Five month old lhasa apso- not house trained

[Foxi106]

I have a five month old lhasa bitch. This is my second dog, my first was also a lhasa. The first dog was house trained really quickly but this little one just doesnt seem to be getting it.

She seemed to do well for the first couple of weeks, we had a puppy pad at the door which she would use and I would take her out and reward her outside when she peed etc.

She had a few accidents on my carpet over xmas and since then keeps going back to the same places to do the toilet. She can be out a walk or outside for ages and then comes inside and pees on the carpet ( or worse)

Shes also jumping onto our beds and doing it!

I decided we were allowing her way too much space til she is properly trained and confined her to my tiled kitchen unless i can be watching her. At almost every walk she doesnt do the toilet at all and also she seems to be getting quite aggressive on the lead - if anyone approaches her she is growling and snarling with her tail down as if she is scared. she seems to anxious to think about doing the loo.

She is very attached to me and i was worried she was getting a bit of separation anxiety as literally when I leave the room she cries.

We have two very young kids and stupidly didnt crate train her because she was howling and going berserk and waking the kids so I gave in and let her sleep in our room- she can last all night without doing the toilet and sleeps fine.

Looking for advice from someone experienced , shes a lovely natured little dog and I dont want to ruin her. I am going to take her along to a puppy training class. She already sits, gives a paw and comes back if you let her off the lead so shes good that way.

Thanks in advance.

 

[gypsysmum]

Puppy training classes are a great idea. Make sure they are well run using modern methods of reward based methods.

House training is best achieved by rewarding the right behaviour and ignoring the wrong behaviour.

First I would clean the area she is using with a 10% solution of biological detergent. Rinse. Dry. Go over the area with a spirit such as surgical spirit. This lifts the last fat deposits, present in urine and detectable by dogs.

When she needs to toilet then take her outside and stay with her (horrible in this weather so keep an umbrella by the door). Have some really tasty treats in your pocket and as soon as she performs give her a treat. It must be immediate otherwise she will think she got the treat for coming towards you. Be boring while waiting for her to go. You don't want to distract her. If you do this enough times she will start to think "Oh I will hang on to my wees and poos until I am in the garden because I will get a treat! She should start to show signs of wanting to go into the garden in order to get the treat. When you cannot watch her, keep her confined to a small area. Crates (dens) are ideal but a sectioned off area would be ok too. Most dogs are keen to toilet away from their bed so will hold on if they only have an area the size of their bed.

Some dogs do not like toileting on walks as the act puts them in a vulnerable position. She sounds like she finds the world a bit scary so socialisation at Puppy Classes would do her the world of good.

Getting cross is counter productive as it makes dogs avoid being around humans and wees and poos. This means they hang on until humans have gone out or are asleep. You know she can hold on as she has gone all night. Now she must want to go outside in order to get the treat and praise on offer out there.