re housebreaking my Cairn

[Brianne_Kathrine]

I have a nearly three year old Cairn Terrier. He was the slowest dog to housebreak I have ever seen. He was nearly 12 months old before he finally "got" it. I also have a 14 month old West Highland White Terrier and she was housebroken in less than 2 weeks.

On Labor Day weekend I went out of town for a long weekend. I hired a friend to watch my dogs. I am not close friends with her, but she grooms my dogs for me and my normal dog sitter was unavailable for the weekend. I left on Thursday and returned on the following Monday night. I called my friend several times to check on my dogs and she assured me that they were doing well. Upon my retun on Monday night I came into my house to find it covered with feces and urine. It turns out that my 'friend' had in fact not watched my dogs at all. (Her boyfriend planned a last minute weekend get-a-way and she went with him and did not tell me that my dogs were being left unattended.) As one could imagine, I was FURIOUS. My house smelled like a barn, my dogs were totally neglected for 5 days. I got my house cleaned up pretty quickly and the smell came out easier then I feared.

However, my dogs forgot all house training habits. My Westie re housetrained in just a matter of days. (but she was easy to house break as a puppy) My Cairn Terrier is still having accidents 3 months later and I am at my wits end. Benny has accidents several times a week. Some weeks are better than others, but he always has at least one or two every week. I have tried just about everything I can think of but nothing seems to work. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am desparate for something that will work.

[Tracy A.]

How aweful, I am so sorry to hear this happened. Did the poor dogs go 5 days without food? Poor things

I would suggest maybe going back to square one and crate train your cairn and tether him to you when he is out of the crate.

You can also use bell training...I introduced a bell when my boys were 3... it's worked well for us.

I would suggest that you enzyme clean the house again.. since your boy is still having accidents I'm sure that he has had accidents in places you haven't found yet. I've had really good luck with a product called 'natures secrect weapon'

Good luck,

[Brianne_Kathrine]

I have done a little bit of re crate training with Benny. Maybe I will have to just do it for longer. I have not tried tethering him when he is out of the crate...I'll have to try that.

I will also try recleaning my floors. It is very possible that he is going in places that I just have not fully cleaned.

Such a typical boy. Benny is so difficuly and Sally was never a problem.

Yeah, my dogs went five days without food and water...my friend did come over once right after I left and gave them a lot of food and a huge bowl of water....but for the most part they were totally neglected for five days. The whole thing breaks my heart.

[BetsyNoodle]

Pardon the cliche, but with friends like her, who needs enemies? Hopefully, she didn't demand payment for services she didn't render. In the least, she breached her contract with you. Worse yet, she neglected your dogs. Sorry to rant on...but any time I hear of dogs or any pets being neglected or mistreated I get very upset.

You may need to go back to square one with the housetraining as others have suggested.

Good luck.

[Brianne_Kathrine]

Oh believe me...I was furious. I would not really consider this individual a "friend". She did not expect payment for her lack of dog watching. that was good, because had she requested it, I would have been livid. I too get upset when people mistreat animals. So many people just do not think about the responsibilty that pets are when they get them.

So with Benny, it looks like he is going back to boot camp.

[Tracy A.]

Oh believe me...I was furious. I would not really consider this individual a "friend". She did not expect payment for her lack of dog watching. that was good, because had she requested it, I would have been livid. I too get upset when people mistreat animals. So many people just do not think about the responsibilty that pets are when they get them.

So with Benny, it looks like he is going back to boot camp.

You know, go ahead and get a string and tie some little jingle bells on it... just tie them on...and loop it the other end around the door knob. When you are going to take them out ring the bells and say 'out' or what ever your key word is. Your girl will pick up faster and this will help teach your boy.... Soon your girl will ring the bells to go out....

Introducting this may help re-enforce good potty habits that your trying to install.

[Nena]

Wow! what a terrible story. I can believe the irresponsibility of this person. And she is a groomer? I hope not yours anymore. Your poor dogs I bet they were so glad to see you and wondered what happen. I would be sick to what a worry about leaving them anyway and then to find them neglected in such a way.

I am sure that he is finding all the places he peed around the house that you can't find. I have to watch my neices male dog when he comes over he will lift his leg so easily. We have to leash him to us to he can't get into trouble. I use vinigar to cut the smell and that works great. They will revisit old places they can smell.

Back to basics is the best way sorry for all your trouble, and sorry your dogs had such a hard time.

Better times ahead.

[Brianne_Kathrine]

I have never thought about trying bells around the door. Sally will probably pick up quickly, although she does not need a way to let me know she needs to go out. Sally will bark at me excessively until I let her outside. If I ignore her (I tried once just to see how persistant she would be) she starts tugging on my pant leg. If I ignore her still she will jump on my lap (if I am sitting on the couch) and get right in my face and then continue barking. Sally does not give up until she gets me to let her out. But, if it will help Benny learn to tell me he needs out...then its worth a try. Thats been the hardest part in retraining Benny...he doesn't let me know he needs outside.

Thanks for the suggestions. Time to get off the computer and take trouble and more trouble for a walk.

[Kit'sOwner]

Terrible person. How could anyone do that? Completely boggles my mind. Does she have animals? Anonymous call to the local SPCA to ensure that she's treating hers a little bit better (if she does have animals). Re: housebreaking, my Cairn is 8 months old and despite consistency, crating, limiting access to water, I still have found this breed to be the most difficult to housebreak so unfortunately I don't have anything valuable to offer as my own puppy is not 100% reliable. My lab was fully trained at 10 weeks using all the same techniques.

[Murphy's Mom]

Oh wow, I'm fumin' mad. How dare she ignore your dogs FOR FIVE DAYS!!! That idiot didn't care about the far reaching effects of what she did. It wasn't just the five days it's months later and you are still feeling the effects of what she did to the dogs. Horrible. If it were me I'd reach in her wallet by spreading the word to her grooming clients about what she did. This person is a groomer? Unbelievable.

Good luck with the re-houstraing. You've gotten some great tips from members and I'm sure with time all will be well. I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this.

[tdavie]

It's just me, but I would take her to small claims court. Where I live, animal neglect is not looked upon very kindly. I hope everything goes okay with you and your dogs.

Tom

[Idaho Cairns]

Can't correct what the "friend" did to you but that's not the point. I suspect that you simply have to go back to basics with your dog. Watch him carefully in the house and punish him when he errs. He knows what is right, what he should do but is taking advantage of you and the mistake that was made. Obviously the Westie got past it and your Cairn was housebroken in the past. Crack down on him--reacquaint him with the "rules" and stick to it. This is a dog, he doesn't have or shouldn't have any psychological problems with the few days of neglect--you might be experiencing some guilt that is holding you back from doing what is right. Accompany him outside regularly and demand that he "Potty!" right then and there and accept no "accidents" (those aren't "accidents" by the way--they are conveniences) in the house.

Every time we have had this problem with a dog--and Cairns seem to have a tendency to forget training, we keep the dog in sight as much as we can and eventually catch them in the act or beginning the process and are all over them--about twice and they are "retrained".

Stay with the basics and you will get him back where you want him.

[Tracy A.]

Every time we have had this problem with a dog--and Cairns seem to have a tendency to forget training, we keep the dog in sight as much as we can and eventually catch them in the act or beginning the process and are all over them--about twice and they are "retrained".

Speaking of which, I woke up this morning to the sound of Brattwurt pee hitting the hardwood floor in the hallway this morning...as Brattwurst unleashed a 'flood'....!@#$%^&*()_+

[Brianne_Kathrine]

I have been going back to the total basics with Benny and he seems to be doing a lot better. I have actually noticed that he does really good during the day, its usually in the evening that he has his "accidents". Cairns are so difficult to housebreak...and even more so the second time around. Sally, my Westie, was so easy.

I thought about taking the individual to small claims court, but I have had an incredibly rough few months and I am glad to just put this all behind me. I tore a tendon in my ankle in August and had surgery to repair it. Four days after surgery I was physically assulted by a family member and had to deal with all the fall out from that. So I guess I really did not have the energy to deal with this person. Perhaps my recovery from surgery (surgery was the week I got back from Labor Day) I was not in the best phyical condition to make sure that Benny got out and re-housetrained.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. Going back to the basics seems to be working well so far.

[Tracy A.]

I have actually noticed that he does really good during the day, its usually in the evening that he has his "accidents".

And this is where bell training might help, him ringing the bells when he needs to go out. keeping fingers crossed that he'll ring the bells for you. Sometimes Cairn's know how to do something, but just refuse to do it.

[Nena]

So sorry to hear about your surgery and assult. How awkful for you. Sounds like you have had allot to deal with yourself, apart from Benny's problem. I don't blame you for not persuing in court.

Hope you feel better and I am sure Benny will be housebroken and back to normal.

[Brianne_Kathrine]

I am back from my vacation to Florida for Christmas. My normal dog sitter was unavailable again and so I hired my cousin. She is a dog lover so I thought she would do a good job. IS IT POSSIBLE TO FIND A GOOD DOG SITTER????? My normal dog sitter is amazing, but she is highly requested by lots of people. My cousin did better than the person in September, but not much better.

I went over everything my cousin needed to know and even warned her of the annoyances from Benny and Sally. Apparently on the first night they were very wound up because they were looking for me (I warned her this would happen). Well that annoyed my cousin too much and so she decided to not stay at my house. Instead she just stopped by three times a day to let them out and feed them. (I was gone for 11 days which is too long for dogs to be left alone in the house like that.) She did not tell me she was going to do this. I only know because my uncle told me that my cousin did not stay at my house. My cousin then proceeded to tell me that she was annoyed by the fact that every morning when she came over their were accidents on the floor. WHAT DOES SHE EXPECT!!!! She let them out at 9pm the night before and then did not come over again until 10 or 11 the next morning. Dogs can not go that long without being let out. She also told me she was annoyed because every time she came over they were really hyper and jumped all over her. Well, duh...they were desparate for attention that they were not getting.

At least my cousin cleaned up their messes so my house does not smell like a barn. They also seem to be getting back into the habit of going outside without many problems. But still, I am just so frustrated. It just makes me so mad that my cousin agreed to stay with my dogs and then did not do it. She is 23 and a bit irresponsible but I really thought she could handle this simple task. Apparently not.

Its official. I will never go out of town again unless Amy (my normal dog sitter) is available.

Okay, done ranting.