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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)
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)