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Housetraining
I have a situation I’m not sure how to handle. My client is elderly with back problems and she has a 6 mo old bichon who she has struggled to housetrain. He will pee outside when he first gets up and she takes him out every 2 hours after that but he generally doesn’t go. I’ve given her Patricia McConnells book, Way to Go, and explained that she will need to take him out more frequently and keep an eye on him when he is inside so he can’t have an accident inside. She has been unable to do this consistently. She’s very frustrated and wants me to do something but I don’t know what else to tell her. Ive considered a referral to a board and train but am concerned because the ones near me are not R+. Before they called me, they tried an electric fence and the dog became terrified of the back yard where it was shocked. It is now going in the yard again but rarely eliminates outside. Any thoughts?
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8 Replies
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Thanks for sharing this case. House elimination can be frustrating for many dog owners.
If folks do not follow through with recommendations to help, it can be frustrating for us, too.
Did the pup ever seem to be potty trained and regressed or has always been this way?
Did anything change in the household as far as routine? Has he been cleared medically?
Is he going in front of her or will he hide from her when eliminating in the house?
What does he do outside when she takes him out other times of the day, after the am elimination? Does he appear stressed or anxious? Scanning environment? Playing?
If the dog was shocked that could be one reason contributing to the unwillingness to go as you know. Can you try another location that does not have a likely negative association? Front yard? Sidewalk?
I think your idea of watching him while inside is very reasonable but, if she can not be consistent than……can she hire a dog walker or, have a friend/family member to come in 2-3 times a day to help with the housebreaking? Is this a role you can offer to fill (and possible keep a client for other trainings).
You or your client may need to change the reward to something new and higher value when he eliminates out first thing when he does go.
I am sure others will have some ideas too.
Keep us posted.
Thank you for trying to help them.
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He’s never been house trained. He has always gone in the house and he will pee on the carpet sometimes as soon has he comes in from an hour outside. Sometimes he pees in front of her but often they don’t notice. He often goes out of sight to poop.
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“He’s never been house trained. He has always gone in the house and he will pee on the carpet sometimes as soon has he comes in from an hour outside.”
This may be a clue that this is likely due to lack of consistency and reinforcement for the desired behavior. If she is not physically able to help the dog, I would strongly suggest a dog sitter/walker or trainer to help. They can help get him on a schedule.
If she is not open to it, then the truth is, nothing is likely going to change. It takes time and work.
If he came from a puppy mill type breeder they can present another layer of challenge as they are used to eliminating where they live/sleep and, at anytime.
Best of luck
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Hi @tammy ,
@jenz already weighed in with some excellent points and questions. I have a couple more:
Does your client have a confinement area for the pup when she can’t strictly observe/supervise him? If so, will he eliminate in that area or does he keep it clean?
Would tethering the dog to his person (or to a chair where she’s settled) be safe/doable? Some dogs won’t want to pee in that configuration and will begin displaying some signs that they are in need of a potty break. Others will gladly pee while tethered, so it doesn’t work with every dog.
Have you discussed trying a belly band? Sometimes a dog will be reluctant to pee while wearing one, thus buying the client precious moments to get the dog outside to eliminate. But if he has no issues peeing while wearing it, then it’s only useful from the perspective of not soiling areas of the house, though a soiled tummy region on the dog may be an issue. Because your client has back problems, taking the belly band on/off the dog will be easier to do if he can jump up onto a piece of furniture.
I’m currently working with elderly clients (with limited mobility) in a very similar situation and it’s very frustrating all around. The dog has developed a strong preference for carpets as a substrate to pee on, while outdoor time is just for fun and exploration.I, too, am concerned if there are any lingering worries for the dog in the yard that make it hard for him to concentrate on getting his business done outside, except in times when his tank is really and truly full, like first thing in morning.
Looking forward to getting more background info from you about this case.
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She does have a crate, but he poops in it sometimes. I think that might be due to her leaving him too long between breaks so I can work on that. Tethering him might work so I will talk to her about that. He may try but she might be able to get to him in time. I thought about a belly band, but wasn’t sure about suggesting that because I didn’t know how dogs do with them. Thank you for the information. The dog will jump up to the chair, so she should be able to get the belly band on. I will talk to her about it and five her the pros and cons. Thank you. I do think that there may be some worries about the backyard, so we have tried the front yard. He seems to prefer carpet for eliminating and sniffing and playing in the yard.
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Keep us posted, @tammy . I hope you have some positive progress!
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I agree with Virginia, that the tethering is an awesome game changer for some people. That is usually one of my first things I go over, as well as having the dog confined to a kitchen gated from rest of the house, with a kennel or crate for further confinement, if she needs to go elsewhere in the house.
I’m not sure (as I’m sure you might not be either) how old is elderly and what her physical limitations are. It is frustrating, for sure, but it is not a one person job at this point!
I wish you well with this case! Please keep us posted @tammy !
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@tammy you’ve already gotten some great advice here. I’ll add that for some dogs and owners a dedicated indoor potty spot is just the way to go, especially if the client has a caregiver coming in regularly to help with clean up and there are reasons that getting the dog outside or having the dog relax outside are difficult.
The other thought is that if that dog has been going on the carpet, it’s going to be next to impossible to make lasting changes without pulling out the carpet and perhaps even the subfloor. Dogs go where they went before and the scent will remain strong there even if they were cleaning immediately and thoroughly. It’s never something people want to hear, but important to talk about. In some cases where the dog was preferring an out-of-the-way dining room for example, the area can just be blocked off while the rest of the training is being accomplished.
Good luck, and keep us posted!
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