Progressing brilliantly but won't pee and poo outside?!

[Parly]

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Hello hello hello!

OK this is a first for me I have to say and has never cropped up with dogs, horses or people I've known over the years but there you go.

Have a 4-month old border collie who is romping on and really doing well. She's enjoying trick-training with the kids, is in her cage overnight without any problem, walks off the lead quite happily in fields through farmland and comes straight back to call – brilliant.

However she WILL NOT pee or poo outside. :- Takes aim and hits her target perfectly on the training mats we bought for her when she first arrived but will hold on, whimper and whine and get really stressed out if she's outside and in urgent need. Obviously she'll go eventually as needs must if left with little choice but I don't want her stressing about it and just wondered if there's a simple trick everyone else in the world knows apart from me cos I'm assuming it's probably more common than I might think.

There's also the issue of her eating her own poo and sheep poo or cow and horse poo at every but I'll come back to that later if need be.

Honestly. Of all the brick walls I expected; NOT having a poo or pee outside wasn't one I expected!!

 

[goldenbear2013]

In respect of the poo eating welcome to my world! My dog is 22 months old and he will eat it until he is sick! Literally!!! It's disgusting and vile and just horrible! Especially when he throws it all up in the boot of my car on the way home! :rant: So far I haven't managed to crack the puzzle and get him to stop eating it. He has leave it commands and everything but if he is in a field running around I cannot stop him for toffee!

Anyway- back to you. If your dog eats her own poop then there are a couple things you can try. First off pick it up before she gets chance to turn around and eat it. This will probably only work when she goes to the toilet at home as if she is in a field she might be too far away for you to get to it to pick it up before she gets chance to eat it.

Garlic tablets are a good one, or pineapple to feed to your dog. There is something in these that deter the dogs from eating their own poop.

Another thing I would suggest is to worm her every 3 months instead of 6 if she eats a lot of poop! if you use Advocate (flea and worm treatment) this is a monthly treatment so your dog will always be protected. in that case worm her every 6 months with Drontil plus as Advocate doesn't protect your dog from tape worm.

As for the toileting issue, the first thing I would say is remove the puppy pads, don't use them again and make her go outside. Like you said she goes eventually and when she does shower her with praise. Be there with her every time she goes and in a really happy voice tell her how much of a good girl she has been and give her lots of cuddles and her favourite treat.

For now keep her favourite treat for toileting time only. This way she will associate going to the toilet with her fave food and lots of extra cuddles from you. She is collie, so she should catch on super quick!

It shouldn't take too long for her to settle into this way of going to the toilet. Even if she doesn't go on walks and waits until she is home and in the back garden its not necessarily as bad thing, as long as it isn't in your house!

I hope this helps you!

Good luck and let me know how you get on

Sophie x

 

[Parly]

Cheers for that Sophie! I did think of just leaving her no choice BUT to go outside because as you say, if she's made to stay outside long enough / stopped from doing it she'll have to.

Normally I'd have binned the mats long ago cos I'm generally quite firm but fair and heartless but this little lady is so smart and seems really sensitive to things in ways I don't quite get, I just felt concious it might not necessarily work the same and possibly distress her more than I might realise.

Glad you said that though cos now I don't feel as bad! Border collie psychology is something I need to learn about and read on so Amazon people being on form, I should have a few books in a couple of days. Love how clever and keen on she is but some of her behaviour is an absolute mystery to me so I'm on a mission.

As for the poo thing - God they're all gross aren't they? Eating their own is one thing but Cass (Springer Spaniel) once helped herself to what another dog made earlier and I almost threw up on the spot. Absolutely rank.

Thanks again!

*Ordered some already but if anyone can recommend a specific book / author, feel free to throw any suggestions my way.

 

[eingana]

Had you thought of putting a wet mat outside and taking her to pee on that? It's a mat and it already smells of her wee, so she clearly knows what she's meant to do there.

I had to stop walking Molly for a few days to make her go for a poo in the garden though- when she arrived she was intent that she would only go on grass, and my garden doesn't have any grass, so she would only go when we were out. A few days of not having the opportunity to go other than in the garden, and a load of praise and fuss when she did go sorted that one out though.

 

[Parly]

Hello again! Super late getting back on this one which is now all sorted and dandy but thought I'd mention what the issue was after all.

Turned out she was actually jumping at the door when she wanted to go out but the kids were being lazy arses when I was on nights and didn't always bother taking her out when she did. :rant: :rant: Not suited with them one bit when I worked out what was going on!!

Came of night shifts and within the week she was trained and the mats a distant memory. :flowers:

 

[Raven oaktree]

Thats fab news, well done for working it out