[TellisBestFriend]

Hello all.

Six weeks ago, I bought a puppy Basset Hound. She'll be turning 16 weeks old (4 months) this coming Saturday.

I have 2 major issues where I don't know how to react (except for running to the bathroom and being sick of seeing the following):

First, I am training Telli with a crate. I'm not over using it, as when I say "time to go ni-nite?", she walks to her crate wagging her tail and lays down without a sound. I set my alarm clock so that I get up in the middle of the night to walk her out so she can do "her business" (max of 4 hours as of this week). During daytime, I walk her to the Dog Park where she plays with other dogs and I've been walking her to noisy places to get her accustomed with the "Big City Life" (and yes, I carry plenty of 'poop bags' and always pickup after my dog - hehe).

In the past 6 weeks, she has learnt the "sit", "down", "away", "stay" commands and mastered them all (praises and dried liver have been very helpful!). I brought Telli back to the Pet Shop where I bought Telli for an evaluation for our future "training" when she'll be 5 months old, and he was amazed to see how well behaved she is... Well, he doesn't know the whole story...and I'd really like to see a way to change two bad behaviors that Telli has been showing for the past 3 weeks.

I live in a loft, where it's 95 feet long. The kitchen's is at the opposite end of the...main entrance, and I don't give Telli access to the whole apartment (only one third of it). But when she has to go, she doesn't do anything to let me know that she 'has to go'. She just sniffs around (she's a compulsive sniffer!) and pees on the ceramic tile floor (kitchen) or the wooden floor of the dining room. She thinks the 'puppy training pad' is some cushion or a toy. I tried spraying the training pad with some OUT! (housebreaking aid for puppies), but she doesn't seem to get it at all. On a couple of occasions, when I had my back turned, I cought her lapping her #1. I used to give water only when feeding her (twice a day), but noticed that her urine was very dark, and that the price to pay in giving her more water would be to bring her out every 15 minutes. Believe it or not, she urinates more than she can drink (urine isn't dark anymore) in between her 15 minutes. As if she couldn't hold it at all. I never scowl at her when this happens. If I didn't see her doing it, I just play along and bring her to the other room and keep her busy so that she doesn't see me mopping her mess.

As for her #2, this isn't so bad. She does most of them outside, before and after "breakfast", and before and after "dinner". BUT...if I go out of her sight and she realizes that she's all by herself (as if I had disappeared) for 2 minutes, she poops...and eats it. I'm never away for that long, as I always catch her 'in the act'. I'm certain that most times, she was able to eat half of it. Those times, I pick it up on the spot, but I have to send her to her crate as I, myself, have to run to the bathroom as it makes me sick.

I'm worried sick about the above behaviors, so I'm taking her to the Vet next Monday. I love Telli and she's the first thing I hurry to see when I get up in the morning.

I'm considering to change the Royal Canin Puppy Pet Food for Hollistic (Natural Pet Food) as I was told by a dog owner that there might be something missing in her food that would actually be causing Telli's behavior. Many dog owners in my area seem to be fond of Natural Pet Food, so I'd like to hear about your experience and comments.

P.S. The Kindergarden Training Courses that I got from the training school when I got Telli taught us to pinch the back of the dog's neck and scowl a big NO! when catching the puppy peeing in a bad spot. Now that she has all the water she wants during the day and that I bring her outside every 15 minutes so Telli can do her business, could it be that she knows it's not right to pee on the floor, that'd be why she's lapping after her own mess? Are there tricks to stop her from picking up after her messes?

Thank you in advance for all your comments.

- Josée
(Telli's Best Friend)

 

[murraysmom]

First, welcome to the forum.

I'm not an expert, but based on experience, here are a few comments:

"she doesn't do anything to let me know that she has to go"- here is a link to training your pup to ring a bell to go out- it's easier to train than you might think, and if your dog is the 'silent type' like Murray, it will help.

http://www.poochie-pets.net/Training.html

I've always put puppies on a strict schedule for potty breaks- every couple of hours, and always after meals and play.

As far as eating poop, alot of them seem to do this - my solution was to not give Murray the chance- be vigilant and pick it up right away. Murray out grew his taste for poop after a few moinths.

I think dogs need access to fresh water all the time, so I'm glad you've decided to stop restricting her water.

"she urinates more than she can drink (urine isn't dark anymore) in between her 15 minutes. As if she couldn't hold it at all. " I'm not sure what you're saying here- if she is peeing constantly, she could have a urinary tract infection-

Hope something I said helps-

 

[Aruuuu]

House training may take a very long, long time. The behaviors you're seeing are not unusual for a puppy. However, just being able to see your puppy is clearly not doing the trick. I suggest tethering her to you when she's out of her crate. Put a leash on her, attach it to your clothing or hang on to it, and keep her right next to you at all times, or crate -- that's it for now. At least if she starts peeing or pooping when she's right with you, you can stop her (Just a rather loud, "UH-UH!" will probably suffice) and get her outside. If you are unable to tether her to you, keep her in her crate.

As far as lapping her pee and eating her poop -- welcome to the world of dogs! While they don't all do this, many of them do. I've heard all kinds of possible reasons behind it, but I think it's just something some dogs do.....

 

[Betsy Iole]

Check to be sure the stuff you're spraying on the pads is not a deodorizer, but is actually designed to attract the puppy to the pad. If she was confined in the pet store before you bought her, she has likely learned the behaviors of eating and drinking her own waste--better to get rid of it than lie around in it. Pet store puppies are more challenging to housebreak because they've become somewhat desensitized to their own waste, first by being kept in puppy mill conditions, and then being confined with their waste at a pet store. Best advice...put her on a regular schedule and don't give her the chance to make a mistake. Every mistake sets the process back. Persistence, vigilance, patience. Good luck.

PS--check to make sure any food you're considering switching to hasn't been recalled.

 

[TellisBestFriend]

This is a follow-up about Telli...

The day after posting this thread, she didn't want to eat or drink at all. She was still playful, but when she was sitting or laying down or doing her business, she was always whining. I've put her in her crate at night time, but she woke me up abruptly around 3am, howling like I had never heard before.

Her kennel has a partition in it, but she had filled the whole bottom of the cage with urine. I had to drag her to the kitchen and close the doors in order to "mop" her mess. Poor her, she was shaking like a leaf, so after her kennel was cleaned up as well as her paws, I brought her to the living room to lay on the floor with her, until the vet's clinic would open.

I brought her to the Emergency Vet, and they said her "urine" had crystallized. They kept her for the week until yesterday. She's still on antibiotics, for the remaining 4 days. But...this is a brand new dog!!! I was so used to have to go outside with her every 10 minutes that I still can't believe that she "holds" it for a minimum of 2 hours.

She stopped whining completely, even when I'm out of sight, she's a very happy dog I might say! And so as I...since she is using the Pooch Bells near the doors when she has to go! I had to check her nose (she has natural pink spots in her nostrils) as I was afraid that I was given the wrong dog.... LOL

Since I have a 3 year warranty from the Pet Breeder, they've reimbursed the Vet's bill already. The Pet Breeder called me today (Sunday) to reassure me and to reinforce the fact that whenever I'm worried, to bring Telli to the Vet asap, that they'll handle all future bills...

This is my very first puppy, and I wish I would have known this was a urinary infection. I am making it up to her by showering her with big hugs and kisses every time she does good deeds (so far, she hasn't done one single "bad" thing since she got back home!).

So good to have her back home.

 

[Betsy Iole]

Were you feeding any of the foods that were recalled? It's been hypothesized that adulterants in the recalled foods crystallize in urine.