We just got a 7 week old female Golden Retreiver and are getting
somewhat fustrated about getting her house trained. First some
background, we have had the puppy for 4 days now. We have two cats a 4
year old neutered male and a female kitten. The kitten and the puppy
became fast friends and they chase each other around and have a good
old time. The cats use a litterbox thats in a side room thats out of
the way. The older cat is suspicious and does not interact with the
dog.
The dog seems to urinate every time she goes outside and we watch to
see if she looks like she is about "to go" to place her outside. She
has taken, however, to pooping in the room where the cat box is. We
could take our eyes off her for a minute and **poof** there is a fresh
one. I am not seeing any urine spots anywhere, just the feces.
I am wondering if the dog thinks it's O.K. because thats where the
cats go. I am thinking a cat gate may work to divide the room, but I
am afraid that the older cat will get chased and look for "another
spot" to go, other than the box...if slowed down by the gate...
We have a crate and are considering using, but the puppy is so unhappy
in there I think the noise may keep up from sleeping...

Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

on Fri, 20 Jul 2007 01:39:11 GMT, Joe wrote:

We could take our eyes off her for a minute and **poof**

That right there is your problem. You cannot take your eyes off your pup
at all when she is not in her crate, certainly not for a minute, not for
more than a few seconds. Poop just doesn't fly out with no warning signs.
When you see her sniffing (precursor to pooping), or starting to squat,
spread her legs, or whatever she does right before she poops, you need to
take her outside, place her in her potty spot and then praise her like
there's no tomorrow when she does her duty.

--
Lynne

I am thinking a cat gate may work to divide the room, but I
am afraid that the older cat will get chased and look for "another
spot" to go, other than the box...if slowed down by the gate...

I wouldn't worry about your older cat getting slowed down by a gate.
Cats really really really want to bury their waste and will tolerate a
little inconvenience. I've known other people to put their litter box up
on a table so the dog can't get to it because dogs sometimes eat cat
feces. Your problem is a little different and since the dog might still
smell the box, that may not help your problem, but you could try it.

Amy

"Joe" wrote in message:

We just got a 7 week old female Golden Retreiver and are getting
somewhat fustrated about getting her house trained. First some
background, we have had the puppy for 4 days now.

You need to be patient. What you're doing is the equivalent of expecting a
6 month old human baby to be able to use the toilet. It can certainly take
weeks or months to get a puppy properly house trained.

The dog seems to urinate every time she goes outside

I hope you're going outside with her, taking her to her potty spot and
giving her a cue that she needs to go. Also, lots of praise, pets (and
treats, play, whatever she likes) when she goes to the right spot. In the
long run, you'll make things a lot easier on yourself.

She
has taken, however, to pooping in the room where the cat box is.

You can't take your eyes off her. When she's out and about, she's either
closely supervised by an adult or tethered to one, so she can't get into any
mischief. When she has to be left alone, she should be crated or otherwise
confined. A puppy this young absolutely should not be allowed a whole lot
of freedom, which is asking for trouble.

I am thinking a cat gate may work to divide the room, but I
am afraid that the older cat will get chased

Don't let her do that. If you don't want her doing something when she's a
70 pound dog, don't let her do it when she's a 10 pound dog. Consistency is
key to properly training dogs.

and look for "another
spot" to go, other than the box...if slowed down by the gate...

Keep the gate a little bit off the ground so the cat can squeeze under, but
the puppy can't.

We have a crate and are considering using, but the puppy is so unhappy
in there I think the noise may keep up from sleeping...

Losing sleep is part of the deal. After all, you'll probably have to get up
a few times in the middle of the night to take her out so she can potty.
Introduce her to the crate for short periods of time, and make it a fun
place for her. For example, she gets special treats only in there, she eats
in there, she gets special toys in there, etc. Keep the crate where you're
sleeping, put a used T-shirt or something in there with her to see if it
comforts her (but only if you're sure she's not going to eat it), or
otherwise arrange it so she can see and hear you. She may pitch a fit in
the beginning, but if you don't give in, she'll learn the rules quickly.

Suja

Put a gate up with a hole in it so the cat can walk through it and not have
to jump over it. That's what we have done to keep our dogs from digging in
the litter box.

As for the pooping why is the dog wondering around the house loose
unsupervised. You can't expect to train it if you aren't watching it to see
when it shows signs of having to go out. The dog has to be kept with you at
all time until it can be fully trusted in the house. And a 7 week old puppy
CANNOT hold themselfs for long or be expected to be fully house broken until
they are roughly 16 weeks of age.

Celeste

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
We just got a 7 week old female Golden Retreiver and are getting
somewhat fustrated about getting her house trained. First some
background, we have had the puppy for 4 days now. We have two cats a 4
year old neutered male and a female kitten. The kitten and the puppy
became fast friends and they chase each other around and have a good
old time. The cats use a litterbox thats in a side room thats out of
the way. The older cat is suspicious and does not interact with the
dog.
The dog seems to urinate every time she goes outside and we watch to
see if she looks like she is about "to go" to place her outside. She
has taken, however, to pooping in the room where the cat box is. We
could take our eyes off her for a minute and **poof** there is a fresh
one. I am not seeing any urine spots anywhere, just the feces.
I am wondering if the dog thinks it's O.K. because thats where the
cats go. I am thinking a cat gate may work to divide the room, but I
am afraid that the older cat will get chased and look for "another
spot" to go, other than the box...if slowed down by the gate...
We have a crate and are considering using, but the puppy is so unhappy
in there I think the noise may keep up from sleeping...

Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

Joe wrote:
We just got a 7 week old female Golden Retreiver and are getting
somewhat fustrated about getting her house trained.


There's your problem right there. Stop getting frustrated. 7 weeks is
awfully young. Do everything you can to get your pup on a schedule and
to keep an eye on her so she's magically outside every time she needs to
go. If she makes a mistake (which means you made a mistake),
dispassionately clean up with Nature's Miracle and vow to be more
careful in the future. 4 days is not a lot of time to housetrain a dog.


--Lia

In article .com,
Joe wrote:

She
has taken, however, to pooping in the room where the cat box is. We
could take our eyes off her for a minute and **poof** there is a fresh
one. I am not seeing any urine spots anywhere, just the feces.
I am wondering if the dog thinks it's O.K. because thats where the
cats go. I am thinking a cat gate may work to divide the room, but I
am afraid that the older cat will get chased and look for "another
spot" to go, other than the box...if slowed down by the gate...
We have a crate and are considering using, but the puppy is so unhappy
in there I think the noise may keep up from sleeping...

The cat box needs to be totally off limits for a huge number of reasons
and yes, it is part of what is making the puppy think that is the place
to eliminate. Pooping takes longer than peeing, so your eyes are off
her Wayyyyyyyyy too long, She needs to be under your constant
supervision and crated when she can't be (for me that means sleeping,
not home or showering, or if I'm doing something that would be dangerous
for her).

Crate training is the way to go. Put it next to your bed and say
goodnight. Everyone should sleep well.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com