I Have A 4yr Old Papillon Who Is Going Backwards On The Housebreaking!?
September 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
She was a very good breeder’s brood-a show dog, and she must have been kenneled with other dogs. We were doing well and now, not so much. She comes in from outside and pees in her crate….lies in her bed all stinky and all. If I make her crate smaller, like the kennel version, I worry about elevating her anxiety which she seems to have as well regarding the crate. Now that she’s peed in her big crate, I fear I’ve made it okay for her to do now. She has this love/hate thing going on with the crate. Is there ANY hope she can be trained? Now, when I take her out (which we are doing hourly) she looks at me as if to say, “yeah? So…. a… what do you want to do now?” I’m wondering if
this is really a kidney problem. She can go all night, not pee at all in the morning.. like 10 hours. I’m stumped. This stinks. Literally!~
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Since she was a brood dog, she may have kidney issues. I would check with a vet to make sure. But it sounds like you have not set the rules down, and her crate is too big. Despite the anxiety you think she is having about the smaller crate. use the smaller crate. And if she is looking to you wondering what to do now that she is out of the crate, you have to train/teach her. Take her outside to go potty. Make sure she goes, then praise, reward and treat her for doing what you want her to do. Stay outside until she does go. When she does go, use her name and say “name” good potty, or whatever key word you want to use. She will learn to associate the word with the act. (Something like teaching her to “sit”) My Tzu has learned that as soon as she gets up, she is to go outside to potty. When she hesitates at the door, I just remind her..Luci..potty..and she will go outside and do her business. At first I had to take her outside to go, rewarded her, gave her treats and lots and lots of praise and good Luci’s..now she knows, and most of the time she will automatically go outside without any reminders.
It sounds like you are basically going to use the same crate, and just put the divider in it to make it smaller. If this is what you are going to do, make sure you clean the crate thoroughly! I use Natures’ Miracle, but there are other cleaners out there. I also use the enzyme version, it worked better than the oxygen version for my dogs. I would also see if you can get a “kennel cleaner”. Vets, boarders, shelters etc., use it to clean their kennels and runs. It is a bit costly, but highly concentrated. Like 2 tsp per gallon of water! I got some from my local shelter for a small donation. I would clean the crate with that, rinse it thoroughly, then spray Nature’s Miracle on it and let it dry. Or just use the NM to clean it and get her scent out.
Pap’s can be normally a little anxious. You have to be in control and be the boss (Alpha). And she has to know it. Set and stick to your rules. You didn’t say how long you have had her, and she could just be testing your rules and seeing how much she can get a way with. Put a stop to this by training her what your rules are.
Time, patience and positive reinforcement will all help you train your dog. There is hope, but you have to be diligent in your training.
well i cant seem to give u the right answer cuz i just posted a question about this problem too . my dog refuses to pee and poop outside and yes i get that look that says “what do u want me to do now?” .so ur not alone ,and im waiting for answers too .
Why is she in a crate? Get rid of it. You take her out hourly? What sort of life is that for a DOG? Please give her the run of a certain area of your house which is easy to clean, The kitchen for example, leave door to garden open as much as you can so that she has free access to garden.
Your poor dog is confused.
She needs lots of praise when she pees outside and mistakes ignored, yes…ignored. Praise, praise, praise when going in correct area.
Crates are just prison to dogs, who need to move around constantly.
No dog will voluntary pee/mess in it’s bed area.
When putting her outside, stay with her until she has “been”. Don’t just put her outside and hope for the best, that won’t work.
Play with her in garden after she has “been” and make it fun to be outside.
Best of luck with her.
If she is in crate for 6 hours while you are at work then she is not taken out every hour.
I don’t understand why she is on a lead in the house.
Obviously take her to vet if you suspect kidney problem, but doesn’t sound like it to me.
As I said above, she seems very confused. I am sure you are doing your best but I still think letting her have an area of your kitchen, or all of it, with her bed in a corner and access to an enclosed safe garden (off the lead) will help eliminate her stress problems.
Time with you and your daughter, a little training to make her feel secure, off lead freedom in parts of house and garden and lots of love and playing with her will work miracles. She really doesn’t need food treats, just lots of approval and a chance to work it all out for herself.
I agree with most of the advice above – except the anti crate advice. Dogs normally like to have a den or cave of their own and love their crate. Besides checking for a kidney or bladder problem, which I would do, the next time she pees in the crate clean up with paper towels and save the towels. Then follow the enzyme cleaner advice – into EVERY crevice and wire of the pen and floor underneath. (By the way, some dogs from breeders (bad breeders) have been forced to do this b/c they are not often let out of the crate or pen.) Take the saved paper towels out into the yard where you want her to go. Use a stake or so to keep them from blowing away. Take your dog on leash to this spot when you take her out of the crate and she needs to go. Along with a potty word – say it only once in a normal voice not a yell – the smell and not the word should help her know what she is expected to do. Patience. Follow with lots of praise when there is success. When there are several successes and the towel is no longer needed, begin removing bits of the towel until it is all thrown away. good luck.