Guest Anonymous Posted January 17, 2004 Posted January 17, 2004 I have a pug that is a little over a year old. We have had him for about 8 months now, when he was 3-4 months he wasn't socialized like he needed to be so he is a very emotionally needy dog. We have 2 other dogs and a cat and he gets along with all of them. The problem I'm having is he still urinates in the house. He knows what "outside" is and when taken outside he will pee, but you have to make him go 3-4 times because he is so excited that we are home that he doesn't want to take the time to empty his bladder (I think) but then when he comes in he will hike his leg in the house unless he is watched constantly. He has to sleep in his crate at night and stay in it during the day while we are gone because he is so destructive but we keep him out with us when we are home. Any suggestions? When he pees in the house I give him "the look" and say did you pee in mommy's house? He hangs his head and puts his ears down so I know he knows it's wrong but how can I get him to stop. Also he hasn't been fixed yet. Any suggestions would be appreciated...thanks! Quote
DogPaddle Posted January 17, 2004 Posted January 17, 2004 Get him fixed. Use the crate as part of a scheduled potty plan, never let him out of your sight, until he is reliable house trained? Quote
courtnek Posted January 17, 2004 Posted January 17, 2004 I will probably get flamed for this, but sometimes, yes, you do have to YELL AT THEM! IF you catch him in the act, then definitely YELL and say "OUTSIDE!" as soon as you see the signs he will pee. You cant do alot once its done if you're not there, but catching him in the act and booting his butt outside will train him faster than anything else. keep him crated while you're not there, but watch him closely when you are there and he is loose. Sometimes they circle, or sniff around, that's a sign he needs to go out. Mine go to the door because that's what I've taught them, but with a pup sometimes you have to just look for the "signs"... Quote
courtnek Posted January 17, 2004 Posted January 17, 2004 I should clarify that. IF you see him sniffing and circling, just say "outside?" and let him out. when he's done, praise him LOTS. Then he learns that "outside?" means if he has to go you will let him out, or take him out.....he soon learns that if he needs to go out, he can "bother you" and if you say "outside?" he should head for the door... Quote
imported_Cassie Posted January 18, 2004 Posted January 18, 2004 I have a pug that is a little over a year old. We have had him for about 8 months now, when he was 3-4 months he wasn't socialized like he needed to be so he is a very emotionally needy dog. We have 2 other dogs and a cat and he gets along with all of them. The problem I'm having is he still urinates in the house. He knows what "outside" is and when taken outside he will pee, but you have to make him go 3-4 times because he is so excited that we are home that he doesn't want to take the time to empty his bladder (I think) but then when he comes in he will hike his leg in the house unless he is watched constantly. First off, if get your little boy neutered...do so right away. Males love to mark...an intact male can be very dirty. I own 2 intact males currently and it took me awhile to convince them to do ALL thier peeing out side. I would also start taking your dogs for longer walks around the neighborhood...most dogs love to hold thier bladder so they can mark many times throughout a walk...my dogs will pee at least 15 times on a normal walk....this is also a wonderful opportunity to socialize your pug. I would also get a really good enzyme cleaner to clean up all the areas your pug has urinated...don't just mask the smell with a cleaner...get a good quality enzyme cleaner which actually absorbs the scent...you can get a product such as this at most Vet clinics. I would also take the dog in for a complete physical and urinalysis...your pug could be suffering from a UTI...this can cause the dog to have the need to urinate quite frequently...get the dog looked over just to rule out any health problems. But, it is most likely due to the fact that your pug is not neutered that he is doing this...and believe me it can be a nightmare! He has to sleep in his crate at night and stay in it during the day while we are gone because he is so destructive but we keep him out with us when we are home. Any suggestions? It's a good idea to have your dog crate trained...do you have some really great items in the crate to keep him occupied...and when you say your dog is destructive...perhaps he is suffering from seperation aniexity...if so, that is a whole different problem...you might want to give him some natural calmers such as rescue remedy to help him calm down when you have to leave...there is a whole different approach to behavior issues if it is seperation aniexty. When he pees in the house I give him "the look" and say did you pee in mommy's house? He hangs his head and puts his ears down so I know he knows it's wrong but how can I get him to stop. Also he hasn't been fixed yet. Any suggestions would be appreciated...thanks! First off...I don't think your pug KNOWS he did something wrong...he is more than likely responding to your "look" and your "behavior" and just feels as though you are mad at him for what ever he is doing that moment...for example, a lot of times when dogs have urinated in the house while the owner is in another room, or they are out of the home...when the owner comes back and sees the mistake...that mistake is out of the dogs mind...its a natural bodily function to urinate...so when the owner gets mad...the dog is not thinking about 30 seconds ago when it urinated...it's thinking how unpredictable its owner is and how they seem to get mad when they first come home, or when the dog is excited to see them...this can cause a dog to become very very confused and add to the behavior problems already established as the dog will get anxious etc. as it cannot predict your actions and why you are mad for no reason at all....DO NOT PUNISH A DOG UNLESS YOU CATCH THEM IN THE ACT...many people end up confusing thier dogs so much and house training can become a behavior problem... - get your dog neutered. - take your dog for walks so he can mark throughout the neigborhood. - set your dog up for success, praise when he does some thing right.. - do not punish your dog or expect the dog to know what you are mad about if you do not catch them in the act. - get a really good enzyme cleaner. Good luck to you. Quote
courtnek Posted January 18, 2004 Posted January 18, 2004 I got one as well. I think Tobey is looking for negative attention, having been attention starved before. I agree that neutering, and then only saying something to him when caught in the act, like a quiet but firm Bad Boy, clean it up with the enzyme clenaer and then ignore him. When he pees outside, make a big deal out of him with lots of attention, so he learns that peeing inside will not gratify his attention needs. When he starts telling you inside that he needs to go out, or has stopped peeing, then make a big deal out of him inside as well... Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted January 19, 2004 Posted January 19, 2004 I can't thank all of you enough for the useful info you have provided. Neither the poodle or the cocker were anything like this. Let me make sure I have this all straight. When he goes in the house-clean with enzyme cleaner (which I have) and don't scold him unless I have caught him in the act. Now if I catch him in the act I calmly and firmly scold him-what next? Do I take him outside? I haven't been since he has already done his business in the house. And do I spank him? I really prefer not to do that. About the crate, no I haven't put toys in there, I guess I didn't really think about it which was kinda dumb on my part. Also the crate is his size, he can stand up and turn around but if he were to pee he would have to lay in it--should I have him in something a little bigger? I really do think he has a separation anxiety problem, I think it began when the elderly man had him because he was put in a cage and left in a room alone most of the time. At night his crate has to be put in a room alone otherwise he whines all night because he wants out to be with us. That is my goal--for him to be able to be out of the crate and sleep with me at night. When I say destructive it's things like rolling the chairs over to the kitchen counters to get whatever is up there that he wants, if there is nothing to get into he finds something. You have mentioned him letting us know he needs outside, tonight he was sitting by the door but I didn't let him out because he had just been out, about 5 minutes later he #2'd on my bed. How do I tell the difference when he really needs to go and when he just wants to run around? The part about ignoring him and giving the others attention after he has done his business in the house would only result in him doing it again. Should I still do that? Again thanks to all of you for the info, you could be saving me from a nervous breakdown...lol Quote
imported_Cassie Posted January 19, 2004 Posted January 19, 2004 When he goes in the house-clean with enzyme cleaner (which I have) and don't scold him unless I have caught him in the act. Now if I catch him in the act I calmly and firmly scold him-what next? Do I take him outside? Exactly If you do not catch your puppy doing it, then don't punish him for it! if you find a mess that was left when you were not there, clean it up and forget it. Discipline will not help because unless you catch your dog in the act, he will have no idea what the scolding is for. Your dog has urinated and defecated hundreds of times before he met you. When you actually catch him in the act of urinating or defecating. Do not get mad. Quickly, but calmly pick him up and without raising your voice sternly say "No." Carry him outside. It will help to push his tail down while you are carrying him as this will often help them to stop urinating or defecating any more....I don't know if you can do this with a pug tail... :lol: Your pug is going to be excited when you get him outside, but stay there with him for a while and if he finishes the job, reward him with simple praise like "Good Dog." In the disciplining of dogs, just like in physics, every action has a reaction and for training purposes these may not be beneficial! If you overreact and severely scold, spank or scare the heck out of a dog for making what is in your mind a mistake, your training is probably going to go backwards. With housebreaking this is especially difficult for them to understand as they are carrying out a natural body function. Punishment rarely speeds up housebreaking. Often, it makes the dog nervous or afraid every time it needs to go to the bathroom. Also the crate is his size, he can stand up and turn around but if he were to pee he would have to lay in it--should I have him in something a little bigger? Keep the crate you currently have, it sounds to be the perfect size. Using too large of a crate can often cause long term problems. The Dog will go to one corner of the cage and urinate or defecate. After a while, he will then run through it tracking it all over the cage. If this is allowed to continue, the instincts about not soiling his bed or lying in the mess will be forgotten and the puppy will soon be doing it every day when placed in the crate. Now a housebreaking method has turned into a behavioral problem as the puppy's newly-formed hygienic habits becomes his way of life. The last thing you do before you put your pug in the crate is take him outside to his favorite spot. The first thing you do when you take the animal out of the crate is another trip outside. No food or water goes in the crate, just a blanket and maybe a chew toy to occupy his time. Overnight is definitely crate time. As your faith in your pug grows, leave him out for longer and longer periods of time. Most people do not recognize an important advantage of crate training. It does more than just stop the animal from messing in the house. It also teaches the dog something very important. The dog learns that when the urge to urinate or defecate occurs, he can hold it. Just because the dog feels like he needs to relieve himself, he learns that he does not have to. This is thought to be the main reason why puppies that have gone through crate training have fewer mistakes later on. When he is taken outside, watch him closely and as soon as all goes as planned, he should be praised and then brought back inside immediately. You want the dog to understand that the purpose for going outside was to go to the bathroom. Do not start playing, make it a trip for a reason. Verbal communications help this method. Specific verbal communications will also help the two of you understand what is desired. It is an excellent idea to always use a word when it is time to head to the bathroom. If you use a verbal command or signal, it is important that everybody in the family always uses the same word in the same way. Once outside, try to encourage your pup to get on with the act :lol: . Yoy can use a verbal command as well...with my dogs I kinda use a sing song voice and say "pee, pee?" or "poo, poo" I know I sound like an idiot...but, its has saved me many cold nights of standing and waiting for them to go.. :oops: As soon as he eliminates, it is very important to praise them with a "Good Dog" and then come back inside immediately. Again, make this trip that started outside with a specific word "Outside" be for a purpose. If you are taking the pup out to play with a ball or go for a walk do not use this word even if you know they will eliminate while you are outside The feeding schedule you use can help or hinder housebreaking. You will soon notice that most dogs & puppies need to go outside soon after they wake and also within 30 to 40 minutes after eating. Be consistent when you feed the animal so you can predict when they need to relieve themselves. Plan your trips outside around these patterns. Also give your pug plenty of time to do his business out doors...my dogs take quite awhile to figure out where the "perfect" spot is..unless I give them a verbal command. I also do not bring them inside until they have done number 1 & number 2...usually for #2 its going to be about 30 minutes after they finished eating...I take my dogs for a walk about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours after their meals..a walk helps get things moving through the digestive system..I wait a little longer than most as my dogs are big chested dogs and are prone to bloat....with your pup I would give him about 30-40 minutes after a meal and take him for a little walk to get every thing out of his system... :wink: One last thing as I mentioned before my dogs will pee about 15 times on a walk and at least 10 different times in my yard...they will look around and mark all kinds of different areas...a walk is a good way to encourage your dog to "save" his bladder and bowel movements for this time...dogs love to mark while out on a walk so the other dogs can smell it..and they love to leave a nice poop for the other dogs to smell... :oops: When in the house watch for signs of smelling around, doing little circles or half turns etc. or if your pug goes to the door as you said he did...take him out...until he is completely 100% house trained heed all the sutle signs... :wink: At night his crate has to be put in a room alone otherwise he whines all night because he wants out to be with us. That is my goal--for him to be able to be out of the crate and sleep with me at night. When I say destructive it's things like rolling the chairs over to the kitchen counters to get whatever is up there that he wants, if there is nothing to get into he finds something :o what a little devil... :evil: :lol: there are different calming herbs you can give to your pug which will help him relax when in the crate...I think courtnek is currently using "Rescue Remedy" for one of her dogs..it takes about 3 hours to kick in...also make sure he has toys in his crate to play with. Quote
imported_Cassie Posted January 19, 2004 Posted January 19, 2004 One last thing... :oops: You mentioned your pug can be destructive and has a tendancy to become anxious...exercise can really help to over come anxiety, boredom and stress...a tired dog is a good dog. :lol: There is also an item that can be purchased called a comfort zone which is a plug in unit and diffuses a substance purported to contain a pheromone similar to that released by nursing female dogs...daily exposure to the pheromone is supposed to relieve dogs stress and stop their destructive and or disruptive stress related behavior...I have also read that this can actually help "some" dogs...but there are a few dogs that it can create "more" problems with ...so it depends on your dog if it is going to work. Courtnek will probably have some good suggestions for you as she has been going through some confidence building exercises with her new foxhound "laurel". Also consult a positive trainer for suggestions on developing a behavior modification and management program for your dog. Good luck, and believe me...none of the training suggestions are going to work over night... :wink: I have adopted my last 8 Newfoundland dogs from kennels...none of them had EVER lived in a house before I took them in...I never had a puppy always adolescent dogs (over 1 year) or adults...it took quite a while to train them to go out side...and for some of them which were fearful or anxious...it took a while to build their confidence...all the efforts paid off big time and I never regretted taking any of these dogs (of course it was a different story while I was going through all the problems! :lol: :lol: ) give your newest member time and patience and understanding...take time for walks and games and belly rubs... :wink: Good luck and you will get through this. honest. Quote
courtnek Posted January 20, 2004 Posted January 20, 2004 thanks Cassie Rescue Remedy has worked well with Laurel, she is very timid and anxious all the time, but giving this to her three times a day has helped. I would definitely take him out, even after an accident, and then if he goes again praise him greatly. You want him to realize that going outside is the thing to do, and inside will bring him no gratification at all. clean and ignore if he goes inside, praise and pet if outside. unless you catch him in the act. they forget after about 3 seconds... Like Cassie said, keep the crate small. They will not normally soil their own "den". take him out 30 minutes after eating, and first thing every morning. also, a last run before bed. You wont actually harm the situation by paying no attention to him after he has gone inside, that's what he wants. Negative attention is something you want to stop. Once he realizes that following the rules outside gets him tons of attention, and disobeyong them inside gets him none (remmeber, they dont care if its positive or negative, it's still attention) he will come around and behave. Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted February 23, 2004 Posted February 23, 2004 well since I last talked with everyone we have moved, down by a lake and toby loves the water! he seems to be getting much better, we are trying to keep him in a routine which helps a lot. and i think this is a BIG step...before when you told him time to go night night (crate time) he would act all "poor me" and you would have to physically put him in the crate. now we tell him night night and get the treat, he generally goes to the crate, gets in, turns around and waits for the treat. i have also noticed a few nights when he would fuss awhile after going into the crate, so we let him out, he goes to the door cause he needs to go potty. I'M SO EXCITED!!! I finally feel like we are making REAL progress here. Quote
Rowie-the-Pooh Posted February 23, 2004 Posted February 23, 2004 Missa napisał(a):well since I last talked with everyone we have moved, down by a lake and toby loves the water! he seems to be getting much better, we are trying to keep him in a routine which helps a lot. and i think this is a BIG step...before when you told him time to go night night (crate time) he would act all "poor me" and you would have to physically put him in the crate. now we tell him night night and get the treat, he generally goes to the crate, gets in, turns around and waits for the treat. i have also noticed a few nights when he would fuss awhile after going into the crate, so we let him out, he goes to the door cause he needs to go potty. I'M SO EXCITED!!! I finally feel like we are making REAL progress here. I'm so happy for you! :D Congratulations! And sorry about not giving you advice before, first time I see this thread :o . Quote
DogPaddle Posted February 24, 2004 Posted February 24, 2004 Excellent results, glad your work paid off. Wonderful that you and Toby have the lake there as well, I'm jealous. Quote
courtnek Posted February 24, 2004 Posted February 24, 2004 ME TOO! Both of mine LOVE water...I wish I had a lake nearby they could swim in... Quote
imported_Cassie Posted February 24, 2004 Posted February 24, 2004 I live by 3 lakes and I am 10 minutes from the ocean....I own 4 Newfoundland dogs which HATE the water!!! :lol: don't listen to people when they tell you all Newf's love the water :wink: ...I have owned 12 Newf's and only one of them would go in the water...now, my Rottie loves swimming...I have a hard time getting her out. Missa I am so glad things are working out for you...time and patience pays off :wink: Quote
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