Toilet issues - 6 month old

[scriptwriterstuart]

Hi everyone.

I'm having rather disheartening issues with my 6 month old Collie.

For a few months now, we've been keeping her on a routine... Long walk first thing in the morning, small walk at lunchtime, big walk at teatime and small walk just before bed.

She actually went through a phase about a month ago, of going to the toilet ONLY outside. she got lots of praise and treats for doing this, but since then, she has regressed and now we get "accidents" through-out the day.

When she was being good for us, she would only do #2's in the morning, teatime and evening walks, with #1's on all outings.

Take today for example... Morning walk was fine, #1 and #2's all done brilliantly. Lunchtime a big #1. then just an hour and a half later, we find a #1 and a #2 in the hall.

So it's not the lack of routine and it's not that she can't do it, she's proven that she can.

Other times we have "accidents" is when we stop fussing her or being around her and move to a different room (usually to work). It almost feels like "well you've left me, so I will protest, by going to the toilet".

Every time she knows she's done wrong, you can just tell, but it doesn't stop her. We never shout or hit her and only praise her when she does things right, but it's now getting very frustrating.

ANY advice on what we should do would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dizzyjenni]

Hi!

I'm afraid I am a bit rubbish with this kind of advice, so hopefully some one else will soon come along!

The only thing I would suggest, is just to get her checked over by a vet, to be on the safe side and to rule out any water infections.

 

[scriptwriterstuart]

Thanks Jenni, we'll give it a go

 

[banana]

Do you have a garden?

 

[Midnight herald]

Hi just a thought but I used to have a bitch that used to do this before she came into season, I know your pup is only six month old but they can start having their seasons from this age I know mine did , she was always good as gold with her toilet habits until her season was due to start then she would go indoors. This stopped when I had her spayed . This may not be the cause of your pups accidents but its an idea

 

[scriptwriterstuart]

No Garden as such (we have a maissonette which is the size of a house, but without the ground floor), where we have a small patio bit, but it's getting her down the stairs in time.

She's booked into the vet today, so we'll see what they say. Fingers crossed there is a reason behind it

 

[TTT]

Get a crate. Keep her in it while you practice moving into other rooms out of sight. It will help her feel more secure when you are not in the room. She is unlikely to soil in it. I sounds like it could be a reaction to the stress of being separated from you. A crate will encourage her to be less clingy.

 

[Iceycold]

Hi,

We have a 6 month Jack russell and are having very similar issues. She got really good at going outside and was practically house trained. Over the last week we have seen a considerable regression. When she is on her own and we are out she will will generally hold it. Late afternoon early eveing it all goes a bit pear shape. She will wee every 5 minutes. SHe asks to go out mostly but then will come straight in and wee inside. We let her out and make sure she is properly empty before she comes in. But still 5 minutes later she will mess indoors. She seems to have got the idea with No2's its just number1's. We took a sample to vets and she has the all clear for a urinary infection. We have bought a crate to help at night time as every morning there would a present of a no1 and no2 waiting for us. Now in the crate she goes all night and when we get up at 6.30 we carry her down starirs and pop her straight out into the garden. We also never tell her off and only praise. If we catch her weeing indoors we clap our hands to stop her mid flow and then scoop her up and put her in the garden. The vet did say that it could be her coming into season but like yourself we are so frustrated and only want to help her succeed and get fully house trained. Any ideas would be very gratefully recieved. We do have a garden that she asks to go out in. We were wondering if it could be that we were treating her everytime she went outside and she was doing it to get get the treat so we have started using only praise but this does not explain the indoot accidents that are happening so frequesntly every night now.

Please help

2 very frustrated and tired owners!!!