# More Housebreaking Questions (long post)



## coppermom (Nov 1, 2007)

:frusty:I have been lurking for a while, and this is an amazing forum. Hopefully someone can help me! Max is a Havanese/Coton mix from a bad breeder (If I knew then what I know now...) and has the curvy front leg issue. I call him my Heart Shaped Dog. He was 1 in May.He is a sweetie and we love him, but my DH and I have had it with the poop and pee in the house. He is neutered.

He has never been 100%, but the problems were mostly poop. Suddenly, it is pee too. He sleeps in the bed with us (which I love) and wakes me in the morning to pee. Today, he woke me up and when I was waiting for him to come to the door, he took too long. I went looking for him and caught him in the act in the next room. I yelled NO and put him outside. Later today I was on the phone and he was in the living room. I walked into the kitchen and right back, and he had pooped. I did the same thing, Yelled and put him out. He pee'd in front of my son the other day as well, and I have found some spots. We use the Natures Miracle, and in fact just cleaned the carpet using the pet odor stuff to try to end this. 

I work during the day. He was out of the crate with the kids at home for the summer and nobody was paying attention so I know that it part of the problem. He is in the crate during the day, from 7 to 3. He is up and out from 6 to 7 am, then into the crate until the kids get home, then rarely back in the crate until the next day. Last year I had a kindergartener let him out during the day but that kid is in 1st grade now, and no more kindergarteners. I cannot afford a professional dog walker, so he is crated. He can stay out of the crate like my old dog if we can fix this. He gets lots of attention and evening walks. 

I leave the food out all day. I also have an old dog, a basset/retriever mix that is 100% and I am sure he is disgusted by Max too. Otherwise they get along fine and play a lot. 

What do I do now? I do not want to crate him at night since he is crated all day. Go back to the X pen and keeping him on a leash when we are home? He does ring the bell at the door when he wants out, and spends a lot of time outside (electric fence that works great, he is very good with the fence). Should I restrict when the food is out? How can I get him to understand that he needs to alert us and go outside for potty? Thanks for any help, we need to get this fixed, I do not want to give him up, but we cant have him using the house as a toilet.


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## Cheryl (Mar 17, 2007)

Welcome to the forum!!! 
It sounds like he had a lot of freedom over the summer and learned some bad habits. 

First, when he gets up in the morning, I would carry him right outside, or put him on a leash and walk him out.

I would also prefer to see him in an ex-pen than a crate during the day while you are at work. I would also go back to basics and keep him in the expen when you can't watch him at home. I would not let him have free run of the house. 

You might want to have your vet check him to make sure there is not a physical cause.


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## coppermom (Nov 1, 2007)

If I move him to the x pen during the day, do I put a potty pad in with him? My hope is that he does not go inthe house at all. Also, I would be concerned about him jumping out. The crate is not real small, but he does not soil it. If the crate is the problem, then I will move him into the x pen.


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## luv3havs (Jul 27, 2007)

Good suggestions.

Also, I would definitely feed him on a schedule. Leave the food out for 20 minutes at feeding time, and then pick it up. Take him out after he eats.
Feed him in the am and after school and then in the evening around 6.
Don't give him food or water after 7pm.
Good luck.


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## Melissa Miller (Aug 2, 2006)

Is he fixed?


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

My dog, she won't poop in the same place she pees..I had a housebreaking headache until I figured that one out, do you restrict a portion of the yard for where he can go potty? 

I know now, she'll pee on one side of the yard and poop on the other, strange quirk, but I've heard others say the same, I'm just throwing the idea out there.

It could be a dominance thing, marking over the smells of your other dog, or just a confusion thing.

But I do think dogs generally want to 'please' us, so I'd go back to the basics of praise and reward when he goes outside and really limit his freedom like a puppy until you get it under control

Kara


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

It sounds like he picked up some bad habits over the summer and you are back to square one. I would take him to the vet just in case it's something medical. Use an ex-pen during the day, crateing him for 8 hours is a long time. If your concerned about him jumping out...how tall is your pen? I have 48" high because jumping was originally a concern for me too. Yes, I would recommend a potty pad in the pen. You may want him to potty outside, but if he can't hold it that long, you need to offer somewhere for him to go. Using the potty pad would be better than your floors I'm sure. Has he always had bed priviledges? I prefer a crate at night, but whether you use a crate or your bed you need to get him out to potty first thing and be successful even if you have to carry him. You're aiming for zero accidents right now. I would also leash him to you so you are alerted at the very first thought he has of "going" in the house. A stong no! or uh-uh! when you catch him and praise, praise, praise when he goes outside.  When you used the Natures Miracle, do you soak the carpet well and leave it? Don't blot it up afterwards or it may not spread through the padding and flooring enough to remove all the scent.

I wouldn't say the "crate is the problem", you just need to go back to square one and redo his potty training.



coppermom said:


> If I move him to the x pen during the day, do I put a potty pad in with him? My hope is that he does not go inthe house at all. Also, I would be concerned about him jumping out. The crate is not real small, but he does not soil it. If the crate is the problem, then I will move him into the x pen.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

luv2havs said:


> Feed him in the am and after school and then in the evening around 6..


I would think twice a day feeding would do at this point since he's a year old already.

And I forgot to say good luck to you!


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## coppermom (Nov 1, 2007)

Thanks, I know that he wants to please us, it is just getting him to understand what we want. Thanks to everyone for the great advice. I will post a picture soon, he is so cute and sweet. I will try feeding him on a schedule, I was thinking that might be a part of the problem. He is up and crying in the crate at night, and up at 5:30 am so everyone sleeps longer if he is in the bed. I think he gets lonely, the bed is downstairs and we are all upstairs. I will try the pen too, I have the 48 inch high, and yes, the pad is better than the floor for potty. Thanks for all of the great advice, you give me hope for my little (neutered) boy.


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## coppermom (Nov 1, 2007)

PS he has the whole yard (and it is a big yard). He poops and pees there just fine, he does it both places, in the house and the yard. . I do have him go at night and he does it (because he sees the GOOD old dog go). I do not soak up the Natures Miracle. I do not see a dominance issue the the old dog, they take turns eating out of the same bowl, play with the same toys and hang out pretty well together. I will say my big old GOOD dog was a lot easier to train than this!


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