Dog Community

housetraining problem that didn't use to be a problem!

Posted : 6/17/2006 10:14:15 AM

I have a 4 yr old australian shepherd mix. i got him about two years ago from a shelter. when i lived in new york he was completely house trained. although i lived in an apartment and he was walked regularly and on a good schedule. then i moved in with my fiance into his house and he could go out the back door whenever he wanted. there he also had no problems with going in the house.

then we moved to florida and we now have a house with a dog door. he can go in and out as he pleases but since we have been here (about a year) he has gotten worse and worse with going to the bathroom in the house. in the beginning it was just a once in a while thing that would happen overnight when the dog door was closed. it would also sometimes happen during the day while my husband and i are at work when the dog door was closed.

now it is an everyday occurence. we have been keeping him in our bedroom with newspaper put down on our attached bathroom floor. usually he goes on the paper in the bathroom. so it's like we've now trained him to go on the paper during the day and at night.

the main problem is that riley (my dog) is overly attached to me and does not leave my side. so when i get home from work, he is fed and then he stays next to me all the time. so even if he HAS to go out he won't go out the dog door. he only goes out if he hears a dog barking or something. and then he comes right back. if i am out in the backyard for a long time he will go to the bathroom. because obviously he has to go and i'm there so it's ok. i'm assuming that crate training is my only option. i have tried walking him at night and in the morning but he is not a dog that easily poops. he takes a long long time to go and it's never if he really HAS to go. so he holds it until he absoultely has to go which is usually in the house. if anyone has ANY advice i would really apprecite it as this is now a daily occurence and i am very desparate. Thanks

I should also mention that I have another dog in the house as well, a six year old Newfoundland mix that has no problems using the dog door. The dogs get along fairly well though Riley can be a bit aggressive and is definitley possessive when it comes to me. He doesn't really let Wooley up on the bed with me without him jumping up and sometimes growling at Wooley. but overall, they play and get along fairly well.

glenmar

Posted : 6/17/2006 12:29:17 PM

For whatever reason, you're dog has unlearned his house training and needs to go back to housetraining 101.

Please do not copy and paste the same message all over the board. It's rather annoying to have my inbox filled with multiple repeats of the same danged message and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. Plus, it is a violation of fourm rules.

aussiemom15

Posted : 6/17/2006 1:22:48 PM

sorry glenda. i'm obviously brand new to this board. i didn't read any rules and i didn't know that every time i posted up a message it would be emailed to all of you over and over again. i thought it was like a regular message board so i aplogize! i'm pretty desperate, that's why i put it in all different categories. and thanks for your information though it was not something i did not already know. DUH! HAHAHA. i'm really looking for specific advice but thanks anyway

glenmar

Posted : 6/17/2006 1:44:45 PM

Hmmmm, thought that there was a big old list of rules you had to read and agree to when you registered.

Crate training is an option, so is gating him into a small room if he won't tolerate a crate. However, the first thing I think I'd do is get him to the vet for a complete checkup to rule out anything medical.

My suggestion would be to housetrain EXACTLY like you would a brand new pup. Crated or leashed to you at all times that you can't give 100% attention, regular trips OUTSIDE to GO POTTY (I use key words and phrases with mine), excessive praise for "GOOOD potty"s and treats if he is treat motivated. And totally ignore the mistakes in the house...as well as cleaning them up when he is NOT in the room. And if he NEEDS you to be outside with him to go, I guess you'll have to be outside for now.

Have you cleaned every single area of mistakes with a good enzyme destroyer like Petastic? If he can still smell it, he'll continue to go there.

Oh, and many of us "subscribe" to specific topics so that we do get email notifications of new posts.

aussiemom15

Posted : 6/17/2006 3:52:21 PM

thanks for all the info. it is GREATLY appreciated. i'll definitley get the Petastic or something similar. I haven't tried that yet. Thanks again