Bichon's going the toilet inside

Cupcake_Crisis

Hi all, hoping to get some help here!

We have 2 Bichon Frise, female 4 years old, male 3. For the past few months they have been going the toilet in the kitchen during the night, peeing and pooing. They were trained and used to go outside, this has only started happening in the last year or so on an almost nightly basis. They'd only be on their own in the kitchen when everyone is in bed, so from about 1-8 am.

This is really coming to a head now, as my parent's have had enough and are almost adamant that the dogs will be sleeping outside from now on, something I desperately don't want to happen (I don't live in a great area, 2 pure bred dogs left unattended in a back garden are likely to be whipped).

They are scolded when it happens, and put outside for a while. Their food is taken up at around 6-7 every evening, water is always available. I take care of it most mornings, but when im not home it's left to the folks and they are very fed up.

Is there anything we can try to get them to stop? Really at my wits end. ANY advice is very much appreciated.

toadfly

You should crate train them, its a godsend! Good quality and cheap crates from jebb tools;

http://www.jebbtools.ie/animal-products/dog-crates

Cupcake_Crisis

I had suggested that, im not mad on the idea, it'd just be such a shock to their systems. Less of a shock than sleeping outside I guess! Thanks for the reply!

andreac

You need to go back to basics. Start from scratch again like you would toilet train a puppy.

The crates really will help and i highly recommend them.

Scolding them is no good, unless you are catching them actually going to the toilet, they wont know why they are being scolded the next morning. Putting them outside is no good either, again they wont associate being put outside with going in the house, dogs dont work or think like that.

Toulouse

It shouldn't be a shock.

Crate training should be done slowly and with lots of positivity if it's to work. It's not just a case of shoving them in the crate and closing the door. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC-2GjLdd1g

There's also lots of threads about it on here if you search.

Also don't forget to clean the areas they have toileted in with a paste or solution made from bio-washing powder.

I'd also go back to very basics with their housetraining.

Cupcake_Crisis

Thanks guys, they were both trained at different times but both with puppy pads so should I just get them and go back to the very beginning?

toadfly

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

I had suggested that, im not mad on the idea, it'd just be such a shock to their systems. Less of a shock than sleeping outside I guess! Thanks for the reply!

As Toulouse said you need to train them. It won't work if you just shut the door on them. Take it slowly. My dog loves her crate and she cries to get in it the door is closed.

toadfly

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

Thanks guys, they were both trained at different times but both with puppy pads so should I just get them and go back to the very beginning?

I hate puppy pads it just confuses the dog into thinking its ok to go inside.

andreac

Def dont use puppy pads. Its very confusing for the dog. Its eithr inside or outside, it cant be both.

Any chance there is a medical problem or stress etc

Cupcake_Crisis

They were checked out by the vet for anything medical, they're both fine. The only thing I can attribute it to is my niece. It started around the time she began getting more mobile and was spending more time in our house. Im probably way off in connecting the two, but they were no longer the centre of attention (for my parents anyway)

anniehoo

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

They were trained and used to go outside, this has only started happening in the last year or so on an almost nightly basis.

This is main point that stood out for me. They "were trained", so what has happened subsequently? I might be pointing out the obvious here, but if at 3 and 4 they knew what to do prior to this, what is different now?

As mentioned above, going back to basics i.e puppy pads wont work. You mention your parents are in this mix too. Were you involved in their main care until now? It sounds like the household routine/dynamic has changed and the dogs haven't adjusted accordingly.

Cupcake_Crisis

As I mentioned above the only thing that has changed in the house is my niece spending more time here. I personally think there is a connection between the two, but my parents don't buy into that.

Pretzill

Are they eating later? I would recommend bring them out late for a short walk even just around the garden to make sure they go before bed. One of my elderly dogs has had a few inside in recent months because she doesn't want to go out at night - I have to walk around with her and keep telling her to go - I know the neighbours must think I'm mad but the youngest dog will piddle if I ask her. It may only be one dog going and there could be a medical problem too, even something as simple as a diet change.

It's almost like pup training again - u just have to think when did they last eat, is someone giving them nighttime treats - keep an eye on how quickly the water bowl is emptied. What goes in has to come out - sounds like something has disrupted their routine.

Princess Peach

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

They were checked out by the vet for anything medical, they're both fine. The only thing I can attribute it to is my niece. It started around the time she began getting more mobile and was spending more time in our house. Im probably way off in connecting the two, but they were no longer the centre of attention (for my parents anyway)

My mother's bichon does it all the time whenever my mother is out of the house. She's fine to go outside when my mam brings her, but gets stressed or wants more attention if my mam leaves her! Mam refuses to make her an outside dog :mad: Just have to make sure all the doors into rooms are closed. She seems to like my old room in that house the most ¬_¬

Cupcake_Crisis

Princess Peach wrote: »

My mother's bichon does it all the time whenever my mother is out of the house. She's fine to go outside when my mam brings her, but gets stressed or wants more attention if my mam leaves her! Mam refuses to make her an outside dog :mad: Just have to make sure all the doors into rooms are closed. She seems to like my old room in that house the most ¬_¬

Could it be a breed thing? They used to be spoilt rotten by my mam, but a lot of her time is taken up by my niece now, so maybe they're missing the attention from her?

I got up early this morning (6am) to a clean floor, let them out, then my mam got up to a clean floor too.

genie_us

Hi there

we had this exact problem with our Beagle - fully trained etc and all of a sudden started doing this.

We tried everything, the crate didn't work for us because he howled and cried all night. I bought special cleaning stuff that removes odours so he can't smell where he went previously - although we'll have to buy a new kitchen table cos he used the leg as a post!

Anyway long story short, my husband was at the point where he was about to evict them outside to sleep and as a last attempt we decided to try giving them more exercise (they get walked every day and always did), but we took them both out for longer walks and lo and behold, the problem has stopped.
We have gone from accidents every single night and now (frantically touching wood) we haven't had anything for a good 2 months bar one night when we couldn't walk them and my husband was away for the night, so they didn't get walked that day at all and he made a big mess.

We knew Beagles in particular require a lot of exercise but increasing it fixed the problem - he obviously wasn't getting enough. I don't know anything about the Bichon breed but I thought this might be helpful for you.

Good luck!