Dog question

genie_us

Hi all

I posted a while ago about our 1 year old beagle who we got in June. He's settled in grand now but over the last week has started peeing on the kitchen floor over night and I was hoping someone might be able to give me some advice about how to stop it?

He is house trained and never does this during the day, only at night. He sleeps in the kitchen with our other dog who we got about a month ago - he has no access to outside over night so possibly he just can't hold it - well obviously this is the case - but he never used to do it he only started over the last week or so.

I know I can't give out to him in the morning cos he won't know what he's in trouble for. The only thing I can think of is buying one of those cages for him to sleep in but then what if he goes in the cage and he has to then sleep in it all night...

He goes in different places each night - obviously we clean and disinfect it so maybe he can't smell where he did it the night before.

His appetite is fine and he is his normal happy self so I've no idea why this has started.
Can anyone advise how I can stop it?

Whispered

I had the same problem about this time last year with my fully house trained dog. It was the wet ground, the rain and the wind. Poor delicate little thing didn't want to gt his paws wet.:pac:

Make sure you are happy there is no underlying health problem. Keep an eye on how often the dog goes during the day and ensure he is not in pain when trying to go.

Take his water up aout 2 hours before bed time, you can put down a bowl or ice so if he is thirsty, the ice will quench it, but shouldn't fill his bladder. Bring him out just before bed and no matter how long it takes, wait until he goes.

Crate training is a great idea too. If you approach it properly, he wont wet in his bed so don't worry about that.

lisasimps

what are you cleaning with? A lot of kitchen cleaners contain amonea which smells like pee to dogs.

What time does he eat and drink at? Perhaps restrict his water access after 6pm.

For a while I would suggest that you set your alarm for 2am and get up and bring him out the back and praise him when he goes, and gradually make that toilet trip later and later.

A crate it great for toilet training them, but if he has to go and goes in his crate, its 10 steps backward!

boxerly

My dog started doing this so I brought him to the vets,he had a bladder infection so couldnt hold it:(Id bring your dog to vet to rule out any health issues

joolsveer

lisasimps wrote: »

what are you cleaning with? A lot of kitchen cleaners contain amonea which smells like pee to dogs.

I was advised to use a biological washing powder solution for mopping up accidents and it seems to work as my new dog doesn't identify the spot on the floor as a toilet area afterwards.

dub0605

I recently had the same problem with our 4yr old beagle, we got her from the dogs trust and it was just none stop. Every morning I got up to a dirty kitchen that I had to scrub before work, not easy or nice. I literally tried everything people said.....wash the floor with non-bio washing powder, wash where she pees or poos with surgical spirits, put a dot of bleach under a puppy pad so she will go on that. NOTHING worked. So we got her a crate, I put up this thread about it:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056015979

She is great now, still has the odd accident in the kitchen if shes left for too long but otherwise shes ok. Has never gone in the crate and she seems to like it now. We take up her water about 2 hrs before she goes to bed and let her out right before we put her to bed.

Thing with our dog was she knew how to go out in the garden and knew thats what she should do but it was like she picked when she wanted to so hence why the crate is working perfectly for us. We got a medium size crate which is grand, she has room to stand up and move around in it. Think it was about €80

yomchi

All great advice, the only thing I can add to it is an obvious one of making sure he gets out around 11.30pm for a good run and a chance to empty his bladder.

Have you got a consistant morning routine for him? This way he knows that at 'x' time you will be up and he will be able to go outside.

genie_us

Hi all

thanks for all your replies, some great advice here.
He must know I was giving out - this morning I arrived down to a nice pee - free kitchen! I gave him his last water a good 2 hours before bed so hopefully it will keep up.

Failing that I think we'll go for the crate idea.
To answer a question above we use general flash floor cleaner and then a bit of bleach so the place stinks like a swimming pool over the last week!

The other thing is he has a tendancy to eat EVERYTHING he sees - the latest victims were my new foundation and mascara I made the mistake of leaving on the kitchen table - gone and mushed into his face, paws, tail and all over the kitchen tiles!!
He's so cute though you can't stay mad for long :rolleyes:

dub0605

Genie-us I know how it feels to come down to a pee/poo free kitchen, its great. Also means you have more time to give the dog attention instead of cleaning up a mess.

You say you cleaned with bleach, altho this will make the place clean and smell good its not going to stop them. There is something in bleach that makes the dog pee in that place again. Hence why I was told about putting a drop of bleach on the underneath of a puppy pad, to try get them to go on that.

Beagles are known for being stubborn so it doesnt really help either but I know your frustration. Some people didnt agree with me about getting a crate but I can honestly say its the best thing we have done. She seems to like it too, we put a sheet over it so its like her little place. She sulks in there when she has gotten into trouble

genie_us

dub0605 wrote: »

Genie-us I know how it feels to come down to a pee/poo free kitchen, its great. Also means you have more time to give the dog attention instead of cleaning up a mess.

You say you cleaned with bleach, altho this will make the place clean and smell good its not going to stop them. There is something in bleach that makes the dog pee in that place again. Hence why I was told about putting a drop of bleach on the underneath of a puppy pad, to try get them to go on that.

Beagles are known for being stubborn so it doesnt really help either but I know your frustration. Some people didnt agree with me about getting a crate but I can honestly say its the best thing we have done. She seems to like it too, we put a sheet over it so its like her little place. She sulks in there when she has gotten into trouble

Oh right I never knew that about the bleach! Thanks for that
Will see how we go over the next few nights and if he keeps doing it we'll defo go for the crate. I don't see what harm it would do to them, why were people giving out?

On a seperate note - when you bring your beagle out walking is she ok off the lead at all? We regularly go walking in nearby woods and can't let him off cos he'd never come back! Would be interested to hear any Beagle-specific tips you might have?

dub0605

genie_us wrote: »

Oh right I never knew that about the bleach! Thanks for that
Will see how we go over the next few nights and if he keeps doing it we'll defo go for the crate. I don't see what harm it would do to them, why were people giving out?

On a seperate note - when you bring your beagle out walking is she ok off the lead at all? We regularly go walking in nearby woods and can't let him off cos he'd never come back! Would be interested to hear any Beagle-specific tips you might have?

Yea I didnt either but the things I have learnt since getting the dog!!! Some family members thought that the crate was cruel but I had to make the point that she is only in it at night time. She seems to like it now and as soon as she goes in at night she curls up. It is also handy if anyone is minding her for us because the crate will go with her so she has somewhere safe that she knows. She is a very nervous dog

We dont let her off the lead, I am sure she would love to run around but we cant risk it. She ran off on us only a few hours after we got her so we are kind of afraid to let her off now because we afraid she will not come back to us. We went for a walk around a big local park recently where she met loads of other dogs off their leads and we got chatting to one man who said at first he didnt let his dog off the lead but not shes off alot of the time and he just keeps walking and she will follow him. We are still afraid though, maybe one day

genie_us

dub0605 wrote: »

Yea I didnt either but the things I have learnt since getting the dog!!! Some family members thought that the crate was cruel but I had to make the point that she is only in it at night time. She seems to like it now and as soon as she goes in at night she curls up. It is also handy if anyone is minding her for us because the crate will go with her so she has somewhere safe that she knows. She is a very nervous dog

We dont let her off the lead, I am sure she would love to run around but we cant risk it. She ran off on us only a few hours after we got her so we are kind of afraid to let her off now because we afraid she will not come back to us. We went for a walk around a big local park recently where she met loads of other dogs off their leads and we got chatting to one man who said at first he didnt let his dog off the lead but not shes off alot of the time and he just keeps walking and she will follow him. We are still afraid though, maybe one day

Yeah I don't see how it would be cruel either if it's only at night - and that's a great point about if anyone is minding them too actually.

Yeah if they get a scent of anything they're off like a shot, I know it takes a serious amount of training to get a beagle to come back when you call it so I guess that's our only option! We only have one of those extendable lead things so he has that but he's in dog heaven investigating all the smells in the woods!

Karmaman

genie_us wrote: »

On a seperate note - when you bring your beagle out walking is she ok off the lead at all? We regularly go walking in nearby woods and can't let him off cos he'd never come back! Would be interested to hear any Beagle-specific tips you might have?

Genie_us, We also have a 1 year old Beagle pup we've had since Oct. and it took us ages before we let him off with any real confidence.

I think the trick is bring some nice treats, at first I used some sausage (I know everyone'll start saying you shouldn't give them that kind of stuff but they love it and for training purposes its ok).

And never chase them, at first if he wouldn't follow me i'd stop, go back and try and catch him to get him back on the lead.
Now I just keep walking and I guarentee if you do the same they will follow you.

Now when we go for walks I don't think twice about him not coming back, it just takes a bit of nerve those first few times.;)

dub0605

Karmaman I wouldnt worry about giving him sausage, its not the worst!!! We were told in the Dogs Trust that when your training them for certain things that you must give them better treats so they know that what they are doing is right, so basically its 2 types of treats, normally everyday ones and then extra special ones when they do good. They actually suggested hot dogs or ham.

What your saying is right aswell about walking off. The guy we were talking to in the park recently told us thats what he does, just keeps walking and the dog cops it and follows him. We watched aswell and it worked. Still afraid to let ours off though because when she did escape on his there was no stopping her, she just ran!!!!!!

genie_us

Hey Karmaman

thanks a mil for the tip! I think I'll work up the nerve to try it on the green outside before I try it in the woods - if he takes off out there we're fecked!

I know what you mean about chasing him too - he has a habit of grabbing something like my good shoes, makes sure I see him before he legs it outside and of course I go out like an eejit trying to rescue my shoe - sure he thinks its the best game ever. Little fecker

Good idea too about the 'good' treats and the normal ones, am looking forward to trying it now - I hope it works!!

Karmaman

genie_us wrote: »

I think I'll work up the nerve to try it on the green outside before I try it in the woods

Hey Guys,

Let us know how you get on and don't worry too much about them running off, they won't.

Just one thing about the green though, I also have a green right in front of our house and when I used to let him off around there he would chase everything and not really pay much attention to me (embarrasing:o Probably because he knew where home was and not worried about losing me!), i'd feel more confident in the woods or a park.

I heard all the horror storys about Beagles before we let him off, the "once they get a scent they will follow it no matter what" and "they're impossible to train off the leash". Both rubbish. He doesn't walk beside me like a labrador or anything, but alway comes looking for me when he wanders out of sight.