Hello again, You've been getting a lot of great ideas! (I'm taking notes myself!!!)
I would like to add one more point, not to disagree with you or anyone else, but just for you to keep in the back of your mind. Our senior Beagle needed to go out many times a day (12 to as many as 20 times a day, I sh*t you not). Now, apparently his previous owners had given him a treat every time he came back inside. We believed this was the case because when he was done outside, he would joyfully run up to us and sit expectantly at our feet. We wanted to make him happy, so we gave him treats some of the time, but not every time. He would've been enormous if we had. The vet gave him a clean bill of health, so it seemed to us that his wanting to take frequent trips outside was his way of attempting to get extra treats. :) But he later developed some stomach problems, and we couldn't even treat him some of the time anymore. It wasn't unusual for him to beg to go out right after he came in, but when we cut out the treats entirely we still couldn't help thinking that he was trying to train us to give him the damn treat already! He actually did pee while he was out there, but we humored ourselves by thinking, "maybe he just has great bladder control." So that was one story we told ourselves about why he wanted to go outside so often. Another was that he liked to smell all the smells, since we also theorized that his previous owners, an elderly couple, seldom took him all the way outside but instead let him pee in their garage instead. We had been completely taken aback the time he serenely used the unfinished part of our basement floor to do his business! Fast forward several months: Spike was lifting his leg to pee but not passing much urine. I suspected a urinary tract infection & took him to the vet. The vet thought an infection was unlikely (much more common in females, he said), but since I already brought a urine sample he tested it. Spike did in fact have a slight infection. The vet was a little puzzled. He wondered if perhaps there was some sort of mechanical blockage, but when he palpated his abdomen, he couldn't feel anything obvious. Still not sure what was going on, he had the tech take an x ray (or ultrasound, i can't remember which). It revealed an enormous mass that basically took up Spike's entire belly. His other organs -including his bladder - were all being crowded out by this giant mass. Spike had surgery to remove the mass, which consisted of a very large benign growth and a little bit of spleen. The whole thing weighed three pounds. This was a 30# dog, so we're talking 10% of his weight. Exactly how long it had been there, we couldn't know, but it's doubtful it got that big overnight. This was not the only time Spike's behavior might have been at least *partly* medically related. He was also diagnosed with IVDD in both his lumbar & cervical spine. We feel that his IVDD, in combination with his separation anxiety and possibly the mass growing on his spleen, pretty much explains the time when we weren't home and he absolutely soaked one of our beds. (A lot of people think this is spiteful behavior, which to me says more about them than it does about the dog - but I digress). He'd never done anything like that before; he was very well house-trained. But after pacing & panting - which consequently led him to drink lots of water - and then anxiously jumping on & off the bed, he more likely than not had inadvertently hurt his back and was trapped on the bed when the urge to pee came. Even without the back problem, how could he possibly be expected to hold it after all that drinking, especially if he had this mass that no one even knew about pressing on his bladder?! The tough thing about dogs is that we can't ask them questions about where it hurts or what they're feeling; we have to try to read the clues. Somtimes the most obvious explantion is really all there is to it. But if things don't improve, I for one think it doesn't hurt to look into other possibilities. Sometimes a problem isn't our fault or the dog's fault or the previous owner's fault or even the vet's fault. Sometimes all the clues simply aren't in yet. Something to keep in mind when you're feeling frustrated. Which by the way I TOTALLY understand. good luck! Jan --- In [email protected], "skyforme1970" <skyforme1970@...> wrote: > > > Hi Becky, > I don't think it is a medical issue. She pees/poops what I'd call a "normal" > amount. I would not say it is frequent, just in the wrong places. I also take > her out for potty breaks every morning early, mid day, late after noon and at > night before bed. It's about a 50/50 chance she will go when asked. > > --- In [email protected], Becky Stewart <stewartgang@> wrote: > > > > Have you had your dog checked by a vet? Many times when a dog is suffering > > from bladder infections or stones, they will urinate frequently and where > > ever they can. > > > > Becky & the girls > > > > Sent from Becky's IPad > > > > On Nov 27, 2012, at 6:08 PM, "skyforme1970" <skyforme1970@> wrote: > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > I have a nearly 2 year old spayed female chihuahua mix. She is only about > > > 5 lbs and very sweet. She came toddling up our driveway one rainy > > > afternoon when she was only about 3 months old. No one claimed her so we > > > took her in knowing nothing about chihuahuas. From what I heard from the > > > neighbors, she was a litter mate escapee and the people who had her never > > > let her or the other pups in the house, so they all stayed outside in the > > > backyard. > > > > > > No matter what I do, I cannot seem to house train her. We had to lock her > > > in her kennel at night so she would not tear the house up as we slept. As > > > a result, she had gotten used to peeing and sometimes pooping in her bed > > > since (I assume) she could not hold it all night. This is without fail > > > every single day. She will pee anywhere she sleeps (her round cloth bed, > > > her kennel bed and the kid's beanbags). She also has no issue with peeing > > > on tile or rugs or carpet RIGHT in front of us all while innocently > > > looking us in the eye. It's like she has NO concept whatsoever that this > > > displeases us greatly even tho she has been scolded for it more times > > > than I can count. > > > > > > It does not matter if we take her outside for potty right before bed or > > > withhold food and water after 3 pm. She has no problem letting us know > > > when her water or food bowl has gone dry or to alert us for her other > > > wants and needs. Just the potty thing. I kept thinking she'd grow out of > > > it, but she has not at nearly 2 years old. (born in Feb 2011) > > > > > > As a result, since she is so tiny (and smart, I think) I got the bright > > > idea to try and litter box train her. I've tried using kitty litter, then > > > a pee pad, then even cutting iceplant from outside and putting it into > > > the box for her to pee on since that is what she usually does on it when > > > we take her out for a potty break. > > > > > > I call the litter box her "pottybox" thinking it was best to give it a > > > name she might identify it with. She has used it a grand total of twice > > > in the last 6 weeks of trying to train her. When she has an accident, I > > > take the soiled towels and put them in her pottybox so she > > > knows/smells/sees what it is there for. I also tell her "go potty" like I > > > do when she is outside. > > > > > > Recently we moved her to the laundry room at night and use a baby gate so > > > she can still see out into the house. I now leave her kennel bed open so > > > she has free access to the pottybox, but she still prefers to sleep in > > > her own waste. > > > > > > She has no issue with jumping into the potty box, and will do so just by > > > us telling her to, but she will just sit down and look at me like "what > > > do you want me to do?" > > > > > > She is ruining our house and I've never been closer to giving up after > > > two years of this constant messing with no end in sight. I cannot keep > > > her outside as we live in rural area and she would not last an hour out > > > there so a house dog she must be. > > > > > > I am not a quitter, especially when it comes to animals, but this (and > > > her constant "glee peeing" even when seeing the SAME people over and over > > > but that is another story) is turning in to a real deal breaker. I have > > > never had such a high maintenance, and frankly such a PITA dog in my > > > life, but we love her very much. > > > > > > I'm sure this has come up a million times, but if anyone has some > > > suggestions that might help, I'd appreciate it. We are very low on money > > > so buying yet more "training aids" is not possible right now. Plus, I > > > feel that I have spent enough on all this and she has what she needs, > > > except the message I am trying to get across to her. Breaks my heart to > > > think of giving her up, but if we can't resolve this, I will have to > > > re-home her to someone who understands the breed better than I do. Thanks > > > for any help you can give us for this sweet little girl. > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! 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