Older but not wiser

[Kristy]

My male Schnitzel is about 7 months old. He was doing "pretty" well on the potty training but seems to get worse as he gets older. This morning I had just let him out and he came in and peed right at my feet. Yesterday morning he pooped right in front of me. I used to be able to watch his behavior and get him outside if he left the room (usually to leave a mess!). Now he seems to not even care if I'm there. My house is turning into a very smelly place and I'm getting very frustrated. Schnitzie is a lover boy in every other way and I so want him to get trained! Any ideas would be great.

[Mark]

Hi Kristy,

I'll offer an opinion . . .

Potty training takes longer for some than others and for a pupper that young, it's easy for them to lose sight of what is expected of them. First be consistant by using a schedule . . . every ? hours (every dog is different and it changes with age). Next, take Schnitzel out! When you go out with them you can reinforce what is expected. Make it a happy time (some members here sing made-up potty songs as they go out). Repeat what you want him to do over & over (like, "go potty") until they do it (this make take some time at first) . . . respond with lot's of praise and/or a treat (mini carrots work well and aren't fattening). Last, when the pupper "gets it" . . . this is no time to let up. They must have an irreversible habit. Eventually he will start asking to go out & you can gradually stop going out with him (if that is your goal).

Some people scoop the dachsie up when they go in the house and put them out. IMO, that only reinforces: "I want to go out = pee in the house = I get put out . . . cool!" Building the wrong habit here.

I hope that helps and please let us know how it goes,
Mark

[Kristy]

Do you have any tips on how to get them to alert you? Schnitzel will usually have accidents downstairs right by the back door (where he gets let out) so I know he has some thought about "oh it's time to go". But he usually just sneaks off. I'd be happy to let him out if I knew!
I do try to stand outside with him and wait until he goes. And I put him out constantly.

Maybe I should not let him have the run of the house--he does not have accidents in the kitchen, only on carpet. It is just so hard to not keep him with me and ignore his crying.

[Mark]

Hi again,

Some members here use a bell at the door and maybe they will post on how they achieved that. We never did anything with our Dachsie's & Catahoula. Top Spin has a dog door (too high for the minis to use), so he takes care of himself. Duck Butter simply goes to the doorwall and whines gently or sometimes gives us the L@@K combined with something like the Vulcan Mind Meld. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif Masse scratches at the doorwall. We have it pretty well down and even when we're gone . . . they hold it, but (to answer your question) they all just figured out their own way to tell us.

Some members have also used a tether (dog to self) so that they know exactly when the pupper needs to go out. If using the bell method, you would lead them to the door, ring the bell with their nose or paw and take them out.

As for "run of the house" . . . I wouldn't have it any other way. They all know where they are not allowed and obey that (like my office). Again, some members do not let the puppers have the run of the house while they're gone and use things like Xpens or crates. We do crate Top Spin (the Catahoula) while gone, but only because in the past he has hurt himself (severe cut) and we never figured out how he did it.

Anyway . . . I hope this helps. Perhaps members that have actually used tethers, bells, etc. will jump in here & give an opinion.

Keep us posted on Schnitzel's progress,
Mark

[Kristy]

Schnitzel is on a streak now...two days without an accident<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm32.gif" border=0> I am following your advice and putting him out the second I see any distraction from what he's doing. I am usually not very good at getting upset with him, but I think it helped that I really yelled and clapped my hands a couple of days ago. He seemed to catch on that I meant business. Also, I'm carrying treats outside with me and treating him right away. Let's hope he keeps it up--my trainer said dachshunds do not have a high need to please. Schnitzel just needs to look at me and I give in anyway.

I'll try the bell tonight. Thanks for all your help. It really does help to have a support group in trying to raise my boy!

[Mark]

That's great, Kristy! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/jacks.gif http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/beer.gif

Keep up the good work and please keep us posted!

Mark

[kelj3]

Hi Kristy~ I've had the same problem with Chipper. He too just turned 7 months old and had been doing great with the housetraining. He never poops in the house, but since he's learned to lift his leg he pees wherever and whenever he wants. He can go outside and pee 4 times and come in the pee again. He knows he's naughty cause he'll go straight to his crate when he's done it. I'm like you, I started being a little bit more stern with him and it helps for awhile, but then, WHAMO, he'll pee again. My husband bought me a carpet cleaner last week....I think I'm going to get lots of use out of it....LOL<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm42.gif" border=0> Good luck!!! ~Kelly~

[Mandy]

Carpet Cleaners are great! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif With two of our won, fosters...and BART, I use mine at least once a month.....I don't know what I would do without it!

[Kristy]

I hate to even say this, because then I'll jinx it, but Schnitzel has not gone in the house in over 2 weeks.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm42.gif" border=0> I think he likes ringing the bell at the door, as it is one more way he can boss me around! And the steam vac is a God send. Just this morning I was using it--but this time it was NOT Schnitzel. My 12 year old Shepard had an accident. She's probably going to start being incontinent and then I'll have it from both sides.

FYI, on the leg lifting. Someone told me that if you neuter a male before he lifts his leg, he won't ever start spraying. Too late for you, but Schnitzel was sprayed last month and he does not lift his leg.

[pkmiddler]

Boy would I be in trouble if all this were true.My baby boys start lifting their legs as young as 4 weeks old.A dog does not have to be nutered to NOT lift his leg my boys are 10 almost 11 and 2 1/2 and used for stud my younger one did it when we first moved in to our new house I caught him and limited his room acess and he has not done it since and now has acess to the whole house 3 bedrooms,dineing room,3 bathrooms, kitchen,ft.room and utility 25oo square feet of places to go and he does not.I've told this before you clean up with white vinigar give their nose a swipe with the rag and leave the bottle on the spot where they went and everytime they get near the bottle and spot you say WHAT DID YOU DO THERE???? Presto they do not do it again.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm3.gif" border=0>

[Kristy]

I thought that sounded too easy to be true. I'll try the vinegar trick if Schnitzel gets up to his old tricks

Why do you think he squats when he goes pee? It's weird he's never lifted his leg.
Thanks,
Kristy

[Snorodent]

My non Doxie, Metro, the Lhasa Mutant ( or X Lhasa as we call him) didnt lift his leg what so ever till another dog showed him how at two years of age. It was hysterical watching him try to imitate this little Chi mix who used to PEE all over my yard and also inside my house! ( I was trying to be polite but I did eventually ban him from visits.) Metro would lift, fall over, squat, lift... then he got so good at it, he lifted his leg and Pooped while lifted. Who ever knew we would get so much entertainment from our dogs excretion process. I mean what dog lifts his leg to poop? MINE!

<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm33.gif" border=0>Stacy <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm33.gif" border=0> TextText

[OwnedByChaucer]

I have three males in my house right now (Chaucer, plus two foster boys)

Henry, who is about 11-12, wasn't neutered until a year ago when DRNA got him, ALWAYS lifts his leg. He's very good, however, with not going potty in the house--I swear though, he likes to save up his pee all day so he has more to mark with *LOL*. When he goes out, however, he does feel the need to mark pretty much every shrub, tree, pole and blade of grass in the neighborhood.

Lance, is 3, and not yet neutered (having HW treatment) and he SOMETIMES lifts his leg. With Lance, it seems that when he's in "I really gotta go" mode, he squats, it's when he's marking something that he lifts. He lifts his leg so high, that his body is almost entirely perpendicular to the ground--which is hysterical. His funny potty maneuver is when he pees and poops AT THE SAME TIME.

Then there's Chaucer. He's mine, so he was neutered at about 6 months--he never really learned to lift his leg, but now that there have been leg lifters around, he's learning--sort of. When he pees after he smells someone else's pee, he very delicately lifts just one foot slightly off the gound and to the back (like maybe 1/2") It cracks me up--it's very graceful.

Of course, the dog with the most marking tendencies that I have right now is Emmy...go figure. But, she's _quite_ the alpha girl.