Pee-brain!

I have a 3 mnth old Jack Russel. We, my g-friend and I, bought her from a breeder where there were hundreds of dogs. On the ride home we found out she gets car sick. it has taken 2-3 weeks for her to feel comfortable around us. What I can't seem to do is house break her, it seems that she doesn't even try. We have bought the pads and pee spray, she started to use them at my girlfriends house, but she won't use them regularly. She also likes to pee in our beds. J.R.'s are supposed to be smart right? Any Ideas or suggestions?

Dahmer

You say there were hundreds of dogs at the breeders...are you sure it was not a puppy mill? I don't think a responsible breeder would keep hundreds of dogs. So with that in mind, my first suggestion would be to take your puppy to the vet to check for a bladder infection, and get her checked over. The feeling comfortable around you for 2 to 3 weeks too suggests puppy mill to me, the puppy had very little (no) human contact in its early weeks. Get her physically checked first, and if/when she's OK the bladder training should hopefully go better. How's the pooping training going?

Are you crating your dog??? They usually don't eliminate where they sleep. Is your pup living at 2 different houses? They are very habitual so a solid routine is a must. From what I've read, JR's can be very stubborn and need a lot of positive reinforcement. Peeing on your bed is an act of dominance, plus it's a b.... to clean afterwards, guaranteed you'll go thru a lot of pillows. I took my pup out every 3 hrs or so and repeated the pee word I wanted to use and then a dried liver treat for a reward. Also praising AS they go..good dog, pee..etc..Ok the neighbors may think your nuts but to this day..8 1/2 yrs, he still gets big praises and hugs so he associates going outside as the greatest thing on earth. maybe you should carry him to the spot outside where you want to use, put him down and repeat the word and keep bringing him back to the spot, treat in hand. Hey, it;s tough, we've all been through it and nobody ever said it was easy. Good luck!

Sorry,I meant to refer to your puppy as she not he, my mistake

All that Karen said too, but check for bladder infection first, otherwise she may just not be physically able to potty-train.

If this puppy truly is from a puppy mill (sounds like it... http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/frown.gif ) The crate training may not go as smoothly as with most puppies. Often, pups in mills are forced to eliminate in their sleeping area. Once they start doing that their natural aversion to it is compromised. The peeing in bed suggests that.

If that is the case the crate may not be the answer (it's the best way with pups that come from better circumstances though). I'm not sure where to go from there but if she "goes" in her crate...that may be the reason.