Housebreaking issues

[noludoru]

I'm glad you guys bumped this thread... I've been having some minor housebreaking issues, too (due to a very, very upset tummy) and if they continue once he's feeling better I now know how I'll fix them again.

[2dogmom]

"Correcting" while the dog is in the act of eliminating in the wrong place is never a good idea. All you end up with is a dog who is afraid to pee or poo in front of you when he/she is in the "right" place. Instead of doing what they're supposed to outside, they do it where you can't see so they don't risk getting punished.

[Gempress]

I just wanted to give everybody an update. The housebreaking issues have been cured! With Zeus, I just put the water bowl in his elimination spot, and the problem was solved.

Voodoo was a bit tougher. His potty area was a large chunk of my kitchen/dining room, and just moving a food bowl wouldn't fix it. Moving his gigantic crate to that area was also out of the question. Instead, I used the old queen-sized comforter he sleeps on in his crate. I spread it out right in the middle of the area. He got the idea.

Thanks for the help, all!

[lizzybeth727]

Yay! Glad you were able to fix it!

[Hillside]

Originally Posted by 2dogmom

"Correcting" while the dog is in the act of eliminating in the wrong place is never a good idea. All you end up with is a dog who is afraid to pee or poo in front of you when he/she is in the "right" place. Instead of doing what they're supposed to outside, they do it where you can't see so they don't risk getting punished.

Unless you hustle them out the door, on lead and wait them out, then throw a huge party when they do succeed in going in the right spot. It also depends on how you correct. If your correction is a "uh uh" when they start giving cues that they are going to go, that is quite a bit different than whooping their butt while they are going.


Saga was starting to go in a couple different spots in the house, we started feeding her there and NOW when you have her full food bowl in your hand she will dance to either of those spots waiting to be fed.

[2dogmom]

Originally Posted by Gempress

I just wanted to give everybody an update. The housebreaking issues have been cured! With Zeus, I just put the water bowl in his elimination spot, and the problem was solved.

Voodoo was a bit tougher. His potty area was a large chunk of my kitchen/dining room, and just moving a food bowl wouldn't fix it. Moving his gigantic crate to that area was also out of the question. Instead, I used the old queen-sized comforter he sleeps on in his crate. I spread it out right in the middle of the area. He got the idea.

Thanks for the help, all!

Glad to hear it got fixed. The water bowl trick is brill!