Potty problem again!!! (mrstjohnson)

golly....that's tough....at least he isn't going in the house...but remember just because he HAS gone pee at those times doesn't mean he can't go less and still be okay. I think that's true of many dogs....esp mature ones....they could get away with twice a day and that still be completely normal. I mean I "could" go pee several times a day but I am also comfortable with only twice or so really...lol. I don't drink a ton...and I just don't plain feel I need to go. Now in summer, when I am drinking iced tea every ten minutes? LOL...

What's his intake of water? Same or less? More?...Maybe mark his bowl so you can keep track.

Does he have a potty word?

 Hmm, well typically eating, playing and exercise are supposed to stimulate the dogs need to go. Maybe if you get him really riled up inside the house - get him doing some zoomies, wrestling, fetch, whatever until he's excited and a bit tired - then take him outside?

rwbeagles

What's his intake of water? Same or less? More?...Maybe mark his bowl so you can keep track.

Does he have a potty word?

Water intake is about the same.  It may be a little higher since the sidewalks are laden with salt he gets it on his paws and licks them, etc. etc.  but not sufficiently higher that I would notice if I wasn't freaking out right now...LOL.

His potty word is "go potty".  Normally he will approach a tree/bush/fence post/mound of anything really and sniff and then life leg and pee, sometimes it will take him a couple of trees before he finds the right one.  If I really need him to go quickly I just say "go potty" and he squats.  I know he hates peeing on the cement or anything hard for that matter which was one of the reasons it was really easy to potty train him since we have hardwood floors.  He doesn't really mark unless we are at the park.  I would take him there in the AM but frankly there is no way I am going to walk around the park in the pitch black of winter at 5:00 am!

Max hates to go out in the rain, so in bad weather his pee times go way down.  He holds it until he's ready to explode whereas in nicer weather he's out the doggie door maybe three or four times. Also, his water consumption goes down when the weather is cold and wet so that may have something to do with it.

Joyce

Isn't that snow/salt stuff bad for dog feet? I'd think about some booties for him...maybe.

rwbeagles

Isn't that snow/salt stuff bad for dog feet? I'd think about some booties for him...maybe.

I tried booties last year and he ate them off!!  I tried taping them on (which would have been impratical in the long run but he refused to walk in them, it was almost like booty paralysis.  It was quite comical at the time, he refused to put his feet on the floor as long as I had them on him! 

OT for a sec, this link has the sort of thing with the de icer/salt...I am not obviously versed with cold climes so no idea if most cities use the safe stuff now or not...but just for information I'll post the link...

http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/safety-roadsalt.html

rwbeagles

OT for a sec, this link has the sort of thing with the de icer/salt...I am not obviously versed with cold climes so no idea if most cities use the safe stuff now or not...but just for information I'll post the link...

http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/safety-roadsalt.html

The problem with walking him where we are is there is a TON of salt everywhere.  Our city has a law that you have to have your sidewalks shoveled AND salted within 24 hours of snowfall or you will be fined so you can imagine the amount of salt, etc.  I do carry him if there is a huge salt pile.  I do wipe him down, etc. after we come in.  I will definitely start to wash too now though.   I hope this doesn't have anything to do with what's going on!!!  It only snowed/iced on Sunday and the not peeing thing starting yesterday!  I wish that stupid vet will call!

I won't make you laugh by telling you how they call for sand trucks and stuff here when there's 1/2" of slush...LOL!

I have never had much luck with boots either -- they seem scarey to some dogs.

This sounds odd but it's worked for me.

First take baby socks - 2 pair.  Invert them over a bottle and PAINT THEM with good old fashioned rubber cement.  Several coats.

Then, put them on his feet -- let him practice in the house but they won't be slippery AND they won't shuck on his feet. 

In fact you can put a couple of pairs on him -- one over the other with the outside pair having the rubber cement. 

He's likely scared he's gonna fall but the salt hurts their paws so much.

For when it gets REALLY cold,  have used human sport socks - with one long shoe string tied at the top of each one.  (*and yes rubber cement them on the toes*)

Put them on over a couple of pairs of socks -- then pull them up by the strings and tie the strings in a bow on the top of the back.  Then usually I put a sweater or t-shirt on top.

Boots don't give -- they are either too big or too tight and drag when they walk and probably makes him feel like he's gonna trip on them. 

Try it - might work for you.

I think his problem is he can't get good footing on the ice to hike his leg up on the tree he likes and he isn't comfortable peeing on the snow since it is covered in ice and really slippery.  That's why I took him to the downtown area (small shops, etc.) thinking he would pee on one of the trees on the street since they aren't surrounded by ice, but none of them were good enough for a sniff!

The one thing I am worried about is he is going to get an infection from not peeing!  I know from experience with female humans this can happen, but not sure of the concerns with male dogs.

 It happens to cats (happened to mine) so I would think that it can happens to dogs too

 Do you think if you encouraged him to drink extra water he might feel the need to go to be a little more... pressing? Or maybe he's just not used to the cold yet, and it will take him a week or so to acclimate? Poor Rascal, the Southern CA dog, practically died the first time I expected him to eliminate in the New England snow. He just stood there picking up one paw at a time with this miserable expression and looking at me like, "Why do you hate me?" By the end of the winter, however, he was a snow-peeing pro.

 It does sound like you may want to re-do his potty training: march him to the designated potty spot and just stand there.  Pick a potty spot that is convenient for you- in terms of pickup and days with really really icky weather. He doesn't get to go on his walk, or play, or do anything fun until he potties. This tactic usually speeds dogs up, even dogs who don't have to go will squeeze out a few drops to get going on their walk. Don't beg him to go, just stand there staring off into space very boringly. When he starts to go, issue your potty word, and then it's party time. If he doesn't go within a reasonable span of time, back to the boring crate he goes.

Sometimes people accidently create Slow-Potty dogs by taking the dog out, and when the dog goes, they rush the dog back inside. So dog learns the longer he holds it, the more walking and outside fun he gets.  Other dogs are just plain old pick potty dogs, but you don't have to cater to that if you don't want to. They can be re-trained.