Pottying in the house -- HELP!

[BeckyNC]

I'm not even sure if this is the right forum, but here goes...

I adopted Tae when she was 13 mos old and she is house trained. My problem is, she cannot hold it for more than 5-6 hours. I tried to crate train her, but she would panic and drool and try to escape. Consulted with a behaviorist who agreed that she was safer outside, rather than inside of a crate. Tried baby gating her in the kitchen, but she eventually learned how to climb over the gates.

We thought she might have separation anxiety b/c everyday when I return home from work, she has peed on the floor. Treated her with Clomicalm, which made no difference, but we did determine she is not going potty right after I leave, as would be expected with sep anxiety. Rather, she goes consistently 5-6 hours after I leave the house.

She has been checked for UTIs--multiple times.

Essentially, I cannot crate her, cannot work on this issue with medication and cannot restrict her to a room with gates. My carpet downstairs--upstairs is blocked off--is a mess. I'm moving to a new house in a couple weeks and do not know what to do about this potty problem. I just talked to someone about cleaning the carpet (plan to rent my townhome) and I'm so embarrassed that Tae has gone potty everywhere. I do leave her something to go potty on in the kitchen, but she seems to also go in the living room (ugh).

Does anyone have any ideas? Could I litter box train her? I'm really desperate. I have fully exhausted all of my options and I currently feel like my home is a dump due to this. I cannot live this way, but obviously parting with Tae is not an option. I really need help!

I should also mention that hiring a dog walker is not an option. Right now, I do have one pick Tae up once a week to play with other dogs. On those days, she doesn't go potty b/c she gets a mid-day break. I need to solve this problem without the help of someone coming in to take her to potty b/c a dog walker is not available when I go out on Sat night with friends, etc.

[gmacleod]

Actually a lot of dogs can't hold their bladders for 8 hours or more - and in any case, I don't believe it is reasonable to ask them to do so on a daily basis. The body is designed for the regular flushing of wastes and toxins - and one has to wonder about the long term health effects that asking a dog not to pee all day every day (and thus retain all those toxins) can have on the internal organs, especially the kidneys.

Anyway, so your girl can only manage 5-6 hours. Yes, you could train her to use a litter tray. I've never done it personally, but I have heard of it being done. I would suggest that you probably need a very large tray though

In principle it shouldn't be too different to teaching a puppy to pee on puppy pee pads (which, btw, is another option). I would suggest though, that since you probably still want her to pee outdoors when you are home, that you first introduce your tray outdoors - wherever her favourite potty place is. Take her out to potty on a leash and encourage her into the tray (so it really does need to be large). If you can get her to pee in there, you need to praise her madly for doing so - exactly as you would a baby pup who successfully pottied outdoors. Concievably putting some of her poop in there could help her to get the idea that this is the new potty area... Keep that up, both the potty trips on a leash and the over-the-top praise for pottying there and you should be able to get it into her head that peeing in the tray is correct. From there, she may make the same connection for the tray placed indoors - but if not, you'd have to train her to use it there by the same method.

The only other option that springs to mind is hiring a dog walker to come and take her out mid-way through the day. Or even doggy-day care.

I believe there have been one or two threads in the past about the possibility of litter-tray training a dog. Possibly you'd find some useful advice given previously, or others' experiences by doing a search of the forums.

[BeckyNC]

Thanks so much for your input!

I totally agree that expecting a dog to hold it more than 5-6 hours isn't necessarily reasonable. YES, it can lead to internal organ issues, among others, kidney failure.

I have had people tell me that my dog is spiteful (an emotion dogs don't have), etc. and she should be able to hold it. My response is usually that I have spent hundreds of $$ on this, so I know she can't and I also usually ask the other person if they can hold it for 8-10 hours. LOL I sure can't!!!

I have a friend who litter trained her puppy about 7 years ago, but she can't remember the specifics and he now just "holds it." Plus, he's only 12-14 lbs full-grown.

I will tray the litter tray option. I will buy the biggest one they have at Petsmart!

[Anna Begins]

Can you get a doggy door? Might be easier to teach her to go out and potty vs a litter box. It might also reinforce that outside is the correct place to use the bathroom. Dr Fosters has a large assortment of doors, even some for sliding glass doors.

[BeckyNC]

Anna--you know, that certainly would be a solution, as my new place will have a fenced yard. My concern, though, is that Tae will get into trouble or hurt herself, if left unattended. She sticks her nose into everything and is just too curious--typical Boxer! I would feel uncomfortable allowing her outside if I'm not paying attention, so obviously if I'm not home, probably not an option. I sure wish the doggie door would work. That would absolutely solve the problem!

[Jan]

Maybe a doggie door into an outdoor kennel would work. It would all depend on what your new house was like.

[walternet]

In our household we have two rescued boxer females. Once or twice a week they will have an indoor urination accident if not brought out and walked every 2 to 2.5 hours.

They are both over one year old.

I am wondering if other people have had experiences with this. If so, what are you solutions. There are people in my household in the home 24 hours a day, so availability is not an issue.

Normally they go for a walk every couple of hours so it is not a problem, but I would like it to get better.

I am looking into bell training and was wondering also if I could get some descriptions of success stories.

I am also aware that both bell training and proper housebreaking can take up to a couple of months. I am fine with this. I just want to make sure I don't find myself a month of training into training the wrong thing.

Thanks

[jlynnholt]

An outdoor kennel would probably be best. They do have ones that have tops to them as well so that they cannot escape. We are planning on getting one for Pimp as soon as the warmer weather comes our way.