Not peeing in front of anyone

[nottsrtrigger]

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Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone has come across this issue before.

We have a 1 and half year old cockapoo. We rescued him from someone we knew. They rarely had him out of his cage because he was "too hyper". We got him at 9 months. Since having him we have had to house training, also lead discipline was know where to be seen. He is now out of the cage and lives on the settee by me or by my feet on the floor.

The issue we are having is when we are outside sitting in the garden he will not wee or poo. Nor will he go in for a drink. For him to do his business we have to go in and shut the door. Even this sometimes distresses him so he will pace and not do anything.

I grew up with dogs and had never seen this before. Anyone else?

 

[JoanneF]

My guess would be that he has been scolded or punished for toileting in the wrong place. So now, he is afraid to do it in the presence on anyone that might do the same. Could that be possible?

If so, if you are able to ever catch the moment he toilets, you could make tiny pieces of sausage or chicken rain down. Your goal is to show him that toileting (in the right place) makes you really happy and makes wonderful things happen for him.

 

[nottsrtrigger]

Thanks for replying.

Yes it is possible. His toilet training has gone really well. It's only since we have been outside in the hot weather where we noticed he would wee while running through the house where he has left it to long.

 

[Biker John]

The first rescue dog we had, a lovely Sheltie, wouldn't at first poo when we were with her. We decided to try to get her round from this, we thought she had most likely been told off for pooing when she was a pup, so we took her out on lead first thing in the morning. After a time we could tell she really wanted to go but stopped herself. Eventually she couldn't hold it any longer and started to poo, we both showered praise on her and when she had finished gave her a load of fussing. (Fussing and praise obviously meant a lot to her presumably having very little or non before we got her). From then whenever she pooed with either of us present she would come straight to us expecting and getting praise. Obviously I can not say that your dog would be the same but it does sound like bad early experiences could be affecting how she is now.

 

[nottsrtrigger]

How long did it take for her to change?

 

[Biker John]

nottstrigger, as it was about 50 yrs ago my recall is a bit vague but I do not think it took her long say a couple of days before she quite happily pooed normally. Although as I said ever after she did look for praise on completion.

 

[nottsrtrigger]

Thanks for letting me know. Going to start standing outside with him and treating him when he does it. Don't mind if he expects afterwards.

 

[JoanneF]

Remember to make the reward happen straight away so it's clearly for toileting, and not for anything else (like coming to you to get it).

 

[nottsrtrigger]

Will do. Thanks

 

[Flobo]

Good luck and thank goodness you took on this little dog!
People just don't seem to realize the damage they do to dogs by shutting them away in a cage/crate for convenience...effectively isolating them, it's so sad...

 

[Biker John]

We were lucky in one way with that Sheltie although she would happily take treats it was praise and fussing that meant the most to her and its a lot easier to give verbal praise while she was doing it. As to long term effects, all her life if she came across someone carrying a stick, and it could be a normal stick, a walking stick or even a rolled up umbrella she would cower away from them, it brought tears to our eyes each time it happened. After all my present dog for example if I picked a stick up if she noticed she might wonder what I was doing but the idea she could be hurt would never enter her mind.