Hello:

I am having an issue with one of my dogs, Ozzie, that has me puzzled.
I am not sure whether it falls into a health problem or a behavioral
problem so I'm looking for advice.

Ozzie is between 3 and 4 years of age and over the past year and a half
has had a number of health problems that he has made it thru with
amazing speed. He had a histiocytoma last March that was removed, a
Level 2 Mast Cell Tumor that was removed in October, and a badly
damaged liver as the result of the chemotherapy for the MCT. He has
come thru it all with flying colors and in April was given a clean bill
of health with his liver fully healed and no more instances of cancer.
With that background in mind, let me tell you that I am VERY
overprotective of this dog and almost always on the lookout for any
sign of any problem to the point where I'm afraid I'm creating
problems, and now on to the matter at hand:

About a month ago, Ozzie (a previously housetrained dog with accidents
once every few months or so) started pooping and peeing in the house.
Not exclusively, but a good bit. The first couple times it happened
(peeing about once a day, pooping maybe every 2-3 days) he got his nose
rubbed in it and scolded because I assumed he was just being bad. Then
I started to worry about it. He has had bladder infections before, so
our vet prescribed him an anti-biotic just in case. Over the past
weeks he has continued this behavior, but not all of the time.
Sometimes almost a week will go by before he pees in the house,
sometimes he pees in the house twice a day while we are gone, seldom
while we are home, and somtimes pees during the middle of the night
(does not beg to go out, just goes and pees, then returns to his bed
for me to find it in the morning). Sometimes he poops in the house
while we are gone at work, other times not, and other times can be
outside for an hour and then come back in and poop in a back bedroom.
The pooping in the house is not as often as the peeing, not by a long
shot. I had thought it might be related to the Benadryl and
Hydroxyzine he is taking to possibly prevent another MCT so I have
eased him off the Benadryl (not required by the vet by any means), but
it does not seem to have mattered and Hydroxyzine is not supposed to
have such side effects.

Ozzie is let out along with our other dog several times a night, but
oftentimes won't go off our porch (we have a fenced yard). At those
times I have to go out, coax him off the porch, praise him when he
pees, but then randomly he will pee in the house within just a few
hours.

He is not drinking excessively (thus the urination does not match an
increased water intake), is not throwing up, does not have diarrhea
(thankfully since I'm cleaning it out of the spare bedroom once a
week), has a more-than-healthy appetite, is gaining weight (but not
fast just from getting too many treats), is no more or less active than
ever, and really has no other signs of problems other than that. The
only thing that he is doing different is not jumping on our bed like he
was before a couple weeks ago. He wants up but I have to coax him and
often he won't try, but has no problem when he actually wants to do it
and has no problem jumping on any other item of furniture of equal or
greater height so I'm wary of saying he has anything like muscle
weakness.

Everyone thinks I'm crazy and maybe I am, but the sudden onset of
accidents in the house bothers me. I guess he could just be having a
"bad streak" (our groomer suggested doggie adolescence and that he
might be younger than we think). I have been working long hours on two
jobs and though my wife is there with him a good bit each day, he is
primarily "my dog", and add to that I have been very stressed doing
work out of the home AND in the process of clearing land in free hours
on evenings/weekend when I''m not working I am not home a lot or am
asleep if I am home. Everyone local just says he's upset I'm not home,
picking up my stress when I am home, and showing his anxiety by losing
his potty training at times. I'm just freaked that it could be
Cushing's or something like that even though he doesn't have all the
symptoms. Think I'm over-reacting?

"Chris" wrote in message
oups.com...

Everyone local just says he's upset I'm not home,
picking up my stress when I am home, and showing his anxiety by losing
his potty training at times. I'm just freaked that it could be
Cushing's or something like that even though he doesn't have all the
symptoms. Think I'm over-reacting?



I would go back to square one with housetraining- confine him to a smaller
area when not actively supervising him, take him out often, and watch him
v-e-r-y closely. I find the umbilical method to be very effective in cases
like this. Enzymes on all stains would be helpful as well

You've had him checked out by a vet- if in real doubt have a more thorough
exam w/ bloodwork done to calm yourself. Then treat it as a lapse in
housetrainig.

And stop rubbing his nose in poop- it does nothing at all except spreading
poop around.
If you don't catch him in the act don't do anything except clean and
neutralize the odor.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/rules.htm

I'd run from you to if you rubbed my nose it it. This method does nothing
but confuse the dog and make him afraid of you. You are better off keeping
him with you constantly and getting on a set schedule to take him out. Then
use lots of love & praise each and every time. When he does mess if you
don't catch him in the act don't scold him because he's not going to have
any idea what the heck you are yelling at him for.

If you've ruled out medical issues it's time to go back to day one with the
house breaking.

Celeste

"Chris" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello:

I am having an issue with one of my dogs, Ozzie, that has me puzzled.
I am not sure whether it falls into a health problem or a behavioral
problem so I'm looking for advice.

Ozzie is between 3 and 4 years of age and over the past year and a half
has had a number of health problems that he has made it thru with
amazing speed. He had a histiocytoma last March that was removed, a
Level 2 Mast Cell Tumor that was removed in October, and a badly
damaged liver as the result of the chemotherapy for the MCT. He has
come thru it all with flying colors and in April was given a clean bill
of health with his liver fully healed and no more instances of cancer.
With that background in mind, let me tell you that I am VERY
overprotective of this dog and almost always on the lookout for any
sign of any problem to the point where I'm afraid I'm creating
problems, and now on to the matter at hand:

About a month ago, Ozzie (a previously housetrained dog with accidents
once every few months or so) started pooping and peeing in the house.
Not exclusively, but a good bit. The first couple times it happened
(peeing about once a day, pooping maybe every 2-3 days) he got his nose
rubbed in it and scolded because I assumed he was just being bad. Then
I started to worry about it. He has had bladder infections before, so
our vet prescribed him an anti-biotic just in case. Over the past
weeks he has continued this behavior, but not all of the time.
Sometimes almost a week will go by before he pees in the house,
sometimes he pees in the house twice a day while we are gone, seldom
while we are home, and somtimes pees during the middle of the night
(does not beg to go out, just goes and pees, then returns to his bed
for me to find it in the morning). Sometimes he poops in the house
while we are gone at work, other times not, and other times can be
outside for an hour and then come back in and poop in a back bedroom.
The pooping in the house is not as often as the peeing, not by a long
shot. I had thought it might be related to the Benadryl and
Hydroxyzine he is taking to possibly prevent another MCT so I have
eased him off the Benadryl (not required by the vet by any means), but
it does not seem to have mattered and Hydroxyzine is not supposed to
have such side effects.

Ozzie is let out along with our other dog several times a night, but
oftentimes won't go off our porch (we have a fenced yard). At those
times I have to go out, coax him off the porch, praise him when he
pees, but then randomly he will pee in the house within just a few
hours.

He is not drinking excessively (thus the urination does not match an
increased water intake), is not throwing up, does not have diarrhea
(thankfully since I'm cleaning it out of the spare bedroom once a
week), has a more-than-healthy appetite, is gaining weight (but not
fast just from getting too many treats), is no more or less active than
ever, and really has no other signs of problems other than that. The
only thing that he is doing different is not jumping on our bed like he
was before a couple weeks ago. He wants up but I have to coax him and
often he won't try, but has no problem when he actually wants to do it
and has no problem jumping on any other item of furniture of equal or
greater height so I'm wary of saying he has anything like muscle
weakness.

Everyone thinks I'm crazy and maybe I am, but the sudden onset of
accidents in the house bothers me. I guess he could just be having a
"bad streak" (our groomer suggested doggie adolescence and that he
might be younger than we think). I have been working long hours on two
jobs and though my wife is there with him a good bit each day, he is
primarily "my dog", and add to that I have been very stressed doing
work out of the home AND in the process of clearing land in free hours
on evenings/weekend when I''m not working I am not home a lot or am
asleep if I am home. Everyone local just says he's upset I'm not home,
picking up my stress when I am home, and showing his anxiety by losing
his potty training at times. I'm just freaked that it could be
Cushing's or something like that even though he doesn't have all the
symptoms. Think I'm over-reacting?