Trying Get Her To Pee

[Guest Apollo_Dog]

So my husband & I decided to add a second hound ( female grey) to our household, we just picked her up today ... We currently have a male grey. I know there is an adjustment period since she has never been in a house before .... My question is this, I can't get her to pee outside. I've been taking her out every 2-3 hours and walking her for 20-30 minutes each time. She won't do anything ... Inside I'm watching her like a hawk ... We did have an accident earlier in the house right when I came home from work b/c my husband wasn't watching her ... Any suggestions? Should I worry. My boy never had much of a problem adjusting to outside b/c he likes to pee on every blade of grass ....

[Time4ANap]

Are you trying to get her to pee while on a leash? I'm assuming that you are leash walking and there isn't a fenced yard for this response. We went through it, many other new owners also go through this.

 

Many new dogs are not used to being on a leash and having someone standing close when they need to go. She will go eventually, but to make it easier, try to give her as much room as possible, or let her walk behind a tree or bush while you stay as far back as possible (still on the leash, of course) . It's an adjustment process for many new pups.

[Guest PiagetsMom]

Yep, when we brought Piaget hom we went 18 hours before she finally peed. I'm sure it's just nervousness. I'd take them out together and take her to where where your male pees - maybe she'll be inspired to leave some pee-mail, too. If not, you've got the right idea, so just keep up with it and she'll eventually go

[Guest Apollo_Dog]

I have to lease walk b/c i live in a condo .... I've been trying to walk her with my male b/c I'm thinking she would get the idea ... She hasn't. Thanks for the replies, I'll try to give a lot of privacy & maybe she will be less gun shy .... I'll keep you posted.

 

I mean leash walk ... Not lease walk

[CaliforniaGreys]

I just adopted a 2yr old and had trouble teaching her to pee outside, and I have a fenced yard. Not relying on the dog door, I would bring her out with the other 3 every couple of hours and it was very evident to me that she did not understand what she was supposed to do.

So it took a lot of time and patience and once she did pee, I would praise her and give her a special treat. Took almost a week for her to get it, but she did get it and now uses the dog door and knows to pee outside.

 

Hang in there, she will get it, carry some treats with you and when she finally does go, give her a treat and praise her. And good luck!

Edited August 22, 2011 by CaliforniaGreys

[TwiggysMom]

Two of my fosters have been like this. Not adverse to peeing (in the house , just outside).

 

For both of these dogs (both females - coincidence?), it didn't matter whether they were the only dog around, off leash in an enclosed area, or walking on a leash - they just didn't want to pee outside.

 

They did resolve this in about a week each, but the fix wasn't fun - I just had to be more stubborn than they were. I waited until I was pretty sure they needed to pee, then just walked, and walked, and walked, until they finally went (this could take up to 4 hours of non-stop walking - I missed A LOT of work while going through this with each). I felt that the most important thing was not to let them "win" by getting to go back in the house without peeing. Of course, the instant they peed, I threw a huge Potty Party, complete with cheers, pets, treats, and dancing!

 

All that walking wasn't fun (for either of us, and especially not fun for my girl Twiggy), but it worked!

 

(Edited for spelling)

Edited August 22, 2011 by TwiggysMom

[TheFullHouse]

Greyhounds use a turn out pen at the track, it's a small fenced in area and they are free to go where ever they choose. Usually the only time they are on leash to pee is after a race when they collect a urine sample so a lot of greyhounds (females especially) are very shy about going on a leash. My Emmy was so bad that I had to join two leashes together so she had lots of space to go.

[Fruitycake]

I'm sorry to hear you have a shy pee-er too.

 

Our Monty was this way for about the first month we owned him. We had to walk and walk and walk and walk and anytime he'd even think about peeing he'd look at us and then be like "uh, nope, there are people here" and continue on. We had to studiously pretend to be elsewhere (other side of the universe, kinda) to allow him to do anything. No looking at him, no talking (praise was an absolute no-no at first!) and he had to be as far from us on the leash as possible. Made me wish I had Gumby arms, so I could have stretched out farther than about 7' from us, but there was no way to do that. He did the same with poop (to the extent that he'd only poop in (or on) bushes for the first few weeks). That got ugly and very very messy.

 

So, if your dog is anything like ours, my suggestion: Pretend to be anywhere else. Be absolutely silent, and don't move when there's even a *hint* of pottying. If you have to check, the corner of the eye without moving the head is the best way and only very quick glances and hope not to be seen looking. Change routes, if possible (this works for Monty, but I don't know if it would work for others - he'd pee on one thing and then would refuse to even go near it for weeks).

 

If you have a day where you'll be able to dedicate to her, try giving her a LOT of water (flavored so she'll drink lots), and walk and walk and walk and walk so she gets used to it. If possible, keep her outside with you (pack a lunch and have a picnic on a bench or something and offer her more flavored water).

 

Good luck.

[Guest Apollo_Dog]

Well ... I'd like to report she finally went once this morning & it was pretty much away from me as possible. I had to take her on a second walk 1.5 hours later to finally get her to poop. The is new dog is seriously going to make me get in shape

[Gryffenne]

Sammi was a shy pee'r when she first arrived. Like you, leash walks every 1-2 hours, 20+ minute walks and nothing. Finally peed when we tried 2 leashes hooked together and I turned my back After a day or 2 of the double leashes, I got her to one leash with me still turning my back when she started looking around for a spot. A week after adoption she didn't mind me looking in her general direction.

[Guest BlingDogs]

Don't pressure her too much- Dory never pees if I'm looking at her. I just sit on the porch and look into the distance and she goes off on her own and pees. She will pee eventually! Good luck!

[Pennymom]

You know what's funny, we have almost the opposite problem! Sometimes it is impossible to get Penny to pee in the yard, but put her on the leash and take her out, and she will pee on everything in sight. It is so bizarre. I use the same encouraging words, I always throw a "potty party" with treats, but there are times when I have to take her across the street to the park in my jammies because I KNOW she has to pee and she just won't in the yard! I often recruit others to pee in our yard (neighborhood dogs, for example) but I have even been known to say in exasperation to Penny's dad "I have to go to work! Go outside and pee on something so Penny will pee!!" Luckily for us she doesn't have accidents in the house - my god she can hold it!!

[schultzlc]

Sammi was a shy pee'r when she first arrived. Like you, leash walks every 1-2 hours, 20+ minute walks and nothing. Finally peed when we tried 2 leashes hooked together and I turned my back After a day or 2 of the double leashes, I got her to one leash with me still turning my back when she started looking around for a spot. A week after adoption she didn't mind me looking in her general direction.

 

Luna was the same way. If she had the mere idea that I might be looking at her, she would stand back up and give me the stink-eye. I also had to stand with my back to her and listen for the trickle.

This only lasted a few days, and now she is right as rain.

[Guest Apollo_Dog]

Ugh! It's a good thing she is so cute ... I'm very frustrated, I've walk, and walked and walked all day ... I've gotten her to poop twice on the lease but that was with persistant walking (and that's being eatten alive by Mosquitos), I've tried to turn the other way, let me lead her around bushes, trees, etc) ... I have just brought her in and not but 5 minutes later when we not looking she just peed. My other grey has been Looking at us like we are nuts for the amount of walks we've done today ... He is like we have already done around the block once, why do we need to do it again?

[Guest shanesmom]

We were having this problem with Ace too. He was not used to going on a leash. Never had this problem with my first 2 but since I read Greytalk all the time I had already read about some of the solutions and what is working here is a longer leash. He doesn't want to potty to close to me and will go if I give him some extra leash.

[a_daerr]

Ahh, sounds like your new girl is shy about peeing on leash. My dog, Henry, hates pooping on leash. I think some dogs prefer privacy and just do not want anybody watching them do their business. I found that a good solution for this is clicker training. We worked with a trainer and had great success with the clicker. It's a unique sound that dogs can easily associate with praise. As soon as your dog motions like she's going into a pee, click. Then, when she finishes, click again and treat her. I'm sure as time goes on, she will become more confident and learn what is expected of her. Good luck!

[Guest Apollo_Dog]

I'm ready to beat my head against the door ... I'lll stay out for 30 minutes to an hour 1/2 each time and I get nothing, I've placed her on a double leash, I have clicker & treats in my pocket .... But how can I reward her for doing nothing ... To then come straight back into the house to have her pee on the carpet ... She did soooooo well right when we got up this morning, strait outside for business and she cooperated - both pee & poo ... This evening, I can't get anything. I know I need to be patient & I know she doesn't understand what to do .... I just needed to vent and not take it out on her.

[jetcitywoman]

Along with everybody else's suggestions, do you have her on a schedule? Meals at the same time each day, walks at the same time, etc? It will help her learn what is expected of her if you do that. Remember these guys come from an almost military-school-like environment so they're used to a lot of structure. She has to now learn a new structure, and that will be easier if you are fairly rigid about it. (As she settles in, you can drop the rigidity and give her increasingly more freedom.)