Lots of good advice here. I remember my mom telling me that she got me potty trained by telling me that she would buy me pretty little lace panties if I would start using the toilet. She said I started using the toilet and she bought me the pretty panties. hee-hee! I have boys and they take a little longer than girls in general. We pushed our first one too soon and had to back off and let him do it at his own pace. Poor little guy would get constipated and we'd end up using "positories" as he called them to help him. He was about 4 before he was fully trained. Our second son started potty training himself wanting to do everything big brother was doing, then went backwards when son number three was born, but eventually got back on track. Third son copied older brothers but also enjoyed going pee outside in the backyard and once on the garage floor - 'cause it made a loud noise and was funny to him. I think the thing that got my boys to using the potty was watching one of those potty training videos. There was one where the song went, "Now I'm going to the potty, potty . . . Yes, I'm going to the potty, potty, etc." They enjoyed singing that song when they went to the potty and it was just one of those songs I couldn't get out of my head! A friend of mine started laughing at me a couple months ago when I was talking about this subject to someone and started singing that song. She said it was the same video she used for her daughter! Check your local library to see if they have any potty training videos available for check out. We checked this one out for two weeks with my second son since he enjoyed watching it so much!

I have a daughter who is very strong willed and what worked for us was to get her to feel proud about using the toilet. She was about 2 1/2. What we did was one day we sat down together and made a "toilet sticker book". We put together a bunch of paper, tied it to bind it, put her name on, wrote a story in it about how she was such a big girl and was going to start to use the potty like a "big girl" and every time she used the toilet she would get a sticker to put in her book. I bought stickers and kept them in the cupboard above the toilet and every time she would try to go I would let her look at the stickers. If she went, she got a sticker. If she didn't go she did not get one but got to look at them and hold them while she was on the toilet. She was already interested in stickers which is why I chose them as a motivator. So if stickers don't work for you maybe something else your child likes would work better. I let her wear underware or a diaper, I let her choose so she felt like she had control of the situation. I didn't make a big deal about it if she chose a diaper, but I would go on and on about what a big girl she was when she chose her panties. If she had an accident I would just say, thats okay we can get you a clean pair, try to see if you any more pee needs to come out. And I would have her sit on the toilet while I got her clean clothes. We always used the big toilet with a ring in it at first so she didn't fall in and a stool at the base so her feet could touch. This was part of the "big girl" plan. It seemed to me that the little toilet just emphasized that she was still a baby. It also was better for me, I didn't want to clean the little toilet, seemed just a bad as changing diapers. She still, shes almost 3, refuses to try to go if I suggest it in a "do what I tell you" voice. But we made sort of a game out of me "telling" her to go potty. I would ask her if she had any pee or poo that wanted to come out. And then we would call the pee and/or poo like you call a dog, come out, come out, come on. etc. It sounds really stupid and I would not want to be recorded saying this, but it works!! I hope this helps you and your daughter. I would just advise you to try to help her to feel good about it and to be proud of her accomplishments. Try to let her make choices about things as much as is reasonable and she'll get it. Good luck!!

First of all you need to rule out a UTI. This could be part of the problem. It does not matter that she can hold it over night, she is not stimulated when she is sleeping. You need to realize that not all dogs are the same in this category. Some get it within a week or less, others take longer. *Pick a system, any system so you and pup wont get confused. This one has a good success record, and it will give you a good start. System. *EVERY SECOND (donÂt argue)! supervision is a must when pup is not crated. Have a leash on her so you can easily grab her and take her out when you need to. Set a timer so you can take her out about every 30-40 minutes, then GRADUALLY (over the course of a few weeks) increase the time you take her out by about 20-30 minutes. Increasing the time by to much confuses the dog. This is a MAJOR mistake lots of humans make when trying to house train a dog. *Immediately after she comes out of the crate, take her out. Stopping to put on your shoes is a major mistake. Get pup used to the commands "go poo" and "go pee". These commands should be a must, they are incredibly helpful when the weather is bad. *If dog doesn't do anything, that's fine, if it does, give tons of praise and give a "quality" treat, preferably one used just for training purposes. Consistency is the key. Dogs are creatures of habit and depend on a repetitive schedule. This is no time to skimp on excessive praise and treats when you are house training. Pup needs to associate being let out of the crate with yummy treats doing itÂs thing and huge amounts of praise. Boiled or baked chicken liver is a great training tool, dogs crave it and you really have their attention when you use it. *Daily walks at least twice a day (about 20-30 minutes each in the same area) are essential for dogs and getting them house trained. Walking gets things moving, dogs love it and it gives them something to look forward to. Try and feed a pup prior to the walks. Never free feed unless your vet says to. Pups have a high metabolism. Soon after it eats or drinks, it will need to go out. *Pups drink huge amounts of water. In theory yours should be able to hold it for (one hour for each month) up to about 9 months. In reality, if a young pup has been playing, it will gulp down lots of water, and just won't be able to hold it for that long. After pup drinks, keep an eye on it. Take it out in about 5-10 minutes and offer it relief. *You are making a very bad mistake being mad at your pup. When dogs do something wrong, itÂs the fault of the human in charge, not the dogÂs. You are going to traumatize her, make things worse and never get this under control. She simply does not know why you are mad. If you cannot catch her in the act, scold her and take her out, you might as well clean it up. Just a few seconds after the deed, she will not retain why you are scolding her. Using the crate for punishment is another mistake, it will confuse pup because this is supposed to be her safe sanctuary. You need to dig in and decide that you are going to get this under control, and do what ever it takes. Lest, your life will become very difficult. *Your pup won't be considered house trained unless it has no accidents for at least 9months! Also, there is a HUGE difference in a dog that is 4-6 months old and one that is 9-10 months old. They grow inside and out. Once they reach 9-10 months, their bladders are larger and able to hold it longer. Good luck! SG

pierreone, sorry to hear about your big guy. Earlier this year, I had to put down my companion of 15 years. It is hard, and I hate to disagree with your vet, but your dog may not tell you when it's time. What I did was decide that when Hoover failed to enjoy his three favorite things, eating, walking and bossing around my other dog, that would mean it was time. But what ended up happening is that I had a friend visit who had not seen Hoover for several months. She could not even bear to look at him, because she had only known him healthy and happy. He never gave up any of his three things. But he was emaciated (which I had never noticed) and his walk was painful (for my friend) to watch, although I had never noticed it myself. She said, almost angrily, "How can you say he is not in pain?!" So, I knew it was time. I thought about it for 24 hours and then made the hard decision.It's very hard to be objective with your own pet, but looking back, I realize that my dog was in alot more pain than I was willing to admit, or that my dog was willing to show. Maybe you have a close friend or family member that could be more objective than you and help you see your dog more clearly. With my own dog, I was thinking with my heart, but my friend helped me think with my head. That's probably the kind of help you need right now. Good luck with your situation! This is never easy, by any means.