Hi Everyone,

We have two WONDERFUL Siberian Husky pups. Jackson is 4 months old, and he's been with us since he was 8 weeks old. We're still struggling with potty training. His brother, Maxwell, is 6 months old and was house trained in about 3-4 weeks. We're doing all the same training with Jackson that we did with Maxwell: taking him out frequently, (upon waking, after play sessions, after meals, before bed, after drinking a lot of water, and regularly after about an hour-1 1/2 time spans) and we give lots of treats and praise when he goes outside. But Jackson is still going in the house and in his crate--especially if he has a blanket or soft towel in the crate. He sleeps in his crate and will hold himself over night, but if he's crated for an hour while I go grocery shopping...he'll inevitably go in his crate. We've had to confine him to rooms without rugs and replace an area rug that he stank up--the house smelled of urine. Is there anything else we can do? He's an absolute sweetheart--BEST DOG ever in every other situation. But, I can't trust him to hang with us in the living room after dinner because...he'll pee and/or poop! Both pups are taught to ring a bell that hangs on the door knob when they want to go. Maxwell is an old pro at it, but Jackson isn't getting it. I'm desperate to get him trained so he can gain access to the rest of the house and not be kept in the kitchen while the family is in another room.

Just wondering here, but do you have a urine odor eliminator? This is what I use as well as Oxi Clean when Yukon has an accident. I read that the smell of a dog's own urine will encourage them to go in the same place multiple times, and even if you can't smell the odor anymore they probably still can. So I would try and see if eliminating the odor completely helps first. It might also be separation anxiety if he goes in his crate while you're out...

Hope this helps!

Yes, I do. I use Anti-Icky Pooh enzyme odor eater/eliminator. We have cats too and it works great when they have accidents outside of the litter box. But, alas, there is only so much pooh/pee a carpet can take! We've disinfected the entire first floor and replaced the rug, so the odor is gone. It's confusing because Jackson will pee outside, get a treat and praise and come right back in the house and immediately (or within 10 mins) pee AGAIN on the floor. Vet checked him out and said he's healthy and that some huskies are very stubborn when it comes to house training. He's confined to the kitchen for now, or, if he is out in the house, he's tethered to me by his leash, which he isn't super happy about. We're looking to modify our training tactics but aren't sure what else to try. Can't let a dog roam the house that eliminates at will in the house.