattle a toy, do what ever it takes to get her attention and get her to come to you... then treat and reward like crazy... then have the next person in the circle do the same thing - getting her to go back the other way for more treats and rewards. Finding people to help with this is always my problem, but maybe a puppy play group member, trainer or neighbor could help?

http://www.baystatedogtraining.com/videos/springloaded.htm
 

Lukasdad

Well-Known Member
Hi my pups 11 wks now haven't had an accident in the house in over a week..
I have taken time off work to give him all the attention he needs luckily he never messed his crate but would take him outside every couple of hours for the first week and it really helped... I had noticed he was starting to ignore me the other week but realising after reading more and more that its just his puppy development but have made results over last few days made a flick pole a peice of plastic pipe about 1m long 20mm diameter with a 3m length of strong rope which I attached a rope toy .... Been a godsend as its definitely trying him out he's giving my older dog some peace and showing more affection ... Didnt realise how much work I'd be putting in but hoping at these early stages its giving him a good start .
Good luck she will love you to bits soon
 

Lukasdad

Well-Known Member
Lol sorry new to the site just realised how old the thread was .... So did she get better I'm still just like the excited new father wanting to share my experiences :)
 

Gimli

New Member
My mastiff is 13 weeks as well. He is doing pretty good with potty training. Whenever he drinks water I immediately take him outside....it has worked so far. It is really like raising a toddler, you can never not watch them. It is a hard job, I am so glad when my husband gets home, gives Gimli someone new to play with. How is he doing in the crate? I just ordered one. How long does he stay in?
 

Lukasdad

Well-Known Member
Crates great he gets his dinner in the one in the living room and put him upstairs in a crate at night .... My boys just over 11 weeks now and happily will sleep for 4 hrs no problem ... Noticed he is wakening earlier in the morning with the earlier sunrise here but just take him out to do the toilet then put him back to bed... I put a rug and sheet over the top to keep it slightly darker
He whines a wee bit when he first gets put to bed at night trying to get him into routine of 12 at the latest and he'll sleep untill about 6 then I get him up again at 8 to feed him. Dont know if it makes a difference but I have a large bed in his cage upstairs as I had read they wouldn't soil their bed. Think I have been very lucky as he he only had accidents in the first week . So in my opinion a crate is a must if he's being a pest he gets put in but he will go in on his own accord as well. I will be leaving him with my parents for a week in June so I'm glad he is used to his cage a bit of peace of mind that he's going to be safe and not be destroying the parents house ... Imagine that eek lol
 

ArtyPBoom

New Member
My mastiff is ten weeks. I brought him home yesterday; he's my first mastiff but I've had other breeds before. Yesterday he completely ignored me today is a little better; I was worried until I read your post, now I'm thinking he has some litter separation anxiety.