lokelani

Again, I am so sorry for your loss Kaffy. Its obvious how much you loved him, and that is such a beautiful tribute, to a very special boy. I hope you are doing OK from me and Bosco Run free Kaden. There are many special friends up there for you to play with, while you watch over your mum down here.

Im so sorry Warls Run free Houndee, and play with all the other pups up there. So many Angels in Heaven lately, its so devastating

Thanks guys I really hope the meds help too, although I was hoping he didnt have to go on them ;) but if it is going to help him, then I will do what it takes. I am definitely going to continue to try to build up his confidence, he needs it as much as I do. All I want is for my boy to be happy, which it seems he is not. But we will get there! Slowly but surely :D Moops, I will see you on Sunday :D

Well, we have just come back from the vets, and there does not appear to be any underlying medical problems. I even took in a urine sample for the vets, nice and fresh His mental condition on the other hand.... After explaining a few things, the vet seems to think that it could very well be his anxiety that is causing the recent upsets. He has put Bos on a course of Amitriptyline for two weeks, and I need to go back in then for a check up (apparently these can have side effects, including heart issues :D ) so they are going to check his heart, and also to see if it is making any difference. If they are not helping too much, or even so, this particular vets has a behaviourist in house so I can make an appointment with her. I am getting the carpets cleaned on Monday, so hopefully that will help in eradicating the smell a bit and possibly stopping some of the behaviour (I am not going to expect too much before then), but having said that, when we got home this evening, he proceeded to do a nice big turd! This time I was there to catch him and I 'argght' and put him out So, fingers crossed we get somewhere soon. Bosco is going to have almost as much medication in the cabinet as me at this rate ;)

Looks like I have my work cut out for me with this one I started him on the RR last night, so I will keep an eye on him over the next few days and see if it is making any sort of difference. Nothing seems to be getting rid of the smell in the house, so I am going to get in a professional cleaner and get the carpet right.... He's not going to stop toileting in the house until that is fixed. I just hope it doesnt continue after the smell is all gone! Im thinking of also taking him in for a check up, just incase something is not right somewhere. He is not really acting any different, nor does he appear to be ill, but I think its worth a checkup just incase. *sigh* Bloody dogs!

Thanks Ci - the only thing I am concerned about with the solid clues that you mention when I am about to leave, is in the mornings when I have to go to work.... Pretty much as soon as I get out of the shower and dress, take him out for a toilet run, then come in, he runs for the bedroom. He knows straight away that I am leaving.... He's actually quite funny, because other than work days, if I put shoes on, he gets all excited because he thinks he is coming with me. And he knows the different collars/leads. If I put a flat collar and lead on him, he knows he is going for a car ride. If I put his harness on, he knows he is going for a walk, and if I put his training collar/lead on, then he knows he is going to training. As much as he is the biggest, clumsiest doofus on the planet, he is one smart cookie ETA - He has also learnt that different shoes mean different things. If I put on my "work" shoes, he runs, if I put on sneakers or thongs, he gets excited! :D

Thanks Ci - I think I am going to have to start 'experimenting' with him and leaving him alone so that he can get used to it, and using the RR to see if that at least starts to help him relax. Moops, if I ever have to go anywhere for a quick moment, he either comes with me in the car, or I lock him up in his run. I honestly dont trust him not to try to dig his way out of the house if I leave him in there. Last year it took him all of half a day to eat through the laundry door, and get into the lounge room where he continued to dig up the carpet at the front door After that he came into work with me until the run was finished. I think your suggestion of having someone there while I go out is a really good one. I might recruit family members to help out as well where they can. The only thing I have seen him eat in his run are bones, he wont leave them, but anything else he wont touch. I think it may be the same inside, and I am certainly not letting him have run of the house with a bone eewww! :D The other thing is, most days I have to put a lead on him to get him into the run. He used to go in of his own accord, but now he has associated it with me leaving, and he will sometimes put up a fight. I might have to play games with him in there too, so that he doesnt think that every time he goes in, I am going to leave.... All this advice has been really helpful, thanks everyone

:p I know, I know! I'll try to be a little more relaxed. Hhmmm - My house is going to be the next 'supermarket' of products to remove odours

Thanks Moops :p I have to say with everything considered, he is a pretty good boy. When I lost Loki, I realised how quickly you can lose a pet, and I dont want to miss out on that with Bos... Ci, I bought some rescue remedy yesterday. I will put some in his inside water bowl tonight when I get home and see how he goes with that. He didnt make a mess last night though And your right, he has had a pretty rough 12 months, and it has only now occured to me after you saying that, that the last time I had to go away for work, he saw Loki die, and then I go and leave him by himself. doG I feel like a git now. I will try the sugar soap too. I still have the bicarb soda on the carpet at the moment, so I will clean that up this arvo and see what difference it has made before I douse the floor with anything else

Thank you I try very hard to be patient with my dog :rolleyes:.... but I completely agree with all that you are saying, and come tomorrow, I am going to get in contact with someone to try to help me out with the issues that I cant reslove by myself. You are right in saying that sometimes we are too close. I feel that is my problem to an extent - I just need some fresh eyes and maybe an outsiders veiw to help me to help my dog. He deserves the best, and I will try to do that for him He has helped me through a lot, I owe it to him to return the favour.

When my boy goes in the house, it is a bit hard to not let him see me (because of the fact that I am paranoid about leaving him alone) but when I am cleaning up, I never make a fuss. I just clean it up and thats it. I figure, if I dont catch him doing it, there is no point in making a fuss, cos he wont know what I am going on about. He might see me cleaning up, but I dont make contact with him while I am doing it. When I clean up the poop in the yard, he is usually inside - again because I dont feel comfortable leaving him alone if I cant watch him 100%. When I first moved into this house, I was out the back with him (the fences on the back are only about 4 ft high), and he literally decided that it was a good chance to jump. If I wasnt there to stop him he would have been over the fence in a flash, and I was right there with him! I am so glad that I was there.... I know its a little OT, but it gives a bit of background as to how bad he can be with new surroundings, and now more so, being alone! Good doG, I need some help :rolleyes:

Hi Jaxx'sBuddy - Welcome to DOL I know that the whole getting back at me is a human emotion, and I can guarantee you that I have absolutely no resentment towards my dog. It was actually a bit of a shock to me when he first started doing this, because he has been so good up until recently! The problem is, he is doing it when I am asleep, and I would love to go back to basics, but I never catch him in the act, so it is hard to correct the problem right there. And I do take him out all the time. He goes out about 5-6 times a night from the time I get home to the time he goes to bed (I smoke, so everytime I have a smoke outside, he comes with me...). I am going to try to contain him in a crate until I can resolve the problem, but I have hurt my back, again, and the crate I have is extremely heavy. I am going to get my brother over tomorrow night to get it out for me. I personally dont believe in negative re-inforcement (yelling for him making an accident) but as I said, I have not been able to even catch him in the act to even correct it. This is where my problem is, because I cant stop him in the act and then take him out to "finish" his business so to speak :rolleyes: I really, really want to get a behaviourist in, if not just for the toileting issues, but his anxiety, for his sake. I just need to find a good one, and the funds to have it done. I know it is the best thing for him, because all I want is for him to be happy, and I have realised that perhaps he is not entirely happy with the way he has been behaving recently, more so that before, and that really does upset me. I dont want my dog to be unhappy! sorry i wasn't clear...you don't yell at the dog, you yell at the pee or pooh as if it has crawled in from outside and doesn't belong in the house!!!!! you let it know that it belongs outside and never in the house....you make a lot of fuss telling it off...probably best not to have your neighbours see as they may think you're going nuts!!! i knew someone who did this once and never had another accident inside. as i said, i haven't tried this but it did seem like you had tried everything and this was a bit left field. i agree with you, i never yell at my dog and i don't use negative re-inforcement. good luck! I think my neighbours thing I am loopy anyhow! Thanks Jaxx'sBuddy - I do now get where you are coming from. I guess it is going to take time, and even just yelling seems to upset Bos, whether it is directed at him or not, which is weird in a way, because I have had him from a pup, and he has not had a bad past so to speak, unlike many rescue dogs (my past girl included) I have realised that I still have a lot to learn. I have owned my "own" dogs for just over 2 years now, and I have learnt so much from being on here, but it is very clear that I still have so much to learn. As I said earlier, I just want a happy dog, and I am willing to do what it takes, even if it does send me broke (which it almost has with this boy already) Edit: Cos I cant spell!

I agree here... Sounds as if some leadership needs to be re/instated. I am starting to think that perhaps I am not the leader I thought I was :rolleyes: In a good way. It seems very obvious that I need to learn more about being the leader than I thought I did.... This is just something that is so out of the norm for him, and I thought maybe it had something to do with his anxiety. I guess it could be a mix of the two? Thanks again everyone for all the replies. It is really helpful

Hi Jaxx'sBuddy - Welcome to DOL I know that the whole getting back at me is a human emotion, and I can guarantee you that I have absolutely no resentment towards my dog. It was actually a bit of a shock to me when he first started doing this, because he has been so good up until recently! The problem is, he is doing it when I am asleep, and I would love to go back to basics, but I never catch him in the act, so it is hard to correct the problem right there. And I do take him out all the time. He goes out about 5-6 times a night from the time I get home to the time he goes to bed (I smoke, so everytime I have a smoke outside, he comes with me...). I am going to try to contain him in a crate until I can resolve the problem, but I have hurt my back, again, and the crate I have is extremely heavy. I am going to get my brother over tomorrow night to get it out for me. I personally dont believe in negative re-inforcement (yelling for him making an accident) but as I said, I have not been able to even catch him in the act to even correct it. This is where my problem is, because I cant stop him in the act and then take him out to "finish" his business so to speak :rolleyes: I really, really want to get a behaviourist in, if not just for the toileting issues, but his anxiety, for his sake. I just need to find a good one, and the funds to have it done. I know it is the best thing for him, because all I want is for him to be happy, and I have realised that perhaps he is not entirely happy with the way he has been behaving recently, more so that before, and that really does upset me. I dont want my dog to be unhappy!

Thats the problem with my boy - I would love to have a doggy door for him, but I am way too scared to let him have access to the yard on his own. When he got out and disappeared for 2 days about a year ago, I had only let him out for a wee... Went to let him in and he was gone. Ever since then I literally watch him go to the toilet and stay with him. I am not sure if he would jump if I was around, but if I was asleep and he got a fright, there is no guessing about it - he would be gone! I have put down almost two packets of bicarb soda for the night to try to get rid of some of the smell. I am a bit worried about the vinegar, because since I used it last, the smell seems to be a bit stronger, like a mix of wee and vinegar! So I will see how the night goes.... Thanks for all the replies everyone, I really hope that I can resolve this soon, for both of our sakes

I bought the crate especially for Agility, because whenever I had to tie him up he would howl like he was being murdered! He actually seems happy in a crate (providing its open), I think it is similar to his run, like a little sanctuary. If I ever had one lying around open, he would go and lie down in there, but as soon as I close the door, I need to cover it so he cant see me. That seems to be one of the problems, if he can see me, but cant get to me, he gets agitated..... I am not doing agility any more though. I might go back to it later, because all he wanted to do was play with the other dogs. He would listen to me, but I think he needs to 'grow up' a little more, he is still very much like a pup! And I think I wasnt enjoying it very much, which is no good for him if I dont enjoy it.... We are still doing obedience though, because he loves that, and he is really good with it.

Dogmad, I do actually agree with you. I have been wanting to see a behaviourist for a while, its just a matter of the funds. When my other dog died last year, he was so scared and upset that he ate through my dads solid wood gate (I was in Melbourne at the time, and this is the reason his run was built!) He went to the vets and was put on clomicalm, and after a while, the vet said to take him off it. It took a while for him to settle, but once he did he seemed to go back to his normal self (as normal as he could be) I have noticed that if I leave the house and he is inside (with someone else there) he will cry and howl, apparently until I get back, but he does not do that in his run. He is very quite when he is in there...

Thanks for the replies everyone IDWT - I know that I really need to get the smell out, and that that is probably a big part of the problem. Erny - I think he sees me as the leader. Not very confident I know, but he does know that when I say something, he has to do it. I have tried everything to make myself the leader, to making him wait at the door until I go in first, waiting for his meals, and we do some training and stuff at home as well. He is allowed on the furniture etc, but generally when I say so, but in saying that, he is in no way dominant. If I ask him to stop something, or get off, he does. He didnt actually stay at my brothers - my brother stayed at my house to look after him, and he did not soil in the house while my brother was there, only the next day when I got home! His anxiety has been something that started since he was a pup. He was born in foster care, and was the runt of the litter and almost didnt survive, so from what I can tell, the foster carer actually hand raised him for a few weeks, which is why I think he has more of an attachment to people rather than other dogs. I didnt help the matter when he was a pup, but I have been trying to stop that sort of behaviour from myself for about 18 months. I still spoil him abit, but I try to let him know that he is still a dog.

Hey Moops - Yep, he has run of the house, as he has always had.... Thats why its all a bit strange, because nothing has changed at all Except for the fact that I left the poor boy alone for a couple of nights I have a crate at home big enough. I will pull it out and try that for a while. I just hope that he doesnt cry all night! (which is likely)

Hi all, I really need some help with my boy. He has been a naughty lad lately, mostly with toileting in the house, and I am trying to figure out if it has anything to do with his anxiety. This is strange for him, because he is completely toilet trained, and has been since he was a pup. (he is now 2) Even at 8 weeks old he slept through the night with no problems, and it took him a very short time to learn to go to the door if he did need to go. Bit of background.... Bosco has seperation anxiety issues. He is kept in a run whenever I am not home (work etc) as I cant leave him in the house because he is likely to do a lot of damage (In the past he has torn up carpet and eaten straight through a door!) I cant leave him in the yard, because he jumps, and I mean he will jump anything! He seems to be quite content in his run, although I think he just sleeps in his kennel all day. Anyway, this toileting in the house all started a couple of months ago when I went to the coast for the weekend. I couldnt take Bos, because I had no where to keep him (for the above mentioned reasons) and if I ever need to be away for a night, then I need someone to actually come to my house and babysit, again for the above reasons. If I took Bos anywhere, he would escape, so when I went away, my brother looked after him for me. And no, there is no way my brother would ever hurt him, but Im thinking that maybe he was "getting back at me" for leaving him for the weekend? When I got back, every night for about a week, I would wake up to a present (he does both!) and he always does it in the middle of the night, so I never actually catch him in the act. And I always take him out before bed, although he doesnt always go! Also, he will not toilet in his run. Every day when I get back from work and let him out, he bolts for the garden so he can go! I also have a bad feeling that he wont eat or drink in his run. I have left toys with food in them for him during the day, and he doesnt touch it until I get home. Also, the water levels in his bowls never seem to change, and he always has a big drink when I let him in the house??? Anyway, the toileting eased off after about a week, but he would still do it every now and again, but then last friday night, I had to stay at mums house (it was my sisters wedding on Saturday) so again my brother babysat, and again he has been toileting in the house! Not only is this frustrating because he is apparently toilet trained, but the house is starting to stink! I have tried cleaning it with vinegar, and I even hired a cleaner from Woolies to try to fix it, but that didnt work. I understand that once I get the smell out it may not be as bad, but I think I am going to have to actually get professionals in. I thought I was lucky in one respect that Bosco still squats, so at least he isnt peeing on all the furniture, but when I woke up this morning, it looks like he has cocked his leg on the curtains!!! Little bugger. Sorry for the long post, but I dont know what to do. When he does go outside, I praise him, and if I caught him in the act, I would go back to the basics, but he seems to be sooo sneaky! Any advice will be more than welcome. I am renting at the moment, and its my cousins house, so I really dont want to destroy the carpet because my dog has decided to be an ass. I have not had this problem before. Thanks in advance. ETA - The weekend I went to the coast is the first time ever that I have left Bosco alone.....

I have just seen this now, and I also thought it must be a different Chopper. CC, I am so, so sorry for your loss, he was a beautiful boy. Loki has another friend to play with now. Fly free sweet man Em and Bosco xx

RIP Poor babies Its very sad to see how many souls are in the pounds at this time of year. Makes my heart break

Oh No Vehs ;) He was such a beautiful boy - Thinking of you ;) RIP Coco :rolleyes: Em

Thinking of you Teebs :rolleyes: Sending you lots of hugs and sloppy Bosco kisses. Em xx

Oh no! ;) I am so sorry CC. I read all about her rescue only the other day, and was so happy for all of you. You did not fail her, you gave her a second chance, and a whole lotta love. RIP Sweet girl :rolleyes: