Salomanda
January 4th, 2006, 12:57 PM
We have a 7 month old miniature schnauzer named Topper, and we love him endlessly! However, we're having a bit of a problem...
Right before we picked Topper up from his breeder, I was offered a new job where I would work all day instead of half a day as I had been previously. There are no dog walkers in our area and so instead of leaving the poor guy in a crate all day (since he sleeps in it at night as well), we bought an exercise pen that he spends the day in. It worked beautifully and now he never pees or poops in his pen. We've been clicker training him to do his stuff outside, which he does. However, when he's out of his pen he doesn't see a reason to hold it, he'll just go whereever. He doesn't spend a whole lot of time unsupervised outside of his pen, but if you turn your back for a second he'll go right on the floor.
I guess my question is, how do we help him learn to hold it all over the house and not just in his pen or crate? I know it must be our error, I just don't know how to fix it. I know he CAN hold it, I just want to help him learn that he should do it all the time, not just in his pen.
Thanks so much for listening and in advance for any help!
Right before we picked Topper up from his breeder, I was offered a new job where I would work all day instead of half a day as I had been previously. There are no dog walkers in our area and so instead of leaving the poor guy in a crate all day (since he sleeps in it at night as well), we bought an exercise pen that he spends the day in. It worked beautifully and now he never pees or poops in his pen. We've been clicker training him to do his stuff outside, which he does. However, when he's out of his pen he doesn't see a reason to hold it, he'll just go whereever. He doesn't spend a whole lot of time unsupervised outside of his pen, but if you turn your back for a second he'll go right on the floor.
I guess my question is, how do we help him learn to hold it all over the house and not just in his pen or crate? I know it must be our error, I just don't know how to fix it. I know he CAN hold it, I just want to help him learn that he should do it all the time, not just in his pen.
Thanks so much for listening and in advance for any help!
