Dog Community

6-year-old lab not potty trained?

Posted : 12/29/2011 3:08:39 PM

I have a problem...

Let me give you some history. I have a 6-year-old lab/border collie mix that I've had since she was 3 months old. She is the BEST dog! Loves people, listens to commands, no aggression whatsoever, grown up with my kids.

While I am at work, she is crated and always has been. When we are home, she is out and about. While we are home with her, she NEVER has potty issues. While we are at work and she is crated she NEVER has any potty issues. But, we cannot leave her out of her kennel while gone because she will go pee on the floor! Doesn't matter that she can hold it in her crate while I'm at work, she simple DOES NOT hold it while out of her crate if we're not home.

I believe she knows going on the floor is wrong because as soon as I come home, if she has gone, she will beeline to her kennel and sulk. No tail wag, no excitment, no nothing but straight to the kennel, immediately as I walk in the door. That's how I know to look for the mess! Otherwise, she's very happy and excited that someone is home.

I dont' have a problem with kenneling, she's been kenneled for the last 6 years. BUT since she is getting older, I'd like for her to be able to stretch her little doggie bones out and walk around a little during the day. Any suggestions on how to get her to hold it while we are gone and she's out of the kennel? Like I said, she's great while we're home and in her kennel...just not when we're gone.

Note: She regularly goes to the vet and is in great health! This is NOT something new, but something she has always done.

Thanks!

JackieG

Posted : 12/29/2011 3:51:18 PM

I have no idea why she's doing this especially since you say she's done it for years, it's going to be hard to figure out.

I did want to tell you that your assumption that she knows she's done wrong is incorrect. At some point, she's either been punished when an accident happened or maybe it was just the general unhappy demeanor of whoever found the mess and cleaned it up. Dogs don't really have much concept of why we don't like them to potty indoors. Those are human values as are guilt and sulking.

She must not have an accident every time you're gone and she's left loose. There is a reason she's doing this sometimes and not other times. You might want to start keeping a close eye on her water consumption and make sure she empties her bladder before you leave.

It is also possible that she feels anxious due to an accident in the house when she was left loose early on. If she received too harsh a correction she may get anxious when she's not in her crate, anticipating your reaction, and maybe that causes her to urinate. Just a thought but not that unusual for dogs to express anxiety by inappropriate elimination. If she's anticipating some unpleasantness when you arrive home, she may urinate at that time.

I suggest you never show any sign of unhappiness when you find an accident (I know this isn't easy) and clean it up without her watching. Make your arrival home always low key but pleasant and cheerful even if she's in her crate looking worried. She has no idea that the fact she urinated before you got home is why you are sometimes less than her happy friend. All she knows, is that randomly you come home and become very unhappy with her. Of course, you are never punishing her or dragging her to her accident and scolding her or rubbing her nose in it.

Thalie

Posted : 12/29/2011 5:11:55 PM

Does she pee in the same place in the house ? Is it close by the door you enter ? Somewhere between her crate and that door consistently ? Is it a puddle or a trail of drops ?

My thinking is that this might be "excitement peeing" and might possibly happen right before you come in the house.

nymaureen

Posted : 12/29/2011 8:55:01 PM

The excitement peeing was my thought also. Or it just might be, when you leave her out vs.her sleeping quietly in her crate, that she is wandering around during the day, maybe barking at this thing or that and jumping around a bit and all that motion might be just enough to get her body functions working a bit faster and boom....she's gotta go and right now.

DougB

Posted : 12/29/2011 11:10:32 PM

nymaureen
. Or it just might be, when you leave her out vs.her sleeping quietly in her crate, that she is wandering around during the day, maybe barking at this thing or that and jumping around a bit and all that motion might be just enough to get her body functions working a bit faster and boom....she's gotta go and right now.

This, based on Pipers behavior, was my first thought. She gets to move around, getting more stimulation. Body processes speed up.

Jewlieee

Posted : 12/29/2011 11:23:27 PM

I wonder if you took to big of a leap from crate to entire house. I recently has to re house break an adult dog and went back to restricting area access. I restricted so that she only had access to my room and the hallway then expanded to tge kitchen and finally to the entire house. So take baby steps if you can.

griffinej5

Posted : 12/30/2011 10:46:26 AM

How about just leaving her in the crate if you're going to be gone? Most dogs just lay around anyway when you're out. As long as the crate is adequate in size, it should be fine. If she doesn't have a bed, you might want to give her one, just to make sure she's comfortable. You really have no idea when or why she's doing this.

JackieG

Posted : 12/30/2011 12:20:44 PM

griffinej5
How about just leaving her in the crate if you're going to be gone? Most dogs just lay around anyway when you're out. As long as the crate is adequate in size, it should be fine. If she doesn't have a bed, you might want to give her one, just to make sure she's comfortable. You really have no idea when or why she's doing this.

I agree that this might be the easiest solution and the least stressful on the dog and the owner. The OP could get a Dane sized crate to allow the dog more stretching room if she's in a Lab size crate now.