At my wits end

[GMA 981]

I can understand Bosco when we used to let Bosco have the run of the house and find little presents in different spots, but we have since limited some of the areas and have found a way to confine him to one area. But Monday and today he did something totally unexpected. Normally, he is able to hold himself unitl he is taken out in the morning, but yesterday after I left for work and hubby gets up about an hour after I leave, he found poop in one spot and caught him in mid pee in another in our bedroom. (hubby thinks the change in time may have caused this accident since we moved the clocks back an hour and that was the time he would usually take him out. Today since hubby is home for election day, he took him out and he said he peed twice but no poop outside. After he bought him in, he was in the family room with him watching TV and when he looked over to where Bosco had been laying, he saw where he had peed and pooped in another corner. I didn't want to crate him and we had rigged up an exercised pen area for him but thought that as long as we are home we could catch him especially since he doesn't do anything to let us know he has to go out.

I really don't want to have to crate him when we are home, so I really need some advice from my friends. I don't underdstand why he won't poop outside anymore. He was doing so well. We had been trying to get him to do his business in a corner of the back yard but he refuses to do anything back there unless we leave him there for about an hour or so. It's starting to get cold and I need help.

[Peanut's Mom 6]

I don't have too much to offer, but a few weeks ago Peanut went through a similar issue. We had to get stricter in terms of discipline (eg making him sit EVERY time before we throw his ball, playing some training games in the evening, etc.) and this actually helped. Before this, we had been getting lax as he had been getting pretty well behaved. He did get thrown off by the time change and was up and ready to potty at his "normal" time, even though the time had changed.

[luvmybabies 165]

I posted elsewhere on the forum that I had become "mommy" to my daughter's three dogs for an indefinite time. They were totally undisciplined and pooped and peed anywhere. I had Benji's (avatar) "puppy palace" from when I was showing him stored downstairs. It is pretty big so we hauled it up and in went the dogs. I had lots of padding already in there but added a couple of their big beds I made a few months ago. They must think they have died and gone to heaven. Even if the door is left open they will go in by themselves. They almost seem like they like things to be controlled. They only get to go in the kitchen most of the time and I do lock them in the cage at night, anytime I can't watch them and after they have been running loose for a couple of hours. They get let outside first thing in the morning and after breakfast, again in about 4 or 5 hours and after supper and before bed. They don't get into the living room unless they have a belly band on them and only for short periods of time. They seem almost trained and seem really happy so I think I did the right thing. I had never crate trained before but Pam and Paula advised this to keep my sanity (I have six dogs of my own) and it is working out well, so well I think I may try it on my other dogs that I feel could do their business outside (Tzus and Papillon, my Golden already goes outside). The malts only have a single coat so would have to have coats to go outside and I have too much else to do so they can continue to go on the pee pads. I now think crate training is the way to go and if it works as fast with your fur babies you won't have them in a crate long. Dogs do like crates. I have another big one that Anabelle (malt) loves and goes in there all the time just to sleep. So does my other malt. He has his own crate. The doors are always open so it is their choice. Good luck with whatever you do.

[Luna 8,676]

Joyce, I hate to say it...but I tole ya so, lol! ;)

[Peanut's Mom 6]

That is a good point...I forgot to add that during that time we also had to go back to confining Peanut in his exercise pen a bit when he was getting wild. It did the trick...seemed like he just needed a tune up of discipline:)

[GMA 981]

Thanks ladies. Exercise pen is on the way. So Mr. Bosco will be taken back to basics.