Doggie Housetraining going backwards...need help!

[DMickey28]

I have posted recently on other threads about my very loved Corgi. Lobo. However, he is starting to go backwards in his house training.

He is two years old and he is crate trained. He is starting to go backwards in his housetraining. We just moved to S. FLorida at the beginning of July into a highrise apartment building. Prior to that he was living in houses. He is used to go out the side door to the yard, however his schedule hasn't changed.

He goes out first thing in the morning between 7-8 am. Then he has breakfast and water. He is alone until 5:30pm. He never has an accident during the day. He goes out in the elevator, seeing other dogs along the way without every having an accident. Then we come in, he gets dinner and another thing of water. THis is when he has his accidents between 7-9 pm. We can't pet him, we can't play with him or anything for fear that he is just going to start going. It's starting to become a couple of days a week and I am at my wits end. I don't know what to do with him. we play fetch all night... we practice our training with treats a few nights a week. He has been crated and uncrated during the day and either way he is fine. He is crated all night...

Just know he had an accident and when we caught him and spanked him (just a light tap on the butt with a sharp NO) he got very aggressive. Not like him.

I don't know what to do. I wonder if he is angry about something. Is he not being given enough attention? Could he feel that things are going to change in a while with the baby? I worry about the aggression with a baby. He has never shown these signs before....

Any advice or ideas would be great!!!

 

[kayeandjim00]

Our newest dog had potty training issues and even though it's frustrating I'd suggest not saying NO or spanking him. Our dog trainer said both aren't helpful. If you have a time frame that you know is an issue then I'd try keeping him tethered to you with a leash during that time so he won't get away from you and go. If he does go - one of you clean it up and one of you take him immediately outside and say "go potty" or something like that. It could be just all of the changes - I'm sure you can resolve it especially since it seems to just be one time of day. Be sure you are cleaning it with a cleaner that will take all of the smell away like Nature's Miracle. Good Luck!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My guess is you moved and you have to be firmer with the rules. The "new space" is too be earned.

Also you need to include walks in there. Your dog needs to clear his head and be a dog. Frustration is building in him.

As Cesar says...dogs live in the moment. What are you providing for your dog to be a dog? Your dog has no anger about moving or anxiety about the baby. That is your feelings and he may be picking up on you.

Dogs get "cabin fever" worse than people.
Instead of avoiding him from 7-9, take him for a nice long walk.
Or nice walk in the morning and when you get home. It does do wonders for animals. Figure a way to exercise him.

Also "playing fetch" all night is BAD. It actually makes them more excited and anxious. Exercise for a dog is done thru a proper walk.
I have a "ball obssessed" dog too, so I speak from experience...

Good Luck...dogs take alot of work. I have 2 of them.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

It is not uncommon for dogs to use the bathroom right after a meal
It sounds like you are coming home from work, taking him out, then feeding him, and then he is eliminating a 2nd time.

I would say that somebody is going to have to take him out again immediately after dinner.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Good point! Dogs always go after they eat. I would say you are doing things backwards.

 

[DMickey28]

Thanks for the advice... I will start taking him again after I feed him... I have been waiting a few hours until bed time because he seems to be fine all day long after eating breakfast.... Maybe we should feed him first? Or just take him out twice....

Each time we go out in the AM and PM after work, he gets walks... we walk around 3/4 of a mile each time. It's hard in this area because we live downtown and he gets scared when a car backfires or a loud "boom" goes off...he pulls you back to the building because he is freaked out. He only get's "stuck" outside for his bedtime potty break.

Maybe we should be sticking him outside right after work, coming up eating dinner and then as the rush hour traffic dies down go for a longer walk. I'll try that right away, especially since DH doesn't get home from work for an hour after I do, It'll be a nice way for me to get my exercise too...NOw if it will just cool off!

Thanks... I think I am going to look into obedience with him too. We never did when he was a baby because the four times I signed him up for classes they cancelled them and we just sort of gave up, doing it ourselves. I think obedience classes might work.... Maybe the upperhand that I had over him has shifted a little and I need to work to get it back....

Oh and I have stock in Nature's Miracle. I get the big jug and clean up the "leak" with a paper towel and soak the area with Nature's Miracle. Between a cat and dog... we need that stuff...

 

[FreshTressa]

It is not uncommon for dogs to use the bathroom right after a meal
It sounds like you are coming home from work, taking him out, then feeding him, and then he is eliminating a 2nd time.

I would say that somebody is going to have to take him out again immediately after dinner.

I agree!

I have a 'double pee-er'

He goes when he first wakes up...then wants to go again 15 minutes later. He always does this.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yep...you sound like you got a handle on it!

Your dog is owning the "new place". He is freaked out so he has decided to "take control".
If your dog is scared of walking...just keep doing it. If he has control, you do not and he is not getting any benefit from the walk.

Go order Cesar Milan's new collar. I don't have it yet, it is not out yet. However, it will give you more control to walk the dog at a heel....It is called the "Illusion Collar", named after his wife.
http://cesarmillan.securesites.net/icollar.php
That is what is missing from your walk with him. He needs YOU to be the leader so he can have a relaxing walk. Does that make sense?
If I can get there with my scaredy-cat dog so can YOU! He is 70lbs of insecurity.

The bathroom issue is probably the easiest issue to work out!!!

Good Luck!!!

 

[DMickey28]

I wanted to bump this up.... he just did it again. I walked him at 1:00 when I came home from work early due to the storm. We took a nice long walk, he peed multiple times. We came home and took a nap, he had water in his bowl and drank a little but not a ton. THen DH came home and Lobo was leaning up against the couch getting pet when he just peed all over the side of the couch.

I don't get this.... It's getting to be too much... We have only been in this apartment for the last two months and I am already thinking I need to rent one of those carpet cleaners b/c I have gone through soo much Nature's Miracle that it seems reasonable to want to get a good cleaning done....

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Let me ask you this...
You said that when he lived in your old house, he just went out into the side yard. Was he able to get outside on his own, or did he have to "ask" a human to go out?

I think you need to take him back to the very first steps of housetraining. He needs to be confined to his crate UNLESS he is with a human. If you have him out, he needs to be right with one of you -- I usually tie them to one of my belt loops with a leash. If he begins to pee inside the apartment, immediate correction and then outside to an acceptable pee area. It will help him immensly if you always go to the same area. When he does his job in the right place, praise him like all get out.

Also, you can teach him to signal you in several ways. I've taught a couple of dogs to ring a bell on the doorway when they need to go outside. Whenever you take him outside, stop at the door first and get him to ring the bell. When he does it, reward him and then take him out. You will need to practice this over and over, several times a day.

Enough practice, and soon he'll do it without prompting.

 

[DMickey28]

When we were in a house he went out on the same schedule. He didn't have free access.

We are on the 11th floor of an apartment. I am worried about taking him out right when he has an accident b/c I am afraid he will pee in the elevator. DH takes him out though everytime and he doesn't finish.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Get a bell for the door! We have one. Dogs train with it so easy...

Since you had him on a "schedule" you have never really potty trained him. Potty trained is when the dog can tell you he has to go and then you take him out.

Do the basics from the beginning..no free reign until potty trained.

Get a bell, tie it to a door handle that hangs down and have him ring the bell. We also slathered it with some treat thing so the dogs would ring it.
Take him outside, do the potty command.
Do this over and over...Dogs pick up on the bell right away!

Then when he rings the bell take him outside to go potty. You may have to throw out the schedule for now, until he gets back into the groove.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

ok, well you need to realize that in his world - YOU are the one being totally unreasonable here.

You have taken him and moved the entire pack into a new place which totally smells like strange humans and most likely strange animals. Dogs not only eliminate to empty their bladders, they eliminate to let all outsiders know that these new living quarters now belong to your family. Much of what you are seeing is probably marking of the new territory.

This is one of these situations where you are just going to have to let him know that standard dog behavior is not acceptable.

I understand that you are worried about him peeing in the elevator. But still, I'd keep a clean towel by the door, stick it under his little wee wee, and whisk him down to the peeing place asap when he is having an accident.