New House - Dog Not Settling

skerry

Hi folks, hoping for some advice here. I have an 8 year old Bichon and we have just moved house a few weeks back.

Dog has his bed set up in the utility which is nice and cosy beside a rad. He spent the first few nights barking the house down all night and pi$$ing everywhere which we expected. It improved on the barking front after a few nights but we can't turn our back on him and he's pi$$ed somewhere new. We're at our wits end now with him as he's showing zero willingness to cooperate.

We had new units put into the utility before we moved in and the bottom is lifting on some already he's going to the toilet that much. At the stage now that I'm spending more time giving out to him than anything else.

I'm thinking I'm just going to have to just put his bed in the shed and let him sleep there and put him into the shed anytime we're leaving the house as we can't keep putting up with the constant peeing and barking then at night.

Really don't want to put him in the shed but I've exhausted all other options with him now and if that doesn't work out, I hate to entertain the thought, but we're gonna have to look at getting him rehomed.

We have a toddler and thankfully she's a good sleeper. She seems to be the only one in the house not being woke up by him. Myself and my partner are exhausted from it now, it's more work than having a newborn in the house.

Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with similar behaviour after a move?

Bells21

Why not go back to the basics and house train him again. It shouldn't take as long as the first time around. Perhaps the dog is confused as to where he can/can't go, as it's a new place. Bringing him to the same spot in the garden repeatedly might help him realise that this is where he should go. Also, make sure you clean with a biological cleaner to ensure all the scent is cleaned up.
In terms of the barking, having blankets with the dogs smell and/or an old t-shirt etc of one yours might help them to settle.
Don't forget, the dog doesn't understand that you've moved house and you can't exactly explain it to them.

skerry

Bells21 wrote: »

Why not go back to the basics and house train him again. It shouldn't take as long as the first time around. Perhaps the dog is confused as to where he can/can't go, as it's a new place. Bringing him to the same spot in the garden repeatedly might help him realise that this is where he should go. Also, make sure you clean with a biological cleaner to ensure all the scent is cleaned up.
In terms of the barking, having blankets with the dogs smell and/or an old t-shirt etc of one yours might help them to settle.
Don't forget, the dog doesn't understand that you've moved house and you can't exactly explain it to them.

Thanks. I know there's gonna be a settling in period as he is in completely new surroundings but its been 2 weeks now and getting worse if anything.

Barking improved for a couple of days but the peeing is worse than its ever been. He's never been the best trained dog but what annoys me about him is that he can have perfectly well behaved periods and then decides he that he just wants to pee everywhere for a week or so, don't know if its rebelling or what. So I know he's well capable of behaving himself.

Had him crate trained when he was younger but left him with a housemate over a weekend who never bothered to let him out of the crate most of the time so he's been terrified of crate ever since, can't blame him. Not sure if its too late to revisit that now or what.

I've not washed his old bed so it would have same scent as before and left him with his usual blankets to make it familiar as possible but he's just not showing any sign of settling and its adding a huge amount of stress to the whole transition the the new house.

Bells21

I can imagine. We moved with one of ours and he had been very settled in the old house and I was on my summer holidays when we moved so I was there to help him settle. He had more space inside when we were at work but this seemed to unsettle him all the more and he began chewing window sills. We ended up moving him to a smaller room which he seemed to enjoy.
You could go back to crate training but again you're going to have to go back to scratch and help him realise that it's a safe place to be and not something to avoid.
Has he been desexed? Is it a brand new house or might there have been previous owners with a dog?

muddypaws

Where did he used to sleep in the old house. Did a lot change in his living arrangements when the baby arrived? If you can remember, were there changes in the home when he would have his peeing periods? Maybe the baby crying a lot, teething etc? How noisy is the new area? Christmas can be a very unsettling time for any dog, maybe lots of different noises, smells people visiting.

I'd second going back to basics, reward for going to the toilet outside, clean with something without ammonia in it.

Also would be worth taking a pee sample to the vet to check for a UTI

skerry

Bells21 wrote: »

I can imagine. We moved with one of ours and he had been very settled in the old house and I was on my summer holidays when we moved so I was there to help him settle. He had more space inside when we were at work but this seemed to unsettle him all the more and he began chewing window sills. We ended up moving him to a smaller room which he seemed to enjoy.
You could go back to crate training but again you're going to have to go back to scratch and help him realise that it's a safe place to be and not something to avoid.
Has he been desexed? Is it a brand new house or might there have been previous owners with a dog?

He hasn't been desexed, would that help behaviour? I've heard of people doing it and not seeing much in the way of improvement in the dog so I'd nearly rather let him hang onto them if that was going to be the case.

Not a new house and the previous owners had a dog but we've had new floors put down so that should have helped there.

Was a nightmare getting him crate trained in the first place so not looking forward to that again.

Any idea what recommended action from owner is when dog pee's where he shouldn't?

skerry

muddypaws wrote: »

Where did he used to sleep in the old house. Did a lot change in his living arrangements when the baby arrived? If you can remember, were there changes in the home when he would have his peeing periods? Maybe the baby crying a lot, teething etc? How noisy is the new area? Christmas can be a very unsettling time for any dog, maybe lots of different noises, smells people visiting.

I'd second going back to basics, reward for going to the toilet outside, clean with something without ammonia in it.

Also would be worth taking a pee sample to the vet to check for a UTI

Used to sleep in the corner in the kitchen in old house. He's in utility in new house which is just off the kitchen and isn't small by any means. Have his bed set up by the rad just like in other house.

Hard to remember reasons he might have acted up previously. There wasn't any real change in his routine when the baby arrived.

We've been very busy last couple of months with house move so he's not got as much attention as he's previously had and reckon he's reverting back to old ways as a result but we've been off work since move and he's had someone around the whole time.

He's fond of tucking up beside the range in new house so thought I'd give him a chance there but I wasn't upstairs 5 minutes and he'd piddled there too, literally can't leave him alone or he does it.

He's been relegated to the shed now for the last 2 hours for yet another incident and will have to consider just leaving him there when we have to leave the house for a few hours and he'l have the placed destroyed otherwise

Bells21

skerry wrote:

He hasn't been desexed, would that help behaviour? I've heard of people doing it and not seeing much in the way of improvement in the dog so I'd nearly rather let him hang onto them if that was going to be the case.

Doesn't necessarily help with behaviour and to be honest if he's not been desexed and he hadn't displayed any of these behaviours before it's not entirely likely to help.
I'd definitely get him to the vet to get checked for any issues which could be causing this.
The fact that he was happy and settled in the kitchen and then peed when you left, could it be possible that he's got some separation anxiety? Do the accidents usually happen when he's left alone even if only for a couple of minutes? Are they less frequent during the day when he's in the middle of people and family life?

skerry

Bells21 wrote: »

Doesn't necessarily help with behaviour and to be honest if he's not been desexed and he hadn't displayed any of these behaviours before it's not entirely likely to help.
I'd definitely get him to the vet to get checked for any issues which could be causing this.
The fact that he was happy and settled in the kitchen and then peed when you left, could it be possible that he's got some separation anxiety? Do the accidents usually happen when he's left alone even if only for a couple of minutes? Are they less frequent during the day when he's in the middle of people and family life?

Earlier when I went upstairs I wasn't halfway up the stairs and he started barking and by the time I got down 5 mins later he'd piddled.

Had to block off the door to the utility as he kept jumping up against it and working himself up and now he's taken to wriggling out past the blockage and getting stuck on the door side away from his bed. He just works himself up so much.

Been trying to heat up blankets and everything else I can to make it a nice and cosy new home for him in utility but doesn't seem to be working.

He's always been nervous, more so in recent years.

He's happy out on the rug in front of me now after being banished to the shed for 2 hours but I know for a fact if I leave the room he'll be off making his mark again.

Can a vet give something for separation anxiety, could be a possibility and being made worse with new environment

Bells21

skerry wrote:

Can a vet give something for separation anxiety, could be a possibility and being made worse with new environment

A vet may or may not give something to calm him but if it is the case it should be used along with training because if not you're just masking the issue, if you get me? Would you be open to the idea of having a professional observe the dog as they also be best placed to see what the issue is and offer correct advice and guidance.

Dial Hard

To be honest, it sounds like the dog was poorly trained to begin with and now anxiety, a huge change in circumstance and a general sense of unhappiness from you is causing him to act out. It's been two weeks. That's absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things but you seem on the verge of giving up on him already, and, tbh, it does seem as if perhaps this is a pattern you've followed with him before. "Banishing" him to the shed for two hours at a time isn't going to achieve anything at all other than increasing his fear and anxiety even further.

You need to go completely back to basics and train the dog from scratch, properly this time, using positive reinforcement, understanding and compassion. Good luck.

skerry

Bells21 wrote: »

A vet may or may not give something to calm him but if it is the case it should be used along with training because if not you're just masking the issue, if you get me? Would you be open to the idea of having a professional observe the dog as they also be best placed to see what the issue is and offer correct advice and guidance.

I'd be open to anything at the moment really. He's made the whole move really stressful. Nervous wreck going to bed at night thinking of whether he'll let us sleep or not and can't wear ear plugs as need to hear the baby, the 2 of us are wrecked.

Don't want to have to banish him to the shed all the time either but at the moment its looking like the only option or he'll have the place ruined.

Bells21

Well I think the sensible steps you could take would be first to visit a vet to have a medical reason ruled out and if there's no medical reason, having a professional guide you would be the best option.
If you'd post where you are people may be able to suggest a good positive trainer to help. Unfortunately it won't solve the issue over night and will take work from you but if the effort is put in, it will be well worth it in the end.

skerry

Dial Hard wrote: »

To be honest, it sounds like the dog was poorly trained to begin with and now anxiety, a huge change in circumstance and a general sense of unhappiness from you is causing him to act out. It's been two weeks. That's absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things but you seem on the verge of giving up on him already, and, tbh, it does seem as if perhaps this is a pattern you've followed with him before. "Banishing" him to the shed for two hours at a time isn't going to achieve anything at all other than increasing his fear and anxiety even further.

You need to go completely back to basics and train the dog from scratch, properly this time, using positive reinforcement, understanding and compassion. Good luck.

Hi, I spent a lot of time training him when he was a pup but if you read up on Bichons their notoriously hard to train and can be a very manipulative breed.

As I mentioned above, he can be very well behaved when he wants but doesn't take much for him to act out. I understand a lot has changed for him in the last few weeks and it's not a long time but he's showing no improvement and I've made every effort to reduce the stress for him.

Today was the first time he went to the shed as I had no other option trying to manage a toddler and a dog that pee's every time you turn your back is no joke.

I've went through a lot with him and done a lot for him and he's definitely not a dog that was just got and forgotten about.

skerry

Bells21 wrote: »

Well I think the sensible steps you could take would be first to visit a vet to have a medical reason ruled out and if there's no medical reason, having a professional guide you would be the best option.
If you'd post where you are people may be able to suggest a good positive trainer to help. Unfortunately it won't solve the issue over night and will take work from you but if the effort is put in, it will be well worth it in the end.

Thanks, I'm in Clare so if anyone knows a trainer that would be great.

Will get him to vet in coming days to rule that side of things out

Vronsky

Dial Hard wrote: »

To be honest, it sounds like the dog was poorly trained to begin with and now anxiety, a huge change in circumstance and a general sense of unhappiness from you is causing him to act out. It's been two weeks. That's absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things but you seem on the verge of giving up on him already, and, tbh, it does seem as if perhaps this is a pattern you've followed with him before. "Banishing" him to the shed for two hours at a time isn't going to achieve anything at all other than increasing his fear and anxiety even further.

You need to go completely back to basics and train the dog from scratch, properly this time, using positive reinforcement, understanding and compassion. Good luck.

That's all well and good and easy to say but when the dog is destroying all and pissing all around these things have to be done. Sending him to the shed let's the OP get stuff done.

What is the short term alternative? Let him destroy all? Babysit him 24hrs a day?

redshoes15

I’m sorry but ‘banishing’ the dog to the shed is just wrong for me. If anything it will make the situation worse. It also, in my opinion, seems a bit cruel. Ur dog needs reassurance and patience. He most certainly does not need to be removed from his already stressful new environment and put in a cold shed. Please do get him checked over by a vet. I have no other advice and hope I’m not coming across overly harsh but the putting the dog in the shed for me is out of order.

borderlinemeath

It sounds very much stress related. New house, with new smells, new anxieties and to top it all you keep giving out to him. I completely understand that it's impossible to manage a dog that's constantly marking along with a toddler, plus the fact that you've shelled out hard earned money on a new house and he's piddling all over it!

I'd get a behaviourist in to observe his behaviour, and to work out a plan for you all. In the meantime would you consider a doggie nappie or a tinkle belt? Tinkle belts are specifically for males who are constantly marking for whatever reason so while it wouldn't help his anxiety, it will help yours, and you won't have to be worrying or giving out to him.


https://www.etsy.com/ie/listing/487252344/4-pack-regular-washable-male-dog-belly?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=tinkle%20belts&ref=sr_gallery_1


You could go back to basics with crate training, but to get a good nights sleep you could put the crate in your bedroom so he'd be close by to lessen his anxiety. If it works, you could gradually move it out to the landing, then downstairs, all very slowly, once it's obvious his anxiety is lessening.

skerry

redshoes15 wrote: »

I’m sorry but ‘banishing’ the dog to the shed is just wrong for me. If anything it will make the situation worse. It also, in my opinion, seems a bit cruel. Ur dog needs reassurance and patience. He most certainly does not need to be removed from his already stressful new environment and put in a cold shed. Please do get him checked over by a vet. I have no other advice and hope I’m not coming across overly harsh but the putting the dog in the shed for me is out of order.

Hi, when I said 'banished' I meant gently placed into a large concrete shed with lighting into his own bed with his blanket.

As mentioned above, short term, if I want to get my baby for her nap without the dog pi$$ing all over the place and barking and keeping her from sleeping its the only option I have.

I have no problem putting the time into making the transition easier for him and thats exactly what I have been doing since we got here and I came on here to get advice on doing just that. The reality is that I have a toddler to manage too and he's making that very difficult.

redshoes15

@Skerry, I am sympathetic to your situation please don’t get me wrong. The fact that you are looking for advice on the issue is commendable. I am not here to make you feel worse about ur situation (we are currently managing a 6 year old cavachon being introduced to his 9 week old cavachon brother and are most likely fecking the whole thing up despite our good intentions!) Apologies if I came across harshly.

skerry

redshoes15 wrote: »

@Skerry, I am sympathetic to your situation please don’t get me wrong. The fact that you are looking for advice on the issue is commendable. I am not here to make you feel worse about ur situation (we are currently managing a 6 year old cavachon being introduced to his 9 week old cavachon brother and are most likely fecking the whole thing up despite our good intentions!) Apologies if I came across harshly.

No bother, thanks for the input. Really trying to be more patient with him and will concentrate more on that now but it's tough when you have a toddler in the equation.

Have much more space outside than last house but he keeps escaping so need to get exit paths closed up so he can explore new surroundings a bit more and maybe take the mystery and stress out of it a bit for him.

Harry Palmr

A suggestion

Obviously the peeing issue will need to be looked at but until that is fixed a way of collecting it is needed! Bring him back inside (as you should really) prep the utility with a plastic sheet that is bigger than the floor area so it can be raised at the edges and put a radio in there, tune it to RTE radio 1 as this is a speech station which does replays through the night. Speech rather than music works better. Just have it on a low level like background noise.

skerry

Harry Palmr wrote: »

A suggestion

Obviously the peeing issue will need to be looked at but until that is fixed a way of collecting it is needed! Bring him back inside (as you should really) prep the utility with a plastic sheet that is bigger than the floor area so it can be raised at the edges and put a radio in there, tune it to RTE radio 1 as this is a speech station which does replays through the night. Speech rather than music works better. Just have it on a low level like background noise.

Thanks, will try that tonight and see how it goes.

I've been thinking about the separation anxiety thing mentioned above too, and while it might be an element contributing to his behaviour, I don't think it's the main factor as if I leave him with the run of the place downstairs he won't bark if I go upstairs. It's only when he's confined to the utility that he starts to bark, at least as far as I can tell.

Will concentrate over next few days on making more positive associations with the Utility room and see how that goes.

Have a wedding on New Years Eve and will be gone for a good bit of the day so don't even want to think what he'll get up to in there while we're away.

Bells21

OP if you look up the apdt website you'll be able to find a professional close to or in your area. Best of luck

skerry

Bells21 wrote: »

OP if you look up the apdt website you'll be able to find a professional close to or in your area. Best of luck

Thanks, I'll check that out

kathleen37

I think it's defo worth him getting checked for a uti. There isn't any way he could be forcing that much pee out just to mark.

I do hope you get sorted.

What are you using to clean the pee up? I dilute biological washing (clothes) liquid in a spray bottle, as the enzymes in it destroy the pee (unlike bleach and other cleaning products which means they can still smell the pee after you've cleaned and will pee in the same spot again)

Good luck!

L1985

We had the worst hassle with our pup jack Russel cross. It's Impossible to catch her in the act and she doesn't do the usual dog thing of going into corners just stops where ever she is and pees. What helped us was literally bringing her out every hour for 10 mins. It's a pain but it's mostly worked although still wouldn't be 100% confident in her. The other thing is make the space where she sleeps in the utility room as small as possible. I hope you get her sorted -it's absolutely horrible as stepping in dog pee is not nice and they do wreck floors etc.

skerry

kathleen37 wrote: »

I think it's defo worth him getting checked for a uti. There isn't any way he could be forcing that much pee out just to mark.

I do hope you get sorted.

What are you using to clean the pee up? I dilute biological washing (clothes) liquid in a spray bottle, as the enzymes in it destroy the pee (unlike bleach and other cleaning products which means they can still smell the pee after you've cleaned and will pee in the same spot again)

Good luck!

Thanks, I'm just using a spray from Aldi so will try the washing liquid and see how that goes.

skerry

L1985 wrote: »

We had the worst hassle with our pup jack Russel cross. It's Impossible to catch her in the act and she doesn't do the usual dog thing of going into corners just stops where ever she is and pees. What helped us was literally bringing her out every hour for 10 mins. It's a pain but it's mostly worked although still wouldn't be 100% confident in her. The other thing is make the space where she sleeps in the utility room as small as possible. I hope you get her sorted -it's absolutely horrible as stepping in dog pee is not nice and they do wreck floors etc.

Thanks, I literally went upstairs there again for 5 minutes and made a point of popping into him before I actually left to reassure him and I came down and he's pi$$ed in two places. It's very frustrating.

Hard to bring him out to the garden after he's done it then when its raining hard outside. The lad that put the floor down said it he keeps up at the rate he's going the floor will be coming up in a matter of months, it's only fitted a month.

muddypaws

skerry wrote: »

Thanks, I literally went upstairs there again for 5 minutes and made a point of popping into him before I actually left to reassure him and I came down and he's pi$$ed in two places. It's very frustrating.

Hard to bring him out to the garden after he's done it then when its raining hard outside. The lad that put the floor down said it he keeps up at the rate he's going the floor will be coming up in a matter of months, it's only fitted a month.

Does he not go outside when it's raining? How much exercise does he get, and how often does he go outside to the toilet?

If he is going to the toilet that much, you really need to take him to the vet.

skerry

muddypaws wrote: »

Does he not go outside when it's raining? How much exercise does he get, and how often does he go outside to the toilet?

If he is going to the toilet that much, you really need to take him to the vet.

He doesn't show much interest in going out to do his business when its raining.

He generally makes small instalments when he's outside, or maybe it just seems like a lot more when he's doing it on the floor.

Will see how he goes next few days and try get him to the vet when their back open on Tuesday and see if they come up with anything.

Harry Palmr

Just a thought - is he drinking a lot? Diabetic dogs are common enough.