Dog Toileting Issues

[Evie]

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Hi Guys,

As you know I brought Willow home from the vet's to live with us on Wednesday. Her first night she settled really well. The next morning she had a "whoopsie" in the sitting room when I left the girls to school. (She had been closed in the kitchen, but can open doors.)

Last night she opened the door twice. I said "No" firmly and put her to bed and shut the door each time. Third time she waited longer and tried to open the door, but stopped when I said "No" again. Settled fine the rest of the night.

So this morning she goes out the back and has a dump out there, but no pee. She seems to prefare grass (my back is gravel) so I took her to waste ground at the end of my street, still no pee.

So I take the kids to school (10min total). When I return I can hear barking from my bedroom (she had to open 3 doors to get in there!). I come in she has taken a dump in the middle of my bed and a major pee in the middle of my youngest kids bed. *sigh*

I say nothing and clean it up. How do I deal with this?

When I take her outside to pee she doesn't sniff around like most dogs do, she generally just stand beside me looking at me. On the occasions she does pee/dump outside I lavish praise on her. Accidents indoors aren't done infront of us. When I come across them I ignore.

I have also got some "Four Paws Wee-wee Puppy house breaking aid". I put a few drops outside which is to help incourage her to pee there. She has gone once where I placed it. Access to garden is only when I take her outside to toilet.

Is this seperation anixety, or any other ideas? How best to deal with the toiet training?

Also I'd rather not crate her if I can avoid it. Has anyone here used baby gates with a Whippet type? Are they successful keeping them in the one room?

All good advice appreciated. Sorry for the long rant!!! :b

 

[nicky12]

hi i have tryed the baby gate when we first had our blue .as i dont have a door for under my stair and i keep my bin there so after coming home from shopping and finding garbadge everywer decided to go get a baby gate for it .no use what so ever as he jumped strait over it the next time i went shopping :lol: so i had to put a few pieces of wood beneth it to higher it .that sorted him lol :thumbsup:

 

[Rae]

Hiya,

Good grief she went to great lengths to pee on your bed. It does sound like seperation issues but poor thing you cant blame her. Can you take her with you on the school run?

I'd get an indoor cage for her to keep her contained when you are not there. She will not 'go' in the cage so as long as you let her straight out and for a walk or into the garden then she'll soon get the hang of it.

Confining her when you are not there means she's safe and so is the house. You should make sure she's been for a walk first and then put her in there with a kong toy too.

She is bound to be a bit bewildered and will take time to settle but if you get her in a good routine it will help. You are doing the right thing by igoring the accidents, perhaps you can clicker train her to go to the toilet outside?

Our first dog (Vader) used to deliberately go for a poo infront of the TV and it took weeks to stop him doing it, I wish we'd used a crate :clown:

 

[OEH]

I was very anti crating, but with one of my rescue lurchers there was no other solution as the was the most destructive thing on four legs, and can jump about 7' with no run up. For a while she peed in her cage (she had come from rather a dirty home) every night and I cleared it up for her every morning till someone suggested leaving her to lie in it, she didn't seem to mind this either, and until we were down to just a layer of vet bed (no more snuggly beds) and her pee she still did it. When she actually had to lie in a puddle she realised that it wasn't very nice and stopped, this process took about 3 months, but she now loves her crate which is now stuffed full of lovely cosy blankets. She is now so clean that when she has a accident (she has a slightly sensitive stomach and occasionally has an uspet tummy over night) she does it on one blanket and rolls it up neatly in a ball at the front of the crate for me to remove and wash o . It was a long slow process, but definitely worth it.

I have since then got a whippet puppy, and using the crate made the house training an doddle she hardly had any accidents at all and loves her crate, so I'd recommend giving a crate a go.

Sorry for such a long rambly answer I just wanted you to know that it is possible to work through these problems. :thumbsup:

 

[Rosie]

Hi, bit of a nightmare for you :luck: with her. I was lucky with housetraining mine so only thing to add is that I read somewhere not to clean up mess in front of a dog as they are really sensitive to our body language so if you are understandably upset then she'll pick up on it which will add to her anxiety so I'd pop her out in the garden first.

 

[Evie]

Thanks for the advice.

Sounds like a crate or perhaps a lock on the kitchen door might be the answer. I have a guide dog coming to stay with me this weekend.

Perhaps a lock on the door might be better? The stress of being crated for the first time plus another dog in the house might be to much? Both dogs will be sleeping in the kitchen. Plus the Guide Dog will be going out to walk with us. Willow still can't due to her broken leg. Eek, what to do!

Never rain but it pours! :wacko:

 

[hellybobs]

I stopped using the crate with Dippy because she would wee in it everytime she was put in it, I thought by leaving her to lay in it she wouldn't wee but she did.

Her seperation anxiety got worse in the crate and she screamed her little head off even before we got out of the house and carried on screaming until we got home...the neighbours are no longer talking to us!!!!!

I tried not saying bye to her when I left and not talking to her when I got in and that helped alot.

The other thing I did was take her out every hour, after every meal and when she woke up right up to her being 5 months old.

I didn't make an issue when she did mess in the house but I did make a huge thing of it when she went outside...I got looked at daft (and still do) for calling her a clean girl and jumping about with her.

My other dog did like the crate and wouldn't wee in it, so I suppose every dog is different and its worth a try. :thumbsup:

 

[doris]

mopping up her pee with tissue and then rubbing it on the gravel might help - make sure you wear gloves! :x if it smells of her pee it should encourage her to go, my bitches have a couple of places on the gravel that they love peeing on :thumbsup:

is she going to be ok with another dog overnight? :wacko: :luck:

 

[Joanna]

I stopped using the crate with Dippy because she would wee in it everytime she was put in it, I thought by leaving her to lay in it she wouldn't wee but she did.
Her seperation anxiety got worse in the crate and she screamed her little head off even before we got out of the house and carried on screaming until we got home...the neighbours are no longer talking to us!!!!!

I tried not saying bye to her when I left and not talking to her when I got in and that helped alot.

The other thing I did was take her out every hour, after every meal and when she woke up right up to her being 5 months old.

I didn't make an issue when she did mess in the house but I did make a huge thing of it when she went outside...I got looked at daft (and still do) for calling her a clean girl and jumping about with her.

My other dog did like the crate and wouldn't wee in it, so I suppose every dog is different and its worth a try.  :thumbsup:

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My dog Archie would pee and mess in the cage, we tried every-thing, he stopped having a separation anxiety problem when I dumped the cage. I never used one at all for my second puppy. Some-one did give me good advice when Fynn had a little relapse.Make their world smaller. For some dogs that may mean a crate, for others, restricting to an area or room may help. It is also handy if you can leave them in a kitchen with a moppable floor :thumbsup: so you lock on the door could be a good idea. I think you should try going back to basics. When you wake, then every hour or so and after meals, take her out, and if she wees, make BIG squeaky noises of encouragement, and perhaps a food treat. Say a word when she does it (I say Jimmy riddles) so they associate it with the action. Eventually, you should be able to get her to Jimmy on command It is early days, and I am sure going back to real basics will help. She might never have been trained before. Good luck :luck:

 

[Evie]

I've decided to try putting a small lock on the kitchen door and see how that goes. Next option then is the crate. :unsure:

She seems to be fine with other dogs and the GD visiting us is excellent round others, so I hope it will go well.

I make a point of ignoring her sometimes. Particularly when I come down in the morning or back in from school runs or just before I go to bed/ head out. The kids do the same. Hopefully this will help. She is my shadow today, if I make a move she is staright behind me.

She hasn't widdled since before 9am this morning. Just had her outside, but no go. Her bladder must be stretched to capacity by now!! :blink:

 

[hellybobs]

It seems a bit strange that she hasn't wee'd since this morning...have you checked she hasn't done a sneaky wee somewhere??

Does she drink alot and what colour is her wee???

How old is she by the way...cos I've never known a young pup be able to hold wee for so long??

 

[fable]

I had a golden retriever that would open doors, and we had to change the door handles from lever types to round ones - she couldn't open these.

 

[jok]

I think crates are wonderful for housetraining, preventing destruction etc. Holly was house trained by 10 weeks old and had very very few accidents in the house before then. She never did anything in her crate. She is like a little gazelle and can quite easily leap over my baby gate (that's there for my son and not the dogs).

 

[mazza]

Bless her, she sounds a bit mixed up. It doesn't sound like she has been house trained and is now very confused about where she is supposed to wee.

You seem to be doing good work with her, praising her when she gets it right.

It will be hard work as you need to get her out into the weeing area regular, so she doesn't wee indoors out of neccessity, but it shouldn't take long for her to learn. You have to know what she is thinking and be just that step ahead when it comes to house training.

I think all dogs naturally like to sniff around in the grass and pee, even if it's only to leave their mark.

The penny will drop eventually, she's six months old which means this is a new rule for her to take in if she has never been taught that weeing is done only in outdoor areas only.

I am very anti crating, fine for young pups during house training, which should only take days really but I get the impression that many people carry on crating for months and even years. This is so unfair on a dog and so unnecessary, but crating is a whole new debate so won't go on.

Go for the lock option first.

Good luck.

 

[Evie]

Lock is now fitted to the kitchen door. :thumbsup:

She didn't pee from this morning before 9am till 5.30ish this evening..... on the hall landing. :unsure:

I had taken her outside while I brought in the washing and waited to see if she needed to go - which she didn't. Went straight upstairs to put away washing and she flooded the floor up there the moment I got up there and turned my back!!

I took her straight outside, but she had already finished.

She did pee outside the vets on the lead at their doggie toilet, recieving much praise from me. (About 6.30pm) Took her out at 8pm to check if she needed to go, but nothing. Will try again at 10pm, but I bet there is nothing till the morning. (But she ain't getting upstairs again in a hurry!!)

She's 6months and drinks plenty. Urine has a strong smell, but this could be due to holding it in for so long.

Doris, I have used that trick of mopping some pee onto some newspaper and putting it outside were she is to pee. No change really.

Joanna, What you describe is basically what I'm already doing. I use the command "busy-busy" (same as I use with the Guide dogs) when I see her going and make a fuss. Hoping it will click with her soon, but looks like these things will take a long time with her.

I guess I'll just have to keep a real close eye on her and keep working at it.

 

[Joanna]

Lock is now fitted to the kitchen door.  :thumbsup:
She didn't pee from this morning before 9am till 5.30ish this evening..... on the hall landing.  :unsure:

I had taken her outside while I brought in the washing and waited to see if she needed to go - which she didn't.  Went straight upstairs to put away washing and she flooded the floor up there the moment I got up there and turned my back!!

I took her straight outside, but she had already finished.

She did pee outside the vets on the lead at their doggie toilet, recieving much praise from me.  (About 6.30pm)  Took her out at 8pm to check if she needed to go, but nothing.  Will try again at 10pm, but I bet there is nothing till the morning.  (But she ain't getting upstairs again in a hurry!!)

She's 6months and drinks plenty.  Urine has a strong smell, but this could be due to holding it in for so long.

Doris, I have used that trick of mopping some pee onto some newspaper and putting it outside were she is to pee.  No change really.

Joanna, What you describe is basically what I'm already doing.  I use the command "busy-busy" (same as I use with the Guide dogs) when I see her going and make a fuss.  Hoping it will click with her soon, but looks like these things will take a long time with her.

I guess I'll just have to keep a real close eye on her and keep working at it.

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She'll click in the end............ :blink: I like busy busy :lol: Poor thing is still in a state of confusion I expect. Just a thought, and it is a bit controversial, but have you tried putting newspaper down near the door. Some people do this to train, and she might be looking for it? It might be worth a go, and then you could move it outside. She could have been shut up all day by her previous owners?

 

[Evie]

Her food & water bowls are next to the door, so she wouldn't toilet there. Nowhere else to place the bowls in the kitchen that the kids wouldn't knock them over. (Where am I going to fit in that GD this weekend? :wacko: )

 

[~Helen~]

It sounds to me as if you're doing all the right things - you're just going to have to be patient. You're not going to train her overnight, and you're probably not going to see results for quiet a while. Just keep being persistent and consistent and know that one day you'll look back on this time and give yourself a pat on the back for bereaking habits that she's had 6 months to acquire (maybe they'll take 6 months to un-acquire?). Keep up the good work :thumbsup:

Doris, I have used that trick of mopping some pee onto some newspaper and putting it outside were she is to pee. No change really.

She's not been with you very long, has she? You might be expecting too much too quickly. You won't see a change after just doing it a few times. Keep at it :luck:

 

[Julie D]

you might be surprised, she may wee on paper next to her bowls, Ella pee'd next to her bowls far away from the paper, so she trained us to put the paper next to her bowl while she was getting house trained :lol:

As you will see by all the replies, each dog is different

Ella can leap up onto the patio table in one jump but has never jumped the baby gates :blink:

I think you've done all the sensible things and it will just take a long time to undo her habits, but will be worth all the hard effort eventually

good on you for persevering :luck: :luck:

 

[Juley]

Hi, It sounds to me as if she may have been punished for going in the wrong place ( before you had her). That may be why she goes when you are not looking. I would get a crate, feed her in it, put her bed in there but don't shut the door. After a few days, shut the door for a brief time and build the time up. First thing in the morning, take her out in the garden, ( you may be out there for ages). When she goes, eventually, massive over the top praise. Eventually she will click. Take her out every hour or so at first, also it may be helpful to leash her indoors so you can catch the first sign of her going to wee. She will relax as she learns that you will not hurt her. Good luck. Any pics of her?