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Hello fellow dog lovers, I got a four-month Golden Retriever a couple of days back and I started training him using your techniques. He learns new commands quite easily and he is able to perform them in different settings. However, I'm unable to get him trained to poop or pee outside consistently. He did both outside yesterday, but this morning I stayed outside with him for close to an hour slightly playing and walking with his scent trail and yet he came into is crate to poop and peed in his play pen while I was cleaning the crate. Any suggestions to fix this issue? Am I doing something wrong here? Can you share some pooping guidelines for 4-month olds? Thanks!

Hello...Our family is new to the site and forum. We just purchased a 4 yo female Pomeranian from a Breeder. She is not house trained. Do you recommend we follow the instructions you have for house breaking puppies? We just brought her home today. Thanks, Abby & Bella

My dog Red, (I wrote about her a bit before), has a fear of everything outside. So here is the story, issue, what I have done, and then- help! So we got her at 12 weeks. She was already scared of everything. She was learning quick with house training. She has a schedule so it helps tremendously but, her fears escalated. I live in a rural area, but my street is very busy, and we have a train that comes through periodically. Note: My pup does not have an issue with people, not even stangers. Only with every noise. Music from neighbors, doors, cars, train, anything falling, blowing, moving.... First I was taking her outside with a very calm, matter-of-fact, no- worries attitude. I say "its okay!" Like its no big deal. I just kept taking her out regularly. But then it got much worse.So, anyway, it has gotten so bad that now she will not go potty. I have puppy pads down inside. She uses them. Now I do not make her go out. She is 4 months. I am trying to take it slow, starting over. I hate that I do not know why she had all the phobias when we got her. I feel like it would be helpful if we knew the circumstances of her life before.. And the fact that she will not leave the doorway-well, I do not want to make her unless I am supposed to? But two issues here. One is , am I handling this right? I need her to house train. Two is, I think it may be a healthy fear to have a fear of cars. But I have been telling her its ok. I think maybe that's bad? note: the first few days we got her, I carried her outside. I thought her fear was just normal because she left her original home.

So I'm waiting for a call from the vet's office to see what Gertie's next days or weeks hold for her. Yesterday she came up to the door limping. Oh boy. Upon inspecting the foot I couldn't find her toe nail, but there was no blood and she wasn't whimpering or whining. Closer examination revealed her 4th toe was twisted to where the nail was buried in her 3rd toe. As I was on the phone with the emergency vet's office (because these things never happen during normal business hours!) my husband was palpating the toes and foot, trying to determine where the toe nail was, and the toe released on its own. I put ice between the toes to help with potential inflammation (that was a task!) and took her to Doc first thing this morning. She's not putting weight on it when walking - it's the full on pathetic hopping on three feet thing going on. We're fairly certain the injury occurred while the pups were rough housing - back to supervised play it is! X-rays were taken and the vet tech thinks there may be a break, but the Veterinarian wasn't confident enough to diagnose without the Radiologist's eyes on it so that's the call I'm waiting for. Regardless of whether she has to have surgery, get it set, or just rest, we're looking at a presently undetermined amount of recovery time, which brings a set of conundrums. She was able to pee, but she would not even try to poop last night or this morning. She's excellent about peeing on command, but poop is a little tougher because she likes to hide behind her tree to do her business and gets distracted along the way. The tree is on the other side of our half acre and she's likely not wanting to hobble over there . . .. So, here are the questions. What are some ways I can help her with eliminating? Most of the Brain Games involve a mobile pooch. Here's what she plays inside currently: Find It (I hide treats and toys around the house) Meals are normally served in the Kong Wobbler Muffin Game Shell Game Hot and Cold Flirt pole play Doc initially indicated he'll be sending her home with pain meds so I'm guessing she'll be a bit sedate; but I know dogs and they don't stay down for long before getting bored! If there are any ideas to keep her mentally stimulated and physically relaxed I'm all ears!