fiwen30
Well-Known Member
Asking for a friend (hand on heart!).
Friend’s mum passed away suddenly last year, leaving behind her 6ish year old Jack Russell. Friend had only been moved out for 1 year, and inherited the house and the dog, so moved back ‘home’, and so it’s just been her and JR for about 18 months. Her mum and the JR had only lived in this house for a couple of months before she passed away.
Her mum used to work full time, and at the old house the dog was left outside all day, with a dog door to access the garage which had a crate in it.
When friend moved back home, she was only going to uni no more than twice a week for about 8 hours a day, and she left the dog in the house. Over the last few months the dog has started to pee in the house, on the kitchen tiles, both when he’s left alone when she goes out, and occasionally overnight.
Friend messaged me today to say that she’s going to put the dog’s crate into the garage at the new house, and that he’ll have to stay outside while she’s at uni. She says she feels bad about this.
Friend is of the opinion that the dog pees on the floor because he drinks too much, too fast. When I suggested that could be a medical issue, she said that’s ‘how he’s always been’. She thinks he pees in the kitchen because he’s stressed to be left alone. He’s the most needy, Velcro-dog I’ve ever seen, and my friend encourages it. He needs to constantly be on top of people, spends most of his day being carried around the house like a baby, or inside my friend’s shirt or under her blanket on the sofa, like a newborn with skin to skin contact. He sleeps on top of her in bed, under the duvet.
I’ve already recommended a proper enzyme cleaner for the pee (not bleach or regular floor cleaners), taking him right back to toilet training basics and treating him like a puppy, not relying on him to ‘let her know’ when he needs to go (he’ll sometimes just take himself off to the kitchen and pee while she’s in the house), and also suggested a vet visit to make sure there’s no medical issues - a 6 year old dog should be able to hold its bladder for a working day, with the proper management and training.
Personally, I have many concerns about this dog in general. He’s obese, he doesn’t get any proper exercise, his every breath is this strange sort of snort/choke/cough noise that’s really concerning, and I’ve seen him decide to drink a full bowl of water fast, in one go, and then throw it all up again.
There’s nothing else I can really do, or recommend, is there? I feel bad for him because it’s obvious that his mismanagement is causing some sort of issues, and it feels like my friend would rather stick her head in the sand. She absolutely worships him, he’s all she has left of her mum, and he’s the only thing that she can adore unconditionally and get unconditional love in return. But he just…doesn’t get treated like a dog, and he doesn’t deserve to have to spend long days outside, coming into winter, because she can’t or wont toilet train him properly.
Friend’s mum passed away suddenly last year, leaving behind her 6ish year old Jack Russell. Friend had only been moved out for 1 year, and inherited the house and the dog, so moved back ‘home’, and so it’s just been her and JR for about 18 months. Her mum and the JR had only lived in this house for a couple of months before she passed away.
Her mum used to work full time, and at the old house the dog was left outside all day, with a dog door to access the garage which had a crate in it.
When friend moved back home, she was only going to uni no more than twice a week for about 8 hours a day, and she left the dog in the house. Over the last few months the dog has started to pee in the house, on the kitchen tiles, both when he’s left alone when she goes out, and occasionally overnight.
Friend messaged me today to say that she’s going to put the dog’s crate into the garage at the new house, and that he’ll have to stay outside while she’s at uni. She says she feels bad about this.
Friend is of the opinion that the dog pees on the floor because he drinks too much, too fast. When I suggested that could be a medical issue, she said that’s ‘how he’s always been’. She thinks he pees in the kitchen because he’s stressed to be left alone. He’s the most needy, Velcro-dog I’ve ever seen, and my friend encourages it. He needs to constantly be on top of people, spends most of his day being carried around the house like a baby, or inside my friend’s shirt or under her blanket on the sofa, like a newborn with skin to skin contact. He sleeps on top of her in bed, under the duvet.
I’ve already recommended a proper enzyme cleaner for the pee (not bleach or regular floor cleaners), taking him right back to toilet training basics and treating him like a puppy, not relying on him to ‘let her know’ when he needs to go (he’ll sometimes just take himself off to the kitchen and pee while she’s in the house), and also suggested a vet visit to make sure there’s no medical issues - a 6 year old dog should be able to hold its bladder for a working day, with the proper management and training.
Personally, I have many concerns about this dog in general. He’s obese, he doesn’t get any proper exercise, his every breath is this strange sort of snort/choke/cough noise that’s really concerning, and I’ve seen him decide to drink a full bowl of water fast, in one go, and then throw it all up again.
There’s nothing else I can really do, or recommend, is there? I feel bad for him because it’s obvious that his mismanagement is causing some sort of issues, and it feels like my friend would rather stick her head in the sand. She absolutely worships him, he’s all she has left of her mum, and he’s the only thing that she can adore unconditionally and get unconditional love in return. But he just…doesn’t get treated like a dog, and he doesn’t deserve to have to spend long days outside, coming into winter, because she can’t or wont toilet train him properly.
