Help!!! Housebreaking issues

[Guest]

You guys are the experts, what am I doing wrong. My delightful 5 month old male cairn "Kudzu" always goes when I take him outside, can hold all night or for extended periods of time in his crate, but will go in the house whenever the mood stikes. He also eats his poop. He knows he has done something wrong and will run to his crate after he defecates or urinates. We have an accident almost every day. He gets plenty of outside time and eats on a regular schedule. He is punished immediately following accidents by my grabing him by the scruff and saying no forcefully. He knows I don't like it and does it anyway. I feel like we have gotten off on the wrong foot. It took me about 3 days to housebreak my lab and I feel guilty and angry that I cannot solve this problem. Trainer suggested that I tether Kudzu to me at all times. This is almost as distastful as picking up poop as I have young children and am moving around ALL of the time. HELP PLEASE!!!!!

[CRSTFR]

First only correct if you catch him in the act. When you catch him yell NO and scoop him him and get him outside. Remember you want him to think that by squating in the house he has caused the end of the world. Once you outside with him become calm and relaxed. Chant "hurry up" or "go pee" until the act is complete. Then use that foolish sounding sweet voice only dog owners can appreciate and praise "Good Doggie!!!" A little liver treat just as soon as he is done could help.

He could be running to the crate because he knows that a scruff shake is coming soon, but is not relating the correction to the potty. Scruff shake works well with mouthing and overly assertive behavior.

Also remember muscle control is still developing. When they are asleep they have more control because all of their functions slow down. When they are awake they are like a kid. ("Does Billy need to go potty?" "No," says Billy. But while he is swinging on the swing, ooopps!)

Be diligent in timing indoor play, 30-45 min, then outside. They eat or drink, outside. Wake up, outside. Very soon they will be coming to find you to tell you, "Hey, Open the door...I GOTTA GO!"

[Guest]

Thanks for the tip. He is at present either in the crate. Under very close scrutiny or tethered to me. I cought him in the act this morning. I corrected him then took him outside. He did finish and was praised. unfortunately about 15 minutes later the peed on my daughter while sitting in her lap. Yuck. I am most concerned that he has already developed bad habits.

[CRSTFR]

Could be a bad habit....if you don't start seeing an improvement, schedule a trip to the vet. Could be medical, infection, bladder stones, or ??? Good luck!

[Posey]

Hi Reab, Does your Kudzu have his safe area in the house, like a room with a gate up where you can watch him and not let him have the run of the house? My Nicky is 4.5 months and I know that he would go all over the house yet. But he is kept mostly in his safe area with a gate up. We also have a crate for him. He has a wee wee pad, in his area which he uses on a failry regular basis. But more and more he is barking at daddy to go outside-as he is the one who takes him outside the most to go to the bathroom so to speak.

They don't have great control at least not as good as we think. But an area that can be gated off; is ideal for them-until they get trained as needs to be. And that from what I read can be a year.

I've got carpet all in the rest of the house. And let Nicky have an occasional run and play after he has done his business outside. Kind of a reward for doing his business where we wanted him to. I think he got confused when we put down a wee wee pad and took him outside both. But as he gets older he is showing a preference for outside.

Good luck with Kudzu, he will reward you,if you are patient, with many years of love in return. My daughter has her third cairn in 20 years, and said that if you make it through the first year you will never have any other dog.

I am only on my first three months and Nicky is training us pretty good. But I will have my way on where he does his eliminating at! Even if he his boss on everything else.

Posey

[Guest]

Thanks for the info. Kudzu is gated in a large kitchen. I will say that even though we are in the same room, he can still go without my catching him in the act. We seem to be regressing. I know that he thinks that ANYWHERE outside the kitchen is fair game and will be working with him in short monitored stays on the carpeted areas of the house. Trainer suggested one room at a time. As far as the regression, sometimes it seems that we are getting a little submissive urination. This has not been a problem in the past, but as he is admonished for accidents. Since I absolutely believe that he understands not to go in the kitchen, I am taking him tomorrow to rule out a urinary tract infection and will go a little easier on him. I have been growling at him and scruff shaking and think I need a new less scary tactic. Anyway, he certainly is smart and has proven that he can hold it. He seems to have accidents when we are in the room (weird) hence the submissive urination theory. I have 4 and 6 year old girls and they7 can be very loud and the just turned 4 has a tendency to chase him around the kitchen and try to catch him which he does not like. I may be over analysing the situation, but this dog can be loose in the kitchen for hours and not have an accident. Also, when I am home alone with him he tends to do great. It's when chaos reigns that we have problems.

[Guest]

My year-old Cairn female is still not fully housebroken. It used to discourage me, but I think it is getting better all the time - even if only a little bit at a time. I had an animal behaviorist tell me to stake a urine-stained cloth in the yard where I want her to go. When I did that, indoor urination seemed to go way down. If I walk her a couple of times a day, Bailey usually goes just outside. If she's stuck inside, like when I'm at work, she doesn't do as well. I read somewhere that she would be fully trained by the time she is two (really) so I'm not as concerned as I used to be. She pleases me in most other things so this isn't that big of a deal. Just love the little guy and he'll eventually figure it out. Good Luck!

[Guest]

Potty training! It took well over a year for my 3 yr old, Duncan to get the hang of it completely. Now there is never an accident. I also have another dog who was trained in 3 days. I kept a wee-wee pad by the door and lots of "Nature's MIracle" on hand (you can get it at the pet store for stains) Patience is important, but it is worth the effort. I will always have a cairn for a pet from now on. I'll never want any other breed.

As for the eating poop....Duncan did that too. The vet had me put something on his food...I want to say it was garlic powder....so that when he pooped, it wouldn't smell like something he wanted to eat. I can't remember for certain what we put on the food, but it is definitely worth looking in to...ask your vet. It put a quick and definite end to the poop-eating.

[Guest]

Hello,

I have a 8 week old female cairn terrier. At what age can or should I start training her to "go duty" outside?

Thanks in advance for any help

[Guest]

I remembered it was meat tenderizer we put on Duncan's food and it stopped him from eating his poop!

Good luck!

[Guest]

I have a 14 week old female Cairn, and I have her going on our patio on a wee-wee pad tray with urine soaked newspapers always down. When I put her outside, right after she eats, wakes up, or when I get home from work, she usually urinates. She usually defecates after she eats, but sometimes on an empty stomach. I understand that if I keep to a schedule, she will most likely defecate after she eats, and urinate whenever I let her out. However, she urinates on her doggie mattress at night, often, and she sometimes feels free to go on the floor in the apartment right when we least expect it. What I need to know is, if I am firm with her when she urinates in the house, and I immediately bring her outside to finish, and I praise her when she does it outside, all the time, will she be trained?

[CRSTFR]

I think you will! My little carmen would wet in her crate, it was just a matter of being able to hold it all night. We do play alot before bed and she goes outside often. About 3 times withing a 2 hour tiem span before bed. She is only 6 months and nver has a wet crate! I followed the same thing for accidents in the house. Be firm and finish outside. Now she comes to me and paws at my leg and barks if she needs to go out! Good Luck!