Housebreaking Issues

[Guest CatsandGreys]

Ok, so Aiden has been mostly great in the house until the last couple of days. He had diarrhea issues for a while and went in the house, but I didn't blame him because he had tummy a upset. That is fixed now, so no problem there. He went pee in the house twice because I was not quick enough getting him outside first thing in the morning, that was ok too because it was my fault.

 

 

But the last couple of days, he's been going in the house (seemingly on purpose). It happens when I’m at work and my mom is watching him. She'll let the other dogs outside to potty and play, and when she turns him away from the door and tells him he can't go outside with them, he'll go to the carpeted hallway and pee. He'll do this even if he just went out and peed half an hour ago.

 

Is this a behavior thing? He doesn't do this to me when I'm home. Or does he just need to empty his tank more when he goes out? Is it time for a belly band? I've never had to use one before, so how do you use it exactly?

 

 

We know he likes to play with the other pups, but he can only play with the one large dog outside in his special fenced area. And they play kind of rough, so they need to be supervised when playing. The other two pups are less than 10 lbs, so they can only play inside when supervised, not outside. (Also, my mom babysits during this time, so she can't spend tons of time supervising outdoor play)

 

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Feisty49]

I think it's pretty obvious that Aiden wants to go outside with the other dogs, whether to potty or play. When he's denied, he pees in the house. He's telling you and your mom big time, "Me too!" My suggestion is to use muzzles for rough play or have your mom leash him to her when the others go outside so he can't walk away and pee on the carpet. She can use treats and lots of praise to keep his mind off the others.

 

I'm sure you'll get more, and better suggestions, below. Good luck!

Edited November 6, 2014 by Feisty49

[Guest CatsandGreys]

I think it's pretty obvious that Aiden wants to go outside with the other dogs, whether to potty or play. When he's denied, he pees in the house. He's telling you and your mom big time, "Me too!" My suggestion is to use muzzles for rough play or have your mom leash him to her when the others go outside so he can't walk away and pee on the carpet. She can use treats and lots of praise to keep his mind off the others.

 

I'm sure you'll get more, and better suggestions, below. Good luck!

I like your suggestions already! Thank you!

[a_daerr]

Is it time for a belly band? I've never had to use one before, so how do you use it exactly?

 

Belly bands are designed for marking behavior (i.e. leg lifting, peeing little amounts to mark territory). IMHO, they're not a substitute for housetraining. When a dog is all-out peeing and saturating the belly band, the pee just sits there against the dog's body. If you're out of the house or at work, it could potentially sit there for hours. At that point, they're more harm than good because then you're looking at the likely possibility of UTIs and skin issues.

 

Don't buy into the idea that a dog pees "on purpose" or they're doing it to "get revenge." What it sounds like is that Aidan sees your mother heading to the door. He sees the other dogs getting excited and ready to go out, and he feels the urge to pee. Then, when he's shooed away from the door and left inside by himself, he's already so pumped up, he pees because he can't help it. Is there a reason he can't go outside with the others?

 

You have to watch new dogs like a hawk. For situations where you (or your mom) can't physically watch him, confine him to a smaller area where he's unlikely to pee (crate, x-pen, baby gates, whatever). There shouldn't be opportunities where he can just sneak off and pee unseen, at least until he's reliably housetrained. "Reliable" means zero accidents in a six month period. And of course, do not punish the accidents. If you catch him "in the act," you can clap your hands or raise your voice to try and interrupt him, but try not to get angry. Praise him everytime he goes where he's supposed to. This is something I'd take very seriously and nip in the bud soon... with every subsequent accident, the behavior becomes more ingrained. A few accidents isn't a big deal, but when the dog has had 10, 15, 20+ accidents, the behavior becomes exponentially harder to reverse.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

I wonder, when your mom lets the little dogs out, could she snap a leash on him and take him for a quick walk in the yard, so he can pee with the others?

[GeorgeofNE]

Sounds to me like he has to pee and isn't being allowed to. A dog left outside on his own may not be peeing if he's sniffing, etc. So he either needs to be leash walked to make sure he's empty, or someone needs to go outside with him and make sure he's urinating.