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Tired of Pee

Basenji Training
  • My husband and I rescued Griffin from BRAT when he was 9 months old. He is now 1 year and 2 months old. When we first got him, we dealt with some minor behavioral issues and resolved them all - including housebreaking. About a month ago, Griffin developed a UTI. We realized there may be a problem when he was having accidents all the time (he rarely did before) and was going to the bathroom frequently on his walks. We took him to the vet and he was put on medication for 10 days. Right around the time that he was coming off the medication, my husband had some minor surgery and was home from work for 3 weeks. While my husband was home - Griffin had NO accidents and was a perfect dog. Now that my husband is going back to work on Monday, we started going out for 1 - 2 hours at a time so that Griffin can get used to being alone again. Each time that we've left him at home, he's had accidents (both #1 and sometimes #2) and now we think it's a behavioral issue (maybe separation anxiety?) that we're dealing with. Before we leave him alone, we walk him and leave him some treats or a bone with peanut butter in it (to distract him as we leave the house). We keep him gated in the hallway outside of our bedroom since he does not like being in the crate (he used to poop in it when we left him in there). Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with all of this pee? We are getting really tired of it and want him to be housebroken again. He's done it before and I know he can do it again. I've even gone back to treating him when he does something outside to reinforce the good behavior. The longest he ever goes alone is 4 hours since i come home in the middle of the day to walk him. But, he can't even stand to be alone for an hour by himself.

  • Make sure that he doesn't have another UTI…. the stress if it is separation anxiety could be the problem and most likely it is... but first make sure it is not anything physical first. Sometimes UTI's come back and sometimes they are very, very hard to clear up totally. Also you should strip test him for Fanconi just to be sure, while typically it is later onset, it can happen at a yr old

  • After he was on medication, we took a urine sample to the vet and he was cleared with any infection. I called the vet again today to get her opinion on this situation and she agrees it definitely behavioral. Over the last few days, he's been pooping when we leave him alone too (despite doing everything during his walk before we leave). Does anyone have have suggestions on how to calm down a dog who gets anxious when left alone? He's also recently started to get destructive too - today he pushed down the gate into our bedroom and ate half of our wicker waste basket!

  • sounds like separation anxiety. You might try using a crate so he has less space; it might make him more comfortable to have less space, believe it or not!

    There is a thread here somewhere about how to go about desensitizing a dog to being alone. It takes a lot of work, and very small steps. If you can't find it, let me know, and I will make another post.

    Experts tell us that it can take up to a year for rescue dogs to settle into their new homes, sometimes. When they find something they really value (their new family) they are afraid when the people leave that they won't come back. Hang in there. Have patience :)

    Oh, and try the DAP plug ins. They produce a calming pheremone to relax a nervous dog. You can look online, or find them at some pet supply stores. I have no personal experience with them…I keep meaning to try it...but lots of people have very good reports about them.

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    MplsGirlM
    I used the reusable washable hospital chux for my puppy but realized later that she was getting confused between the chux and regular blankets for her crate. I used to work long hours at the hospital, so when she was older I kept her in a circular play yard with her crate inside and a pee pad area on the opposite side. She would end up moving the pads around and yes, getting pee everywhere, so that wasn't so great. I'm on a list to purchase puppy next year, and I think this time around I will buy one of those "potty patch" or "potty park" things. They are plastic liners with fake grass turf on top. The puppy pees on it, and the urine flows into the liner, and poo stays on top. That way, my new puppy will get used to the feel of grass on her feet, and it will smell like her potty (to her)all the time, (vs wiping a bit of poo on a clean pad as some suggest).
  • Peeing in crate during the night

    Basenji Training
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    D
    We have really good luck with our little 9 week old at night now (wish I could say that about daytime)… He falls asleep on one of our laps typically around 9:30pm (usually my fiance' is watching tv) and then we wake him back up once he is good and asleep and WARM, and take him outside to pee, this way he does it very fast and wants to go back to sleep, so then we put him in his dog bed. After he is asleep we move the whole dog bed into his small crate in our bedroom. Mind you we won't use the crate once we can TRUST HIM. Our bedroom has brand new carpet and new paint and all new very expensive furniture (basically we did that right before we decided to get a Basenji :P) So then if he wakes up and whines, I get up and rush right to him and immediately take him outside on the leash, he goes immediately, then I give him half a treat and he lays next to me on the bed to fall asleep (he will NOT go back to sleep if I put him in the crate and my fiance' can't handle the screaming (she needs her sleep as she commutes a LONG drive every day)) so then if he falls asleep before I do, I move him back to the crate. Obviously the downfall to this is that sometimes I fall asleep first and then he gets to sleep in my bed... but he always wakes me up if he has to go (I keep my arm around him). But we started this method about a week and a half ago and only had an incident in our bed the first night, since then its been better and better every night! Now he only has to get up one time per night, which is usually around 3:30am now, it used to be 2, then 2:30, etc... so he is getting better. However I have learned to give up on the idea of getting him to fall back asleep after my fiance' gets up for work, he will just fight me the whole time. I sure wish I had the ability to be home all day to not have to crate my dog, but it is not an option, people have to work. So a lot of dogs will have to be crated for long periods of time. Hopefully eventually they get used to it. :)
  • Crate peeing!

    Basenji Training
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    hdolbowH
    mia only gets water when were there to watch her and take her out about 10-15 minutes later.. whenever shes taken out of the crate she goes straight outside.. and before we put her in we take her out again, whether thats 15 or 20 minutes or an hour. i've quickly learned that water goes RIGHT through them. so taking the water out of the cage should work! she has an occasional accident but not everyday.
  • Pee time/walk time..how do i train

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    luzmery928L
    great news. I know for myself the concret hurts my knees but my concern was Champs. Great the running will continue.
  • Plz help- will pee in his crate when locked!

    Basenji Training
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    tanzaT
    When you have a new puppy, there is an adjustment period… first, I keep their crates in my bedroom so that if a pup needs to go out, I am able to hear them and get them up and out... Also, did you make sure that he pottied first? Had he ever been in a crate?... They don't just take to coming into a new home and then being locked in a crate without some "crate training"....
  • So MUCH pee!

    Basenji Training
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    tanzaT
    @mhergom: Hello, I have an eight-month female, She is peeing at least 5th times per day. Many times she waits t o be back home to make pee. I do not know what to do I am getting crazy with pees I had nightmares Thanks in advance for your help If she is not spayed, she may be in season and they do pee lots more (marking behaviors)…. and this can and does start before you even might see bleeding. 5 times a day is not that much really....