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Toilet Training Gone Backwards


YvonneM
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I haven't posted in a little while but still read these forums on practically a daily basis - there's always something to,learn.

I'm hoping someone can help me understand my pup's regression in his toilet training. Benson is a lovely sweet natured Maltese and has been a delight since he came to us at 11 weeks old. Toilet training has been relatively easy and he has trained beautifully. We have a doggy door which goes out to the backyard which he has access to 24/7. We also have a two and a half year old Maltese who i credit with assisting in the toilet training of our pup. Benson is almost 6 months old now and has been reliably toilet trained for the last 6 weeks or so.

So my problem is in the last 2 days he has refused to,toilet outside - we will take him out as we always have done and stay with him but he simply sits and refuses to go but as soon as we come inside again we will pee or poo. We have had to restrict his access to parts of the house which we never had to do before and have gone back to crating at night - he was free ranging at night for the last 2 weeks or so. Our older boy free ranges at night and he is 100% toilet trained.

He was desexed 2 weeks ago but was ok until about 2 days after his stitches came out.

Any suggestions? I've tried restricting their access to the house by locking them outdoors however they bark a lot wanting to come back inside because they are house dogs and are used to being with us - I don't want to upset the neighbours with barking dogs!

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We wondered whether it was the wet weather too but we've had wet weather before and it's not bothered him. He's inclined to follow our older boy and pee where he pees but right now he refuses to even set foot outside to toilet.

Sheridan - we have gone back to basics and take him outside as soon as he wakes in the morning, after meals and after playing - we've waited outside with him for more than 30 mins sometimes - we just lock the doggy door so he can't get back inside and we sit outside with our cuppa and wait. We don't make a big deal about him going to the,toilet and just "hang out" with him hoping that he will realise he needs to go and just go - but he won't go - but as soon as we come back inside there it is!!!

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I used to carry my princess Aussie terror out into the middle of the lawn when it was raining so she'd go. There was no way she was going there voluntarily - the carpet was so much nicer.

And no coming back inside until required performance has happened. Otherwise the dog is training you to let him go inside.

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Wet weather - even my perfectly housetrained older dogs don't wish to go onto the wet grass and we start having accidents inside.

Put paper/pee pads around the dog door, most that are housetrained will head towards the door to go and then will use those instead - if you are lucky - if they don't want to go outside due to weather.

Did you have the big storm in the night 2 nights ago? That could have frightened him if say he was about to go outside and there was a big clap of thunder simultaneously?

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Ok - it seems like my boy might be a bit of a princess then because there's a few out there Im hoping thats the problem and that a couple,of days of dry weather will bring back my perfectly mannered little boy!! We've just been outside for the last 30 mins or so and he simply refuses to go near the grass.

Showdog - no he is perfectly happy to go in and out the doggy door and in fact will,use that over the human door even,if we offer the human door - it's so funny - it's like no thanks I've got my own door!!

HMD - no storms here the last couple,of days or nights - plenty of rain though!

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Lead, umbrella,treats and a good book.

Take puppy out onto grass- use treats if necessary. Stand reading your book on the grass till puppy goes to the loo then go back inside. Going back inside is the reward so I always let them off lead so they can bolt inside as soon as they are done. Even now with adult dogs who don't need to go out on lead they often sit and tell me they are not walking on the wet grass unless I suffer too :laugh: When I go out they rush out to wee then rush straight back in.

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If you don't have time and want him to empty his bladder then you can put him on the lead and go to the nearest lamp post - I've had to resort to that on occasion with new fosters but they gradually get it in time. I do find females much harder than males - my current female foster is a cruelty case and it's complex, toilet training is proving a big challenge - she's 6 and a Shihtzu type.

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You were right!! He IS a princess - funnily enough the rain has stopped and the grass has dried out and suddenly the grass is the surface of choice - I wasn't sure because he never had an issue with it before but perhaps hemhasmreached an age where he is making preferences LOL! I also wondered whether it could have had to do with teething - in the last 2 days we have found 2 of his,little back molars have fallen out - Yep found them on the timber floors (make an awful crunching sound if theynare stepped on!!).

We will,keep a close eye on him when we nexf have inclement weather.

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I kept the few baby teeth that I found of my older boy - they are in a little clip lock Baggie in his special box of stuff - but I never found any of his molars. I'll keep these ones too - I'm such a mushy sentimentalist!!

Oh yes - puppies playing in the rain are such fun - wish he thought that going pee on the wet grass was just as much fun!! Put the sprinkler on on a warm day and it's a different story ...

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