Re: Messing in the house...

Louise B — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 22:25:11 GMT

[quote user="Doolally"]

I'd go back to basics with house training and actually take him out. After eating/waking up/playing. Lead on, and out to the garden for wees, even if it's raining. Reward and put a word to the action.

He's a clever dog not wanting to pee in the rain and get wet!!! But you have to teach him that actually he has to go outside no matter what the weather. Shouldn't take him too long to re-establish that he toilets outside no matter what after a few weeks of taking him out....but even then i'd be taking/sending him out to the garden if he hasn't pee'd for a while rather than relying on him to let himself out

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I agree with Doolally. I would also minimise the opportunity for further reinforcement of 'weeing indoors behaviour' by closing doors when he is not supervised so that he cannot move away from his 'den (kitchen) into other more peripheral areas (other rooms) and toilet. It is very important that he doesn't have any chance to practice the undesireable behaviour as this will make it more difficult to break the habit.

My border can be like this. She is 9 years old and she has been like this since I got her. Her toilet training was wrecked by being hospitalised for a long period of time at a veterinary practice as she learnt to mess in a confined space (kennel) due to inadequate opportunities to go outside. I had a lot of problems toilet training her intially and now I find that every so often her toilet training will break down (in winter) as she doesn't want to go outside to urinate/defecate in the cold/wet and I have to take her back to basics - as outlined by Doolally - and make her find going outside rewarding again. I also put her on pain relief as it is usually a good sign that her arthritis is playing up. I have to say this alone though doesn't cure her completely - it just makes her much more likely to go outside. I just make absolutely certain that she is able/willing to go outside and has made the connection between going outside and being rewarded - and then I provide her with unpleasant consequences for messing indoors (usually I can tell when she is going to sneak off and do one so I sneakily follow her and then shout agressively "no" just as she goes - she jumps up & metaphorically 'sh*ts' herself) and she then stops messing indoors for months (but doesn't avoid toileting in front of me as she knows that toilet outside in my company and you get a reward). I can do this with mine though but every dog/circumstance is different so I am not recommending this as it may back fire on you and make training more difficult!

Re: Messing in the house...

Doolally — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:58:49 GMT