Toileting Indoor

[nicolatu]

Hi guys, I want my puppy to be able to go toilet indoor because when I leave for uni, I don't want him to keep holding till I get home. I have been trying to get my puppy (9wo) to go toilet in the designated area indoor but he keeps holding on till he gets to go outside for toilet. The designated area is a tray I put in his play tent. He sleeps in the play tent. Yesterday night, I collected some of his wee and put it on the area I want him to go to but he still doesn't go. I bought the puppy toilet trainer drops and use but he thinks that there is another dog present and try to rip the newspaper up.

Should I find the same type of texture for him to go to? What should I do to make him go?

Thanks

[poodlefan]

Hi guys, I want my puppy to be able to go toilet indoor because when I leave for uni, I don't want him to keep holding till I get home. I have been trying to get my puppy (9wo) to go toilet in the designated area indoor but he keeps holding on till he gets to go outside for toilet. The designated area is a tray I put in his play tent. He sleeps in the play tent. Yesterday night, I collected some of his wee and put it on the area I want him to go to but he still doesn't go. I bought the puppy toilet trainer drops and use but he thinks that there is another dog present and try to rip the newspaper up.

Should I find the same type of texture for him to go to? What should I do to make him go?

Thanks

Few pups will want to wee anywhere near where they sleep. You'll need to move the toilet area.

Why can't he be outside Nic?

[nicolatu]

I am an university student and I have to go school everyday other than weekends. I am afraid that he will not go toilet in the mean time. Is there anything I can do?

[Sandra777]

As PF said - he won't toilet where he sleeps and eats, and this is an instinct you really don't want to mess with!

What is a play tent and what size is it? Can you get a puppy pen which is large enough to allow him to be at least 1 metre away from where he sleeps and place the indoor toilet area/drops there. Never heard of these toilet training drops, how do they work? Are you sure they're not to disuade him from toileting in certain places

A puppy pen with a crate attached for his bed area would work in this situation - but even better would be to have an area outside where he can be in the fresh air with some stimulation as he gets older - and able to toilet outside as you want him to anyway. Can you fit a dog door or set up a puppy pen or kennel run outside?

Edited April 8, 2010 by Sandra777

[Nic oh lah]

As you've been told at least twice in other threads the puppy will not pee where he sleeps, and you need to give him somewhere where it's appropriate to pee AWAY from where he sleeps. If you're making him pee in the same place where he sleeps you are forcing him to try and hold on, and as you've said a few times that he's peeing blood with a UTI then i'm very concerned that you're doing this, especially as you have been told over and over to give him plenty of opportunities to toilet and to move the toilet away from his bed.

I am worried about your puppy as you haven't answered questions about whether or not you've had him to the vet, and you have been told to move the toilet away from the bed and still are asking what you can do?

[nicolatu]

The play tent is about 1.4m in diameter.

The toilet training drop is an ammonia drop which "lures" the puppy to wee there.

Dog door is not possible because I am in a rented place.

I think I will restart all my training again. Get him crate trained. I am going down to bunnings to get the compost thing to create a play pen for him and keep the play pen. Will that help?

[GoldenGirl85]

the playpen will only help if its big enough to allow him to have a designated toileting area, I have no idea how big they are

Why cant he be left out in the yard?

[poodlefan]

The play tent is about 1.4m in diameter.

The toilet training drop is an ammonia drop which "lures" the puppy to wee there.

Dog door is not possible because I am in a rented place.

I think I will restart all my training again. Get him crate trained. I am going down to bunnings to get the compost thing to create a play pen for him and keep the play pen. Will that help?

No.

Compost bin pens are not suitable to leave an active pup in unattended. Changing the tent for a pen or crate will simply force him to hold his bladder again.

He needs to be OUTSIDE so that he can follow his instinct not to pee where he lives. Why can't you organise something safe warm and secure for him outside?

Nic there's no long term future in keeping an active working breed indoors while you're at uni. He needs space and sunlight to develop well.

Have you discussed any of this with the pup's breeder? Has the pup seen a vet yet?

Edited April 8, 2010 by poodlefan

[nicolatu]

As you've been told at least twice in other threads the puppy will not pee where he sleeps, and you need to give him somewhere where it's appropriate to pee AWAY from where he sleeps. If you're making him pee in the same place where he sleeps you are forcing him to try and hold on, and as you've said a few times that he's peeing blood with a UTI then i'm very concerned that you're doing this, especially as you have been told over and over to give him plenty of opportunities to toilet and to move the toilet away from his bed.

I am worried about your puppy as you haven't answered questions about whether or not you've had him to the vet, and you have been told to move the toilet away from the bed and still are asking what you can do?

I have brought him to the vet already and it's confirmed that he has an UTI.

I remove the toilet area from his tent and put it in the kitchen so he could go toilet there but he still doesn't go.

I am worried that he would not go to the toilet when I am not home. I am trying to get the puppy to get used to our lifestyle. Please understand my situation as I want the best for my puppy.

[GoldenGirl85]

Put the dog outside! he is a working breed he will need to be outside when he is older, start now

[Nic oh lah]

Why cant he be left out in the yard?

Exactly! I'm hoping you purchased your puppy from a registered ethical breeder? My breeder is there for support and questions like this, plus she'd have never sent a puppy away before 10wks, and never sent him to his new home whilst sick, and not have sent him to a home where he'd be alone for a long period of time in a 1.4m diamter enclosure that housed his bed and his toilet! That is really not a good environment for a puppy Nicola - i'm glad you're on DOL so we can help you out but if I were you i'd be calling the breeder for some advice and definately giving the puppy a bigger area - mine whilst alone and at night is in the dining and living area which is blocked off and tiled so he cant destroy anything and theres room for his crate and at the otherside his toilet area. When my foster Greyhound leaves he'll be outside during the day and we'll start more toilet training then.

[GoldenGirl85]

If you dont have a secure yard that is one thing, but it can only be temporary, if this is the case get your yard secured. Did you have any knowledge of working breeds before you got your puppy? if you dont then Id be doing a lot of research on them, otherwise without the right early training and constant stimulation you will have a very difficult dog on your hands

[Bundyburger]

Getting a puppy while you aren't in a position to give him the time and attention he needs is not fair. A 9wk old puppy shouldn't have a UTI nor be left inside alone for so long. The most my 6mth old is alone for is 4-5 hours and we don't even like doing that.

[Nic oh lah]

I have brought him to the vet already and it's confirmed that he has an UTI.

I remove the toilet area from his tent and put it in the kitchen so he could go toilet there but he still doesn't go.

I am worried that he would not go to the toilet when I am not home. I am trying to get the puppy to get used to our lifestyle. Please understand my situation as I want the best for my puppy.

We don't want to gang up on you or make you feel bad but there's so much responsibility with having a puppy, and you really need to make a secure safe outside area for him (get star pickets and 4foot high dog wire from bunnings and make a pen 3m x 3m or something with a crate in it for shelter and shade) for daytime - if you want him inside at night with you then commit to getting up every 3hrs (at least) and taking him outside to go toilet. If you can't do that (with my 10wk old BC puppy he pees non-stop and won't hold it that long) then get him used to the pee pads furthur away from his bed - i'd think at least 2metres and use the same command when he's on it that you use outdoors when he eliminates - if need be put one of the pads outside so he gets used to them and toileting on them and he should then get the idea indoors too. Personally if you're lucky enough that he'll hold on all night then set your alarm for 1am then 4am and take him outside for a wee and poop, and then when he's older he can stay outside at night - mine will be when he's big enough to hold his own with my rambunctious full grown German Sheperd!

Yes is sucks getting up in the night, and you might be tired in the morning, but honestly, tough bickies -that's what you need to do to keep your puppy happy and healthy till he's old enough to hold it all night without getting infections! I imagine with a UTI infection and holding it that long he'd be in pain! That's cruel!

I think you are being really unfair if you want him to get used to "your lifestyle" if your lifestyle isn't compatible with that of a happy healthy puppy and i'd wonder why you got a puppy in the first place! If you want the best for your puppy then you need to make sacrifices of funds to make an appropriate enclosure and of sleep to let him out to toilet.

Again - i dont want to be mean, but it all sounds really unfair for this little puppy.

[nicolatu]

First thing - the UTI is NOT caused by me. When he came to me, he already have contracted it. I have brought him to the vet to check it and he finished all his medication already.

Second - I bring him to the toilet every 2 hours.

Third - I play with him and train him. I give him as much physical and mental stimulation as I could.

Fourth - I did a research before buying. My intentions were to bring him out for walk in the morning and evening. Training as well. But he still haven't have all his vaccinations so I could not bring him out. But I do carry him in my arms To walk outside.

Fifth - I try to fence off area for him to play in and out door.

It's not like I am torturing him. Maybe we are not suitable for a working dog breed. Then would you guys advise me to send the puppy back to the breeder then?

[poodlefan]

First thing - the UTI is NOT caused by me. When he came to me, he already have contracted it. I have brought him to the vet to check it and he finished all his medication already.

Second - I bring him to the toilet every 2 hours.

Third - I play with him and train him. I give him as much physical and mental stimulation as I could.

Fourth - I did a research before buying. My intentions were to bring him out for walk in the morning and evening. Training as well. But he still haven't have all his vaccinations so I could not bring him out. But I do carry him in my arms To walk outside.

Fifth - I try to fence off area for him to play in and out door.

It's not like I am torturing him. Maybe we are not suitable for a working dog breed. Then would you guys advise me to send the puppy back to the breeder then?

If he's being forced to hold is bladder Nic then he's probably not drinking enough. That wouldn't assist recovering from a UTI.

If you are deadly serious that you don't think you're a suitable home for a working dog then I would recommed returning your pup. However if you're prepared to adjust your lifestyle to do what's best for the pup then you could have many happy years ahead.

I hope formal obedience training and maybe a dog sport is in your plans. Working dogs need a job to keep them occupied.

[Sandra777]

Please don't get the idea that people are picking on you. You ask a question on an open forum and you will get suggestions. No one I can see has said you're unsuitable or irresponsible or anything of this nature - most people have made suggestions based on their experienced, asked questions to clarify points which you haven't mentioned or which aren't clear to them, and made suggestions that might not be related to your problem now, but which are intended to help you in the future.

Do you live in a house or duplex with a yard or a flat with no outdoor area?

The Bunnings compost bin pens are tiny - much too small for a Border puppy (I didn't even know what sort of puppy you were talking about). Crazy Clarks were selling playpens last year, 3m lengths for $30 at the time, so have a look there. Maybe even buy two. They certainly aren't high enough to keep the pup in outside, but may do the job inside. Or have a look online.

I still can't figure out what this tent thing is you're talking about? Is it a covered in area like a crate or an open topped area like a play pen? Does it have a floor built in to it?

Newspaper to protect the floor if need be and nothing else will be fine. The more smells and things you put down the more likely you are to distract the pup from actually toileting there if it really needs to go. Personally I think there could well be something wrong with a 9 week old pup that can hang on for 8 or 9 hours - apart from the UTI did the vet do anything to check that the whole urinary tract was functioning properly? UTI in a dog pup is pretty unusual isn't it???? (Don't keep a lot of dogs myself, like the bitches )

What are you feeding him? Did the vet suggest specific foods which would help him drink more or supply the liquid he needs to keep his urinary tract healthy?

Edited April 8, 2010 by Sandra777

[GoldenGirl85]

First thing - the UTI is NOT caused by me. When he came to me, he already have contracted it. I have brought him to the vet to check it and he finished all his medication already.

Second - I bring him to the toilet every 2 hours.

Third - I play with him and train him. I give him as much physical and mental stimulation as I could.

Fourth - I did a research before buying. My intentions were to bring him out for walk in the morning and evening. Training as well. But he still haven't have all his vaccinations so I could not bring him out. But I do carry him in my arms To walk outside.

Fifth - I try to fence off area for him to play in and out door.

It's not like I am torturing him. Maybe we are not suitable for a working dog breed. Then would you guys advise me to send the puppy back to the breeder then?

Are you saying you dont have a fenced yard? if you dont then you need to make sure you have a decent sized area fenced for him. BCs are smart dogs but they get bored easily, they cant be made to live in a house, they need a yard and lots of exercise. Like Poodlefan said they need a job, they are sheepdogs, are you not on land (and if you are renting Im guessing you arent) then you need to give him lots of stimulation, you will need to take him for daily walks and get him to an off leash area where he can run a few times a week if not every day, obviously this is when he grows, dont take him out unless you carry him until he has all his puppy shots and then you need to work up to that sort of exercise slowly, when he is old enough get him involved in a dog sport

If you are serious about that second bolded part then maybe you are right, you have already said this is your first pup so its a big learning curve, but it seems to me that you are expecting a pup to suit your lifestyle. When you are choosing a pup you either need to find a breed which will already suit your lifestyle (which rarely happens) or you will need to change your lifestyle to suit the pup (even if its just a few small changes)

[nicolatu]

This is a play tent I bought online at crazy sales website. It's texture is just like normal tent and it has mesh all around it that we are able to see through. We can cover the top part.

I brought him to the vet last week and the preliminary results says that it is UTI. I collected the urine after he finish his anti biotics and gave it to the vet last night. But she turn it back because we are suppose to take the urine sample 2 days after he finish his medication(which we were not told).

We live in a rented unit(not apartment) and the backyard is secured. The yard is not big and all the grass area is now mainly sand. He does his toilet on the sand and I clean up after him each time.

He drinks quite a lot of water since the first day he came.

My plan is to bring him for proper obedience class after he finish the puppy school. I plan to teach him to play frisbee, is that considered a dog sport? If not, what do you recommend?

I give him Kong filled with treats to keep him occupied but he doesn't really play with it. He got a squeaky toy which he likes a lot. He also got a couple more toys to let him chew on but he also don't really play with them. I was thinking of buying a ball that when you roll it, the treats will come out. Will that be good for him?

[Sandra777]

We live in a rented unit(not apartment) and the backyard is secured. The yard is not big and all the grass area is now mainly sand. He does his toilet on the sand and I clean up after him each time.

Then it shouldn't be very difficult to arrange a sheltered bed, a shady spot and allow him to stay outside during the day while the weather is still nice. So long as the fencing isn't such that it lets random people see him, reach over and touch/tease him (or even steal him) then he'd be fine outside for another 4-6 weeks at least unless it's a really cold/wet day

He drinks quite a lot of water since the first day he came.

Great - very good for the urinary system

I plan to teach him to play frisbee, is that considered a dog sport? If not, what do you recommend?

Frisbee, agility, obedience, dancing with dogs all great stuff for a smart Border!