posted September 06, 2005 10:05 AM         

As some of you know, she's a year and a half old and has spent the last 8 months in a shelter.
Besides being an (understandably) shy dog, she's mostly wonderful. She follows me around like a shadow, lets Meg crawl and love all over her, and just seems all round grateful to be part of a family.

I said "mostly", however, because there is one problem - she's not remotely housebroken, and it seems more and more evident that it's a more deep-seated behavioral problem than an issue of lack of training.
At first she seemed fine, no messes at all, but then we found a big puddle on the living room carpet. Oh, no problem - we probably just didn't take her out soon enough (we waited until 7 AM). We had taken her for a walk the night before right before bed, but, y'know, perhaps she just couldn't hold it that long. I cleaned the area thoroughly to get all trace of scent out.
The next day there was pee and poop in a different place to greet us in the morning - it was cold and drying, so it had happened sometime in the middle of the night.
I brought her over to it, said, "No!", took her outside, and said, "Go potty."
I'm not sure if the scolding made any sense to her, but I needed it.
I then took her for a good 30 minute walk; she gets three 30 minute - hour and a half walks per day and several trips out into the yard - we want to give her ample opportunity to do well so we can praise her (which we do whenever she does).
The next day I woke up at 5:30 and took her out in the yard (I couldn't walk her b/c Meg was asleep and Jase was a work). Yay! She peed! Lots of praise, a few treats.
We came back in, she followed me around the house, and then went back...I assumed to her water dish. No dice - she had gone back and pooped in Meg's room (why does she always choose the carpet?!?).
OK, so she's just not getting the picture.
She got brought back to the poop, scolded ("No! No poop in the house!") - I hoped that it was still fresh enough in her mind that'd make sense - and brought outside again.
"Go here!"
We started leashing her to us whenever we were in the house so that we could catch her whenever she wants to "go"...maybe we can head this off at the pass and make success possible, give her a few more "Atta Girls!" under her collar.
Both Jase and I went in to get Meg up from her nap...and Zoe peed...in a different place...right in front of us and with almost no warning.
.
This morning, after having had a good walk and a lot of incidental time outside before bed, I went in to find that she had peed in her new kennel (which we had gotten in the hopes that, hey, who would pee where they're sleeping?).
She was standing in it.
I didn't scold her for it...it was already dried on the plastic and the stuff on her blanket was cold...I didn't think she'd know what I was talking about.

posted September 06, 2005 10:46 AM         

My dog's old so he is always peeing in the house

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Gemini sun, Cancer rising, mercury in Gemini, moon in Taurus *29, venus in Taurus, mars in Libra

"You must live in the infinite blackness that exists when I close my eyes. I see you when I fall asleep, I see you when I dream."

posted September 06, 2005 01:13 PM         

So i really feel that the shelter should offer some type of class or one-on-one addressing the issue directly.

Also, it is not uncommon for a dog her age to be incontinent. Jasmine is 2 years old, and she has been peeing in her sleep and during naps for 1 year. I put off taking her to the Vet for it because I didn't want her to be on meds at such a young age. So we would always take her pee at 9 p.m. every night (we still do) and just try and work on it that way. (as well as other potty thins I mentioned in another thread). She had no idea she was dripping/peeing a puddle. Anyhow, about 2 weeks ago, I had to wash my bed twice in 1 week and I said "enough is enough". "Jasmine, you're getting the peepee pill." So the Vet gave Proin, (PPA) (phenylpropnolamine) the pee pill that many dogs are on. Now she doesn't pee/puddle/in sleep, etc. anymore. The Vet mentioned that female dogs are getting incontinent at a much younger age than ever before. He said he has 500 female dogs on the pee pill.
I told him I think it's because they get spayed, and he said, yes, that's true, because their body doesn't make estrogen anymore. That's why old ladies get incontinent because their bodies don't make estrogen anymore.

Just thought I'd give you all that info. in case it helps shed some light.

posted September 08, 2005 09:28 PM         

It's sad how much things have changed. He is 15 now.

He's not the same anymore and it breaks my heart.

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Gemini sun, Cancer rising, mercury in Gemini, moon in Taurus *29, venus in Taurus, mars in Libra

"You must live in the infinite blackness that exists when I close my eyes. I see you when I fall asleep, I see you when I dream."