Sheila. We've had problems with housebreaking too. What size crate are you using? Myra Savant
>From: Sheila Boneham <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel List ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [CKCS-L] The housetraining problem >Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001 16:56:06 EST > >OK, I'm out of the closet. I'm the one with the puppy having housebreaking >problems, and rather than have Sandra run interference....here's the >situation.... > >First, I'm not a dog idiot. I breed Aussies, and have owned lots of puppies >and dogs of several breeds as well as fostered MANY rescued Aussies, Labs, >and a few others. I have had small dogs before, but this is my first >Cavalier. I have NEVER had this much trouble with potty training. > >My expectations: I do not expect a 14 week old puppy to be trained, to hold >it for long, etc. However, every approach to training I have read (and >trust >me, I've read a bunch in the past couple of weeks!) operates on the >assumption that the puppy wants to be clean. This puppy doesn't seem to >care. >I know she was in clean surroundings before she came here, and she has >every >opportunity to be clean now. So I don't get it. > >I work at home, and the x-pen is right next to me in my office. Usually I'm >here. The pup is out for play time and attention at least 10 minutes of >every >hour, and often lies on my lap while I'm working. If she's too lively for >that, during work time she's in the x-pen, which is set up with her litter >box at one end, and her bedding at the other. Litter box has a weewee pad. >I >replace the pad EVERY TIME it's used -- usually within minutes, otherwise >as >soon as I get home, and I'm never gone more than a couple hours. When she >goes outside the litter box (which she does at least half the time, whether >or not the pad is clean -- i.e. I've come home after being gone a short >time, >and found a clean pad and p&p all over the floor of the x-pen), I clean and >deodorize the whole area as soon as I know. When she goes on the floor, I >clean and deodorize it. When she goes on her bedding, I remove and replace >it, and launder it. If she's gotten herself dirty, I give her a bath. >(we're >talking 5-6 times a day) It's been suggested that she eats poop because she >has access to it for too long a time. Nope, wrong, I've seen her pick one >up >as I'm moving FAST toward the pen, going AACCKKK and clapping my hands. She >does not spend time in a dirty pen, other than as I said, if I have to be >gone for a little while. Sometimes that's an hour or two, sometimes it's 20 >minutes while I take the big dogs for a run or clean up their yard. >Sometimes >when I get back her pen is a serious filthy mess because she sometimes >tramps >through the pee (and sometimes poop) and smears it all over. I don't leave >her crated because she will go in the crate, even if there only a short >time, >and I don't want her lying in it! > >She's neither overfed nor underfed. I did change her food, but not >immediately when she arrived here, and I made the change slowly. Her stools >are firm. I feed on a strict schedule, allow her 15 minutes to eat, then >remove any leftover food. She's not getting treats because I'm trying to >keep >things as rigid as possible in terms of intake. I don't scold her for >mistakes, and if I see her go in the litter box I praise her, cuddle her, >and >bring her out for play time. > >She sleeps in her crate beside my bed. When she asks out, I'm up and out to >the litter box with her in a flash, but often she goes in the crate BEFORE >she asks out. I'm a very light sleeper, so I'm sure she's not asking out >first. > >I've had two fecals done to be sure she doesn't have any funny fauna or >flora >in her system, and she seems to be perfectly normal. I'm feeding her >Innova, >which is free of all the common allergens (which isn't to say she couldn't >have a problem with something in there but it doesn't seem likely). > >I'd prefer to train her to go out, but it's very cold here now (18 F at the >moment, windchill -6), especially at night, and even with her oh-so-stylish >polar fleece jacket, she'd freeze her fanny outside. > >So, I think I've covered all the issues that were raised. I'm still >stumped. >Every time I think she's improving, she surprises me with a major setback. >I >have to tell you, as a breeder, rescuer, obedience instructor, and writer, >this experience is making me adjust my attitude about people who have >housebreaking problems! The conventional wisdom doesn't always apply and >doesn't always work. So, any more ideas? > >Sheila Boneham >Perennial Australian Shepherds & One Cavalier! >Bloomington, Indiana >www.perennialaussies.com > >========================================================= >"Magic Commands": >to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL >to start it up gain click here: >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL > > E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. >Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html > >All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 1999 by its original author. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. 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