redangel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I was always told most animals will not soil where they sleep. Maybe not so...a friends puppy is 3 months old and habitually pees on its bed. It will "go" outside as encouraged and hasnt soiled anywhere else. When left to its own for a few hours/ or goes urgently it is the bedding that cops it. Is this common? Is there ways of stopping this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 (edited) Smaller dogs tend to do this more than larger dogs in my experience. Every now and then I will get a puppy that does this....so then it is a case of waiting until the pup gets older and grows out of it. In the meantime if the pup is crated or confined at night you have the option of putting a towel in with it instead of its normal bedding so you can wash it after it gets peed on or replacing the bedding altogether with newspaper....or some tough love of no bedding at all. Once you get to the stage of taking the bedding away the dog usually learns quickly to hold on but very young pups just don't physically have the control you may be wanting. You don't want it to learn that it is OK to pee on the bedding so the easiest thing is to take the good bedding away and replace it with newspapers until it is older. Edited October 25, 2012 by Stitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 My puppy does this - to the point where we've put a "gents" sign on his crate However, his main bed isn't his crate, he sleeps on my bed (which he used to pee on too , luckily I got him out of that habit pretty darn quickly!) so it's not quite the same. He pees in his crate because my other dog hassles him when he pees and he can't get a moments peace anywhere else. Seems your friends puppy is in the habit now, so needs to be trained out of it. Lots of praise/treats for going in the right place, training to pee on command, taking out of crate regularly to pee so it doesn't become urgent etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Labradork Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 My puppy does this - to the point where we've put a "gents" sign on his crate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Smaller dogs tend to do this more than larger dogs in my experience. replacing the bedding altogether with newspaper....or some tough love of no bedding at all. Once you get to the stage of taking the bedding away the dog usually learns quickly to hold on but very young pups just don't physically have the control you may be wanting. You don't want it to learn that it is OK to pee on the bedding so the easiest thing is to take the good bedding away and replace it with newspapers until it is older. A young pup would get so cold with no bedding or only paper & may cry all night & be distressed. Young pups may not be able to hold on, the smaller the pup the harder too. If the pup is not taken out enough in the night it may well pee in the bed, it may also be too dozy or unsure of where it is to get up as well, more so if confined to a place with only enough room to sleep & not move IMO. They do pee in their beds sometimes but it won't be forever. 3 months is still quite young I wouldn't worry too much but no sleeping on your bed yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 (edited) Whenever I have had a pup come to me that pees on bedding, The way I have handled it is to firstly make sure I take them out very regularly and also to change the bedding as soon as they pee to make sure no smell lingers in the crate/bed. If the smell stays they are more likely to do it again. With persistence I have found that they will stop and no longer soil it. It can be frustrating at times though, particularly when a pup pees on clean bedding after just being outside to pee, then does it again 5 minutes later after you have just changed it! :laugh: . As I said though, if you are vigilant and ensure the bedding is changed quickly and kept clean and they are taken out enough it generally doesnt take long for them to stop. Edited to add. One way to prevent this problem begins with the breeder. If a breeder 'litter trains' the pups in the whelping box the pups learn not to soil their bedding and there is less of an issue when they go to their new home: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/breedingdogs/pottytrainingpuppies3weeks.htm http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/breedingdogs/mastiffwhelping4weeks.htm http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/havanesephotos.htm Edited October 25, 2012 by espinay2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mashlee08 Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 3 months is extremely young to expect much toilet control out of a puppy even more so if it is small breed. It has probably learned that peeing in the crate is the other ok place to go. I'd hazard a guess and just say it needs to be taken out more often and that the crate needs to be thoroughly cleaned, they could also try feeding the pup in the crate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Labradork Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 One way to prevent this problem begins with the breeder. If a breeder 'litter trains' the pups in the whelping box the pups learn not to soil their bedding and there is less of an issue when they go to their new home I agree. My breeder was excellent with litter training my Lab puppy. On my puppy's very first night, at only 8 weeks of age, she 'asked' to be let outside to go the toilet. Apart from the occasional accident around the house, she has been amazingly easy to toilet train and has never wee'd in her bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Yes the breeder can definitely help by structuring the pups environment and starting toilet training HOWEVER with smaller dogs toilet training can still be very difficult. I have had clean litters and I have had dirty ones and all of the variations in between. Some bitches are wonderful with their pups, cleaning them up and showing to pups where to do wees and poos away from their bed and other bitches not so good. Sometimes despite my best efforts as a breeder certain pups are just slow at toilet training and will train but only in their own sweet time. Nothing beats vigilance by the new owner in speeding up toilet training but some pups will only be trained at their own pace! When this happens the new owner has to be consistant in his/her vigilance and also ensure the pups environment is kept clean. Dirty/soiled environments eg. bedding only reinforce that it is OK to soil anywhere the pups choose. What has to be reinforced with the pup is that soiling is not allowed in certain places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redangel Posted October 27, 2012 Author Share Posted October 27, 2012 Thank you for the replies. I have forwarded on the information to the puppy owner. Hopefully things will improve as she is frustrated with the constant washing. The idea she had of getting more beds only gave him more scope! He is not crated (wondering if that would help) but is clean in the house except for his bed/s. He is last report getting better at going to the door when he wants to go, but still will treat his bed as a toilet stop when he loses focus. LOL Minimax. I think that is priceless! I think all pups have their "issues" some more testing than others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 (edited) What was it toileting on before she got it? if the pup was peeing on fake turf..or bedding in a puppy bed, or shredded paper etc..its body will now be conditioned to toilet when it feels that soft texture .... an apostrophe catastrophe to be edited !! Edited October 27, 2012 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 How is she washing the bedding? She needs to soak it in Napisan for half an hour before normal washing to get smell out. 3 months old is not very old at all to be expecting perfect toiletting, holding on for hours and so on. I would not be removing the bedding but would stop stressing and keep going with toilet training during waking hours. The puppy will eventually get it - some dogs are smarter than others and quick, some are not so bright but with the right training, they will all get it. Patience, persistence and kindness are vital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monday_bloody_monday Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 Biozet is a good one for washing too - it contains an enzyme which breaks down the ammonia so it gets rid of the smell. Both of mine had times when they peed on their bedding as puppies - I got through it with lots of washing and plenty of patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 He is last report getting better at going to the door when he wants to go, but still will treat his bed as a toilet stop when he loses focus. At this age it should not be his responsibilty .... it is still his owner's responsibility ..basically for the next few months still. he is still young, and yes, he will lose focus ..and not notice his bladder needs emptying .... Think how you would potty train a human toddler without nappies ! .would you just rely on him/her to go to the toilet door and let you know ? Nooooo Way! :) You would offer very frequent opportunities , keep them under very close supervision, and have a party when the right thing was done :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redangel Posted October 28, 2012 Author Share Posted October 28, 2012 Agreed Pers, I guess what I meant was that when she asks him to go wees (after food & waking etc..) he knows to go to the door to go out. So she is progressing in training him to a routine. Its just those moments between times she was wondering why he would soil a bed he sleeps in. I have a puppy here and well fortunately she has two adult dogs to show her the way so I was a bit lost as to give advice how to get a puppy out of this behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inka3095 Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 This thread has made me feel a little better! I came in here because I'm having a lot of trouble toilet training my Shiba who apparently are a very 'clean' breed who essentially 'toilet train themselves' so I wasn't expecting much trouble. However, she's still toileting on the carpet in the lounge room at times (I'm blaming this on myself because clearly she needs closer supervision) but last night she peed in her crate for the first time.... I went to bed at 1am and she (after 25 minutes of trying) eventually peed at that time, then at 7am I let her out. She's held on longer than that overnight before so I don't know if it was a desperation thing or just a 'I feel like peeing now' thing... I can't seem to train her to pee on command, no matter what I try, and I don't think she even associates the word I use when she pees with anything. I praise and treat her when she pees in the right place and have her on lead now to pee in the mornings and before bed. However, she does neither easily. Takes at least 20-25 minutes of sniffing around every time, even after 6-8 hours overnight without a break.... I've done the 'umbilical' cord thing with a lead and it makes no difference, she just won't pee! And then when I give up and decide she's a being from outerspace that doesn't have normal bodily functions, I turn my back to do something, she leaps over the barriers to the lounge and pees in there... and of course I can't rouse on her because I rarely catch her in the act. I'm obviously doing something wrong, and it's so frustrating. She's 5 months old now so should be improving, not going backwards >< I'm tempted to take her to a vet to check for UTI just to rule it out, but I'd be surprised if that were it. Her bedding is now soaking away so hopefully it won't still smell like urine when it's dry, but I'm just annoyed with myself that I can't even train my dog to pee in the right place. The breeder is extremely surprised and said she had NO issues with her for the first 9 weeks of her life, so clearly it's not the dog, it's her owner >< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) This thread has made me feel a little better! I came in here because I'm having a lot of trouble toilet training my Shiba who apparently are a very 'clean' breed who essentially 'toilet train themselves' so I wasn't expecting much trouble. However, she's still toileting on the carpet in the lounge room at times (I'm blaming this on myself because clearly she needs closer supervision) but last night she peed in her crate for the first time.... I went to bed at 1am and she (after 25 minutes of trying) eventually peed at that time, then at 7am I let her out. She's held on longer than that overnight before so I don't know if it was a desperation thing or just a 'I feel like peeing now' thing... I can't seem to train her to pee on command, no matter what I try, and I don't think she even associates the word I use when she pees with anything. I praise and treat her when she pees in the right place and have her on lead now to pee in the mornings and before bed. However, she does neither easily. Takes at least 20-25 minutes of sniffing around every time, even after 6-8 hours overnight without a break.... I've done the 'umbilical' cord thing with a lead and it makes no difference, she just won't pee! And then when I give up and decide she's a being from outerspace that doesn't have normal bodily functions, I turn my back to do something, she leaps over the barriers to the lounge and pees in there... and of course I can't rouse on her because I rarely catch her in the act. I'm obviously doing something wrong, and it's so frustrating. She's 5 months old now so should be improving, not going backwards >< I'm tempted to take her to a vet to check for UTI just to rule it out, but I'd be surprised if that were it. Her bedding is now soaking away so hopefully it won't still smell like urine when it's dry, but I'm just annoyed with myself that I can't even train my dog to pee in the right place. The breeder is extremely surprised and said she had NO issues with her for the first 9 weeks of her life, so clearly it's not the dog, it's her owner >< 5 months is till young, some pups don't get it until they are a bit older. It doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong! Seriously, one day my pup just *got it*, and I thought she never would. I taught my girl to pee on command with consistency - even now at 12 months of age I randomly reward for peeing in the right spot. I would say the command word ("bathroom") and treat EVERY single time she peed in the right spot, when she was peeing/closer to when she was finishing peeing. By boy doesn't need treats, he's happy with a party, so everyone is different (he's also 7 months and hasn't got a reliable on command thing happening, so if you suck - I suck worse!) When I take my guys outside to pee before bed, they have to pee then they get 5 minutes of play time (or however long it takes me to brush my teeth and get ready for bed). I found if I made them pee and come straight back inside they would dawdle and take forever to pee because there was nothing in it for them. Does your girl get "fun time" after a pee, or it is straight back inside to "boring land" (thinking in puppy terms here, sorry :laugh: ). You might need different treats, or different praise, or more praise, or she might just be a weirdo from outer space. The main thing - don't beat yourself up. Take a breath, have a cry if you need to (oh, how many nights I stood over a wee on the carpet and cried :laugh: ), but browse here and read the horror stories!!! You aren't alone. I put a "gents" sign on my boys crate, that's how bad he is at peeing in it Oh, and my boy peed on MY BED about 15 times before he finally got the hint that perhaps that wasn't a good thing to do. Some pups just aren't fast learners, regardless of training methods. *hugs* Edited November 9, 2012 by minimax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inka3095 Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Aww you're lovely thank you :) It's that feeling of defeat when you've had about 5 carpet-cleaning-free days and you think she's FINALLY getting it then !BAM! giant pee stain and an innocent face saying 'what??? when you gotta go' If I'd had lots of toilet trained dogs before perhaps I'd think this one just needs more time, but I've had about 5 fosters over the years and only one of them was toilet trained (came that way). The rest were unreliable at best and a beagle who actively refused to pee on grass in preference to carpet. Thanks for letting me know you share the frustration though, appreciate it! LOVE the 'Gents' sign lollll. Cinder just found her bed drying in the sun and dragged it all over the backyard... now muddy and needs another wash. She's lucky she's so cute I swear.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brookestar Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 This thread has made me feel a little better! I came in here because I'm having a lot of trouble toilet training my Shiba who apparently are a very 'clean' breed who essentially 'toilet train themselves' so I wasn't expecting much trouble. However, she's still toileting on the carpet in the lounge room at times (I'm blaming this on myself because clearly she needs closer supervision) but last night she peed in her crate for the first time.... I went to bed at 1am and she (after 25 minutes of trying) eventually peed at that time, then at 7am I let her out. She's held on longer than that overnight before so I don't know if it was a desperation thing or just a 'I feel like peeing now' thing... I can't seem to train her to pee on command, no matter what I try, and I don't think she even associates the word I use when she pees with anything. I praise and treat her when she pees in the right place and have her on lead now to pee in the mornings and before bed. However, she does neither easily. Takes at least 20-25 minutes of sniffing around every time, even after 6-8 hours overnight without a break.... I've done the 'umbilical' cord thing with a lead and it makes no difference, she just won't pee! And then when I give up and decide she's a being from outerspace that doesn't have normal bodily functions, I turn my back to do something, she leaps over the barriers to the lounge and pees in there... and of course I can't rouse on her because I rarely catch her in the act. I'm obviously doing something wrong, and it's so frustrating. She's 5 months old now so should be improving, not going backwards >< I'm tempted to take her to a vet to check for UTI just to rule it out, but I'd be surprised if that were it. Her bedding is now soaking away so hopefully it won't still smell like urine when it's dry, but I'm just annoyed with myself that I can't even train my dog to pee in the right place. The breeder is extremely surprised and said she had NO issues with her for the first 9 weeks of her life, so clearly it's not the dog, it's her owner >< I would get her checked by the vet for a UTI. While it is true that dogs cannot be considered reliable at that age, I would not expect that behaviour. Different dogs want to be rewarded in different ways, and the more rewards you can offer the better. Get a favourite food, liver treats, smacko's or something else the dog will die for. And find a favourite toy. The minute the finish going, say the word yes, then they know for sure what you are rewarding them for. Give the treats, then throw the favourite toy and play with them with it. NEVER ever give them access to that toy alone and save that toy only for toileting outside. You need to be very consistent with commands, and make sure it is said each and every time, while it is coming out. They need to associate the action with the word. Above all else make sure everything is cleaned properly. There are special floor cleaners you can buy from pet shops that will ensure that all smells are removed from the area where they are going inside. Normal cleaners will leave a smell for them, and that encourages them to go back there. Make sure you take them to the same part of the yard each and every time you want them to go and walk around with them. Dogs need movement to toilet and standing still is not going to help them to need to go. They do tend to poo at about the same time and pee at similar times as well. Find out when those times are, and ensure that you are outside at those times. Do not have a large area outside for them to toilet in as the smell needs to be there. Do not water the area and leave feces there for a few days at first to ensure they know what the space is for. Generally speaking feaces should be picked up at least once a day. Do not let the dog see you cleaning up inside. Remove them from the room, before you do it. But above all else make sure anything you clean it with is going to remove the smell from the dog. If it smells like a toilet it is a toilet, as simple as that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brookestar Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 My puppy does this - to the point where we've put a "gents" sign on his crate However, his main bed isn't his crate, he sleeps on my bed (which he used to pee on too , luckily I got him out of that habit pretty darn quickly!) so it's not quite the same. He pees in his crate because my other dog hassles him when he pees and he can't get a moments peace anywhere else. He is not going to learn to pee anywhere else if you allow the other dog to hassel him. The other dog needs to learn that they have to share a toilet. If not the poor dog is going to be forced to pee in his crate, until the other dog dies. How would you like to be forced to toilet in your bed and to then sleep in it? He is not going to grow out of it and the other dog will not stop it, unless you act as a leader and take control of the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now