New dog settling in, questions, questions, and yep, questions!

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stencilface

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Max the rescue gsd x rotate arrived on monday, I have had the week off to try and settle him in, and have been leaving him for periods in the morning and afternoon for increasing amounts of time to try and get him used to being left.

He sleeps on the landing outside our door at night, otherwise he barks downstairs (and the oh has been working odd shifts this week so needed sleep :o). We are hoping to gradually makehim sleep downstairs in husbed as he becomes more settled. He didn't mess in the night until last night, he has been walked at 6.30 each morning after having last wee in the garden at 10.30 at night.

But each time he has been left in the day he has had a poo, and sometimes a wee on the carpet, he wont seem to go when out on a walk, despite me making walks boring on the same route each morning so that new smells etc aren't exciting and he can concentrate on toileting, he will wee, but not all the time.

Has 8 months in kennels just made him forget to do it on walks?

He stresses when l leave the house, I try to ignore him for ten mins before I go and when I come back, Im hoping thi is something that will improve once he becomes settled?

I got some beef bones from the butcher today, can I just I've him these? Well, one a day or something in addition to his wainwrights trays.

I know I could crate train him, but it's still early days, isn't it? One bonus is he hasn't destroyed anything yet!

Apologies for long post :o
 
Make sure you use a key word and praise him when he does wee or poo outside it took a while for my girl to realise that she was allowed to do the toilet outside.

Start with crate now, it is early days but it will help you with the toilet training and it will be better than introducing it at a later stage.
 
I praise him when he has a wee, but not really poo as he never does one! I will try and think of a key word though, thanks thats a good plan.

I know it's really early days, but just want to do it right. Need to enrol in some classes t improve his obedience, we had a not so fun game of tag yesterday when he slipped his lead, gentle leader all the way for a while yet. :)
 
Are you experiencing and destruction/vocalness when you leave, and has he passed faeces/urine each time he is left and does he do it at all when you are home?
Does he settle at night on the landing and remain clean?
Has he been off lead yet? lots of questions:)
 
Vocal ness when I leave, faeces and urine when I leave, more often faeces than urine. Faeces for the first time during the night last night for the first time, not during the day when I'm here. No destruction yet.

Getting better at settling on the landing, although has learnt how to open doors! But shut once in his face, and he settled last night.

Not off the lead intentionally yet, but will be contacting the local training class next week, and will be checking out the in laws garden as I think it secure, but need to check first before we have a play in there.

Although mate just took him out in the garden when she had a ciggie and he did a poo yay!!
 
If he is settling on the landing then thats a good sign, he is still seperated form you and is accepting it (its a start) being in a kennel can see them struggle to get back into routine (esp when they have been passing for so long) in the kennel. I suspect the passing of faeces when you leave is a little anxiety (very common) with seperation anxiety for instance, think (ibs) in a human, the cramps and farting:o:D we get when nervous (well me anyways) I have ibs:eek::o dogs are no different, stress affects the bowels:p

This is a why a smaller area used when you are "in" aswell as "out" helps immensely and carpeted areas in all honestly are the preferred choice of the cleanest of dogs (can explain if need be) so laminate/tiles/lino are better.
Bones are fine to be left (the bigger the better) and getting him to take them when you are in will help, as sometimes when anxiety takes over the thought of eating or focusing on anything other than your absence is impossible for that state of mind.
It could be he will pass better when allowed off lead, some dogs are funny about passing on lead, so he may begin to pass more when he is eventually allowed to romp about and running around loosens those bowels up as opposed to walkies.

Can you restrict him anymore than you are now when you leave, and not on a carpeted area?
What time and how many meals is he on?
Dont forget you still have off lead to accomplish which means more energy expenditure= more rest:)

Is he currently spending any "time out" in any area of the house when you are home?

If you want to introduce a crate sooner is always better than later so if this is a route you want to take, so it asap:)

I have to admit here , im piseed as a fart:o I had a stressful day and im beat, (hope this all makes sense):o
 
When you get up let him out, give him a feed, wait an hour and then walk him. I always feed in the morning.
 
Lol Cayla, makes sense, I wasnt exactly sober!

He doesn't really do time out by himself, he quite likes lying next to the sofa with his people, not on the sofa though, but occassionally with move away to the other IDE of the small room to his bed.

The only place I can leave him tiled is in the kitchen, and I would rather that was shut off, it's v small, and I think he's figured out the bin, and no doubt cupboard doors won't take him long! Why are they cleaner on carpets? No splashing?! Also he needs access to the living room at the rear of the house as the front rooms get far too hot in the sun.

He gets fed a cup of hills science plan in the morning, it's what he was on in the kennels and I'm weaning him off it. He gets a tray of wainwrights in the evening and that's it, bar a kong stuffed ith cream cheese when I leave.

He loved his bone last night, only a tiny amount left this morning, think I will suss out the in laws garden and get in there soon if it's secure. The butchers were keen to give me more too which is good :)

Kaylum, I don't think that would work for me, as in the mornings with work I won't have time to wait around an hour before walking him.
 
Ok, I personally would not feed the morning meal at all, I would stick with one eveing meal, esp as you are trying to get him into a routine and possibly over coming house training problems, the less seperate feeds going through at such big time difference has to come out somewhere:p

The carpets (indeed) no splash back and running beneath paws when flowing, an it soaks in rather than poole (in effect) its actually a cleaner surface from a dogs point of view (like grass).

Could you try and encourage him to ramain in the kitchen when you are home with his bones/kongs and goodies for short periods (you will hear) if he raids things and lift the bin(something I always do if I go out). Only do it when you are in for now and see how the time out periods see him cope.
 
Ok, will cut out then morning meal starting tomorrow, as he'll be on a full tray by tomorrow eve anyway, also have another bone for him to chew in the garden whilst I leave him with the OH as I'm going showing (horses!).

Just had a breakthough, two poos in the garden in 2 hours, a miracle, never thought I'd be so glad to watch a dog poo :D

Also been using a set of drawreins as a long line for him, his sit-stays and sit-waits are quite good, and I think he likes being able to run around a bit more :)
 
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