This is mostly a rant but I'm really open to advice and new ideas.
A little background, we got mav almost five years ago as a pup. About three months old. Of course we loved him. Big bear cub. But we should have known about our future problems. He was in a kennel and would poop in it and stomp in it. He didn't care at all. We got him through the SPCA and he was housed at Pet Cetera. They only have shelter animals.
So, we get him home and he's such a cool dog only it took us over a year to get him housebroken Seriously, we didn't know about crates back then but we did confine him. He was so good about everything else. He learned all his 'tricks' in practically a day. He had tapeworms when we got him which were treated right away but steve didn't want him in the bedroom so we pretty much just told him not to come in and he'd sit in the door frame and watch us. He was pretty clever with everything but potty training.
Honestly, I still don't think he is potty trained. We got a crate and he sleeps in it. He goes in it when we can't watch him. We take him outside a LOT and always praise him but he still poops in the house. We just moved into a new apartment and have decided to not allow him on the carpet. With Fiona crawling around I just don't think we can get it clean enough. And in the last one he'd poop on her things in the bedroom.
So, you wonder, how can he poop if he is supervised or in his crate? Well, my fault, I don't always latch the bottom latch in the crate. And this giant dog will squeeze his way out. Happened again last night. you'd think I could remember but for some reason I still forget. He never asks to go outside. He just goes when he has to go. Of course it's when we are sleeping or have gone out. Or he'll go to the far end of the apartment and poop when I'm not looking. I try to be aware of him and what's he's doing but I have a baby now and things happen. I also don't think it's fair to have a giant five-year-old dog crated whenever he's not outside Won't do it.
I can't afford a behaviorist. Right now things are so tight I can barely afford food. So other than prevention is there anything else we can do? Because Steve is talking about rehoming him somewhere where he has a big yard and can spend most of his time outside.
A little background, we got mav almost five years ago as a pup. About three months old. Of course we loved him. Big bear cub. But we should have known about our future problems. He was in a kennel and would poop in it and stomp in it. He didn't care at all. We got him through the SPCA and he was housed at Pet Cetera. They only have shelter animals.
So, we get him home and he's such a cool dog only it took us over a year to get him housebroken Seriously, we didn't know about crates back then but we did confine him. He was so good about everything else. He learned all his 'tricks' in practically a day. He had tapeworms when we got him which were treated right away but steve didn't want him in the bedroom so we pretty much just told him not to come in and he'd sit in the door frame and watch us. He was pretty clever with everything but potty training.
Honestly, I still don't think he is potty trained. We got a crate and he sleeps in it. He goes in it when we can't watch him. We take him outside a LOT and always praise him but he still poops in the house. We just moved into a new apartment and have decided to not allow him on the carpet. With Fiona crawling around I just don't think we can get it clean enough. And in the last one he'd poop on her things in the bedroom.
So, you wonder, how can he poop if he is supervised or in his crate? Well, my fault, I don't always latch the bottom latch in the crate. And this giant dog will squeeze his way out. Happened again last night. you'd think I could remember but for some reason I still forget. He never asks to go outside. He just goes when he has to go. Of course it's when we are sleeping or have gone out. Or he'll go to the far end of the apartment and poop when I'm not looking. I try to be aware of him and what's he's doing but I have a baby now and things happen. I also don't think it's fair to have a giant five-year-old dog crated whenever he's not outside Won't do it.
I can't afford a behaviorist. Right now things are so tight I can barely afford food. So other than prevention is there anything else we can do? Because Steve is talking about rehoming him somewhere where he has a big yard and can spend most of his time outside.