I don't think it's to late either. Perhaps you should consult your vet before changing feeing habits. You might want to consider what pup is eating also. The present food may not be agreeing with it. Typically, they should be fed every 8-12 hours. I do think it is very important for you to pick a system and stick with that, rather than switch. Switching will only confuse you and your pup. (Perhaps this is a hound thing). Here is a step by step method that worked for me. It also has worked for others. I did do a cut and paste thing, but modified it to your issue. 1. First you need to realize that you are starting to miss or push the edge for prime potty training time for your pup. Also, as I found out, not all dogs are the same in this category. Having said that, you need to start treating pup like it is a 2-3 months old. Dig into pups background and try to find out if it was traumatized. If it came from a pound or rescue league, there is a possibility that it was. Not good for any dog, especially one that is a pup and simply does not know much in potty habits etc. 2. Crate training is essential when trying to house train your pup. If this is an issue, put an old sheet or blanket over the crate. When pup starts to whine or do something you donÂt approve of, LIGHTLY (you donÂt want to scare pup into next year)tap on the crate and firmly say STOP. This command will also help you when your dog is getting into mischief. ItÂs direct and to the point, it stops the pup and it will associate the command with the crate noise. When pup starts to go indoors, you must get itÂs attention so it will stop. If that means using a loud voice, then so be it. NEVER HIT THE DOG OR RUB ITÂS NOSE IN IT. THIS WILL ONLY DAMAGE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DOG, PLUS, IT DOESNÂT KNOW WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS. Sorry I yelled, but this seems to be a common thing some people do, and it's useless. MOST dogs wonÂt go in their crate. If pup does, for a few days, do not put any blankets on the floor. This should cure that problem. Because you are treating your pup like it is 2-3 months old, you need to supervise it every second it is not crated. Using a leash when it is out is also very important. You can easily grab the pup and take it out when you need to. Crating unless you can watch pup every second will allow you complete control. If you can't catch pup in the act when itÂs doing something wrong, scolding is useless. Pup simply won't know why you are mad. When crating while you are away, try playing soothing music. All dogs love this, especially pups. It keeps them calm. 3. When pup is crated, the instant it comes out, take it outside. Get pup used to the words "go pee and go poop". Praise pup like it is the best dog in the world when it does something. Then give it a treat (boiled chicken liver is best, dogs crave it). Soon, pup will associate doing itÂs thing with a yummy treat. You also need to go very heavy on the praise and treats when pup does anything you approve of (that means, peeing and pooping on regular walks, drinking water, sitting, just laying around, anything that will reinforce positive behavior). You also need to start taking pup out about once every 15-20 minutes (gradually increased after a few weeks)after the initial trip directly out of the crate. If it doesn't do anything, that's fine, if it does, do the praise and treat thing. 4. Pups drink huge amounts of water. In theory yours should be able to hold it for (one hour for each month). In reality, if 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. Soon pup will go to the door when it need to go out. Consistency is the key to all of this. You need to plan on excessive praise and treats when you are house training so pup will associate yummy treats with doing itÂs thing. 5. Daily walks twice a day (about 20-30 minutes each in the same area) are essential for dogs. Walking gets things moving, dogs love it and it gives them something to look forward to. Try and feed pup close 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. My pup was 4 months when I got her and didn't know anything. After two months of not being able to get the problem under control, my vet dug into her background. Because she was dropped beside a road with her litter mates, then taken to a pound, then moved to another pound (long story), she was traumatized and completely missed out on any type of house training. I was forced to do what I described and got it under control after about 4 months. Lastly. Your pup won't be considered house trained unless it has no accidents for at least 6 months! Also, as I learned, 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! Keep us posted! SG

I have to weigh in behind Cynthia again. It's easy to read things into posts that were unintended when you're upset about an issue like this one. Have you ever owned a dog before? or is this a new experience for you? If this dog is your first you're certainly getting your "trial by fire". Hang in there. Over the course of my life I've had several dogs and each one has taught me something more about the complexity of canine behavior and each one has had a distinct personality. The present one is big, bold, and intelligent. He is a lot of work. Martha is unsure of her status in the household and your daughter is the essentially the first rung on Martha's climb to "more status". She has her "territory" (her bed) and doesn't know the basic commands that are the cornerstones of obedience training. You have a potentially lethal combination of forces at work in your home right now. I've never had a 4 yr. old before, but I'd guess she can be "forgetful" about things like "don't touch the dog" only because she really wants to pat her and can't really grasp the potential danger involved. I'm glad you've found a behaviorist and I certainly hope you will beat feet to an obedience class ASAP. I don't believe the situation is without hope, but you ARE at a crossroads; you must commit yourselves 100% to Martha's rehabilitation or consider whether or not she is the dog for your household. Anecdote: We began obedience training immediately with our adoptee and he made great progress. No sign of agression or defensiveness with his food bowl, the cats, being handled. We spent 20 minutes a day on basic stuff, and made sure there was a lot of leash walking, too. One day, we were outdoors, working in the yard and he was parked on the lawn with a bone, contentedly gnawing away on it. We were ready to go in and I called him to me. He hesitated and just stared at me. I approached him, he lowered his head and curled his lip at me. "Leave it!" I commanded him. He dropped the bone and I commanded him to "Sit!". He did, but tried for the bone again... "Leave it!", and then "Come!". He obeyed me and then I praised him. But had we not been completely on board with training him early on the situation could have had a more unpleasant outcome. Now, he gets smaller bones and only when I know he will have time to savor them without interruption. And we have continued on leash obedience work to this day. "Leave it!" is one I pay particular attention to. It's the safeR way to take something away, and everything in our dog's world belongs to US, not him!

what a terribly sad life she must have led. :( kudos for you for taking her in! one of my rescue dane girls was a very fearful dog when she came to me. for the first couple of weeks, i pretty much ignored her. it took that long before she did something (other than pottying outside) that warranted my praise. she kept her distance from me although unlike your dog, she did want to be in the same room with me. however, any attempt to interact with her would result in her cowering away from me and putting her paws over her eyes as if thinking "if i can't see her, she can't see me!" it will take lots of slow work with your pup. if you find that she absolutely refuses to eat, try adding a little ground beef to whatever you are feeding her. raw or cooked, either way. if you can find any canned tripe, even better! unless she is totally 100% shut down, she won't starve herself. i assume you live alone so this will make it easier. she will associate only YOU with the good things and eventually, she will come 'round. get down on her level as much as possible, sit on the floor whenever you can. if and when she approaches you, don't reach out to pet her. let her get close enough to sniff around. you can talk quietly to her (no eye contact, just whispering), just don't reach for her. she will let you know when she is ready for contact by becoming a little more insistent that you pay attention to her. a lady i know just recently took in a 3 month old pup that was so covered in mange and open sores, she did not have a single bit of fur on her body. she was curled up in a ball at the shelter, very near death. lana took her home and in less than 2 weeks, the transformation has been absolutely miraculous. she is growing fur, has learned to trust her human, seeks her out for attention and has just recently begun to actually play with toys. every time i get an update on her, i almost burst into happy tears! good luck with her. take it slow, let her trust you on her own time. you won't be sorry. my dane girl is now a velcro dog, loves my attention but is also totally confident to venture out and about herself and every person who comes in my house gets greeted by 165# of pure wiggle with a stuffy in her mouth. :)

I also adopted a dog with "issues." A one year old (now 3 yrs old) australian shepherd mix. i dont know what her story is but she tore up shoes, carpet, walls, cell phones, couches, and urinated, etc, for the first year. At first i punished her. I crated her (she tore up the crate), told her she was 'bad', etc. Well, I realized this wasnt helping. I was only increasing her anxiety. so i tried an indirect approach.We started obedience training and trick training (i read books about dogs with anxiety, watched other dog trainers, and talked to other dog owners). I ignored her bad behavior. I left her bags, old boxes, with treats in them for her to tear up. And she would either spend hours playing at the river, going on walks, or to an indoor uncaged doggie day care where she could get all her anxiety out. It helped her tremendously to have me leave her for a little while at a time and realize i was coming back. she was extremely shy at first but leaving her at the doggie day care increased her confidence ten fold. the obedience training let her know i was in charge and helped her feel more secure. Teaching her tricks helped me see how she thinks and learn to communicate with her in a fun and positive way. And one last change was I got her a cat to keep her company while I'm gone. Its been over a year since she's torn anything up or urinated in the house. My dog certainly needed training but i found out so did i. I know my dog well now. She's my baby and she was worth it. i hope you have luck with your puppy.