Wetting His Bed

[ultrarealist]

I have a 6 months old Affie that I got him when he was 15 weeks. I keep him in a 1mx2m pen with a bed about 1mx1m. Although we take him out every 2 hours he from time to time will wee in the pen but not his bed. Since he is 6 months old now and I think I can be more stringent on him so I reduce the pen area to 1Mx1M, it means the bed occupies the whole pen. He ends up wetting his bed and firstly I thought he could not hold it but today he wees right in front of me on his bed when he entered to the pen from a walk!!!!

What should I do? Any advice are welcome.

[megan_]

I'm no expert but I think it may be due to the restrictions on your dog. Is there any reason why he is only in a 1x1m pen and only let out after every 2 hours? At 6 months, I would think he could be allowed a lot more freedom (I don't now the affie breed, so this might not be appropriate). By being in a pen a lot he isn't learning how to behave in the house and garden, and you may have big issues later on when you want to get rid of the puppy pen, because he hasn't learnt how to cope with "normal" life.

How much exercise and play does he get every day?

How much time does he get to just be a dog? To wander around the yard, sniffing, exploring etc?

How much "good manners" training is he getting so that you can let him out, keep and eye out but just let him do his own thing?

I don't have an affie, but at 6 months my pup was getting about an hour of offlead play a day, 15 mins of a "structured" walk on a lead, witha bit of training thrown in on the walk. I put up some baby gates so he had access to some of the house and the garden each day while I was at work (I have a doggie door). This was pretty much the routine from day 1 (with less walks).

[Kelpie_Pup]

I'm no expert but I think it may be due to the restrictions on your dog. Is there any reason why he is only in a 1x1m pen and only let out after every 2 hours? At 6 months, I would think he could be allowed a lot more freedom (I don't now the affie breed, so this might not be appropriate). By being in a pen a lot he isn't learning how to behave in the house and garden, and you may have big issues later on when you want to get rid of the puppy pen, because he hasn't learnt how to cope with "normal" life.

I don't have an affie, but at 6 months my pup was getting about an hour of offlead play a day, 15 mins of a "structured" walk on a lead, witha bit of training thrown in on the walk. I put up some baby gates so he had access to some of the house and the garden each day while I was at work (I have a doggie door). This was pretty much the routine from day 1 (with less walks).

I agree.

Puppy needs to learn about "normal" behaviour inside the house, and outside? Does he spend any time in a yard just doing his own thing ?

Do you have a cue/command for him to toilet when outside? How have you tought him that outside is the place to toileting?

[MissAloof]

No offence, but I'd let the puppy "grow up" a bit. I got mine at 3.5 months, religiously took her out for toilet time but she still wet around my brother's house, mainly when she got excited. Rarely wet at night. Learnt the doggy door from an adult dog they have, then she and I moved a month later into our own house. We had a doggy door within a week.

She is now 7.5 months and I let her do her own thing - she sleeps virtually anywhere she likes, and definitely does her own toileting. She still likes me to take her out before we go to bed at night, then she takes care of herself in the morning. She can run around the back yard and house as she likes. I've only had a rare wee accident when there's a severe storm or fireworks, and not even that on NY eve this last week. Funny though, she did wee in the bedroom my mother was staying in the other day, but apart from that she is marvellous.

So I'd try giving her a bit more freedom, they do like it and can do the right thing.

[MayaBC]

1mx1m seems tiny to me, that is the size roughly of our dogs kennel, but she also has a bed out the door of the kennel incase she wans to sleep on that instead. She is only tied up at night to go to sleep and let off first thing in the morning, and can do her own thing in the yard all day.

[MissAloof]

I forgot to add, when I used to take her outside (staying at my brother's) I'd repeat like a mantra - toilet, toilet. She took a while at first and used to wander around smelling the mulch etc, if she took too long I'd stop her, squash her rear end down and repeat - toilet. Now I can just say that word and if she needs to go she will. Before bed I don't even say it, she knows what we go out for. When she was did it inside I'd stop her, point to it and say - toilet OUTSIDE, take her out and repeat - toilet.

Hell, I had no idea how to housetrain a puppy and as there was an adult dog in the house with a doggy door I found it hard, but she learnt. (She's a Lhasa/Maltese cross).

[ultrarealist]

I'm no expert but I think it may be due to the restrictions on your dog. Is there any reason why he is only in a 1x1m pen and only let out after every 2 hours? At 6 months, I would think he could be allowed a lot more freedom (I don't now the affie breed, so this might not be appropriate). By being in a pen a lot he isn't learning how to behave in the house and garden, and you may have big issues later on when you want to get rid of the puppy pen, because he hasn't learnt how to cope with "normal" life.

How much exercise and play does he get every day?

How much time does he get to just be a dog? To wander around the yard, sniffing, exploring etc?

How much "good manners" training is he getting so that you can let him out, keep and eye out but just let him do his own thing?

I don't have an affie, but at 6 months my pup was getting about an hour of offlead play a day, 15 mins of a "structured" walk on a lead, witha bit of training thrown in on the walk. I put up some baby gates so he had access to some of the house and the garden each day while I was at work (I have a doggie door). This was pretty much the routine from day 1 (with less walks).

I am sorry that I think confused you guys. He had been staying in a 1mX2m pen but he sometime wees inside the pen in the non-bedding area. I am thinking he is now 6 months and should be able to hold so that I recently reduced the pen to 1mx1m so that he can learn not to wee in his own pen.

We take him out every 2 hours during the day time for walks and he has learned to do his business outside with a cue "pot". He also socializes with other people and dogs in the dog park within our complex.

From after dinner to bed time, he and my other 2 dogs (another 2 years old Affie and 3 years old Yorkshire Terrier) can play and roam in the back yard. I will also do a late night walk for all 3 of them at about 22:30. This is pretty much his routine.

[Kelpie_Pup]

I am sorry that I think confused you guys. He had been staying in a 1mX2m pen but he sometime wees inside the pen in the non-bedding area. I am thinking he is now 6 months and should be able to hold so that I recently reduced the pen to 1mx1m so that he can learn not to wee in his own pen.

We take him out every 2 hours during the day time for walks and he has learned to do his business outside with a cue "pot". He also socializes with other people and dogs in the dog park within our complex.

From after dinner to bed time, he and my other 2 dogs (another 2 years old Affie and 3 years old Yorkshire Terrier) can play and roam in the back yard. I will also do a late night walk for all 3 of them at about 22:30. This is pretty much his routine.

Whether the pen is 1mx1m or 1mx2m, I think our point here, well mine anyway is that he shouldn't be in a pen at all. I think that is the problem, not the solution.

[MayaBC]

I am sorry that I think confused you guys. He had been staying in a 1mX2m pen but he sometime wees inside the pen in the non-bedding area. I am thinking he is now 6 months and should be able to hold so that I recently reduced the pen to 1mx1m so that he can learn not to wee in his own pen.

We take him out every 2 hours during the day time for walks and he has learned to do his business outside with a cue "pot". He also socializes with other people and dogs in the dog park within our complex.

From after dinner to bed time, he and my other 2 dogs (another 2 years old Affie and 3 years old Yorkshire Terrier) can play and roam in the back yard. I will also do a late night walk for all 3 of them at about 22:30. This is pretty much his routine.

Whether the pen is 1mx1m or 1mx2m, I think our point here, well mine anyway is that he shouldn't be in a pen at all. I think that is the problem, not the solution.

Do you mean from Dinner as in lunch or tea? If you mean tea, I really don't think you are letting them out enough. That would mean that the dog is really only allowed out and about for 3 hours or so a day, then the little walks, really doesn't seem like enough to me, especially when they are caged in a 1mx1m pen.

[Nekhbet]

he has learned to pee in the pen when he has to and not to hold on. Reducing the size of the pen has meant you have forced him to pee on his bed (like pet shop puppy syndrome)

limit his water intake and take him out more often then ever 2 hrs. He is a small dog and cannot hold on that long at the moment. I would put him outside a little more as well, or increase the size of the pen and give him a litter box with a paper based litter like Breeders Choice for him to wee in while he is crated.

[ultrarealist]

he has learned to pee in the pen when he has to and not to hold on. Reducing the size of the pen has meant you have forced him to pee on his bed (like pet shop puppy syndrome)

limit his water intake and take him out more often then ever 2 hrs. He is a small dog and cannot hold on that long at the moment. I would put him outside a little more as well, or increase the size of the pen and give him a litter box with a paper based litter like Breeders Choice for him to wee in while he is crated.

Got it, pen has been increased to 1Mx3M and I have set up a toilet area for 1mx1m for him. The plan is to take him out every 1.5 hr and let's see waht happen next.

Thank you everyone for your advice.

[Erny]

I have a 6 months old Affie that I got him when he was 15 weeks. I keep him in a 1mx2m pen with a bed about 1mx1m. Although we take him out every 2 hours he from time to time will wee in the pen but not his bed. Since he is 6 months old now and I think I can be more stringent on him so I reduce the pen area to 1Mx1M, it means the bed occupies the whole pen. He ends up wetting his bed and firstly I thought he could not hold it but today he wees right in front of me on his bed when he entered to the pen from a walk!!!!

What should I do? Any advice are welcome.

Ummmm .... have I understood you correctly? Because if I have, it seems to me you left him with too much room to move. It seems to me he's learnt that soiling in his pen is ok. All that is changed (from what I am surmising) is that you've increased the blanket/mat area.

Does he need all the bed area you provide for him at the moment?