Having and sticking to a schedule is the best thing you can do for your new dog. You also need to get the loose stool under control first, as a dog with loose stool will naturally have a much harder time trying to hold it, you know how you feel when you have the same problem. Once you find a good food that helps them to produce a good hard stool your dog will go to the bathroom much less and it will be easier for him to hold it until you let him out. (I highly recommend Royal K9 dog food). Then go to my site, I am a dog trainer and read my blog here: I offer step by step instructions on the most effective method to potty training your dog.

There you’ll find two pages on the proper way to potty train your dog one in the blog and one in the puppy training page here:.

I sure hope these pages help you. Good Luck!

Dave

Well with loose stools it will be difficult for them to hold it long. I’d say the food you feed her has more to do with the problem. Dry food with high proteine and less corn will help. Try IAMS the green bag and don’t switch the food around for a while. If it continues it could be another issue like a parasite.

As for the potty training, frequent trips outside with a positive reaction when she goes outside worked for me. Give her a treate and let her know she did a really good thing. Boxers are pleasers and she will eventually get it. Second, get a kennel to place her in while she is in training. Put her in when you it when you are not watching her, she is less likely to potty in her bed.

Make sure her diet is a good quality dry food like James wellbeloved, Burns or Hills. They are low residue so the dog will need to poo less. Add a little water but no meat and avoid treats until she has a settled tummy.
Next clean any soiled areas with biological washing powder only as this will break down the smell of where she has already had an accident and deter her from returning to the same spot.
I can’t stress enough how punishment will make the dog worse and she will have to empty her bowels more often if you tell her off or smack her for having accidents. The physiological effect of stress on a dog results in an increase need to empty the bowels and bladder more frequently so it will not help your situation. It is particularly unfair to come home and punish a dog from messing because they could have done it some time earlier and won’t relate the crime with the punishment.
Put the dog in the garden every two hours and after every meal, game and sleep.

No, actually i highly recommend not getting her into and obedience class. when we got my Australian Shepherd Mix puppy at 7months, the people at the humane society highly suggested a class for her. we have never signed her up and she is house broken, knows sit, and stay, and come.

Better than nothing, but not by much.

Why would it be a ‘cop out’? Most people in this world do not bother with properly training their dogs and frankly, it is most people who end up getting rid of their dogs because they are not well trained. Many people want ‘push button’ dogs – dogs that will obey them and do what they want without having put any effort into actually training them. A training class is where you have a knowledgeable person helping you learn to better interact with and train your dog. I have trained dogs to behave properly (how I want them to behave when I want them to not when they feel like it) for over fifty years and I still take dogs to training classes because no one ever knows it all and no one can see themselves – I like having a knowledgeable person watch and make sure am not giving signals I am not aware of or that something isn’t going on that I am not aware of plus the dogs are subjected to distractions so they can better learn to obey under conditions that aren’t perfect. Most any dog can ’sit’ and ’stay’ at home in their front room with nothing occuring but what about if something distracting is gong on – when you NEED the dog to sit and stay or it could mean its life? You can locate an obedience club near you and see about starting your new companion and yourself in classes.

I think obedience classes are important. When we adopted a three-year-old dog from the shelter who already knew the basics, we still took her to training classes. It was great to see how she was around other dogs in a controlled environment, and gave us new ideas. She also did learn new tricks.

The best part though, is that it was a great bonding expierence for her and I and she loved to go to classes with me. If you do decide to go for classes, look for a POSITIVE training facility where the instructors have credentials and certifications to back up what they are doing.

As others said it is highly variable.
Their puppy class is good for socialization, just because they allow younger puppies than most places and I know the dogs are vaccinated becuase you have to show proof.
For basic obedience classes I prefer an experienced training class. Many cities offer them thru parks rec. or you can call animal control for recommendations. Many of these are actually less expensive than petsmart.

All training classes depend upon the work you put in during the week in between class.

I also want a trainer with more than a train to be a trainer course as my trainer. There are many dogs and many situations that only years of experience can prepare you for. A 20 year old trainer with a single certification course is not going to do it for me.

This poor dog is in a new place, with new food and likely stressed. You need to feed her some plain boiled rice with some lean meat chopped fine mixed with her kibble – white meat, skinless, boneless chicken would be good.
If the diarrhea doesn’t get better in a day or so, please get her to the vet for a fecal and some meds.
You can give her some Kaopectate too meanwhile.

I sure wouldn’t give her tripe, or any new food until she is settled and well.

Potty training means getting a routine established, you take her out on leash or in your fenced yard to the same area — when she gets it right, you praise her long and loud and give treat. Do this over and over.
Get her out within 10 minutes after meals (at least 2 meals per day), when she wakes up, before bedtime, and every 2 hours or so if possible until you get a routine established.

Do NOT give her free run of the house, she’s new, she doesn’t understand the rules yet, and if she has pottied somewhere already, you need to NEUTRALIZE that area – not deodorize, neutralize, or she can still smell it and will use that place again.

Do not yell or hit if she potties inside,neutralize, clean up and blame yourself for not watching her.
Either crate her or baby gate her somewhere she can’t make a mess when you cannot watch her.

Be patient, get her out to the same area and keep her restrained indoors where she can’t make a mess until she understands what the routine is. Takes time.

No, certainly not. You can carry on the training yourself, there are many How to books. She is only 6 months, things will crop up at home. What I really like about classes is the dogs interacting and becoming at ease. You are so nice to take her home!!