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My Housebreken Dog is Peeing In the HOUSE!

Behavioral Issues
  • My 15 month old basenji boy has not had an accident in the house for many, many months. He was slow in housebreaking as he came from an elderly breeder who had him and his 4 sisters locked in a single crate 24/7. He ate and peed in the crate for 4 months until we rescued him. We have a 2 year old basneji girl who has no house breaking issues! The past week, our boy has peed and/or pooped in the house almost every night! WHY? We take them out every 4 hours or sooner … they sunbathe in the backyard for hours a day. Any ideas as to why he could have taken a step backwards? Thanks for you thoughts!

  • i dont think this helps - but this was my experience. Hope was easy to toilet train right from 9 wks she never went in the house. and then there was a period were she would pee in the house again (unsure of the age frame) but we were so confused as to why she went from being so perfect to being a little brat we had to watch her again and then after a month or so she came good again.

    shes not desexed so it might have been her marking or when she got cranky with us she would punish us by peeing on the bed or carpet (little sh!t). it was like she was going through a rebellius stage. Of course we got her checked out by the vet to make sure she didnt have any UTI's or other issues as sometimes they can do this to let you know "hey, there something up. this is the only way i can tell you".

    anyways - thats my experience. i am sure many others will have answer(s) for you. maybe worth getting him checked just to be sure everythings well? :)

  • Firstly I'd advise you to get him checked out by the vet in case it's a medical problem.

    Did he experience any changes or trauma just before he started to break his housetraining? Something may have triggrered his reversion to his earlier days.

    I usually advise to go back to basics with his house training to sort the problem and then it's amatter of patience.

  • I agree with Patty. A vet check on abnormal behavior is always best. I had a Basenji who never touched anything in the house at 14 yrs old chew up a chair cushion. A vet checked confirmed a bad UTI. He actually pee'd blood waiting in the vet. My fault for not taking him in right away when I suspected something.

4/4

30 Sept 2011, 17:48

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    Obviously I agree that a vet check for a medical issue is first and foremost. The dramatic increase is a signal that something medically is off-- could be urinary track, hell could be crystal or thyroid or many things. A full evaluation is called for anytime your dog has a sudden change or increase in a behavior. However, >>We've always had a bit of difficulty getting her entirely housebroken - she messes in the house every once in a while, but had a months long streak of being good.<< is not a great sign. Even if she has a medical issue, you still have a problem because you have a dog that is not housebroken and it is so much better to spend the next 3 or 4 months really addressing this than spend the next 8 to 10 yrs living with it. Housebreaking is a bit like being pregnant... you are or you aren't. Sure, a sick dog doesn't count. But unless sick, or some crisis leaving a dog so long it has no option, pottying in the house is simply not okay. So once you get the medical checked out, go back in time, and retrain as if a puppy. It's a little easier since she already knows to go out when you are home... but a whole LOT harder because when she does potty, you generally aren't. I see no way to do it without returning to crate training, not just when you are gone, but home also. Basically you are going to have to go out with her to potty, sing her praise, give her a treat. Take her out when she gets up in the morning, every 3 or 4 hours during the day, after meals, before bedtime. If she doesn't ever potty in the house at night, great. If she does, then her new sleeping zone is a crate. It helps if you have one where she generally sleeps and a 2nd on near the main action for during the day... because you need to start putting her in the crate when you cannot actively watch her even when you are HOME until you get 100 percent no house accidents. I'll put a couple of links with clear instructions. Since this mostly is if left alone, separation anxiety might be the stimulus. Sometimes medications for a while, plus really good toys they only get when left alone (especially mind stimulating ones like Shirley suggested), Kongs with some smeared cream cheese or peanut butter (don't use a lot!! Keep a couple in the freezer!), safe chew toys, can help get the dog over the anxiety. Talk to your vet, because you can't effectively do housetraining while not helping with the separation issues. http://www.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/its-never-too-late-to-house-train-an-adult-dog-heres-how-to-start http://www.canineprofessionals.com/housebreaking-adult-dogs
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    Btw, let me add… after about 5 mos, neutering often has NO effect on marking behavior. You should also treat ANY new dog, puppy or adult, as a puppy. Which means you either have them leashed to you, crated, or actively watching every single move. It is far easier to stop marking from starting (or any bad behavior) than correcting it once establish. You also need to go back to that when marking or other unwanted behaviors start. Sure, it's a pain in the butt, but easier than letting it become a habit then try to retrain.
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    On the couch Gossy either justs sits on my lap or curls up next to me; on the recliner she prefers directly in my lap. On the other hand, if I'm on the couch in the evening Teddy will slowly climb up onto my lap as if he thinks I won't notice then he'll curl up leaning against my chest and go to sleep! If Gossy is already in my lap, he'll try to squeeze in between :)
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    Excellent, good job of working with him!
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    i'm feeling your pain on this one. dan and i broke up a few months ago so i moved home and mia went from sleeping with rocky and maggie on the couch to sleeping in bed with me. if i'd go out at night, my mom, instead of crating her would let her sleep in bed with my parents. (because she cried and mom felt bad) then dad told mom he didnt want her in bed with them so mom would sleep in a spare bedroom just to keep her from crying in her crate! (typical grandmother.. she spoiled her rotten) Now dan and i are trying to work things out so i brought mia with me last night to stay over and he keeps maggie and rocky in the laundry room with their beds and they are content with that, but Mia was NOT having it. she sat at the gate and cried for a good 2 hours. They aren't allowed in the bedroom because he got new furniture, so she has to get used to it i guess.. Only time will tell i suppose.. but uggh that crying.. its enough to make you wanna pull your hair out. im hoping when the 3 warm up to each other again she'll stop..
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    Doesn't seem to… she's very healthy and active!