Is it possible for a dog to be so intelligent......

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shadowboy

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That it knows if a fabric is waterproof or absorbent?

Our 5 month old pup is now out of her crate at night and in a dog bed. When she was in a crate we could only bed her on towels as she'd urinate on anything else. We had her tested for a UTI which was clear. Anyway as soon as she was in a bed she started to wee in her bed and so I got fed up of washing an entire dog bed every day sometimes twice.

I was walking through PAH 3 days ago and spotted a waterpoof bed cover. The fabric is really soft and feels a bit like the outer of a soft rain coat. Zipped it over the outside of the pad in the centre of the dog bed initially not to prevent her from weeing but to make the clean up easier...... And she hasn't weed in it since!!!
 
The urine pools in the waterproof fabric rather than being absorbed which makes it wet and uncomfortable for the dog, which is then less likely to pee on it. I managed to stop my Tibetan Terrier from peeing on the sofa by wrapping the whole thing in plastic.

Some dogs hate peeing on concrete and other non-absorbent surfaces as the pee then touches their feet.
 
I understand how they would figure this out after urinating once to experience this. But as soon as the cover was on she stopped- no accidents so no opportunity to trial it- that's a considerable inference for a dog to make is it not?
 
I'd be very surprised if any dog ever had the IQ to work out for themselves the fact that material was, or wasn't porous and so would or wouldn't make life uncomfortable. Dogs really don't have such a connection of thoughts, or such a process, I don't believe. Their thinking tends to be an association of ideas, with instant cause and effect, rather than by applying logic.

I would be more inclined to agree with Booboos, in that the surface itself really wasn't very inviting, and it was that which prevented the dog from urinating. I have a kennel living Cocker bitch, and she will not urinate on the concrete floor of her run. She urinates on her wooden bed boards, the wretched little thing, and the problem during the winter is getting her bed boards to dry when I've washed them off.

Though not always the case, I suspect that bitches are generally a little more picky where the pee, than dogs, and for many there needs to be a degree of comfort involved!

Alec.
 
Alec Swan said:
I'd be very surprised if any dog ever had the IQ to work out for themselves the fact that material was, or wasn't porous and so would or wouldn't make life uncomfortable. Dogs really don't have such a connection of thoughts, or such a process, I don't believe. Their thinking tends to be an association of ideas, with instant cause and effect, rather than by applying logic.

I would be more inclined to agree with Booboos, in that the surface itself really wasn't very inviting, and it was that which

revented the dog from urinating. I have a kennel living Cocker bitch, and she will not urinate on the concrete floor of her run. She urinates on her wooden bed boards, the wretched little thing, and the problem during the winter is getting her bed boards to dry when I've washed them off.

Though not always the case, I suspect that bitches are generally a little more picky where the pee, than dogs, and for many there needs to be a degree of comfort involved!

Alec.
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Why on earth don't you provide her with an alternative surface to urinate on?
 
Booboos said:
Can you dig up some of the concrete and swap it for woodchips? Or extend the run onto grass?
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Sadly not. Not because I don't want to, it's just that the kennels are at the stables, and because of the topography, and that they're in a sort of hollow, then when we get periods of extended rain, there's a serious risk of flooding, or at least the ground being under water, which seems to happen every winter. We're also a bit pushed for space, and even though we have 40 acres at the house, for security reasons, the dogs need to be close by. It's not the ideal location!

Were I to relocate the kennels, which I'm considering anyway, it might be an idea to have a fenced in 'apron' at the front, and those dogs which need such a facility, could have an area of impacted chalk. The problem with chalk or soil is that during periods of boredom, I suspect that the more enquiring spaniels may form an escape committee!

It all sounds a bit drastic, doesn't it?!! It does need thinking through, because I hate filthy kennels, and urine stained beds stink.

Alec.
 
Sand? Cat litter? Earth? Couldn't you put a patch of something in her run and she would surely get the idea.
 
Alec Swan said:
What would you suggest?

Alec.
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Put a wooden pallet in the run with a solid rather than slatted top and put a false ceiling over her wooden bed just below head height.

Dogs will quite happily sleep in an area with a low ceiling height but they do like to lift their heads when emptying. That might be enough to encourage her to do her toilet elsewhere.
 
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