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#1
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Slip ups in the house -- 7 months old
Our little shih tzu, Cooper, is 7 months old and is usually pretty good about going outside. Every once in a while we'll see the occasional spot on the hardwood that lets us know that he slipped off and did a piddle without us noticing. When he does this it's in the foyer or living room where we don't spend a lot of time, so it's unnoticed. And he's never out of our sight for very long so he must slip off and do it quickly.
We're pretty diligent about getting him outside and he will sit by the door to tell us when he has to go, and we take him out whenever he does that and praise him for it. Sometimes he will make a poop in the evening and eat it. We really hate that !!! I was just thinking today how great it's been lately and how he hasn't had a slip up in weeks and, wouldn't you know it, he piddled in the house tonight. Is this a bad sign at this age? I had really hoped we were well past this sort of thing. Also my husband shook a can of nails at him which I think was just mean since we didn't catch him in the act. I don't think he had any clue why the daddy was scaring him. So hubby got a lecture on how dogs think. (FYI--he's not a mean guy--he loves the dog a lot and worries about him if he's alone for the afternoon, he's just clueless about dog behavior and I'm doing all that I can to learn myself and in turn educate him.) Okay--any potty training advice is appreciated. I know we need to be more diligent since these accidents usually occur when we bring him upstairs with us at the end of the night and we get distracted with the computer, flossing brushin, all the bedtime routine stuff. |
#2
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Do you do the normal stuff, such as limiting water after a certain hour, go out right before bed (maybe even a short walk? I've noticed walking helps my guy move things through his system... aka: a poop walk). Also, I'd shut doors or use baby gates to keep him in the same room as you - so he can't sneak off and piddle. heck, keep him in the bathroom w/ you while you brush/floss - at least you can watch him that way. If you bring him upstairs and then go about your nightly routines, maybe you could crate him? If he can't be watched, and he's not trusted to not have accidents, then I'd use a crate. I get distracted w/ the computer also, I work at home alot in the evenings, however, when I'm on the computer, that means my bf is on puppy-duty. So one of us is always paying attention. stay on top of it now, put in that extra effort, so these accidents don't become "habit". |
#3
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Jessi, thank you for the advice. We do give him a walk at the end of the night but I haven't been limiting the water. I'm going to start doing that. And I appreciate what you said about not letting the slip ups become a habit. That makes a lot of sense so we won't take our eyes off him in the evening.
Our floor plan and doorways make it difficult to gate him completely so I'll pop him in the crate if I'm going to be moving from room to room and not able to watch him. He does like his crate so it won't be a hardship on him to spend a few minutes in there while we do our nightly routines. Thanks for the advice ! |
#4
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Do you go outside with him for washroom breaks?
One of my recent fosters was great in the house, no accidents in the first month - so when she did have an accident, I wondered what had happened....then it happened again - 15 minutes after I had just let her in! So, I watched her from another window - both accidents occured during or right after really heavy rain storms - and since the previous foster had dug a few holes around the backyard - my yard was one big mud puddle - that she didn't want to go on. Instead, she sat huddled by the door (when it was raining), and when I had returned, I figured 'oh, she must be ready to come in', w/out knowing she had NOT gone to the washroom! From then on, when it was raining or really muddy, I either went out in the yard w/ her, or walked her down to the park (in the rain) - where the grass was more to her liking No accidents since! Soooo...if you're not going out w/ her - keep an eye - maybe she's just not going, when you think she has... C. |
#5
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Boo does that too. He fakes it because I give him a cookie when he comes in... Luckily Boo's got a 10 L bladder... Well, sometimes unluckily..
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#6
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We put pee pads down for that very reason. Sophie my Shih Tzu is like a little camel. She hates getting her feet wet. No biggie so she pees on a pad once in a while. She gets 4 walkies a day so she doesnt pee in the house that much.
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