6 Month Old Puppy Problems

[SGaunt]

Hi all!! I have a 6 month old collie x German shepherd ... she is so well behaved and picks things up so quickly but we are having a few problems and I was wondering if anyone can help ...

She STILL poos in the house (only when left alone and overnight) and she will wee in others houses when we go to visit (it’s mortifying) ... she will come in from outside and wee straight away ... it’s like she’s not even trying to hold it and think about what she should be doing!!

She has started chewing the furniture when left alone during the day ... I have tried everything ... she has HUNDREDS of puzzle toys and I always make sure to alternate them so she doesn’t get bored ... I have tried freezing them so they last her longer ... we have given her free reign downstairs so she has more room and can look out the window, we leave the radio on, we give her hooves to chew on and other bones etc. And she’s STILL chewing the furniture!! I think she’s bored but I just don’t understand what more I can do?!

Any suggestions would be great fully received!! From a very stressed dog owner!!

 

[TGM]

What is her daily routine and how often and how long is she left alone?

 

[Carlosmum]

I would suggest confining her to a crate while you are out. I was not a believer until I had my last puppy. It saved everyone's sanity, puppy felt safe ( we covered one side with a blanket) furniture remained in one piece. As for the weeing in other houses... make sure she is given a chance to wee before you go in and again shortly afterwards. Carry carpet cleaner & a load of paper towels or cloths with you too, makes clearing up much easier and you don't need to bother your hosts.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Was she farm bred/raised outside?

If she's alone in the house for protracted periods of time then you either have to contain her movements or suffer the consequences. You can't train a dog to do anything (or not) if you are not in the room with it.

Do you ever interact with her, using these toys? Does she actually know what to do with them? Be part of her games rather than just being a dispenser.
Chewing can be stress as well as boredom - we squeeze stress balls, they squeeze stuff with their mouths. So bear in mind that, when you are selecting toys for her.

I too would crate for her own safety, you don't want her eating something she shouldn't - BUT depends on how long she is left for. Is a secure outdoor pen an option?

 

[Lintel]

Id be inclined to crate also and when you're with her really work her mind so she will WANT to sleep. You can find loads of mind games for dogs online- as well as physical one. We tend to stick to a mixture of both with our boy so not to put to much strain on his joints(9mGSD).
You have a very clever dog on your hands and not a mix I'd be brave enough to take on!
Remember they go through stages too, this one being teething with her canines really breaking through- so the worst time for chewing. Spray everything you don't want chewed with bitter apple spray(and lots of it).
As for the peeing I would watch her like a hawk in others houses and give her a row or lift her outside when she goes to do it then praise her when she does it outside
Good luck OP, I always remember being told "a tired puppy is a good puppy" and so far it has worked out with not too much destruction!

 

[twiggy2]

She sounds like a confused and stressed puppy.
How long/often is she left, where is she when left and how much interaction and exercise does she get and how often?
With regards to peeing in other people's houses, what do you do when she has an accident?, don't just give her the opportunity to pee, wait until she pees, keep her on a lead in the house and be vigilant to signs she needs to go, take everything you need to clear up if she had an accident.
Puppies are like toddlers and accidents will happen you can reduce how often by watching her like a hawk but remaining relaxed.
She sounds like she is suffering from separation anxiety with regards to chewing and pooing but without the previous questions answered its difficult to advise.

 

[SGaunt]

She sounds like a confused and stressed puppy.
How long/often is she left, where is she when left and how much interaction and exercise does she get and how often?
With regards to peeing in other people's houses, what do you do when she has an accident?, don't just give her the opportunity to pee, wait until she pees, keep her on a lead in the house and be vigilant to signs she needs to go, take everything you need to clear up if she had an accident.
Puppies are like toddlers and accidents will happen you can reduce how often by watching her like a hawk but remaining relaxed.
She sounds like she is suffering from separation anxiety with regards to chewing and pooing but without the previous questions answered its difficult to advise.

She is left intermittently as I have shifts (probably 2 - 3 times a week and only for 4 - 5 hours at a time). She is left at home (shut in our kitchen/lounge). She is walked twice a day for 45 - 60 mins each and when home we interact with her a lot (playing fetch in the garden etc.)

When she pees in others houses I tell her off and then take her outside. I do watch her like a hawk but she will come in from outside and then two minutes later she’ll squat (doesn’t sniff around or circle etc.) and it’s not all the time so I can’t predict it.

 

[pippixox]

I would look at teaching the 'wee' command, so when you get to friends houses you go outside and tell them to wee outside, with lots of praise. then you know for sure they do not need a wee and also continues to reinforce when it is good to.
my mum in law has 2 young dogs who are nearly 1 and at home always wee in there dog garden (a concrete pen), clean inside, crated overnight. and then went on holiday and have struggled to go for a wee outside- I went for a walk with them recently and neither went at all (shetland sheep dog girls). apparently they then went as soon as they went inside, having been out for hours. they had somehow got confused (I think in part as they are also used to weeing on concrete)

I would be tempted to leave them everyday... I have a collie rescue who despite being left a lot in her first home (or probably because of being left for 8+ hours with no exercise) had separation anxiety. howled even when I went upstairs. so we started with just 20 minutes alone, popping out for no reason! I realise your dog has been left on and off for a while so it may seem weird going backwards, but it does sounds like separation anxiety to me. if she has numerous days in a row never left and then 4 hours, it can seem like a long time for a young sensitive dog. so I would just pop out for an hour on days off.

is she shut in the same area at night as she is in the day? you would hope she would be relied knowing you are just upstairs. have you tried getting up earlier encase she really is desperate to poo? although sounds more like a stress thing given the day time problem too. my friend gives her puppies early dinner or one of them will need a poo in the early hours!

 

[AmyMay]

Weeing in the house is down to you 100%. Take her out to wee and don't just rely on an open door for her to go of her own volition.

If she's going overnight, take her out for a late night wee and get up early to let her out. I also would crate her overnight.

If she's peeing in a friends house it's because she needs to go to toilet or she's excited. So make sure you give her the opportunity of going to toilet before going in to a friends house.

Chewing - she's a puppy. And whilst at 6 months old she should be able to do the odd few hours on her own, 5 is too much.

Have you thought about a dog walker?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Thats a lot of walking for a young pup.

Please don't tell her off. It's not her fault and it just makes them sneaky and more likely to do it in secret.
It's our bad when they go inside for not being vigilant, not theirs.

Dogs like routine so the intermittent shifts might be having an impact.
Also think about the times when she is eating and drinking as that will have an impact.

Where she was born and raised may have a bearing, which is why I asked. What is your outside area like?
Are you expecting her to toilet onlead or off?

 

[splashgirl45]

telling off will not work it will just make her anxious.......4 hours is a long time to leave a puppy IMO. i didnt find my pup easy to housetrain and he would be out in the garden for ages and then come in and pee or poo. i stayed out there with him for a long time and the minute he did anything i praised and gave a treat. this worked very quickly and i think he just didnt understand what was the right thing to do. i also think the exercise is too much. are you just walking quickly or are you allowing her to sniff and dawdle along...if the latter she should be emptying her bladder while out. my puppy didnt chew the furniture, he chewed things like the hoover lead so even though he is now 15 months i still crate him when i am out or in bed, gives me peace of mind and he is so used to sleeping in there he settles down straight away...

 

[twiggy2]

If you come home or downstairs and she has pee'd or poo'd do you also tell her off then?

 

[Clodagh]

I don't think 4 hours is an excessive time to leave a 6 month old, but I would do some training and mind games first so she is tired and would certainly crate. We have a spaniel of a similar age and she is kennelled when we are out, which does gibve them more to see and think about, and they can 'go' if they want to.

 

[twiggy2]

I don't think 4 hrs is too long either if the dog is set up to succeed.
OP telling a dog off for toileting generally just means the dog stops giving signs it needs to go or they become secretive and do it out of sight. Your pup sounds anxious and unsettled and that may be what's making the problem worse.
Feel free to pm me for more advice, dogs is what I do and am happy to help.

 

[splashgirl45]

if she is pooing and peeing while OP is out then i still think 4 to 5 hours is too long, i agree its not a problem if they are clean in the house but dog has the run of the kitchen and living room and is using it as a loo.....

 

[twiggy2]

if she is pooing and peeing while OP is out then i still think 4 to 5 hours is too long, i agree its not a problem if they are clean in the house but dog has the run of the kitchen and living room and is using it as a loo.....

The chances are it's nothing to do with the length if time it's left but either that the dog does not know indoors is not the place to go or that it is toileting due to anxiety and stress.

 

[AandK]

When she pees in others houses I tell her off and then take her outside. I do watch her like a hawk but she will come in from outside and then two minutes later she’ll squat (doesn’t sniff around or circle etc.) and it’s not all the time so I can’t predict it.

Do you take her for a pee before going into other peoples houses? Sounds like she is a bit nervous of strange places. Does she pee when she has been outside? You need to watch them when outside as well, don't just assume because they have been out that they have been to the toilet, you need to see them do it! It also allows you to reinforce the peeing/pooing outside by praising when they do go.
I have two young dogs, one is 3 who we got at 8 weeks and the other is 1 who we got at 16 weeks. With both lots of time was wasted with them outside waiting for them to pee and poo, always supervised! The younger one was a nightmare to toilet train, never pooed in the house but would wee every 10mins when we first got him, would take him for a pee outside (which he would do) and then 5mins later he would pee inside.. It took a lot of patience, kitchen roll and spray but we got there in the end.
I found the number of times they are fed tends to correspond with how often they have a poo (unless on an exciting walk!). Does your pup have a poo in the evening/last thing at night? And also think about when she last went before you leave her alone during the day.
We had to get a crate for the younger pup as he started chewing the carpet and door frames (after we decorated and put new carpets down of course!) even when left for a short period of time. The older dog did go through a short period of chewing at about 6 months or so but it didn't last long.

 

[Blazingsaddles]

I, too, think 4-5 hours left alone is too long for this particular puppy. She’s anxious & displaying stress induced behaviour, which includes her peeing. As a previous poster mentioned, you have a highly intelligent cross breed & one that will need more mental stimulation than physical exercise. A crate is ideal for these types.

 

[Clodagh]

I, too, think 4-5 hours left alone is too long for this particular puppy. She’s anxious & displaying stress induced behaviour, which includes her peeing. As a previous poster mentioned, you have a highly intelligent cross breed & one that will need more mental stimulation than physical exercise. A crate is ideal for these types.

I don't think a crate is ideal as a stand alone, yes I use them but the dog has to want to sleep and be chilled to go in one. So extra work 'training' and then crate.