Poo Issues And A Sore Paw...

[Hannahmania]

Charli has decided pooing outside is really not her thing.

Her poo routine seems to be once early morning (the only one she does outside reliably, which is when my husband takes her out first thing). Then around lunch-early afternoon, then again in the evening.

Generally (other than the morning poo) I aim to feed her, then take her outside, so as soon as she wakes I will take her out for a wee, and then get her next meal and take her out again. The last couple of days, though, she has either been sneaking off after we get inside while I am getting her food to poo in the dining room, or she will eat, be taken outside for 15 - 30 mins on the lead, walked up and down outside, hang around the yard... do nothing... and then as soon as I let her off inside she will go on the carpet instead. She generally picks the same room, but not the same spot.

She gets treats when she goes outside, and if she goes inside she is firmly told no, and put into the ensuite (as we don't have a yard that is safe for her unsupervised at this age) until I have cleaned up the mess.

So first question - how do I stop her holding on until she is inside?

Secondly...

Tonight I was out with her for ages, finally about to give up and come inside. She was sniffing and pawing at something, then suddenly jumped back and bolted for inside crying. Once we got in she started licking her paw, and crying holding it up.

I am guessing it was bitten/stung by whatever had her so fascinated? I have felt/looked at it thoroughly (between the pads as well) and can not find anything (and she did not show any pain), and she is using it when she is walking, but she kept cowering into the corner with her paw raised.

I am guessing I am best just watching her for the evening and hoping it passes. She is sleeping at the moment. Poor puppy!

[Bundyburger]

You need to either stay outside longer, or take her back inside and whilst on lead do something indoors to break the "cycle" then straight back out. I used to have to take my pup out, bring him back in and give him some pats. 5 mins later take him outside and he would pee. I soon learnt to tell if he still needed to pee or if he was totally finished. Some days I'd have to repeat it 3 times till he was "finished'. Now I can just say to him uhuh you're not finished and he'll glare at me then go again

Re the paw, she probably did get bitten or stood on something. Just keep an eye on her, and if she starts not walking on it then consider the vet. Do not pander to her sitting in the corner sooking with her paw up though.

Edited May 14, 2010 by Bundy's Mum

[Hannahmania]

Thanks for the reply!

Peeing she is doing well - no wee accidents at all today (I think partly because it wasn't raining - if it is wet she hates going outside)! It is just the poo that she won't do outside! Tonight we were out there for about 30 minutes with no luck!

She is walking on it, MAYBE limping on it very slightly, but it is hard to tell, and she has not walked more than a few paces at a time. No obvious favouring of one leg, though. Just acting generally a bit miserable. Glad I am not doing the wrong thing not making a huge fuss over it though!

Edited May 14, 2010 by Hannahmania

[Bundyburger]

Be it pee or poo the same principle applies really! She could also perhaps smell the poo on the floor as well which is why she keeps going to the same room. I found that just saying no didn't always work, that I had to be slightly firmer and then he started to grasp the idea.

[Hannahmania]

Haha - she just swapped and did a wee inside and a poo outside (I caught her doing the wee, told her off/yelled at her, took her out on the lead, and after a couple of minutes she finally did her poo).

She is still not putting the paw on the floor, though. I have felt it right over a number of times, moved it around, put pressure up against the paw, and she has not even flinched, so I have no idea why she won't use it properly! Fingers crossed it will get better overnight!

Oh - re: the smell, she generally does it in a different spot each time, and the only place she has done it twice was on the sock pile, in which case the soiled items were removed, so no smell left on the floor.

[Teebs]

I have one who is now 5, who will try to get away with pooping inside during winter - I have found the crate to be the best thing ever, If she starts to go to the toilet inside, she gets crated when not in my sight.

That is also how i trained both of them as puppies, if i couldnt actually WATCH them with my own eyes, they were crated, they had no access to run around the house, they were in the same room as me, i could always tell when they were about to go and could get them outside.

It was hard work, but it worked well for Atlas (who has only once in 6.5 years gone to the toilet in my house, and that was when he was sick and ended up at the vets for 3 days )

Kaos is pretty good, just those night time poops in winter!

[Hannahmania]

Teebs - Charli goes into the ensuite (where she sleeps at the moment) whenever I am too busy to watch her - but she sneaks off to wee/poo when I am in the same room as her, just busy (usually getting her food). I am now keeping her on the lead when I think she is due for a poo so she can't sneak away!

(BTW - I keep giggling at Atlas in your sig! Too cute!)

I just FINALLY found the bite on her leg. It is on the inside of her leg near the knee - the area is (now) kinda swollen, and there is a white spot where the bite itself is, then red around it. Poor thing Good news is that it is not some kind of injury, as the way she jumped away I thought she may have been chasing something at first, so I was wondering if she had actually hurt herself stepping badly or something. (Which is not as strange as it sounds when you consider that my 2.5 year old is in a cast with a broken femur at the moment which happened by stepping the wrong way and twisting the bone!)

Edited May 14, 2010 by Hannahmania