When you adopt a Retriever, the initial conversation looks like this:
“We’re so happy to have you here, m’dear. Now, there’s the potty outside. Here are our property lines; please don’t cross them. And do shut the door when you come in. Thank you.”
And it’s done. She’s trained.
When you adopt a significantly more “well-bred” and smaller pup, the ongoing conversation looks mostly like this:
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
I’ve single-handedly decided that a tether outside during meal time will rescue my sanity. Guilt free. “If you resent it, change it!” the parenting gurus say. So I’m changing it. I will not clean pee or poo during a meal.
And if doesn’t matter if she’s just done it all outside. She’s still got some. She’s ALWAYS got some.