How to untrain my Chihuahua?

[dog star]

My mom has a great little chihuahua that does well using a piddle pad in the bathroom. Some years ago she started holding her pee for way too long, so Mom started throwing her toy back to the bathroom to see if she would go. It tended to work, but now the problem is that Mom's been doing that for so long now she's become too trained and is highly finicky about going. I wonder if a local dog trainer could give advice on something like this? Maybe an in-house observation would be helpful.

 

[emc]

I have a Chihuahua too and she's trained to go on newspaper in a bathroom. Are you sure your Mom's chi is holding it in? She might have found some corner of the house that she is peeing. I thought my chi was holding it in too until I caught her in the act going where she's not suppose to.

 

[dog star]

Thanks for the reply. No she's definitely holding it in. Very regimented puppy dog.

 

[emc]

If you are sure she's holding it in and there are no health issues I would just ignore it, don't coax her into going, she can't hold it in forever and eventually she will go on her own, assuming she knows the piddle pad is where she's suppose to do her piddling.

 

[TheDeena]

My mom has a great little chihuahua that does well using a piddle pad in the bathroom. Some years ago she started holding her pee for way too long, so Mom started throwing her toy back to the bathroom to see if she would go. It tended to work, but now the problem is that Mom's been doing that for so long now she's become too trained and is highly finicky about going. I wonder if a local dog trainer could give advice on something like this? Maybe an in-house observation would be helpful.

So what exactly is the issue? The dog is peeing everywhere but the piddle pads?

 

[TheDeena]

So what exactly is the issue? The dog is peeing everywhere but the piddle pads?

Also, could you tell us how old and how long this has been going on?

 

[dog star]

Thanks for the help Deena. Issue is little one is probably too highly trained and only goes to the bathroom (literally where the pad is) when my mother coaxes her in there by throwing a toy toward the bathroom door. She originally did this when Libby was new to her house and has been doing it ever since. Only time we left her at a kennel she didn't go 1 or 2 for something like 60 hours.

Libby's about 7 yo. This has been going on for something like 5 years now.

 

[TheDeena]

Wow that is a tough one. Have you googled an animal behavorialist to see any articles on this? I have a puppy who is 9 MO old and I have trained her from day one to ring the bell when she wants to go out but she won't, I have trained everyone of my dogs to do this and they all fell in line but her.. .. Not her. Your dog being 7 years old is difficult. Have you asked her vet?

 

[dog star]

Haven't asked anyone yet. This is my first attempt to reach out for help. Seems like a specialist who can do an in-home visit would be the answer, if there is one. Hmm, animal behavorialist, sounds promising. I should get to googling then.

 

[Snow]

I think a 7-year-old dog has a fixed peeing habit and declining learning ability. It's hard to change an old habit, just like a person, so you should pay more patience to repeat the same method once you have decided.