Changing dog's bathroom routine

[spydersmom]

Hi all,

I'm new to this site, and had a question about my dogs. They are 5 and 9 years old, both lab mixes, both completely and reliably housebroken. For the first time in 8 years, I will be taking a job outside the home starting next month. What this means is that up until now, both dogs have been able to be let outside to pee during the day since I've been here with them all day. However, next month, as my husband and I both will be working outside the home (with long commutes), the dogs will be required to stay in the house for up to 10 or 10 and a half hours each day. They will be able to go outside for an hour and a half each morning before we leave for work, but then not again until we get home.

Is this too long to leave them inside with no bathroom break? If not, is there a good way to prepare them for this change in their routine? I'm not willing to leave them outside unsupervised during the day. It's not the end of the world if they have an accident on the rugs, but they are both very "conscientious" and I'm afraid would make themselves sick holding their bladders before they would pee in the house.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm very concerned about how this lifestyle change is going to affect them.

Thanks for any help!

[showpug]

My dogs can go that long, but not by my choice, but by their own! They hold onto it like it is gold! My sister's lab NEVER goes in the house and I know she holds it that long. Do you let your dogs out during the day, or do they ask to go out? There is a difference. If they are not asking, and you are just letting them out, you may want to see how long they go in a day before asking to go out. :rolleyes:

[spydersmom]

Thanks for the reply Showpug. It's reassuring to hear that other dogs can and do hold it that long! Generally mine ask to go out around midday, but I think it's more so they can sunbathe than to pee. I'm going to start easing them into what will be their new routine and see how they handle longer periods inside each day for the next week.

[CreatureTeacher]

Have you thought about installing a dog door? There are a lot of different kinds now that don't require major remodelling. :) Ten hours is a long time, and for a house-trained dog, having an accident inside can be stressful to the point where they just refuse to do it, resulting in medical problems like decreased bladder strength in old age.

[Doberluv]

I think 10 hours is excessive for a dog or anyone to hold their bladders. It's not healthy and can increase the occurance of infections as the urine sits there and stagnates all day. A doggie door would be perfect if you have a fenced yard. Or, do you have a neighbor who could pop over and let them out for a while? I hope everything will work out for you. Good luck.

[spydersmom]

Thanks for the replies everyone. This whole situation is putting such a strain on me, I think I'm about to have a nervous breakdown over it. I love my dogs more than anything, and don't want to harm them. Unfortunately, due to a layoff, I have to change jobs and will have to go in to the office to work. I'm also having to take a big pay cut, so can't afford to hire a sitter to let the dogs out at lunch and my commute is an hour one-way, so I can't do that either. :(

We've thought about a doggie door, but the neighborhood behind us is, um, not a very good one, and our fence is post and board which would be easy for someone to get into (not to mention the fact that our dogs would go home with anybody who had a cookie).

I'm just completely traumatized by all this and don't know what to do. I adore my dogs and will do whatever I have to do for their best interests. But obviously I need this job to feed them (and myself!). :(

Would it be detrimental to dogs that are already housebroken to put "pee pads" down for them? Is that an option that might work?

[Doberluv]

Now, calm down. There's almost always a solution. We'll just put our heads together here and come up with one. You mustn't have a nervous breakdown. That would suck. So...... You can get a litter box and or pee pads and start training them to use it now. You might confine them to a small room with a box like that. Take them to it and use your command (which I hope you have for when you tell them to go pee pee) I'd use a seperate box for each of them....maybe even one for pee and one for poop each. That's four boxes. a-h-h-h. Give them plenty of water in there so they'll have to go and don't take them outside for the first day. You'll have to go with them many times during the first few days and try to show them what you want. Have treats ready and lots of praise if they go. Do this for a few days or as long as it takes for them to get the idea. I wouldn't take them outside for those first few days, so that their only choice is to go in those litter boxes. If, however, they're not going for a great length of time, that would worry me and I don't know what to tell you in that case. For poop, you can stick a match stick just inside the anus and that will stimulate the dog to go. Another thing you can do is get something from outside that the dog has peed on, a branch or something and stick that in the litter box.

Once they know they can pee inside in those boxes, then you can start taking them outside intermittently, so they don't think that they shouldn't go outside anymore. (I doubt that will happen) But just in case, I'd do both once they get this inside routine down.

Maybe someone else will be more familiar with litter box or pee pad training than I am. Those are just my initial ideas.

Don't worry. Something will work out for you.

[spydersmom]

I think we're just going to have to ideally try and figure out a way to afford a sitter to come let them out at lunch if possible. Our vet recommended not using pee pads for housetrained dogs. They already do all their business first thing in the morning as of now, and if they should happen to have an accident before they get back out, we're certainly not going to be upset with them or anything; rugs can easily be replaced. Worst case scenario, we'll enclose the back porch and put in a dog door to that. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Saje]

I like that last idea actually. That might work. Although it's your worst case scenario so it may not work for you. If you did that maybe you could build an area for them to go in. Or maybe you can extend the enclosed area onto a square of grass just outside of the porch for them to go on. I don't know. I'll think some more...

[candy722]

Hum... TOki can hold it that long if Im gone. Sometimes when I come after 10 hours he still won't go out to pee. But I did noticed sometime. He doesn't drink his water when I leave so Im guessing he knows that when Im out he won't be able to go out to potty.

[bubbatd]

I've always been home with my dogs but if I have been gone when they have a real BM problem, they seem to have always found the least offensive area. Now that I'm down to one dog and no schedule I find my Chip could hold forever !!! I went to bed at 11:30 last night and slept until 10: A.M. ...it was raining (pouring!} and he didn't want to go out.....I finally kicked him out about 1 P.M. ! I Think he would hold 24 hrs. if needed and he drinks ALOT of water !!! Yes, I'd be worried too as they're your babies. Maybe if you put some papers down near the door to start. Never, ever scold them if they do have an accident!