Getting Her To Pee On Leash

[queenwinniesmom]

Kiva has only been with us for about 2 weeks, so I know it's early, but I need some tips for getting her to pee and poop on leash. It's problematic enough just to get her to go to the bathroom in the fenced yard, but she won't do it at all on a walk. Today I was determined to get her to pee on leash. After a long walk---when she didn't go, but Calvin and Angie both did---I took off her harness in our fenced yard. With the leash on her collar, I literally walked her around the yard for at least half an hour, saying encouragingly, "Go pee" (what we always say). She hadn't peed since 10:30 this morning. She would NOT go. So I got them in, fed them, then after a little while, took her out again, and walked her around. After about 10 minutes, she finally peed! YAY! I praised her, kissed her, and brought her back in.

 

So, is this the best way to try and get her to go? We are hampered by bad timing---I am in the middle of a 2 week live in pet sitting job, and though I come home every day to let them out, walk them, and spend time with them, I'm not home a lot of the time (evenings, nights and early mornings). I wish it hadn't worked out like this, but the clients went to Tahiti and Bora Bora, and booked me at least 8 months ago. I had no control when Kiva's transport would happen. So we're stuck with this not ideal situation. It's further complicated by her still being scared of Doug. She's not really a spook, she just is scared of him---won't come to him, etc. So he can't help with this situation at all. She's had a few pooping accidents in the house, and 1 pee. But otherwise, she's great. I knew she loved me, she's so sweet and affectionate, she loves the other dogs, and is good with the cats. She sleeps in the bedroom with Calvin and Angie, and is fine being left alone and un-crated.

 

But the leash situation is frustrating. We'll be going to Grapehounds the end of July, and she won't be off leash unless we go to the tennis courts at the Lodge. I'm hoping that she'll go when she HAS to go (and that the togetherness will help with her shyness with Doug), but it would be great to have a head start.

[XTRAWLD]

Kasey had no clue he was supposed to do his business on leash. It took for-ev-er for him to learn. Give yourself lots of time and be patient and take her out solo and just walk and walk and any elimination you just lose your mind with praise on her so she understands it's an awesome thing, food reward too. It took me a while to realize Kasey had to do a trot, along a curb and the second the curb got to an end, the very possible last patch of grass available is where he would do a 2. So I would always make sure that was in our routine so he could gear him self up to poop! Honestly just stay out there till she goes. This might make you late for work (I know I was)! Surely a half hour is enough but nope!

 

Doug also needs to have pockets full of cut up hot dogs at all times!

[Fruitycake]

This is what we had to deal with when we got Monty. He had never learned it was ok to potty when on leash, so coming to our unfenced-yard home was a learning experience for all of us. He required long walks, sometimes multiple hours, and whenever he seemed to be thinking of doing anything he'd stop if we moved or said anything or even looked in his direction. We would freeze, pretend to be on the other side of the universe and face away so we could barely watch from the corner of our eyes to see if anything happened, and just keep walking if he hadn't. Different routes, because he did (and still does) need new places to leave his pee every time, and making sure we had at least an hour every morning and multiple hours in the evening and night walks. It got so we could actually watch him after a couple of months, and eventually everything was fine. Though training him to pee on command failed miserably, our other nongrey is trained to go pee to a command (as was our prior). The two were both nongreys and girls, which might have been working together to make them more trainable in that way. Monty still is a fussbudget about where is good enough for his precious, precious pee, so training him was given up on. He keeps 'adopting the pose' and yet not peeing, so tying the command to actually *doing* it was doomed.

 

Patience will be a godsend, and maybe by hanging out with her on a longer, maybe double-length leash in the backyard and getting her comfortable going there on leash will help.

[GreyPoopon]

I second the longer leash and look away ideas. You might start in the yard for safety and convenience. Use a long line or two or three leashes together. Let her wander to the end and don't stare at her--look the other way and watch her from the corner of your eye. Praise when she goes. You'll soon be able to shorten the line (gradually) and be a little less...distracted. You might find that she is quicker to adapt with one type of elimination, but eventually she'll be comfortable doing either during walks.

[juliemac]

Since you're in the middle of a pet-sitting job and you've got a new hound, is it possible for Kiva to stay with a (female) friend who has the time to give her the patience she needs? good luck!

[queenwinniesmom]

I hate that I'm away from home. But I don't know where else she could be right now. I've even thought about bringing her out here (where I'm pet sitting---the owners said I could), but I think that would be stressful to her, and to the 2 dogs I'm watching.

 

We'd just been letting them out to do their business, but now I'm going to try leashing her every time. Doug wouldn't be able to do that---she's not relaxed enough with him yet. We'll both be home during the day for 3 days (he's been at work when I'm home), so maybe we can try Doug leashing her when I'm there. Maybe she'll pee to get it over with! And I'll make sure he always has some treats or hot dogs. Kiva is very food oriented.

 

I like the idea of a long leash! I'd considered that, and will give it a try from now on. Oh, yes, you must NEVER make eye contact when they are doing their business. I still have to do that with Angie sometimes. Calvin could care less. He'll look into your eyes and pee on your shoe.

 

So I guess the most important thing is patience.

[Guest AtticusMom]

Yes, I agree with patience. I was almost in tears with Atticus, as he seemed to "refuse" to go to the bathroom when I offered him the chance. I had senior dogs for so long, I had forgotten that the younger dogs don't need to go out nearly that much.

 

We have leash-pottied all of our greys. I think it is a useful skill for them to have. I have had success keeping a predictable "schedule" of sorts, where possible. For example: 1. wake up, and go outside . 2. have breakfast + then go outside. 3. go for long walk which gives the best pee/poo opportunities. 4. afternoon bathroom break, if possible. 5. have dinner + then go outside. 6. bed time: go outside + followed by delicious snack (we don't come inside until they have gone, at night). Atticus at 3 years old doesn't "need" to go out this often, I just give him the option to.

 

I will say none of my greys have minded if I look at them when they "go". They might be a bit shameless in that regard.

[sobesmom]

I never had trouble with boys, but my Diana and several female fosters gave me issues with going on-leash. We had a fenced yard, so that was "the place" to go. Long leash, look away, and follow "the trot".

 

I think on-leash in the yard is a good place to start.

[queenwinniesmom]

Ah, we're not making a whole lot of progress. I tried the longer leash, and that freaked her out. So I went back to the regular leash on her collar, not the harness. And sometimes she will, sometimes she won't. Yesterday, my frustration got the best of me. I walked around my little yard for 45 minutes in 90 degreee heat. No luck. So I took them in, fed them dinner, gave her a little time, then took her out again for about 15 minutes. Nothing. I had to get back to my pet sitting job, so I gave up, which makes me feel like all my effort was pointless. She may have realized that I was going to leave, and that stressed her.

 

So I'm going to backtrack for a while. I'll just let her out off leash, so there is a better chance of her peeing. Otherwise, she'll go in the house. She poops in the house every day.

 

Good news----I'm finally home from the job. Hopefully I can get her on a more consistent schedule. And maybe she'll be a little more relaxed, since she's still scared of Doug.

[sobesmom]

Ah, we're not making a whole lot of progress. I tried the longer leash, and that freaked her out. So I went back to the regular leash on her collar, not the harness. And sometimes she will, sometimes she won't. Yesterday, my frustration got the best of me. I walked around my little yard for 45 minutes in 90 degreee heat. No luck. So I took them in, fed them dinner, gave her a little time, then took her out again for about 15 minutes. Nothing. I had to get back to my pet sitting job, so I gave up, which makes me feel like all my effort was pointless. She may have realized that I was going to leave, and that stressed her.

 

So I'm going to backtrack for a while. I'll just let her out off leash, so there is a better chance of her peeing. Otherwise, she'll go in the house. She poops in the house every day.

 

Good news----I'm finally home from the job. Hopefully I can get her on a more consistent schedule. And maybe she'll be a little more relaxed, since she's still scared of Doug.

Hang in there. It is frustrating. You'll get there.

[Jessa]

Brandy is super picky about where she goes, and we don't have a fenced yard so she has to be on leash. We worked out a compromise that you could maybe try-

 

I only ever take her to a certain corner of the yard to do her business, and she'll trot around me in a circle so she can keep moving without the tug of the leash attached to the slow human. Any resistance on the leash will make her instantly stop and look at me, completely breaking her concentration. She's slowly working on having to do less laps each time, I'm hoping we get to a point where she'll just GO!

She'll only trot counter-clockwise, too. Clockwise is just offensive. Old racing habits?

Maybe she needs the illusion that she isn't necessarily on leash in order to go? Trotting her in a small circle takes away the awkward stop and go that being on leash gives, and her concentration to potty hopefully won't be broken!

[queenwinniesmom]

An update....since I'm home, I decided that I'd try and work first on a schedule, so I can get her to pee outside at all. Not much luck on the on leash thing, so I've just been taking her out on a very regular basis, and she's gone 2 whole days without peeing in the house, and she's had just 1 in house poop. She seems to be more comfortable without the harness, so I've been taking it off. But she needs it when walking. Sooo, I feel like the light is beginning to dawn, so I'll keep that up for a while, and worry about the on leash pees later. It just seemed to stress her too much. And she needs less stress as she's adjusting. Does this sound like it makes sense?

 

Grapehounds is less than 2 weeks.

 

She's scared of Doug when there is a lot of space where she can avoid him, but in the car, she's much better! We've been taking all of them to a different green space each Sat. and Sun. She's really good in the car. Yesterday, she put her head on his shoulder while he was driving, and gave him a little kiss! Of course, once out of the car, she won't do that, but I feel like there is progress being made!