# Potty Regression



## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Arrghh! Gryff went for 2 weeks with no potty accidents in the house. Last night though, he was sleeping on the bed like he always does and he decides at 1:30 in the morning to jump off the bed and pee on the floor. I guess it was better than peeing on the bed. Since then though, he's had 3 more accidents. He's peeing more than usual and I haven't been able to time his "outings". 

How do your dogs let you know they have to go potty? Sometimes, Gryff will come to us and whine. Or, he will just pee on the floor.

I guess I'm back to every 2 hours, let's go outside whether he shows signs of needing to go or not.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I have a dog door so they just go outide on their own. Scudder does let me know when he has to go, because he likes me to go outside with him. He runs up to me as if to play and then runs away. If I don't follow, he does it again until I get the hint he has to go outside. When I say, "outside?" he makes a bee line for the dog door!


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## pizno (May 8, 2007)

Marvin still has accidents too. The bell hasn't worked that well because he ends up playing with it so I put it out of his reach which makes it pretty useless- but he has started to let us know he wants to go by pawing at the door. That's pretty new (He's 5.5 months). Otherwise, I still take him out a fair amount.


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## Sissygirl (Aug 8, 2007)

Ivy, Sorry about the regression. There are a lot of threads here about potty training and especially about teaching your fur baby to ring the bell.

Here is a thread

http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=1594

Here are some bells

http://www.poochie-pets.net/index.html

Here is some more threads

http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=386&highlight=ring+bell

http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=1563&highlight=ring+bell

http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=1851&highlight=ring+bell


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## casperkeep (May 16, 2007)

yeah Jillee was doing pretty good until the other night when she must have woke up during the night and pooed.....:frusty: then when my hubby went to let her out in the morning she would not go with him then when he game in he was greeted with two more accidents...so needless to say she is sleeping in her crate again.


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

I really think you can expect this with havs. My three regressed at about 6 months. I can say by 8 months of age you are pretty safe that the potty regression is over. Knock on wood. I always had big dogs and they were potty trained by 4 months, but I think it's different with the toy breeds.

I know there are other threads that talk about this, it has happend to many of us, and the best thing to do is go back to the beginning, and keep track of how long it been and stay on it. Lucky is does end.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Well...

We had some "regression" this morning. She peed on' the pad (while I was home, which is considered regression in my mind) AND she pooped upstairs in front of the toilet. ound: She thinks she is HUMAN, I'm tellin' ya.

Needless to say, I've been out of town for TWO days and apparently, my daughter was not vigilent about taking her out. :frusty: I leave, and the schedule falls apart. Either that, or she's punishing me for leaving? lol

I guess we are back to square one for a few days. 

Kara


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Beamer also pee'd in the house on the floor last night! lol... he has not done that in ages... it was about an hour after his bath.. and hu must of drank ALOT of water during, because I've never seen so much pee from him ever! Obviously it was our faults, we should have taken him out... oh well...


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

Thumperlove said:


> Well...
> 
> We had some "regression" this morning. She peed on' the pad (while I was home, which is considered regression in my mind) AND she pooped upstairs in front of the toilet. ound: She thinks she is HUMAN, I'm tellin' ya.
> 
> ...


I think she is trying to tell you that she is human and wants to sit on the pot like the rest of you.ound:

When I left Reece and Preston once with my daughter and only took Nigel with me, because he was the only one NOT potty trained yet. You guess it, when I called she said they had peed in the house, of course she said she was watching them:brick: , Yeah while talking on the phone. I even have the door bell that they ring.

So I have taken all three when I go out of town now, but of course it's not to a hotel, sometimes you don't have a choice.


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## Jan D (Mar 13, 2007)

Havee did the same thing the other morning. He was too busy paying attention to the squirrles outside that he didn't poop first thing. About 1 hour later, before our walk, he left me a gift on the diningroom rug...but I didn't find it until later, sly thing:frusty:

One positive thing about it though...he didn't eat it. Sorry, but I had to say that.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

They can be little stinkers every so often. Hubby and I have full conversations in the morning as to who went and did what for him, and same for me. If the walls had ears!ound: They get distracted it is like they forget to go!! It seems that even as they are older, you always gotta be on top of it.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I found MORE piddles!!!!!! :frusty: 

I was upstairs unpacking and thinking that my master bathroom STUNK, well, I picked up the bathroom throw rugs and I found a few piddle/pee spots, which were NOT there last week. I just washed those darned rugs.

I wonder if my daughter even took her out at ALL? I had left a potty pad in that bathroom for nighttime, and it wasn't there when I got home last night, nor was it replaced...So I'm figuring, since my daughter didn't put out a pad, she just peed on the rugs. lol

Good Gawd!!!!

I am not leaving her home again! lol, I am going to try to take her from now on, Las Vegas might be a tough one? We always have conventions there. *sigh* Maybe the Wynn will take her and just charge us and arm and a leg. lol

Kara


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## pizno (May 8, 2007)

OMG - I can't believe this! I was thinking we were OK, and then just caught Marvin hunched up right in the same room as my computer, with a tiny turd on the floor. I swept him up and got him outside where he did nothing. Turns out.......I discovered when I got back inside- it was because a few feet from the little turd was the BIG turd. He was finished pooping, not just starting! Jeesh. Brazen little guy - 8 feet away from me!!

And then there all all those dried up treasures I find when I vacuum. And then there is the distinct smell of dog pee that I can never exactly locate...

The good news is that I know he will be eventually potty trained, so I'm not too upset about it. My daughter is though. he pooped in her room and she cleaned it up with paper towels, put them in the toilet, and the toilet overflowed. 

Gotta love 'em, kids and dogs.

Carol


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

I am so lucky Ifound the petsitter i did she was very diligent about their potty training but even so there was still some regression when I got back .
Ahnold was the worst and it would happen in a heartbeat . I can relate to the puppy pate - occasionally it is still going on here as well . It is much better but sometimes they take off and do their business in private and I miss it ..
Trust me big dogs are easier.. My german shorthair did not have many accidents until he was older and he had problems with his legs . He was embarassed and would try hard not to make a mistake .. He would always go to the door when he had to go .
The petsitter I had at the time was not that effective and I always came back to carpet stains ..


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Kodi is very good. He goes outside and will use the pee pads.
Shelby is getting better. She lets us know by whining or just charging into the den where "her" pee pad is. However, she has been having directional problems - butt facing the wrong way, so it doesn't land on the pee pad. :doh:


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Gryff has been pretty good this week, although I did find a poop in my dining room. Poop is easy to clean up. I just brought my front area rug to the cleaners to have it dry cleaned. I hope that will get rid of all the smells. It doesn't smell like pee, but it smells like Nature's Miracle when it rains out. It is really gross.


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

I have a dog door too. Benji uses it when he needs to do his business. Little Lizzie caught on quickly too and she hasn't had any pooping accidents so far indoors since we brought her on last Sat. For last couple of days she hasn't had any pee pee indoors either, but I do take her out every hour, after play, eating, sleeping etc. She whines and claws at the crate door when she needs to go.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Did I just say Gryff was good this week? I am really getting frustrated. He just doesn't seem to get it at all. He just uses wherever he happens to be as his own personal toilet. I take him outside for as long as he needs to pee and poop, but he prefers to leave his doodies in my dining room! I found a whole stash in there today. Then he peed in the sunroom today - the only room he so far hasn't desecrated. Is he ever going to stop this????


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Ivy,
How often do you take him outside for potty? Maybe take him out more frequesntly at this point? Maybe every 2 hours? Thats what I used to do, and Beamer hardly ever had any accidents. What do you mean 'u found a stash of his poops'??? Is he hiding them after he does it?? lol

Ryan


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Don't feel bad at least he is still a pup! 

I went to get a haircut and they begged me to bring my 3 Havs into the salon. I was hesitant because they are used to their dog door and had not had their daily hike yet. Within 10 minutes, freddie who is almost 2 years old took a poop right on the carpet! I was freakin mortified. I was also so upset, because I had been finding accidents on my outside porch. I assumed it was my pup, but here it must be fred. I can't figure out what would make him do this after all this time. 

Today I took Scudder, my intact pup to a breeders house to have his BAER/hearing tested. There were probably 30-40 havanese there and some of the girls were in heat. All the boys were in diapers to keep them from marking. I was so proud and told everyone, " Scudder does not mark inside". .......... Next thing you know, he marks a pole in the basement! They say that's not the same as an accident, but it's not a good thing in my book! 
I guess I am back to square one.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Oh those Fung pups - they are too cute to get mad at!! Just remember Lily's pink ball.. Freddie loved it!! Thankfully none of mine have ever marked indoors and only outdoors. It can be so frustrating.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

We had a "piddle" the other day when the security alarm guy was here fixing a sensor in my son's room. I guess Gucci did not want to bother going outside while there was a "stranger" in the house, so she peed right in my son's room!!!!:frusty: I was soo darn mad.

I have a few friends that are going through some 'marking' regression, so I know that can happen too, I guess its the same with peeing, you just have to go back to square one. It is pretty instinctive for them to leave their scent for the bitches.

The regression is no fun! 

Kara


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Laurief said:


> Oh those Fung pups - they are too cute to get mad at!! Just remember Lily's pink ball.. Freddie loved it!! Thankfully none of mine have ever marked indoors and only outdoors. It can be so frustrating.


LOL! That's so funny about the ball. Just to fill anyone in that's reading this thread, Freddie kept peeing all over Lilly's ball at the NJ playdate.

My guys do not mark or pee in my house. Scudder marking inside was the first, but I was told it's normal for an intact male to mark if there are bitches around.

The poop is what I don't understand. He hasn't done this since he was a pup. The porch feels like the outdoors because it's just screened in. I am just confused why now at 2 yrs old!

I am kinda glad other people are going through this, I don't feel so alone!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

The few boy Havs I know that started marking in the house are in fact neutered! I guess they don't realize they aren't "intact"? lol

And as irony would have it...my husband is spraying our yard for weeds this morning...so Gucci cannot go out and she's just at the door whining! *sigh* I guess I'll go take her for a walk...she's boycotting the pee pads! LOL Brat!

Kara


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

I have been hesitant to contribute to this post- lest I jinx myself and my boys. 
we had a slight regression with Cash about 2 months ago. (and I seem to remember a regression with Jas at the same age) 

I knew Hav's had a reputation for being harder to house train (only Hav I knew relieved herself where ever she wanted to) So we were very diligent for a very long time- In fact we still are with Cash at almost a year, he is rarely out of our site. He has just started not to scratch the door when he has to go-- before he gave no sign.

Gryff, Marvin and Jillee are still puppies- they likely still need more supervision and guidance. Even Gucci Girl is still a puppy. We've felt pretty confident with Jasper since he was a year old- he is now just shy of 2 years (although we did have the poo on the bed incident after a year- he just wanted his crate back) And we feel almost secure with Cash. 

In my experience, house training these guys takes months to a year. Good luck everyone-- and wish me luck that I didn't Jinx myself.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Nah! You aren't gonna "jinx" yourself. I hope they are more reliable after 1 yo.

Kara


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

I take him out every 2 - 2 1/2 hours. By stash of poops, I mean that he must have gone more than once in my dining room - I don't go in there every day.

Here's a question though - if I only take him out ever 2 hours, isn't that teaching him to only be able to hold it for 2 hours?


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Why is it that they always stash them in the dining room? LOL.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Ivy, I don't think that if you take him out more often that you are teaching him not to hold it... at this point you need to go back to the basics and that means taking him out more often and then very gradually adding more time between potty times. Kubrick will go whenever he wants when he can but if we're someplace where he can't go he will hold it as long as it takes. Just because at home he can get to his pee pad 24 hours, it doesn't mean that he needs it that often and he really can hold it for 7 hours plus at this point. For example, when I leave to go to work he will never pee even though the pee pad is right there. He waits until I come home, so I don't worry that he can't hold it. Does that make sense?

Good luck with Gryff.


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Hi Ivy,
I dont think so.. I think the point of taking him outside often is so that he understand that he is ONLY allowed to poop/pee outside. The more often you take him the better! Do the standard happy dance when he does a good job so he knows hes a good boy for going where u want him to... Or you could give him a treat when he goes outside... I've never given Beamer anything but praise for doing his thing outside..and that worked for me!

Ryan


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Lina,
Beamer is exactly the same way.. he has his pee pads to use during the day while we are at work, but will only pee once soemone come to take him outside.. (lunch time and when we get home from work) 

Maybe they are related?? lol.. they seem to do alot of things the same way.. lol

Ryan


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Every now and then, Shelby will have brain freeze and forget about pee pads or outside. But she is so cute - when she does remember where to go (which is mot of the time), she will come and get me to show me. She runs to wherever I am, and then runs to the den as if to say "see how good I am?"
Too funny.

Kodi is very good in the house. He will use the pee pad if he has to. The only place he will mark, is down the basement. I think that's because that is where the cats stay, and he's trying to show them who's boss.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

This thread is quite timely as I've been having some regression problems with Sammy and a little bit from Ricky too.  It's been a few weeks, but after I got back from my week away, it seemed to be worse. Hubby says they only cleaned up 2 poops and 2 pees the week I was gone. Well, ..... "only"... it's still more than what they used to do last month! 

We've put the gates back up in the kitchen and we are adamant about teaching Sammy to use the bell. Little bugger still wont' touch it. Ricky does enough ringing of the bells for all the neighborhood dogs!! lol When it rains and is cold, Sammy doesn't like going out. brat! 

Anyway, I want our living room area rug pulled up since it's now become a huge pee pad! ARRGGGGHHHH!! No matter how much I clean, I'm sure it's smelly to them. They aren't marking, they're peeing and pooping. One day, I got up at 5 a.m. because Ricky was barking at the back door so I let him out. The place stunk! There were all these tiny piles of poop on our living room rug!! There was nothing there at midnight when we all went up to bed. Dogs stayed in our room but the door was ajar. Sammy seemed to be the only one doing that indoors, with us finding little piles here and there, but there is no way he was alone that time. Ricky obviously thinks it's o.k. now too!!! :brick: 

That's when I got the gates back up. I'm retraining them to go in their crates too. I have to back up and take baby steps again. I didn't think this would happen, but I think the colder, wetter weather is turning Sammy off to the outdoors. If I have to, I'll attach him to me with a leash. sigh....... 

They are about 15 months now.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

i think it is a little more difficult with boys . Marking is a big deal to them . We have a friend who has a Bichon and as soon as he comes into the house he looks for a place to leave a message .
It mortifies his parents !!
I do not take my dogs anywhere except the groomer . I would take Asta to Donna's . he was fine most of the time but everynow and again he would have a slip . We would be busy chatting and he did not want to bother me so he would look for a place to go .
These dogs are so coy . 
I read a book about small dogs and they said to avoid mistakes keep them confine to smaller spaces .. it worked well for me with the pee pee pads .
Now it is hard due to the remodel . People forget and do not close doors and gates .. I am constantly on guard .


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

What really worked for me was sprinkling their food all over the entire room they stay while I'm at work. I would sprinkle it on their beds, the floor, carpet etc. Then I would place toys all over the floor too. They never had accidents in this room after that. I guess they viewed it as their play area and eating place. They thought it was a game when I would sprinkle the food and they would all run around fighting over it. This room is very large too!


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

lfung5 said:


> What really worked for me was sprinkling their food all over the entire room they stay while I'm at work. I would sprinkle it on their beds, the floor, carpet etc. Then I would place toys all over the floor too. They never had accidents in this room after that. I guess they viewed it as their play area and eating place. They thought it was a game when I would sprinkle the food and they would all run around fighting over it. This room is very large too!


I have read that dogs do not like to use the bathroom in what they consider their den...so this was a very good idea...:thumb:


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

lfung5 said:


> What really worked for me was sprinkling their food all over the entire room they stay while I'm at work. I would sprinkle it on their beds, the floor, carpet etc. Then I would place toys all over the floor too. They never had accidents in this room after that. I guess they viewed it as their play area and eating place. They thought it was a game when I would sprinkle the food and they would all run around fighting over it. This room is very large too!


yeah we did something like that too-when they were little... The dining room rug (yes us too LOL ) was a common area of mistakes-- so once we cleaned it up we sat on either end of the table on the floor and threw balls and toys back and forth lying on the rug with them and playing... it seemed to work.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Now,

Does anyone have any ideas for those of us that use "potty pads" on HOW to get them to realize that the whitish/cream bathroom rugs are NOT fuzzy/plush pee pads???????? ound:

:frusty:

I'm wondering if this is MY fault, since I put the pee pad down next to the bathroom rug in our master bath? If the pee pad is not there, she just uses the rug!!!!! LOL

Perhaps I should buy them in a new color? Red????? har!

Kara


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

sprinkle treats on them


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Tried that, although....not recently. I'll do it again.

Thanks!!

Kara


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## ChristineL (Aug 31, 2007)

I am still having trouble sometimes with Buffy - she's three. Kahlua is completely trustable inside, but I don't let Buffy out of my sight. She will run to the door when she needs to go, but if you don't let her out immediately sometimes she can't hold it. She's a bit of a runt, and I think it has more to do with her not being able to hold it than not knowing the right thing to do. It's still so frustrating.


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

Marj...here I was hoping that I was through with the pottty trainning...

I have been in the potty trainning mode for the last 2 years...since I got a new puppy about every 6-8 months...:brick:

I have them all ringing the bell...and cross my fingers....knock on wood..I haven't had any accidents in a good while. Nigel was my last one to have a accident and it's been 2 months..He's 9 months old now.

Now you say you are having problems at 15 months old...I know you went on vacation, and I know that the others in our houses don't always pay attention to our babies like we do..:frusty:

Yikes...I have to go out of town soon, for one night and leave them with my daughter..:brick:

I know the last time I left them with her, she said they had gone in the house...Even Reece, and he never does that...so she had to be totaling ignoring them...I'm sure she was chatting on the phone..

I told her the weather is going to be nice, so they can hang in the backyard with Axl...so that leaves the night.

Anybody want three havanese for a night??????????????????ound:


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Kara, try feeding Gucci (like whole meals) on your bathroom rug for at least 3 days. It cured Kubrick of attempting to go on the hallway throw rug.

Paige, good luck with that! Hopefully your daughter will do a better job this time around!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Good idea. I know this one is really "my fault", since I've moved the rug and put the pad in the same spot. Dumb me!

I may start offering her the jerky/nightly treat there and see if that cures it. 

Although, I will say that if a pad is in there, she'll use the pad! But sometimes I throw it out and don't replace it right away. I guess i need to be more consistent, my bad.

Kara


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## The Fussy Puppy Gang (May 21, 2007)

Pepper was a little bit of a challenge to housebreak, but he's been doing very well since July. He had an accident two weeks ago, but I blame myself for that. We were outside on a potty run and Pepper was distracted by the neighbor's dogs. They always run back & forth along the fence, getting our dogs all riled up and over-excited. I carried Pepper into the house and he pooped in the living room about 20 minutes later. I didn't let him finish his biz outside - duh! :brick:

One thing that helped us get Pepper on track when we first got him was that we have a strict schedule for all our dogs. Every 4 hours, during the day, we go outside to play and potty. Inside, he wasn't allowed out of my sight. If I couldn't watch him, then he was confined to an ex-pen or crate. It worked! 

At night, he's confined to the bedroom where we sleep but allowed to be loose in the room. Years of potty training foster dogs have my ears are so attuned to the sound of liquid hitting the floor that if he did pee, there's a good chance I'd hear it.

Luckily, he hasn't had the urge to mark indoors so far. Unlike my sister's Akita, who marked in the house a few times during his first few days here :rant:

Wanda


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

*Me too!*



Thumperlove said:


> Now,
> 
> Does anyone have any ideas for those of us that use "potty pads" on HOW to get them to realize that the whitish/cream bathroom rugs are NOT fuzzy/plush pee pads???????? ound:
> 
> ...


My chi is pretty reliably trained to the pads, EXCEPT she can't seem to tell a throw rug from a pad. :frusty: I'm going to try Lina's idea, I never thought of that. We finally gave up and have NO bathroom rugs.

Now she is SO focused on her pad...I removed it the other day to mop the bathroom floor and put it on a bench that is in my bathroom. I got sidetracked and forgot to put it back down. I saw her heading for the bathroom and said "oh, wait Ruby! I'll get your pad!" Before I knew it, she had jumped on the bench and gone on the folded up wee pad! :whoo:


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Shelley, Ruby is a smart cookie! 

Paige, I am SURE my going away has something to do with the regression, though there was a bit of it in the weeks before I left. The week after I got back was horrible! They were left home alone for about 3 hrs. in the morning and 3-4 hrs. in the afternoon... if that. Thing is, once they liked the idea of peeing on our l.room rug, they figured it was o.k.! 

We now have the kitchen gated and I know that in the first hour or two of the morning, they are better off in the kitchen. I know they are due for a BM or two then, so I'm not taking any chances. 

A change in routine does affect some Havs more than others, but having kids/hubby/partners that are home when you aren't NOT doing their job, it's hard to blame the dog! :brick: These PEOPLE need to be more consistent.

I noticed something I'll bet many of you experience as well. For some reason, no one else seems to hear the bell that Ricky rings to get out on the first or even second try. I hear it no matter where I am and no matter what I'm doing! I've been bell trained too you see! lol But hubby? Sits watching t.v. and doesn't hear a thing......... until I smack him and say "Hey, it's YOUR turn!" LMBO


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

I can't seem to recall the last time I said "Gryff, let's go potty" and I brought him into my dining room for him to relieve himself. Why can't he get it??? I'm starting to get pissed off (pun intended).


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## The Fussy Puppy Gang (May 21, 2007)

What are you using to clean up the potty mess in the dining room? If it's not an enzyme based cleaner, then Gryff is most likely still smelling the urine in that area.

We use a product called "Get Serious!" and it's fantastic! I like it much better than Nature's Miracle. You can find it at KV Vet Supply (kvvet.com).

It might help to block off the dining room area so that Gryff can't choose it as an option for a week or two. Plus, it sounds like you may need to go back to basics and make sure he's either confined to his ex-pen or attached to someone via leash when he's indoors. No unsupervised roaming until he gets this right. 

We've got our fingers crossed that he catches on sooner rather than later :biggrin1:

Wanda


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

He isn't going in the same spot. I blot it up really well, then rinse it with water and again blot really well. Then I use an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle. I will look into Get Serious.

I think I will try doing the tethering thing. He's usually pretty velcroed to me anyway, it's just those few times he gets away from me.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Ack!

I'd block the area off too, Did you try feeding him there? Gucci is fond of the bathroom rugs, but I have just left a pad over the one she goes on! LOL, So..I haven't really 'solved' the problem yet, per say...I'm more 'maintaining' it. 

Kara


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## dotndani (Mar 19, 2007)

i can't leave any pads around the house since Duncan will shred them to pieces.Have any of you scolded your pups when they have an accident in the house?


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

If you catch them you can scold them ( a firm no and then take them out and give your command) they say you shouldn't scold them after the fact- but while I'm cleaning it up- I always say "look what you did.. you know better than that" makes me feel like I'm doing somehting


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Missy, LOL, I would do the same thing with Kubrick. It made me feel better though I'm sure he doesn't care as he wags his tail like there's no tomorrow.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Missy,

I do that. I let her know that I am not pleased and she'll sulk! I like to think it works, lol...

Kara


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

I read you shouldn't scare the dog or shout at him if he has an accident because it will only make him afraid of YOU and then learn to sneak his pees/poops when you're not looking. lol I"ve heard some find ways to go behind couches, under beds........ yuck! Then you have a bigger problem. 

Scolding/talking in a stern voice is what I do too and I don't think that's wrong. After all, you have to teach them that you aren't pleased! I don't say anything if it's after the fact and I didn't spot them doing it. I also just scoop them up, go outside and say 'go pee. outside.' 

We had to roll up the living room rug and throw it in the trash yesterday.  Hubby smelled pee there and it seems like Sammy was going under the coffee table where we couldn't see it. Bugger! Looking at the back side of the rug, we saw all kinds of stains from pees we never noticed. sigh....... It was just one HUGE pee pad for Sammy and a couple of times for Ricky! lol Thank goodness, it wasn't an expensive rug, so no tears being shed over its loss. 

I think it's best to limit rooms, close doors, put up gates and keep Gryff tethered to you if you have to. It's not convenient, I know, but it usually works. Use his crate more often as well. Close it when you know you can't be watching him all the time. Friends and family thought it was a little odd that we kept the pups gated in our large kitchen for so long, but we knew that there were accidents when we weren't looking so it's worked great for us! We only took the gates down (though we've always kept the one in the stairs to the basement) this past summer when they were almost a year old! Two weeks ago, we put them back up in the kitchen because of Sammy's regression.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Marj, I agree with you except if it is a young puppy. In my opinion, any accidents with a young puppy need to be forgiven with no scolding at all. If you want to correct them by moving them to a pee pad or outdoors mid-elimination, then that is OK, but no scolding, yelling or smacking newspapers.

With adults or older pups, I do make loud sounds if I catch them in the act. If I don't find it until later, I don't even bother. At this point, our only "accidents" come from visiting dogs and I expect that to happen with all the hormones flying around of three in tact females here.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Yes,

I think that we can probably get away with 'scolding' _after_ we've built a *bond* with the dog and the dog has established a relationship w/ us being alpha of the pack. I think a young pup is more prone to go 'hide' if scolded, whereas...an older dog will sulk and then move on. My girl is so funny when she sulks, she's so *human-like* lol...she really doesn't like to upset me and that should be a motivator for them!

Kara


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

*"In my opinion, any accidents with a young puppy need to be forgiven with no scolding at all. If you want to correct them by moving them to a pee pad or outdoors mid-elimination, then that is OK, but no scolding, yelling or smacking newspapers."*

I agree. That's what I did when the boys were younger. There's no point in doing/saying anything if you don't catch them in the act, but I do sigh a lot! lol

Sammy peed on a body pillow I have on the couch for them. It often ends up on the floor because of their wrestling and last night, there was a huge puddle right in the middle of it. I couldn't say a thing. dang !

Sammy is almost afraid of the bell and has never even tried to ring the darn thing! He waits for Ricky to do it and tries to follow him out, but I close the door and have him ring the bell with his paws, THEN I open the door for him. He'll scratch at the patio door, but we can't always hear that.

It's still a work in progress and I have to admit, I get tired sometimes.


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