Puppy problems

Dublineese

Hey all,

We have a springer lab cross puppy, approx. 18weeks old. When we first got her she house trained quite quickly, however just before Xmas she reverted to her old ways, and now its as if shes never been trained. She pees on me, anywhere she feels like in the living area, even by her food and bed! She gets walked 5 times a day and although we live on the first floor, we have a garden area for her on the balcony plus a communal back garden. The issue is she just doesnt tell you when she needs to go, and if youre not watching her she'll go where she feels. Today for instance we walked her for 30mins after her food and then left the door to outside open for her for a further hour and a half. As soon as I went to the bedroom (I was gone 7 mins!) she pooed and peed all over the kitchen and living area.

Were lost, at our wits end. The floor is beginning to warp we have mopped and steam cleaned it so many times. Nothing from puppy mats to pet deterrents, is working

Any help is greatly appreciated

Cheers

Sigma Force

I'd start all over again with the training by crate training, praise the good and ignore the accidents. There's probably a lot of other dogs peeing/pooping that she can smell on her walks but if possible try to take her to a really doggy area where there's a lot of smells like a doggy park or something like that I find as dogs get older they are more inclined to pee if another dog has gone there already.

As long as any health reason has been ruled out it looks like you'll have to start from scratch again, do you have a dog training school(that uses humane methods of training) in your area where you could go to puppy classes this can help a lot.

Dublineese

We're looking into classes but people are looking for 100 euro up, we simply dont have it at the minute (My hours got cut to part time, as did my partners) but we are looking into it. The vet doubts that its health related- we were worried as it resembles Cushings disease which my mothers Bichon has- but she said she was too young to have this. She sugested that it may be hormones. Thanks for your advice

DBB

OP, can you clarify, does she only do this when you're not watching?

What does your vet mean that he/she "doubts if its health related"? Have they not checked? Because a dog that suddenly starts peeing in an odd way, such as upon you or in a way they haven't before, suggests a health problem, so I'd advise to make sure there isn't an underlying problem.
Classes will be of no use in housetraining issues: a one-to-one, perhaps, but any behaviourist worth their salt would get you to eliminate health problems as a matter of course in this particular instance.
Cushing's is highly unlikely in a young pup. In any case, if you're going to spend money on this problem, the first priority is to get her checked by the vet. Perhaps there is a Blue Cross or other subsidised vet service near you?

Dublineese

DBB,

She does it whether we are watching or not, she just lets loose whenever. I was sitting by her at the door to the garden tonight hoping she would go and she ran past me back indoors and went in there! She is impossible!

The vet was very nice, she said that as she was still young it was most likely her age and therefore behavioral, and rather than take blood etc just yet, she showed me how to regulate and check how much water/food she is taking in a 24hr period.

Was talking to the vet this evening and will be going back tomorrow, where more than likely tests will be done. In the meantime I was wondering if anyone had any fresh ideas regarding house training

Oh an apparently you need to be in receipt of social welfare these days to avail of the Blue Cross services. Thanks though, was worth a look!

DBB

Dublineese wrote: »

DBB,

She does it whether we are watching or not, she just lets loose whenever. I was sitting by her at the door to the garden tonight hoping she would go and she ran past me back indoors and went in there! She is impossible!

Barring a medical problem, you've got reverse-housetraining going on here! It's really common. It happens when a pup, for whatever reason, thinks it's better for her to toilet in the house rather than outside. This most often heppens when pups are left outside on their own to pee, rather than the owner staying with them every single time to reward them when they go outside.
It can also happen if the pups manages to pee inside quite a lot, not getting the opportunity to go outside, so that inside-peeing becomes normalised.
It can happen if the pup has been given a reason to not go outside: she may have got a fright outside one day, or was shut outside by accident, or some other event which made her think that peeing outside is not such a good thing for her!
The best option is to go back to basics, and I'd strongly recommend using a crate so that you're in control of her bladder and bowel (I can PM links to crate training if you're not familiar, or there must be threads here you can do a search for). Always accompany her out to the garden, and go out there with her very regularly armed with nyummy treats. Pay little heed to her until she goes, then praise her softly as she goes, then reward her with something nyummy when she's finished.

It may also be caused in part by anxiety at being left alone.. you mention that when you left her alone earlier, she had peed and pooped by the time you got back a few minutes later. This needs to be dealt with as a different issue because there's an emotional problem going on.

The vet was very nice, she said that as she was still young it was most likely her age and therefore behavioral, and rather than take blood etc just yet, she showed me how to regulate and check how much water/food she is taking in a 24hr period.

She wouldn't have to take bloods to figure out that the pup has a UTI! I'm really puzzled by the vet, as UTIs are something pups can get!

Oh an apparently you need to be in receipt of social welfare these days to avail of the Blue Cross services. Thanks though, was worth a look!

It's always worth asking anyway. I wasn'tr aware they'd brought in this rule but maybe they did. There's also St. Francis' in Inchicore, a wonderful organisation with really good vets, if you're anywhere near there.

barfizz

Is she left alone for long periods during the day? When you go to work?

It sounds like she is suffering from abandonment problems, this type of cross will suffer from lack of interaction, I would suggest you find a dog sitter.