the teen and i wanted her so much - we spent months dropping hints to the hub and talking about how much fun we'd have with a dog in the house. we ooh'ed and aah'ed over every dog we came across and melted at the adorable puppies at the local pet stores.
and on christmas eve 2004, we finally got our wish.
look at this face! she was all of about twelve weeks old here.
we loved our mollydog so much. we had tons of fun playing with her, getting her groomed, sharing the bed with her at night. before the bean, molly was our own personal heater, snuggling into a blanket at our feet as we all slept.
poor doggy. i thought the leg warmers were awesome, but to her, it was torture in sequins.
when the bean joined our happy family, molly was hesitant at first, but eventually warmed up to the new little being in the house.
so what's the problem? well, she's sort of good at shitting and pissing where she's supposed to. but she disappoints us on a regular basis - the little shit'll wait till we leave the house and then let loose. and all too often, it's not in the right place. we've tried all sorts of methods for potty training and somehow, she's still not getting it through that damn pea-sized brain.
when we were in the old house, it was annoying but fixable - the sunroom was tiled and easy to clean. but now, we've got linoleum in the dining room, kitchen, and bathrooms - but carpet everywhere else.
and we're finding piss every-fucking-where. we've got bottles of nature's miracle and try to confine her in the dining room and kitchen when we leave the house, but i hate keeping her confined. not to mention, it's a small ass apartment. if we gate it up, it cuts the place damn near in half and it's inconvenient as all hell.
last night, after finding about a half-dozen piss spots in the carpet, the hub was at the end of his rope. and i don't know what to do. the ILs have offered to take her, but their house is fully carpeted too, and i don't want to pass on a problem like this. not to mention, i would miss the little furball like mad - as would the bean. when we got home from san diego last month and the dog was still at the vet's (where she was boarded for the weekend), the bean spent a good chunk of time walking around, looking in all of molly's usual hangouts, wondering where her doggy was. and when we picked her up and the bean caught sight of her, she lit up like a christmas tree.
i love my dog. what the hell can i do to fix her??
I love your dog what breed is it?
ReplyDeleteAwwww! I really don't know what to say about the pee problem. We have that with our boy dog and honestly, we just keep cleaning it up. I haven't asked our vet, but maybe you could see what they say? Hopefully it's just bc she is adjusting to the new place?
ReplyDeleteSo sad for you...you do know that is why we got rid of Bree, right?!
ReplyDeleteSo I have nothing for you :(
Puppy pads don't work?
ReplyDeleteThis is one major reason that is stopping us from getting a pet :( The Teen looked so young in that picture with Mollydog! I hope you find a solution to this problem.
ReplyDeleteEeeks dude. That's an issue. One that has prevented us from getting a pet and having to pay a pet deposit in an apartment. :/ Sorry. I've got nothin'.
ReplyDeleteThere are two very important things you must do:
ReplyDelete1. Restrict her food and water intake and make sure each is scheduled
and
2. She needs to be kept in a crate. When she comes out, make sure she goes potty. If she doesn't then you need to put her back in. She only gets to come out if she's done her business.
I am a big fan of puppy pads, but in Molly's defense, they're not entirely useful as a sole means of eliminating when it comes to small dogs. PLus, if the last tenants had an animal that urinated (even if they replaced the carpet) she is likely reacting to that.
You guys really need to start walking her on a leash when it is time to do her business, even though it is a pain the ass. She's small so it shouldn't have to be a long walk.
Also, because she is a small breed, she can't go for long periods of time like a large dog could.
I'm PROMISING you that if you do these two things, it will eliminate the potty problems. Feel free to email me if you need more help!
Dog diapers? ;)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.petdiapers.com/
I have to agree w/ CageQueen. Teddy and Yoshi are potty trained to only go outside. They go on regular schedule walks, first thing in the morning once we wake up, once I get home, and before bed time.
ReplyDeleteI know it's a pain in the ass especially when it rains. It has kept our house pee free.
When we're not home, they are confined in a kid's play pen. It's just much safer for them to be in there. I too feel awful about it but knowing Teddy, he would eat from the trash can, sleep in our bed or we find something torn up.
Don't feel bad that you're trapping Mollydog in a pen. It's their safe haven when you're away. Maybe she's peeing everywhere letting you know that it's separation anxiety, that she's just not happy about you leaving her alone at home.
If you ever have a chance, you should watch "It's Me or the Dog" on the Animal channel. I learn so much from that show on how to train my dogs.
It might also be a sort of reaction from moving. When my friend and her hubby moved, one of their cats adjusted no problem, the other one BIG problem. They took her to the vet and she was put on kitty-uppers and it helped tremendously. But then she'd get used to it and if they took her off it, she'd resort back to her old ways. And if they ever had to board her up, it was a nightmare. Eventually they couldn't do anything but donate her to a cat rescue for "troubled" cats.
ReplyDeleteBut definitely try the crate. They won't piss/poop where they have to hang out for long periods.
P.S. Mollydog is so darn cute. I wish we could have a playdate.
ReplyDeletewe had the same issue and concerns with our dog and there was no way in hell i was gonna give her up, no matter how frustrated my hubby and i got! we spoke to the vet about a solution which has worked wonders for us - now, she always waits until we go outside to go to the bathroom (except, she's kinda reverting back to using the pee pads since we got a new puppy!).
ReplyDeleteso, the first thing we had to do was put our dog on an eating schedule. i always left food out for her all day, but the vet says since she's an indoor dog and doesn't do much all day, she doesn't need to have access to food all the time - in fact, it started to contribute to weight gain because she would eat because she was bored! of course, you can't leave a dog without water all day, but we didn't leave her a huge bowl all the time because the same thing goes for drinking - she'll do it if she's bored, not necessarily because she's thirsty.
now for training - we bought her doggie dipaers, kinda like what nannette suggested. we had her in that all day - the feeling of the diaper against her made her feel like she couldn't go pee. it sounds like torture, but it trained her to wait. when i got home, the very first thing i did was walk her and we eventually got to the point where she didn't need the diaper anymore - she just waited until i was home!
so, now our routine is i walk her as soon as we wake up in the morning, then i leave for the day, and when i come home i take her out to do her business. i feed her around 6pm and then an hour later i take her out - it's gotta be a good long walk so she has enough time. it's funny, but i know that she is not done until she's done #1 twice, then #2, then #1 again - in that order. molly will find a routine too and you'll notice it and be able to tell when she's done.
i also never liked to crate our dog, but the vet said that dogs really want that small space - it's comparable to the comfortable feeling that babies get when they're being swaddled. i didn't start that with our dog when she was a puppy and when i did try to start it, she looked so miserable that i didn't keep up with it. look up crate training online, you'll find some good tips! hope i helped you out a little :)
I agree with PP: you should try crate training, first and foremost. That worked wonders with our dog. Also be sure she is getting regular walks...at first I would take her out once ever hour to teach her that potty is done outside.
ReplyDeleteCrating is the best way I've heard.
ReplyDelete:-( Poor Molly dog...
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky because since we already had a dog, when we got our little dog, our other dog was able to help "train" her.
I agree with the poster that said to limit her food and water intake. We ONLY put food and water down when we get home from work. Then we pull it before we go to sleep. This helped a lot. We also make sure to just walk her a ton.
Good luck!
I agree with the previous posters that crating is really the best way. It's not cruel and you shouldn't feel bad about it. Molly will get comfortable in a crate and think of it as her comfort zone
ReplyDelete1. Molly is adorable. Those puppy pics unleashed a big AWWWW from me.
ReplyDelete2. I agree with CageQueen and JD. Limit her water intake and try crate training. Crating might be harder on you than it is on her (the guilt factor would get to me sometimes), but should help out a great deal. Our dog Jack is a product of crate training and he's a happy, fully housebroken little guy.
Nothing further to add except that purchasing a Spot Bot (Bissel?) might make you the happiest person on earth.
ReplyDeleteJust to add a couple things to CageQueen:
ReplyDelete1) I am pretty much opposed to pee pads. While you and I are smart enough to figure out "oh I can ONLY pee in the toilet" dogs aren't that smart. They think "oh it's okay to pee in the house" and then they don't always hit the pee pad.
2)Some of this is definitely stress related - moving to a new place is going to be a bit stressful for her, and she definitely needs routine and schedule to help her realize that everything is the same, normal, and safe. This means walking her at the same time each day, feeding her at the same time each day, etc. etc. etc.
3)I said some of this is stress related, but since it's not a new thing (just more often) I would hazard a guess that Molly isn't really potty trained. If she were, her pee would all be in the same area - by the door because she'd be trying to get outside since she knows that's where she's supposed to go. I definitely agree with everyone about crate training. I've never met a more effective form of potty training. If you're consistent with it, you could very well be done in a week. I'll email you full details because this is getting long!
One thing that has REALLY worked for my and my sister's dogs is when you take her out, the second she starts going, you say "Go potty." Then you say, "Good girl, Good Mollydog," etc, etc. Praise the hell out of her potty, just like a kid. Then, you give her a treat immediately. Like, right when she straightens up, not when she comes in. Do that for a couple of weeks. Eventually you don't have to give her the treat (just the nice words and a pet on the head), and she will start to go ON COMMAND. When you say go potty, she'll squat pretty much immediately. Sounds like your Molly is stubborn, and maybe a little freaked about the move... I hope that trick helps. in Minnesota, you need to train your dogs (esp. small ones) to do their business RIGHT AWAY when it's 30 below, and it works charms up here! :) Hoep that helps. Damn she is SO CUTE.
ReplyDeleteEver watch the Dog Whisperer? He has dealt with similar situations. The man is a miracle worker. I don't remember what he did (sorry!) but I know he has books and DVDs. I hope and pray you will be able to be patient and be able to get Mollydog trained so that you can continue to enjoy her! :-)
ReplyDeletei gotta agree with the other gals. while we don't have a dog, when we get one, we'll absolutely crate train. how is she doing now?
ReplyDeleteWe are having the same problem. Did you find a good solution? If so, I'd love to hear about it. I'm ready to call Caesar Milan. :/
ReplyDelete