[Califnative]

Hi all,

Ok, so I'm nearing my wit's end with this dog. He's a 4 year old male and I am not understanding why this dog continues to pee/poop all over the house. This is after his walk where he does his business. Yesterday, we gave him free reign of the kitchen (with his open crate) and he had no accidents. My son walked him when he got home, he peed, then came back inside. One hour later, when I get home, I hear my niece screaming NO STRIDER and he proceeds to pee. Just standing there peeing. They walk him again.

Also, he's hardly been eating. But yesterday morning, he had a good poop in the morning. He hadn't eaten after that. He barely had dinner last night. My son walked him...no poop. We are watching tv last night, then he poops right in the living room....I catch him in the act and scream NO. We take him out again. No more poop on the walk. We bring him back inside...figuring he already pooped in the house and didn't go anymore on his walk, we all just settle in to watch tv.

I go upstairs for a minute and he follows me. I realize after a few minutes he's not upstairs anymore, then I walk downstairs to find him pooping AGAIN on the landing of the stairs. Then he proceeded to eat some of it. YUCK.

I am noticing more and more that he's constantly running around...back and forth back and forth back and forth --- almost like he can't relax. The vet says he's in perfect health and his foster parents said he did "pretty good" with them in regard to potty training...

It's been 3 1/2 weeks since we got him and I feel like he's a neurotic mess or something. The only time he's ever really mellow is in his crate. I'm in the "what the heck was I thinking getting a dog" stage and I fear I"m in for years of misery if I cannot get this under control.

ANY advice would be welcome.

 

[Califnative]

One other thing I should mention....we don't have a "spot" for Strider go to. Meaning, I live in a neighborhood where we back up to a green belt and have many golf cart paths and when I tell my son to "walk the dog", that's when we expect him to do his business. Am I going about this the wrong way? Is there a difference between "walking" the dog and taking them out to "potty"?

I don't have a fenced yard, but I do have a large backyard and I'm thinking of building a small dog run and have him to go out there to "potty" and reserve the "walks" for fun/exercise. Does this sound like a good plan?

 

[SophieB]

Hmmm... it worries me a bit when you call your dog "this dog" and don't even call him "my dog" and with respect, you sound 'quite angry' so I wonder if you are angry at your dog and he's feeling a bit stressed regarding his accidents in your house!

As you've only just got him he probably needs a bit more time to settle as it must be upsetting for him on being moved and maybe he wonders if he's going to be staying or not and you're maybe stressing him a bit. Poor thing, he probably feels 'protected' in his crate at the moment!

You need a lot of patience with Bassets (presume he is a Basset) and they are very sensitive if shouted at! Also you should keep him off stairs as it's not good for their joints.. so I've always been told by vets and breeders! Too much weight on those little front legs going down the stairs!


Someone like Mikey will probably give you come good advice in a wee while...

 

[Lightning&Stomps]

I agree with everything SophieB said, and I'd like to add that Strider sounds stressed out to me. Bassets don't respond well to being yelled at. Instead, reinforce good behavior with treats, quiet praise, whatever Strider likes. Also, I would restrict his access in the house, and as he learns this is his new territory and not to pee or poo in it, expand his territory slowly. But most of all, try to keep in mind that this dog is on his third or fourth home in 4 years, and he needs time, patience, and love to feel comfortable. If you don't think that can happen, give him back to the rescue.

 

[lvnMattie]

I agree with SophieB too. You got to think you have only had him for 3 1/2 weeks.. ya are still adjusting to each other.. He is most likely only mellow in his crate cause that is what he is used to. You got to give him time to adjust and feel safe. He has been to many homes in 4 years and he got to find his place in your family. Bassets take alot of patience and love.. I am sure you are stressed out cause you don't know what is going on with him and in turn you might be not meaning to but taking some of your stress out on him. And he is stressed out and not relaxed and he might feel like he is not part of the family and that you are just going to kick him to the curb like everybody else had. Just give him time and plenty of love and I am sure he will stop peeing and pooping in the house.

 

[Mom2Flash]

One hour later, when I get home, I hear my niece screaming NO STRIDER

I catch him in the act and scream NO.

I agree with the others. Please stop screaming at him. It will do more harm than good. Start taking him out more often and reward him with treats when he does his business. Sounds like "this dog" needs a little more love and calmness around him and I'm sure he'll adjust to his new home before too long.

 

[Mikey T]

One other thing I should mention....we don't have a "spot" for Strider go to. Meaning, I live in a neighborhood where we back up to a green belt and have many golf cart paths and when I tell my son to "walk the dog", that's when we expect him to do his business. Am I going about this the wrong way? Is there a difference between "walking" the dog and taking them out to "potty"?

What reward does the dog get for going? Basset respond much better to a reward than punishment. Secondly dog do much better when they have a specific spot to go. There own scent serves as a marker that this is an ok place to go. What have you done to eliminate odor from where he is gone in the house? If you are not using an enzymatic cleaner following the instruction ridgedly. likely you are not removing all the odor and it is more likely he will go there again. If you looked at the references I provide in your earlier posts I gave two links one on teaching the dog a clear signal that it need to go out, which is part of your problem and secondly coupling that with another post on creating a "potty prison" a small contained area that dog is regulated to until it goes. If you read the House training link you would have leared to start putting urination and deffication on cue so the dog will actual go when you ask it to.

I am noticing more and more that he's constantly running around...back and forth back and forth back and forth --- almost like he can't relax.

Lets see, when he is in the house he gets squirted with water by humans, he gets yelled at by humans. The make load noise that scare the bejesus out of him. He is becoming more nervious in the house with humans present, but calm when not. Coincidence?



Basset are generally considered to be hard to train. This is not because thy actual are but rather how they deal with traditional training methods Many if not most react poorly to the stress cause by punishment and even more so when that punishment is percieved to be comming from humans. The do much better when you reward there good behavior rather than punish the bad.


Put the dog on a strick schedule including feeding and water. Do not allow free feeding of meals as it makes deffecation much harder to but on a schedule when when the dog eats is not. Also match the dogs deffication frequency with feeding frequency but not less than twice a day. If the dog is deficating three times a you need to feed three times a day.

Remember the dog activity level is an indication of how often it needs to go not some arbitratry number on the clock. This dog is highly confined it is likely to be highly active when not so he need to go a lot more often.

One hour later, when I get home, I hear my niece screaming NO STRIDER and he proceeds to pee. Just standing there peeing.

So the question is why when this has happened on multiple times are you expecting the dog when active can hold it for more than 1 hour? He clear has indicated he can't It is far better to take in to his potty spot every 45 minutes and reward him for going and create a history of proper behavior. Couple that with training a "i need to go signal" like ringing a bell and you are well on your way to solving the problem. Do not expect the dogs behavior to change if you do not change yours as well. Use your fustration as motivation to train the dog, not as an excuse to get mad at it.

The problem given what you have written is occuring much more frequently when you are home than away. The dog is calm when you go, more stress when you are home. And as we know from seperation anxiety (though this is just the opposite) lack of control often accompanies stress,

The dog is highly confied and as such it is likely not getting enough exercise which can also cause stress. Keep in mind walking at a human pace is not exercise for most dogs basset included then need a much more active work out. Given the lack of confined space. Games like fetch are going to be problematic. A game like tug however is every space efficient and can burn al lot of energy.

 

[Boopus1965]

I agree with most of the above, however something I have not seen mentioned, (is it your son's sole responsibility for him to take the dog potty?) WHAT COMMAND ARE YOU USING?

Are you just out walking him in hopes he will go then you go in? Try the word "potty" during the stream of urine "Good Strider Potty", same for a bm other potty "Good Strider other potty" or good boy potty other potty, good boy. I would truly recommend adult supervision during the process and to take the dog to the exact same place each and every time. Designate an area of your yard as his potty place, not a 6 foot run, a nice size area they love to search out a place to go. Make the long walks fun, and keep track of how often he goes. If your dog has been crated or confined all day and withheld from water, he most likely makes up for it when he is let out, which will require more frequent trips outside.

I go with the belief to not set your dog up to fail your allowing him free roam and walking him all over the place to defecate instead of his own yard is also setting him up to failure. You can't just assume he get's it no matter how well he did in foster, he has been under stress and yelling, screaming and I suspect not forgiving and forgetting the accidents, breeds more stress.

Set him up to succeed only I think it should be taken a couple steps further, if you can't watch your dog and you can't keep him comfortably tethered to you then put him in his safe zone until you can. If your in watching tv block off that room and keep him with you, keep an eye on them you can watch them and know when they are going to potty, the potty walk nose to the ground. They will stop mid play and that nose drops and look out. If your going room to room, put him on a leash attach to a belt loop and keep him short leashed to you, not allowing him freedom or much room to move away when you stop. They won't go to the bathroom where they sleep unless they are ill or the amount of time you left him in his crate is unreasonable. If you are busy cooking and just can't watch him, put him in his crate until you can, limiting the amount of time in there to a minimal amount esp if you keep him crated all day.

You most certainly can say (NOT SCREAM) no outside let's go, and interrupt them if he starts to go, if he has an accident don't just pick it up bag it and go throw it in the trash, sop it up with a paper towel, pick up solid waste and take them outside to the area you want him to go in, drop them there even if you have to use a stick to hold down the paper towel. You are giving him an area to claim as his, a simple statement no potty in the house we potty outside, they get it once they hear your potty command outside enough. Remind him when taking him to the backyard come on let's go outside to potty.

Good thing this isn't a puppy the outings are constant and if you are losing patience with a 4 year old I wouldn't recommend a puppy. Without offending you though can I please ask if you truly wanted this dog? If you did why a basset? If you feel this is more then you can or are willing to commit to then I agree with the above take him back to rescue. You can truly damage his spirit by the yelling screaming and frustration your showing.

Wishing you the best and hoping to help keep us posted.

Bo =o)

 

[jodsterd]

I too agree with what everyone is saying. I just hope that you please don't use the dog run (when you build it) as punishment for going in the house and leave him out there all the time. If a dog runs sole purpose is for potty then once he goes and is praised he should be let back in the house. It takes time and remember this is a new place for him and he is nervous and unsure and will come around eventually.

 

[Califnative]

Wow

I haven't checked the boards in a little while...but it seems MANY of you think I'm a screaming, angry animal hater. Wow.

I'm sorry, but MY dog doesn't respond with quiet "nos" when he's about to countersurf, pee on the rug, etc. I suppose "scream" was the only word I could think of at the time of my original posting. I STERNLY said "NO". And the foster mom told me squirting him with a squirt bottle at the same time I say "no" has been effective for her.

I realize that Bassets are difficult to train. I had three growing up so I know their temperament. And he's not caged all day; and I don't punish him for having an accident in the house.

And yes, I made a conscious decision to get a basset; and yes I was ready for a dog. I was under the impression when I got him that he was housetrained since the foster family had him for 4 months. (Don't know where some of you got the idea he's had 4+ homes or that he thinks I'm going to kick him out, etc.)

He's had several more accidents in the past month and a half and he's proceeding to continue to eat it even though we have him on a schedule. Yes, we say, "good boy Strider" when he does go outside. And he now has 3-4 favorite "poop spots" that he loves. And no, I didn't saddle my 12 year old with all the responsibility....sheesh people. Instead of assuming, why not just ask me?

And yes I was frustrated when I wrote this post. Isn't that what these boards are for -- venting on occassion?

By the way, after I STERNLY said "NO", that was the end of it. I cleaned it up using Nature's Miracle out of his sight....

I did finally manage to pick up his signals (the ringing bell did no good at all) and his running back and forth was one of those signs. Not an inability to relax as I first thought, but because he needs to go.

I still am having issues, though, with his going in the kitchen, eating his poop, then vomiting it up. And we take him for a good long walk in the a.m., then in the late afternoon (4:00 p.m.) then again before we go to bed. He's going outside plenty....so I'm still at a loss as to get him to stop. I hate putting him back in the crate, but I also can't continue to let him do his business in the kitchen.

 

[Califnative]

...if he has an accident don't just pick it up bag it and go throw it in the trash, sop it up with a paper towel, pick up solid waste and take them outside to the area you want him to go in, drop them there even if you have to use a stick to hold down the paper towel.

Did that many times, doesn't work.

 

[Califnative]

I agree with the others. Please stop screaming at him. It will do more harm than good. Start taking him out more often and reward him with treats when he does his business. Sounds like "this dog" needs a little more love and calmness around him and I'm sure he'll adjust to his new home before too long.

Sorry, I meant STERNLY.

 

[LuciaB]

There was another recent post about poo eating, I think there were some good suggestions on ways to address that.

I sympathize with how frustrating it can be to have a dog out, then come back in and they pee. My chihuahua is bad about this, part of her problem is she's a big wimp and doesn't like it if it's the slightest bit damp or chilly. I take the dogs out in the morning and they run around for a few minutes and do there business, our other two go right out and pee but if weather conditions aren't prime Kiko will stand on the steps looking like an orphan and refusing to go. I've come up with several strategies that have helped, but in the beginning I was stymied.

 

[Kirska]

Neutering will help with marking inside, if he isn't already.

 

[Lightning&Stomps]

You can get some pills that make their poo taste bad, which might at least stop the "reward" he gets from pooing in the house (eating it). (I use DisTaste, from Drs. foster and Smith.) Other than that, what's the history of this dog? Were you told he was housebroken? Adult dogs who go to a new home often go through a phase where they have to be retaught. I would keep him in the crate when you're away, since he seems to find it comforting, and have patience. Eventually he will get it. Good luck.

 

[oscar's_mom]

Hi Califnative
I laughed so much when I read your post I know the exact mood you were in when you put up that post. I made the same mistake, vented like a crazy woman out of lack of sleep and frustration and got attacked by the "Basset Police".

It took me 4 months to train my guy. He is almost a year and I don't get given signals. I did everything, the newspaper, the walks and all of that. Moving it outside just seemed to impress him

He goes on his nose. If he has peed or pood somewhere in your house, he will keep smelling it and associating it with relieving himself. You have to get an outside spot and kill the scent in the house. Also, if you can, let him sleep outside for a few nights (not forever), depending on the weather there, so he can get in to the routine of going outside, and so the smells in the house can fade a bit.
I actually sprayed a bit of doom or carpet cleaner or car wash stuff everywhere he had been in the house. Doom is like an insect repellant like for ants or mosquitoes. Something that will put him off the scent. Shoe polish, something like that.
Then wash the living daylights out of that area. Think like you're covering up a crime scene
Then let him sleep / spend most of his time outside for a few days.

That's the only thing that works. He's not weird or damaged or abused. He;s just a dog with a good nose. They lick their balls and eat poo and hump pillows. It's not psychological.

Let me know if it works!

 

[oscar's_mom]

It's weird that he doesn't poo on his walks. Usually this is like their prime-time to mark territory. Are there other dog poos on his walks that he can sniff out?
Try taking him to a doggy park specifically, one with lots of poos (haha), that he can figure out what the vibe is with pooing outside. Let him see "all the other kids are doing it".
But my dog didn't go in the house for like months, then the other night he gets up, looks at me, and pees right in front of me. I was like UMMMM, can't you like scratch on the door or something like in the movies? Not likely.

 

[oscar's_mom]

Oh and him being all nervous and pacing... having seen it first hand for a few months: He knows he's going to get a smack on the nose or shouted at and he has no idea why. He's freaking out man. He doesn't know what he's doing wrong. Trust me, if he knew, he would stop. He thinks you're like, nuts. He's like "But I can smell I went there an hour ago, what's your problem?" And it repeats.

 

[Vik12]

I found giving my dog a treat when it would go outside and do business did wonders, praise is good but nothing like a piece of cheese.

We had countless accidents when our dog was younger.

 

[Nitrosmom]

My Nitro has been with us for 2 months. I have taking him on "walks" everyday since we brought him home. He has yet to poo on a walk. He smells all the other dog poo, but since he is not 100% immunized yet, I will not let him linger, just a quick sniff and away we go. What I call walks for Nitro, by the walks, are less than a half mile, not even to the corner and back. It is mostly sniff - fest until he plops down and refuses to move. So I pick him up and carry him for a few feet, then put him back down. He has great fun with this, but I don't want him pulling on his collar either.

If the blockade is not up and we are not watching him, he will escape into my living room and poo there. Talk about frustrating. I have told my son a million times to put the board down when he leaves the room, but he forgets. I have resorted to making my son clean it up. Board gets put put every time now!