Stuck in a vicious cycle...

[RoxyRed]

Hope everything works out for you, have been keeping up with your posts, and i can tell you i was nearly at my wits end with roxy, now 4 months. She was brilliant at being left and she has always gone through the night without messing. What got us the most was the fact that like you we used to take her out, spend god knows how long outside saying 'go for a wee wee' neighbours must of thought we were mad  , with her doing nothing, then she would come back in and either wee, poo or do both. We just couldnt keep up, we went through so much spray and kitchen role, but then it was like it suddenly clicked at about 16 weeks, she decided she would jump at the door to go out. We were amazed, so just hang in there and im sure he will pick it up, not all puppies are the same, someone told me they had there puppy toilet trained in a week, i was like 'how!?!'.

What is the best thing about Odie? It will cheer you up to tell us about it 

xxxx

[Geordietyke]

Thanks for your reply, it really helps hearing about other people's experiences to know there is light at the end of a (very long) tunnel!  

The good things about Odie are:

1.  He's got a great little personality, quite good with my 2 daughters (apart from his mad cocker moments)
2.  He sleeps throughout the night with no messing (only need to sometimes get up for wee around 4-5am)
3.  He took to lead walking very well, pulls a bit but we are working on that
4.  I let him off lead the first week he was allowed out (12 weeks) and he is so good at coming back to me and staying close.  It helps that my mam's whippet, Charlie is an excellent teacher for this!
5.  He is a MAJOR mammy's boy!  Mind you, not sure if this should go in the bad points list though! 
6.  He seems to get on with all dogs he meets, he gives the proper respect to older ones!
7.  He loves anyone and everyone he meets but always comes back to his mum!

Not so good:

1.  I'm covered in bruises/scratches from the little tinker, he has many mad cocker moments at present and is a terrible 'play' biter.  That, I'm hoping he'll grow out of.
2.  Apart from the problems above, he rarely asks to go out for the toilet and in the middle of a game, he'll squat before I can say 'nnoooooo'!!!!!
3.  He is so clingy with me, can't go ANYWHERE without him trying to follow, then crying/scratching at door if I close door on him.  I suppose if my training is successful in the next few days, this behaviour will also improve. 

 

[Chocolatecoco]

Hi there

Just to try and help i will add my two pence worth 

Firstly, i would say like you did when you got back from school and sorted the children first and then the pup i would agree with doing each time he does soil in his crate during the day when you leave him. This is because i found that with my pups some of this behaviour can be down to attention seeking which can be part of the SA. If he does mess in the crate no matter how upset you are do not speak to him deal with him in silence and never tell him off (bad attention is just as good as good attention). I found my pups never liked the mess and so the moment i stopped running and dealing with them as soon as i smelt something was the time that they stopped doing it. Once clean again treat him as normal. It will get better all my girls are now clean and dry.

I know about the bruises as well the cocker girls can have moments where they want to jump up as so joyful at seeing you. However i know only give fuss once they have all four paws on the floor - this too is getting much better.

[Geordietyke]

Thanks for that.  Funnily enough, Odie never seemed bothered that he soiled his bedding etc and was covered from head to toe in poo    He speciality was dancing through it and smearing it everywhere!  Mind you, he used to shake for England when I had to wash him daily in the early weeks and now after 6 weeks of needing no bath, washed him yesterday when I arrived home to a stonker of a mess and he was fine with the water. 

Started his intense crate training today - done 3 sessions of 15 mins and he wasn't too bad.  Had a bit of whining but not manic and trying to get out so if I can initially continue this for another 6 days should hopefully see some improvement with leaving him alone for short periods of time.  Fingers and toes crossed! 

[RoxyRed]

Hes definately better than Roxy at the walking, shes a nightmare, pulls till she chokes herself and we let her off the lead and the other day, bolted and ran straight across the road, it frightened the living daylight out of me.

He will get better and he sounds like a great little puppy that eventually will become an amazing dog 

xxxx

[coralee]

How's it going!??!? *fingers crossed for you*

[Geordietyke]

Well Coralee, we have now done 2 days of 3 x 15 mins sessions and he has surprised me somewhat!  I managed to do all the steps with him.  He initially went mad, biting the cage trying to get out (step 1) but after that, would whine for around 5-10 secs then sit down (or even lie down) without me telling him and I can manage to go out of the room for around 2-4 mins successfully.  Saying that, the past 2 days he hasn't pooed in cage whilst I was out on school run and I left him for over an hour yesterday and came home to no poo again!   It might have been a fluke but at least I've had some respite from cleaning him/cage!  Am continuing for the next few days so see how it goes and will keep you posted. 

[coralee]

Fab news - but stick at it even if he doesn't poo (they can lull you in to a false sense of security!!) if he has a step back, just smile and carry on! You'll get there, I know you will 

[Geordietyke]

Thanks   I visited my parents house today and usually I take a cage with me when Odie gets a bit hyper/naughty.  I didn't need it today!  He also usually has a few 'accidents'.  Not today!  He asked to go outside every time   I'm still doing his training for another 5 days regardless and have now received some DAP spray so am going to use that when I go on school run in 15 mins. 

[nickycnc]

Great, progress at last.  Don't worry if he has the odd slip up. Charley (11weeks) always cries for about 1 nano second to go out, if i miss it she just does it wherever. I would say that every few days she just wee's inside with no warning (even if I've just taken her out) and I think she's got no excuse for that, but then I remind myself she's just a baby...

[coralee]

What's the scores on the doors Ms Geordie?!?! 

Hope it's all going well...we had a bit of a set-back yesterday - I was out for 2 hours and Harvey went off like a rocket!!  - there was poo, there was howling...there was even poo in the water bowl   

He's been excellent for a couple of weeks!! rar rar rar!!

...aaaaaand....step one!! 

[Geordietyke]

Yes, we had a couple of set backs yesterday and today too   1.  Hubby left him unattended whilst we were putting kids to bed last night - BIG MISTAKE - done numerous poos down hallway!!  2.  Went upstairs for 10 seconds today and he whined then done a poo (even though I'd had him out just before putting him in crate!  Oh well, actually I don't feel too bad knowing it is happening to other people as well    Will keep at it.....   

[PennyB]

BTW he is also super clingy with me as I'm at home all day with him.

I'm at home all day with mine but I made sure they weren't with me 24/7 from day 1 - I do same with fosters and will make a point of not letting them follow me all the time and sometimes when I do stuff and they're around I sometimes pretend they're not there and sometimes I give them something to chew on (kong/chew etc.) where they can see me but am not with them. If you're at home all time you often have to work hard from day 1 to make them independent.

One thing I've been doing a lot of of late so pups get space and I get space to work is I've put a barrier up in the kitchen so they can't get to me but it can be seen through (its a puppy panel - one that makes up a pen)

If you work hard now you can most likely knock this on the head. Good luck

[Geordietyke]

Thanks for that.  But I've tried doing this (by using a puppy pen in the kitchen) and if you've read my (desperate) posts, they have mainly been because Odie poos in pen/crate when he loses sight of me.  This is still ongoing after 9 weeks!  I'm now at the point where I have to keep going (and cleaning up) and hoping he'll eventually be confident enough to realise I'm coming back!

[Mel]

Tali adores his crate, takes his toys in there, his treats, eats his food in there, but even with training, if I shut the door, all hell breaks loose. And yes pooing within minutes and now he's on Advocate I can keep bathing him as they must not get immersed in water. I share your frustration. I too have felt so down at times, especially as I have tried everything and am not inexperienced with puppies. My hands are in a dreadful state and very sore because he doesn't get anything about not biting me. He thinks it's a game, as with the SA, so I'm on your side. PM me if you want a chat.