Puppy Stresses and Joys

[helm]

More on the new pup Lara.... the GS collie X I told you about last week...

We've had her just over a week now and I'm getting to grips a bit more with the situation (although on Sunday I sat there uncontrably sobbing asking if we could take her back).

She's managing to hold everything in overnight and when i pop to work in the morning and we shut her in the utility room - which is great. During the rest of the day though she will quite happily wee wherever she fancies in the house - even if she's just been out for one and done 4.

I appreciate it's still early days but I just don't get it.

We keep clearing it up and using one of those pet odour things. other than that she's still bonkers.

 

[GinaB]

You've only had her a week, you need to give her time. It won't be an overnight thing I'm afraid.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Agree with Gina that it is still early days but glad to hear she is improving. Is she in the house all day?
My dogs are outside dogs but they do come in the house occasionally - they don't pee indoors because they just know it isn't their place to pee, it's their place to lie on the carpet and snooze!
Could she be out in the daytime in a little pen or something?

 

[helm]

She spends 2 hours in the utility room in the morning when I go to work. OH then comes back in the afternoon and plays with her loads etc etc... I can't wait until we can start walking her.... we seem to spend our lives in the garden at the moment as everytime we come in she looks like she needs to go again. We've spoke about building her a little kennel in the garden but are a little bothered that she may just howl (not good for the neighbours) When she does come in the house, she does snooze, but then goes bonkers again or wees when we turn our backs for a second.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I agree it will get easier once she is out and about - why do you think she would howl if she were out? There's only one way to find out!

 

[helm]

I know... but she howls when I leave her in the morning and at first when we leave her at night. I pop her outside in a bit of a pen near the back door when I have a shower in the morning. It's safe and she can't wreck the garden or much else there and although she jumps up a bit but is usually pretty quiet. Dunno how long it would last though. I think the people who live near us think we're mad at the moment anyway... all they hear all the time is Lara be quick, be quick, when we're trying to get her to do a wee.

The walking is a whole different issue tho... everytime we put the lead on she just drops to the floor like a collie and won't move... we've been doing the putting it on when she eats but everytime you pick it up - there she is, on the floor.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Here's a thread from last week about leads with some good advice from CALA

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4793185/an/0/page/1#4793185

Also, I would just let the lead trail and encourage her to follow you around, play with her, make her think that being with you is the best place to be, only then start to pick it up.

Right, off out now with my own lunatic!

 

[Gooby]

It took 6 months until my pups were finally house trained so a week is no time at all! Just keep training and you'll get there eventually. As CC suggested above just put the lead on and leave it on the ground and let her just get on as normal. This is what we did with ours as they did the same thing. Once she starts to accept the lead being there just pick it up and tuck the end in your pocket so she gets used to the feeling of it being held in a way but there's no resistance. When she is good with that then you can start to hold it as normal. This is how our trainer told us to do it if I remember correctly. Good luck!

 

[kirstyhen]

[ QUOTE ]
During the rest of the day though she will quite happily wee wherever she fancies in the house - even if she's just been out for one and done 4.

[/ QUOTE ]


She isn't weeing on purpose to annoy you, she just doesn't know any better - if she has to go she has to go, even if she has just done 100 in the garden 5 seconds previously.
You just have to be patient and reward the behaviour you want.
Do you take her outside ever half an hour regardless of whether she looks like she wants to or not? Take her out EVERYTIME she walks up/has a drink/eats/looks at you in a funny way

Make sure she does something before you come back in and goes ridiculously over the top

Make sure you always have her in sight in the house, so she can't have an accident and you not know about it, if she does have an accident pick her up and put her straight outside, don't come back in until she does something and LOTS of fuss again

My Dog was 5 months old when he came home and had never been in a house, the second day we had him he stripped the bed and peed all over it, then got stuck underneath it! It took a long time before he was housetrained, even once I would have considered him housetrained (he would ask to get out) he would still mess in the house if he got stressed.

Patience, consistency and being positive are the only things that work with dogs, so you'd better get used it

In terms of tiring her out, try challanging her brain, teach her tricks, hide things, do anything you can to make her work, she may only be a pup but you can't start to early IMO!

I didn't see the other thread, so sorry if I have just repeated what everyone else said

Good luck

 

[FestiveSpirit]

Excelllent house training advice from Henmeister there

It has been years since I had a puppy but the principles are the same for the adult rescue dogs I have - they have never been in a house before, so every single time they get up and walk around I suggest to them that they might want to go out

They obviously have more bladder control than puppies, but sometimes you wouldnt know it

Sometimes a good sign is when they start walking around in circles, but they dont always do that!