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#1
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Another house breaking post (long)
Hello. I'm having trouble house breaking my dog and I'm hoping maybe some
of you can give me suggestions on what I'm doing wrong and what might help. Here's the background. I own a one year old male chihuahua, 13 months to be exact. He weighs a strapping 4 lbs and is nuetered, I had him done right at six months old. At seven months old I began crate training him. I am also a stay-at-home mom so I am at the house all day long. Now I realize I should have crate trained him right from the start but alas I can't go back in time and fix that. Better late than never I suppose, hope... I have a fenced in backyard and I have always been really good about taking him outside. These days I take him outside I would say about six times a day. When he was smaller it felt ridiculous, I was taking him out every half an hour or hour. I tried really hard to keep him right with me, but it seemed like every time I'd turn my head for a second I'd find a turd on the floor. I never scold(ed) him for it. In fact, my husband is a little irritated with me for it because he feels I need to let the dog know. But everything I've read says to not punish the dog for it so I never have except for maybe on only two occasions. I have a baby gate blocking between my kitchen and livingroom. Before I crate trained him I used to just put him in the kitchen. The rest of the house is carpeted but the kitchen is not. Well to this day he will not go potty on the kitchen floor. It has been very rare that he ever pooped or peed in the kitchen. Another mistake I made in the beginning was I let him eat from an auto feeder. Again, a few months ago (around the time I got him a crate) I got him a regular food dish. I give him three small feedings a day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and once late in the evening. Often times he'll skip the afternoon feeding. However I'm not always exact in my feeding times; this I'm going to correct from now on and keep his feedings to a very strict schedule. Upon waking up in the morning he needs to go outside and I always take him out right away. Afterwards he likes to sit outside in the sun for an hour or so. I've also learned that within an hour of eating he usually needs to go potty. I immediately put him in his crate after eating and about an hour later I let him outside. He has never soiled his crate, even on occasions when he had to spend the whole day in it. Now where he's gone potty in the house I admit to having not always got them cleaned in the best way (getting that hidden smell out). Soon I plan on having the carpets cleaned and I intend on making sure that whoever the cleaner is has the right cleaning agent to get those odors out. Now here's the thing. For the longest time he wouldn't pee in the house. Then about a month ago my mother-in-law came over with her dog (a male boykin spaniel). My dog didn't seem to have any problems with her dog being there (and her dog never marked in my house), and in fact wagged his tail the whole time and tried to play. And then all of a sudden I saw him peeing on the carpet. And since then, I've busted him doing it a couple more times and I wouldn't be surprised if he's done it more in times when I wasn't watching him like a hawk. Quite often we go for days without him pooping anywhere in the house. But when he has his evening romp, and if I've let him out a little longer than usual and turned my head for a moment, I'll find a little tootsie roll somewhere in the house (oh yes, and he doesn't seem to have any preferred spot to go potty). And that's the whole thing. I don't think it's that I have him "trained" at all, I just *usually* have him in his crate at the right times and have him timed well enough for taking him outside that I'm "catching" his poops (and most pees) in time. So trying to summarize this a little. I know I need to a) make his feeding times very strict and b) get the carpets well cleaned. Should I be keeping his water dish from him too except for at feeding times and times when I absolutely know he's thirsty? I've also realized I don't praise him all that much when he does go potty outside, so I'm going to correct that and lavish him with praise when he does go. And I guess I'm just going to have to keep an even closer eye on him when he's out than I already am. What else am I missing then? It seems to be that somewhere he got the idea that it's okay to do his business on the carpet, but not on tile or linoleum (or he doesn't like the feel of it or something). I'm sort of getting to a loss as to what else I need to be doing. Thanks for taking the time to read all this, and if you have any advice I sure would appreciate it. --Heather |
#3
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Well, I'm quite positive he was nuetered... He was a cryptorchid and had
both of his testicles surgically dug out and removed. But I agree, the action he went through was just like marking. I don't know if the other dog somehow intimidated him or got him just too excited or what exactly the deal was. Either way, thanks for the suggestion about using a black light to find all the pee spots, I will definitely do that. "Leah" -OFF wrote in message ... "B&H" wrote: So trying to summarize this a little. I know I need to a) make his feeding times very strict and b) get the carpets well cleaned. With a black light, you can find all his pee spots. Get a spray bottle of Simple Solution or Nature's Miracle, a black light, and solve this part of the problem in minutes. Should I be keeping his water dish from him too except for at feeding times and times when I absolutely know he's thirsty? No. Dogs need fresh water all the time. I've also realized I don't praise him all that much when he does go potty outside, so I'm going to correct that and lavish him with praise when he does go. There you go. That's the part that actually potty-trains the dog. Up until now, he hasn't been getting any clear messages about where he's supposed to be going. And I guess I'm just going to have to keep an even closer eye on him when he's out than I already am. Yes, and I'd restrict him to certain rooms until he's dependable in those rooms. Then you can slowly expand his area. As you open up new parts of the house to him, make sure you give him the message that these new territories are part of his den. Do things in there like play with him, feed him, hang out with him. When you're not directly supervising him, either crate him or tether him to you. What else am I missing then? Sounds like he's not neutered. The marking he did when the other dog came into his home is the evidence. If you neuter him, he'll be much less likely to mark. Left intact, he may always tend to mark when he's anxious about his environment (new animals, changes in routine, even sometimes new furniture). This issue is time-sensitive. If he engages in marking behavior enough for it to become a habit, neutering won't help. Lastly, he's a chihuahua. He has a bladder the size of a pea. He will never be able to hold it the way a larger dog can. There are exceptions - I had a chi/pug who would pop before he'd go in the house - but in general, you can't expect the same control from a tiny guy. If he's alone for more than 5-6 hours at a time, you should provide him puppy pads or a dog litter box. Sounds like you're on the right track. Have patience. He's had the habit of going inside for a long time, so it may take quite a while before he "gets" it. PetsMart Pet Trainer My Kids, My Students, My Life: http://hometown.aol.com/dfrntdrums/m...age/index.html Last updated June 27 at 10:00 a.m. |
#4
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Hi ,
I recently adopted a little dog , just under 5lbs and we have had a little problem with house training. It's good that you are not punishing your dog for having accidents but you said except for two occasions and the fact that he goes when you stop watching him suggests that he remembered he was punished and is trying not to go in front of you. Diddy didn't know how to ask to go out and the his foster mum said to stay out with him until he goes. I found it took quite a long time until he would go and I thought praising and making a fuss , telling him he's a good boy would help. But I found that after doing that he would take even longer! Being a submissive dog and new and unsure , I think he found the attention too much and there was too much pressure to perform . I left it for a few days and then when ever he went on a walk and peed and pooed , I wouldn't look at him but said quietly do a wee. goodboy, as he was going . I waited until he was in mid stream or other wise he would stop and not go . If some nights it didn't look like he would go in the garden, I would take him out a few yards up the road and he woild go quite quickly. You've made a good start and Leah has made some good suggestions . Does your dog have proper walks . You could try feeding him just twice a day and taking him out for walks at least twice a day and off leash if possible . Most dogs will go to the toilet on a walk if the walks are regular , it becomes a habit -- Alison ("B&H" wrote in message ... Hello. I'm having trouble house breaking my dog and I'm hoping maybe some of you can give me suggestions on what I'm doing wrong and what might help. Here's the background. I own a one year old male chihuahua, 13 months to be exact. He weighs a strapping 4 lbs and is nuetered, I had him done right at six months old. At seven months old I began crate training him. I am also a stay-at-home mom so I am at the house all day long. Now I realize I should have crate trained him right from the start but alas I can't go back in time and fix that. Better late than never I suppose, hope... I have a fenced in backyard and I have always been really good about taking him outside. These days I take him outside I would say about six times a day. When he was smaller it felt ridiculous, I was taking him out every half an hour or hour. I tried really hard to keep him right with me, but it seemed like every time I'd turn my head for a second I'd find a turd on the floor. I never scold(ed) him for it. In fact, my husband is a little irritated with me for it because he feels I need to let the dog know. But everything I've read says to not punish the dog for it so I never have except for maybe on only two occasions. I have a baby gate blocking between my kitchen and livingroom. Before I crate trained him I used to just put him in the kitchen. The rest of the house is carpeted but the kitchen is not. Well to this day he will not go potty on the kitchen floor. It has been very rare that he ever pooped or peed in the kitchen. Another mistake I made in the beginning was I let him eat from an auto feeder. Again, a few months ago (around the time I got him a crate) I got him a regular food dish. I give him three small feedings a day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and once late in the evening. Often times he'll skip the afternoon feeding. However I'm not always exact in my feeding times; this I'm going to correct from now on and keep his feedings to a very strict schedule. Upon waking up in the morning he needs to go outside and I always take him out right away. Afterwards he likes to sit outside in the sun for an hour or so. I've also learned that within an hour of eating he usually needs to go potty. I immediately put him in his crate after eating and about an hour later I let him outside. He has never soiled his crate, even on occasions when he had to spend the whole day in it. Now where he's gone potty in the house I admit to having not always got them cleaned in the best way (getting that hidden smell out). Soon I plan on having the carpets cleaned and I intend on making sure that whoever the cleaner is has the right cleaning agent to get those odors out. Now here's the thing. For the longest time he wouldn't pee in the house. Then about a month ago my mother-in-law came over with her dog (a male boykin spaniel). My dog didn't seem to have any problems with her dog being there (and her dog never marked in my house), and in fact wagged his tail the whole time and tried to play. And then all of a sudden I saw him peeing on the carpet. And since then, I've busted him doing it a couple more times and I wouldn't be surprised if he's done it more in times when I wasn't watching him like a hawk. Quite often we go for days without him pooping anywhere in the house. But when he has his evening romp, and if I've let him out a little longer than usual and turned my head for a moment, I'll find a little tootsie roll somewhere in the house (oh yes, and he doesn't seem to have any preferred spot to go potty). And that's the whole thing. I don't think it's that I have him "trained" at all, I just *usually* have him in his crate at the right times and have him timed well enough for taking him outside that I'm "catching" his poops (and most pees) in time. So trying to summarize this a little. I know I need to a) make his feeding times very strict and b) get the carpets well cleaned. Should I be keeping his water dish from him too except for at feeding times and times when I absolutely know he's thirsty? I've also realized I don't praise him all that much when he does go potty outside, so I'm going to correct that and lavish him with praise when he does go. And I guess I'm just going to have to keep an even closer eye on him when he's out than I already am. What else am I missing then? It seems to be that somewhere he got the idea that it's okay to do his business on the carpet, but not on tile or linoleum (or he doesn't like the feel of it or something). I'm sort of getting to a loss as to what else I need to be doing. Thanks for taking the time to read all this, and if you have any advice I sure would appreciate it. --Heather |
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