Something has got to change or they are going!!!!!

[Gpalin]

Hi guys,

I need your help, I love both of my dogs very much Floyd is 2 in Feb and Charlie is 1 next month but im not getting to enjoy the good bits.

Every morning since the rain and every afternoon when I get home they have made a mess poo, wee everywhere  Just because the ground is wet or it's raining they wont do there business outside  I want to have my kitchen done which I have been waiting 2 years for and I dont want them to ruin it.

Im sick of the wet floor everytime they come in from outside it's driving me mad I need to seperate them from me from time to time so I can have my life too without them jumping up all over me all the time  but I only live in a small terrace house what can I do im at my wits end and something has to change. I let them out at 8:30 this morning then went back to bed an hour later when I came back down there was another poo and wee  I just shout at them and smack them but I know this isnt the right way to do it 

Help and suggestions very much needed please?

xxxx

[crazyspaniels]

shouting and smacking is probably why they are doing this, negative behavious when it comes to house training has been shown to make the problem worse, you need to get a behaviourist in to show you the correct way to deal with this problem

[Sheryl]

Thing is Gemma, you won't get the good bits if you don't put the work in.  It is no use me telling you shouting and smacking is wrong because you know that anyway   I know it is easy to let yourself get annoyed when your house is a mess and they are doing your bonce in but you really have to start some sort of training programme with them or you will be saying the same things in 5 years time!  You are lucky that you have a floor that gets wet that you can mop.  My two come straight in the lounge from the garden and I usually have muddy prints on my carpet

Something has got to change but that something is you.  Unless you change what you are doing, they won't change what they are doing.  When you do, then all the good bits you are waiting for, will happen.

[Sarah.H]

How often do you walk them? Both Millie and Charlie prefer to do their business out on a walk.

[*Theresa*]

How often do you walk them? Both Millie and Charlie prefer to do their business out on a walk.

Same here, neither of my two are keen to go in the garden although they will go for a quick wee if told to but anything else they prefer to save for a walk.

We never shouted at Glen for accidents in the house and although he never pood in the house he often had wee accidents. I just cleaned them up and ignored it and now he has been completely house trained for months. I appreciate its frustrating and sometimes makes no sense ie they pee in the house 5 mins after they get back in but just be consistent and lots of praise when they get it right.

It does come together in the end but you really have to make sure you give them plenty of chances to get it right so maybe more walks will be the answer for you. 

[Elmo]

It sounds like you need professional advice from a  behaviourist for more than just the toileting if they are jumping up at you and you are smacking them and shouting at them. If they have been correctly toilet trained from day one you shouldnt be having this problem, odd accidents are accepted as accidents do happen but not everyday.

A behaviourist will be able to assess why your having these problems and giude you through how to sort them. It will be a long process if this problem is on going but if you keep at it you will get there

[debsallen]

I know I am new to having a dog, but I am sure that smacking is not the right way


Dogs need encouragement and will learn what they are taught. 

Have you tried to get help?   hoe long have to yue had the dogs? have you ever taken them to training classes?

[Trischie]

Hi,

I know I don't know you or your household, so forgive me if I seem assumptions, but there are a few areas which I think you could work on to help the problem, just going by your first message.

The dogs don't know what you're getting angry about when you come into the kitchen. If they look scared or guilty,  it's just a reaction to your behaviour. Unless you catch them at weeing or pooing, and you can pick them up and pop them outside, there is no use reacting to the mess at all - they just don't get the connection at all. If they aren't getting much stimulation at 8.30 in the morning, it may also be a way of getting your attention - as with kids: even bad attention is better than no attention.

Sounds to me like they would have much more appreciated a nice Sunday morning walk with you at 8.30, rather than a trot around the garden. Going back to bed for another hour is a bit of luxury for dog owners (though easy for me to say, with two kids jumping over me at 6am on a Sunday morning - I'm glad to get out for some peace then!)

The "jumping all over you all day" seems to indicate boredom as well.

Maybe a nice walk in the morning would solve the peeing in the kitchen problem and also the over-excitement at home during the day as well.

Hope it works

Love Chris

[*sammy*]

it took ages and ages to get sam finally house trained and he's only been reliable for a month or so. i would go back to basic with oyur two. taking them out every hour, i still do this with sam when i'm home. praise them for going outside and unless oyu catch them doing it just clean up the mess. don't make a fuss. i get up and 6.15 every morning to let sam out, then go back to bed for an hour or so. i try not to give sam the opportunity to fail by taking him out all the time and not leaving him for long periods. i think if i left sam for 5/6 hours he'd have a pee and it would only be my fault. IYSWIM.

maybe see if you can get a week or two off work so you can really go back to basics with them, if not have you got anyone who could let them out a few times in the day for you. how about dog walkers or daycare.

i would also clean the whole house, clean all surfaces too where they jump up. if they step in their wee then jump up on the cupboard doors they would have left traces of pee there. try and remove all scents.

HTH- i really feel for you i thought we'd never get there with sam, he's 10months old now.

[Cob-Web]

I'm fed up with the mud, wet and wind too - it takes ages to get ready to go for a walk, and just as long to clean up when we get home 

But, dog ownership is about compromise - and if you want to enjoy sharing your life with dogs, then you also have to accept that in the winter that means a wet floor and paw marks on your clothes 

I agree that lie-in's are a luxury - some dogs will happily settle down again; but others won't - and you have a responsibility to meet your dogs needs. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but you chose to have your dogs 


From a practical perspective, crates and babygates can help, as can keeping the dogs coats (especially feet) clipped short in order to reduce the amount of water they bring in from the garden    when I go to work, I say goodbye to my dogs and then get changed into my work clothes - that way I don't risk getting paw marks all over them  If you want a few days off off now and again, so you can lie in and not worry about them needing to be walked - then how about you book them into kennels for a weekend now and again ?

We occasionally have a puddle or poo indoors - it's part and parcel of dog ownership, and we have designed our home to be practical - again, another compromise because we enjoy sharing our lives with our dogs 

[PennyB]

Rach gives good advice

I too live in a small terraced house with a small yard with 2 cockers and 4 cats. If I want to escape from my two then like the cats I have the upstairs as a dog free zone, and my office as a cat/dog free zone as well if I want. There are ways to separate you from them if you may be have a rethink about blocking access with gates etc. When you want that peace may be settle them somewhere away from you behind a gate or in a crate and give them something to chew on or a kong.

Re the housetraining then you may just have to get back to basics again

[MurphyandHarry]

There's loads of good advice on here Gpalin. I particularly like Sammy's suggestions. Cockers adore attention and want to be loved. My two have now got the idea that they have to wait to get their feet dried before they can run off around the house. I'm afraid at this time of year muddy pawprints are the norm.
Harry doesn't like going outside in the rain, he'd rather hold onto it!! I've found that standing by the back door encouraging him to go works. They both know that they get a reward when the come back in - this could be a biscuit, carrot or a huge big hug! It takes time, patience and a bit more time and the rewards will be tenfold. Your babies are still young. Please give them a bit more time.
Katherine

[Woody's Mum]

Loads of good advice here.

I know that this weather is appalling. I have Woody, my cat and 3 horses that all need attention before I go to work at 8.30 - so I feel your pain!!

I'd advise going right back to basics. If I turfed Woody in the garden on his own in the rain, he would sit on the doorstep and moan and then probably come back in and pee on my floor! There is nothing for it but to get wellies and coat on and go out on the garden with them until you know they are 'empty'!!

I'd personally make sure they go for a loooong walk in the mornings, a walk at lunchtime and another looong walk at tea time. This exercise and routine will quite quickly make sure that they get all thier toilets done, make them want a nice kip in the day while you get one with your chores, and will also create a much nicer bond than the 'them and me' situation that you seem to have now.

Good Luck .. its actually quite fun to go splashing in the puddles with your mutts if you have wellies on!! 

[Gpalin]

At the minute they are only getting out once or twice a week yep I know that's my fault and not fair on them but I havnt been well since hristmas and have so much on. Im also sick of the pulling tehy do when they are on there leads 

[*sammy*]

get some sporn harnesses adn make the walking part of your routine. that will def help. they are prob bored and frustrated.  getting out will be good for you too. it will give you time to bond with them