KarenEM September 9th, 2007, 08:55 PM We just adopted a male 8 month old lab/hound mix from the humane society. He is a sweetheart. However, he is constantly "rough housing" with our other dog....a 15 month old female Chow/Lab mix. Alone, the two of these dogs are very submissive, but together, they "play fight". It drives me nuts because I can't tell if they are playing or fighting. They go for each others necks, and ears and paws. While doing this, their tails are wagging which makes me think they are playing. Are they???
Secondly, Caleb, the new dog, keeps peeing in the house. We let him out at least 10 times a day. And he pees almost every time. However, he keeps peeing in the house as well. He does not pee on objects, just the floor. It is driving me nuts. I don't know what to do. I don't want to take him back but it is causing such stress...not just on me but on my relationship with my fiancee. Any tips???? Please help!
TMac September 9th, 2007, 09:34 PM The rough housing sounds harmless if they're wagging their tails. If you're not comfortable with the level of roughness you can always teach them the phrase "Too Rough" and split them up when it gets too rowdy. They'll soon learn what that means.
8 months and 15 months are pretty young and boisterous so patience will be key for both of them! It sounds like you've got two dogs who like each other quite a bit so that is GREAT! :thumbs up
The peeing on the floor thing will probably need to be the first priority in terms of training. It could be an adjustment thing. I don't have much experience in that area since we got our dogs later in life and didn't have problems there, but I imagine taking the pup out soon after he eats or drinks would be the best.
Sounds like you've got normal young pups. I remember my husband feeling the "I don't want to take him back, but...." feeling the first week we got our dog from the shelter. With a bit of patience and time for adjustment, our pooch turned out great! Your new dog probably just needs some time to adjust to the rules of the house.
p.s. I'd recommend reading the book "Marley and Me" about a nutty, wild lab puppy and the frustration his owners felt...it might make you feel better that your dog is not as bad!! :D
Good luck!!!! And if you can manage to get any photos of them (when they're not tearing around at high speed), please post!
badger September 9th, 2007, 09:35 PM Sounds like play to me, burning off all that puppy energy. If not, wouldn't one or the other have drawn blood by now?
I'm sure one of the dog people will leap in here shortly and help you with the housetraining issue. Perhaps he was in a chaotic situation or was left on his own alot and not properly trained. I'm sure this can be corrected, with patience and consistency.
You didn't say how long the new dog has been with you. Do you know anything about his past history?
Any chance of a picture?
mummummum September 9th, 2007, 10:06 PM When my grrrls were young I thought one of two things was destined to happen either they would kill each other or I would completely lose my mind. Well, they'll be eight this month so the first hasn't happened but, I can't guarantee anything about the second. :laughing:
When and if they ever do actually get into a tiff you will immediately know the difference. It's a completely different "vibe" ~ you know they are ticked with each other and it's definitely not play. That's when having taught a "That's Enough" or "Settle" command comes into use.
As for peeing in the house ~ you say he is peeing 10 times a day outdoors AND peeing indoors? That's ALOT of urinating ~ I would have a Vet check done to rule out an organic cause.
If you rule out the medical then...
...if you have had him for a week or so, some of the behaviour may be part and parcel with all the confusion of settling in to a new environment and some of it may be (sadly) a result of being kenneled for long periods where dogs have to do their bizness in their kennels because there isn't the staff and volunteers to walk them consistently and often.
I would return to Basic Puppy Potty Training 101 with him so that he gets into a schedule (with you going outdoors with him!!) and becomes used to consistency in that schedule and praise as a reward for good behaviour in his new home.
kashtin's kin September 10th, 2007, 01:12 AM Congrats on your new 'pound pup' :)...and I empathize with your challenges. I seem to have become a bit of a feral cat person on this BB (NOT an expert, just thrust into that issue), but we've always been a double dog household as well. Our dog dynamic has evolved a bit over the years i.e senior dog passing on, new dog becoming family.
Regarding the rough-housing, with both our dogs and cats, DH and I probably intervene a bit more than some folks; we're fortunate in that one of us is usually home, and any time dog or cat play starts to develop into the too rough/mean type (one animal growling overly, animal pinned etc.) they get a sharp verbal rebuke.
All 5 indoor cats and both dogs have learned over time this means QUIT! At first, we would often step in to separate or crate one dog, but if you're fair and consistent (acting immediately, and with firmness rather than anger) everybody gets the idea pretty quickly.
(I have one friend who never intervenes with her cats, even when they get quite nasty with each other; she looks on lovingly and remarks on their adorable?? play :shrug:...I honestly think she just doesn't realize the difference between playing and bullying et al.)
Especially with young dogs, there is sure to be some real rough and tumble stuff; they will definitely slow down a bit as they mature. As for the new dog's excessive peeing, you likely do want to at least consider the "is there a physical problem" possibility, as someone above noted.
However, I recall one nightmare week or so when our younger dog was under a year...DH and I had boarded both dogs with our vet for 3 days while we visited distant family; DH stayed on for a week, but I had to return to work earlier. The period of time after my return was alright, but when DH got back our young dog suddenly started peeing every hour on the hour on the floors, even though we let her out every hour :evil:!!
Clearly, she was intent on punishing DH-whom she regarded as more alpha than the diminutive moi!-for his absence. When even soft-hearted DH began to mutter about making the pee monster an outdoor dog, I picked up a crate for her and that solved the problem (crated her for different intervals of time, with plenty of outside play in between).
In the case of a dog I once fostered, being crated did not deter her from peeing-in her crate-so we had to be a bit creative; this was quite a long time ago, and I can't remember the exact solution :o ! My gut feeling is that your dog is young and is in a real transition period (probably a bit overwhelmed by being in the 'pound' facility etc.).
If you can just grit your teeth and hang in there, using all the useful tips you can get, it is most likely a case of enduring a bit of short term craziness; just think of the [better!] big picture, and don't panic. I've been through that stage of OMG-what-have-I-done with dogs, cats and horses...and in almost every case (there've been a lot :rolleyes: !) I've looked back on that challenging time, and been glad I perservered.
So, hang in there, and I wish you all the luck/strength/patience :thumbs up:fingerscr you need! Keep looking for solutions 'as needed', and let us know how things go!
p.s. just remembered...re: peeing, it's good to have an 'enzyme' type cleaner to discourage re-use of the soiled area...also, if your [bit] older dog is well house-trained, we always found it easier to train the younger one by having it follow the good example of the other dog (don't know how many times I've stood outside in all weathers crooning, "Have your pee!" and "What a GOOD dog!"...we're out in the country, so lucky for me usually only the birds are around to give me weird looks!).
BusterBoo September 10th, 2007, 06:58 AM When we got Buster, Harley was about 4 yrs old and we brought Buster home at 8-9 weeks old. The first few weeks were great, Harley tolerated the puppy but it soon became a battle with my grumpy old man (Harley) not enjoying the constant nipping and playing with the puppy. I was told to "let them play" but I would step in when Harley got too grumpy and I would discipline the puppy with a stern Leave Him. Well it sort of worked and they did sort out their differences, Harley even learned to enjoy running the tzu500 (aka zoomies) with his baby brother. I could definitely tell when Harley had enough and the play with turning to fighting (snarling, snapping etc). No blood was ever drawn but there was some yelping when it got too rough. (Unfortunately on August 11th Harley was sent to the Bridge, so Buster has no one to play with :cry: )
As for indoor peeing, we also thought we would never get through that stage with Buster. He marked EVERYWHERE in the house and we ended up changing our living carpet for hardwood floors. He hasn't peed inside since then (June 2007).
Stick with it, he will eventually get it! :thumbs up
KarenEM September 10th, 2007, 01:18 PM Thank you all for all of the wonderful advice. I look forward to trying out these new ideas.
We are taking him to the vet on Thursday for his required exam. We will be sure to address the excessive peeing.
I will keep you posted.
P.S. I will get pictures on here very soon of both my babies!!!
Thanks again. :pawprint:
luvntzus September 11th, 2007, 01:44 AM I have these same issues with my two Shih Tzus- Gingerbread and Fudge. Gingerbread is 2 years old and Fudge is 7 months old. Gingerbread gets tired of being pestered at times, but at other times he does want to play.
So the times when I think they're getting out of hand is when they get extra loud/snarly and both go up on their hind legs facing each other. They don't draw blood, but it seems like an escalating tiff, so I break it up. I usually have to say (loudly over them making such a ruckus). "Hey, that's enough" In a stern voice. They immediately knock it off, but sometimes Fudge circles around and starts to go right back to it. So I have to watch them for a minute and quickly remind them to "cool it" if they start up again. Fudge is getting neutered in a few weeks and I'm hoping (praying, lol) that it will make him less ornery. The pestering and humping Gingerbread is getting old. :sad:
partial September 12th, 2007, 01:08 AM My dad's dogs, a 90 pound Chesapeake and a 100+ pound Newfoundland would play fight for who was alpha constantly. Pretty intimidating seeing two dogs really going at it. They never hurt one another, never drew blood, just had what looked like fights to establish dominance.
I think its natural behavior for dogs to play fight, especially as puppies.
KarenEM September 14th, 2007, 02:39 PM Well...we took Caleb to the vet. They are not concerned with the amount of peeing he is doing. They said it could have been nerves. He has stopped peeing in the house as much. Now, if at all, it is once a day that he has an accident.
Him and Bella still play fight. We are teaching them, "thats enough!" and it seems to be helping. Bella is turning out to be the dominant one. VERY SURPIRSED! She has now decided to start humping Caleb. Little strange to see that happen.
Today, the two of them bonded. My fiancee was in the basement and the two dogs were upstairs by themselves. Apparently, a very large limb fell from the tree in the backyard and scared them. Mike found them huddled together in the corner of the room and would not go outside until Mike got rid of the big limb. Such babies!!! HaHa.
One problem we are having now with Caleb is in the basement. The previous owners had a cat, and where the cat box was, Caleb likes to go potty there. Any ideas????
mummummum September 14th, 2007, 02:53 PM Assuming the basement floor is concrete or tile I would start by cleaning the floor and nearby wall area thoroughly with bleach and rinsing it really well with water. This should clear up any residual odour and stains.
kashtin's kin September 14th, 2007, 11:42 PM Yup, clean the basement floor with bleach and an enzyme cleaner if you can get it (I have 'Goe Green', which breaks down odour instead of masking it, and it's non-toxic :goodvibes:). And congrats on hanging in there :thumbs up ...sounds like things are a ton better already! Thanks for letting us know how you're getting on...next we just need some pictures!:D
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