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Dog having accidents
My dog is urinating in the guest bedroom on a near daily basis. I'm thinking I'll have to start kenneling her when I go in the mornings, but I hate doing that. The vet said everything is fine physically with her. I walk her before I leave in the mornings, but she won't usually go...it's like she's nervous or something. I think she gets nervous because she knows I'm about to leave.
I'm gone for about 2 hours in the morning, unless I have other errands to run. She usually has an accident before I get back home, I think because she didn't go before I left and then has to go really, really bad and just can't hold it.
I'm getting frustrated cleaning up her accidents...if I close off the guest room, she just goes somewhere else. I'm using Nature's Miracle, but it's not doing any good. Is kenneling her my last resort? Also, she's about 7 years old and she's a chihuahua/pomeranian mix.
Re: Dog having accidents
My slightly foggied Thursday-night-drinking mind says crating is the way to go.
I'm not sure why you're calling it a last resort? My dog loves her crate, it's her den, her private place. If your dog doesn't like it, you can help her to like it more by giving her a tasty treat that she only gets in her crate.
The crate was wonderful for house breaking (and chewing) for us. It really was what we needed to get 100% there. If you have her on a set schedule, she'll learn that she needs to go when you take her out. Usually running a little, taking her to a spot she usually goes at, or taking a longer walk (or using the "get to it" command) will get our dog to go to the bathroom when we want her too, but honestly, I think the most helpful things in the process of house breaking were having a consisent schedule and not allowing her freedoms she hadn't earned.
Edit: To fix an incorrect sentence.
The reason why I call it my last resort is because she is TERRIFIED of being crated. She's a dog we adopted from a shelter, and they are pretty sure she was abused. I think previous owners used the kennel as a punishment. She gets upset if I shut her in a whole room on her own.
Aww poor baby! It sounds like the problem is only in the mornings? During her other bathroom breaks, does she go to the bathroom and does she have a "spot?" You could try taking her to that spot in the mornings. You could also teach a "get to it" command by telling her to get to it when you can tell she's about to go/going while on the walks when you know she will go to the bathroom and start using that in the mornings. Maybe budget a little more time for your AM walks to get her to go to the bathroom?
Also, if you leave out water while you're gone for those 2 hours, you might consider not doing it, just while she's learning.
The crate is what we used to get her to that last 100%, so I'm afraid I'm not too much help in house training without it. I'm sorry your dog hates it.
I'm sure you have the best judgment as to whether or not to use it.
I'm sorry, I thought it was NM, but it's some other brand....I'll switch to NM, maybe that will help.
Yes, she holds it in all night. The first week we had her, I'd try to bring her outside in the night for a potty break, but she wasn't interested. We do a good 10 minute walk or so in the morning. There are other things that lead the shelter to think she was abused, so I'm not basing the fear of crating to mean she was abused
Yep, it's only in the mornings. She has several spots and I never have issues getting her to go, as long as we walk first
The water is a good idea. I can try longer walks, but I'm dealing with some medical issues and my knees are in a lot of pain in the morning and often swollen, so walking isn't easy for me. Thanks for all the tips!
Pin addition to all the great suggestions you were already given, I'd definitely try the Natures Miracle brand. When I was potty training my dog, I tried to go the cheap way out & bought some generic no name brand that I thought would work fine. My dog kept peeing in the house. When I switched to NM, the accidents miraculously stopped. I'm assuming the cheapy stuff just wasn't doing a good enough job.
I'm not saying that will magically work for you too, but it might help.
If it is only happening when you leave, then I venture to guess that her separation anxiety is not solved. Inappropriate elimination can be a sign especially if it never happens when you are home.
After you clean with NM really well (you have to soak it let it dry etc), I would close off the guest bedroom and look into using maybe and X-pen if you don't want to crate train her. Or you could try to close her off in a room that is not carpeted. Do no use potty pads or anything like that.
You can also look into giving her some rescue remedy when you leave her and see if that takes the edge off enough that she won't pee.
Our dachshund was 6 when he came to us and lived a crazy life in a crack house. He was potty trained, but if we left him even for a few minutes to go outside, he'd pee. The whole house and us leaving was just too much for him and made him nervous. We crate trained for a quite a while and now he is only restricted to the bedroom when we leave and he does great.
Good luck.