Whippet toilet training - having a problem

[FinellaGlen]

I've got a 6 month old whippet and I can't seem to get her completely house-trained so I'm looking for advice from more experienced dog people please

Basically, Tilly is perfectly dry overnight in her puppy crate, but when I leave her alone for even five minutes she wees on the floor or more usually on one of the rugs. I have tried taking up the rugs but then she wees on the floor which is preferable as I can clean up more quickly, but still not desirable.

She is let out into the garden before and after meals, taken for two walks (one long, one short) per day and let out into the garden every two or three hours during the day. She wees inside even if she's just been taken out into the garden so I wondered if it was a territory marking thing maybe? She's not been spayed but will be next month (in case that's relevant).

Any advice would be welcome please because my house is starting to smell like a latrine and soon I'll have no friends left

 

[CAYLA]

You really need to keep her in you view at all times....so u can correct her, as soon as she starts, i.e remove her, even if it means carrying her to the garden, to stop the flow

, and introduvce a command upon urination, ie wee wee's, and slip her a treat at the end.
Whippets in general can take a little while to fully train, and more commonly, when you are not looking, it does sound like a scent thing, if she is peeing over the same spots, can u block her access to these spots for a while?

 

[Gooby]

I dont know specifically about whippets but mine took a long time to train, and we had the same problem of not going in the crate but when out and about. We taught them the command wee wee's as suggested above which has worked really well. The advice we got from our trainer was at 6 months of age they need to go for wees about every hour and a half and if we saw them going in the house to put them straight outside even if they had just finished. We were also told to put them in their crate if we went out of the room even if it was just for 5 mins (also to stop them destroying everything!). Oh and when you clean up the mess make sure you use a product that gets rid of the ammonia scent otherwise it just smells like her own private toilet! Hope this is of some help

 

[dawn1111]

I have nine whippets and had them for 16 years!!
I think you need to start again with her by putting out as much as you can and when she wee outside,praise her and reward her.When she does it indoors do not praise her or give any rewards.Be firm with her when she does wee indoors,but do not shout or smack her.(not that i,m saying you do)Hopefully she will get the idea and don't give up.Having her spayed at that age is a bit too young as her body needs to mature properly.Is there a reason to have her spayed now,as i persumed she not had her first season yet.

 

[CAYLA]

Re the neutering....it's obs down to individual opinion, I personally spay b4 a first season, Im sure the OP vet will have explained the pro's and con's of neutering younger, to me, more positives, she will not stay in a state of puppyness, or act like a hudalum, aslong as you train her, it's all down to the training and the work you put in

 

[FinellaGlen]

Thank you everyone. I have taught her to "go wee wees" on command when she's outside with the use of treats as a reward and I always take her outside, even if she's just weed on the rug so I am doing those things right, which is good to know. Unfortunately, I've got other animals so I can't really keep Tilly away from all her weeing spots during the day or I'd have to keep all the others restricted too and they wouldn't like that!

I have just thrown away the worst affected rug to stop her being attracted by the scent that must remain on it even after washing. Luckily it wasn't too expensive a rug

I will also start popping her in her cage every time I leave the room for a minute or two because, to be honest, that's when she normally wees on the mats. I will also take her out every hour and a half if that is better. I was taking her out every hour until recently but I decided that maybe I was training her bladder to empty more frequently than it should

I have only shouted at her once but, of course, it didn't do any good except make her look hurt and confused so I won't be doing that again. I just ended up picking her up and cuddling her for ages to say sorry

It was my vet that told me to get her spayed so early. I've always let bitches have their first season before, but the vet said that practise has now changed. Has anyone got any views on this? I am happy for her to have one or two seasons before spaying if it is preferable.

 

[FinellaGlen]

Thanks for that Cala. Our posts crossed! It's a while since I spoke to the vet but I remember her saying that she had spayed her own bitch before her first season so that's why I agreed to having Tilly's op done earlier than I'd originally planned.

 

[CAYLA]

You will obs get a difference of opinion, you can only decide between yourself and your vet, I work in the veterinary industry, and I must say, all of our vets/nurses, neuter b4 a first season, and thats what our clients are advised, I always have, all my dogs have lived to a good age, and and my mams, and as you know I have a lot

I currently have a 16 year old whippet, done at 6 months and male deerhound, going on 12 done at 9 months...no major health probs in either, infact my whippet, has had nothing but 2 dentals

One of my reasons to spay younger, is to stop the mammary glands maturing, to prevent mammary cancer, and prevent a pyo.
I know some people like to let larger breeds mature to allow the growth plates to close naturally, I understand ,but I still neuter mine young.
I personally see no relation, between age of neutering and mental maturity, working in a behavioural capacity, Imo, it down to training not the age of neutering.

It's all down to individual choice though

 

[FinellaGlen]

Thanks Cala. I know that your and your Mum have an awful lot of experience of dogs between the two of you and I think you have convinced me to have Tilly spayed next month as planned. She is a cracking little dog and I love her loads and just want to do the best thing for her

 

[CAYLA]

Don't make ya mind up yet, as they say

.....you will gets a difference of opinion....im sure

 

[FinellaGlen]

Thanks Cala, but my mind was really made up already and you have just confirmed my decision for me. I'll call the vet next week for another chat but then I'm pretty certain that I am going ahead

 

[houdini]

Our vets at work all recommend spaying before first season, reduces risk of mammary cancer to 1 in 1000 instead of 1 in 7, also no risk of Pyo (painful and very expensive!). If you don't want to breed have her spayed before first season! There is no evidence to suggest they don't mature properly and there is evidence that they will have a longer healthier life..... They get over the op very quickly at that age, had my Whip spayed at 10 months.