Rescue dog occassionally "pee'ing" indoors

razorblunt

Hi All,

We got a rescue dog (Westie) last Thursday and we're already head over heels in love with her. One thing we noticed is that she occasionally will relieve herself when we're not there. The most we left her on her own was 3.5 hours (hadn't planned on it being so long but got stuck in traffic).
Am I wrong to be expecting everything to be hunky dory straight away? This is the only issue we've had (apart from being given an incorrect name!!), she's been an absolute dream so far.

Unfortunately she lived with an eldery lady who passed away suddenly so the shelter were unable to confirm a lot of things like her house training, but she appears to be fine and this might be a settling thing.

We haven't chastised her when she's done it but I'm starting to try new things like openly praising her for going outdoors and I've reduced the water in her bowl as the bowl me use might be too big and she gluttons the water. I'm also conscious that if she's drinking that much water then she might actually need it so I'm trying to balance it out and make sure she's not missing out. She's a little tubby so we're hoping as she loses weight the thirst will fall away.

Any tips/advice?

Cheers!
R

Latatian

Crate when you have to leave her unsupervised could help. This could just be confusion. Dogs aren't always great at generalizing, or don't always generalize or think about rules in the ways you want them to, and she might not understand that "don't pee in this house" doesn't apply to your house too. A few accidents are perfectly normal with a new dog.

For example- my dog started peeing in the kitchen after the dog sitters decided to leave her in there rather than in the normal room. But she will refuse to pee in towns until you can find grass. Peeing in kitchen= fine because she had done it before without problems, so this was obviously an exception to housetraining that she was allowed have. Peeing in towns= bad because she wasn't sure if she was allowed.

DBB

Op, when you have an overweight westie who's drinking a lot, you must get her checked out by the vet, and by that I mean blood tests and urinalysis. Don't put this off. Don't deprive her of water either until you know more.
Any idea of whether she's had skin problems? Is she spayed?

tk123

I'd have her checked over by a vet if she's drinking loads. Could be something or could be nothing.

EDIT - JINX DBB

razorblunt

She's already been signed off with a clean bill of health by both the SPCA (we're living in Scotland) and the local vet we registered with.

No signs of having skin issues, but again it's a bit of a black box history with no next of kin for the deceased owner. Having had a Westie for years as a family dog back home though we'll be watching her diet for any causes of irritation.

Spayed wise they couldn't tell, which I was surprised by, but apparently with dissolvable stitches it's harder to tell.
The SPCA advised watching out for her time of the month and if it happens they'll spay for free. She was with them 3 weeks and they didn't see any signs she was not spayed.

Apparently today she's not dived into the water at all.

Thanks for the responses so far.

Ms Doubtfire1

razorblunt wrote: »

She's already been signed off with a clean bill of health by both the SPCA (we're living in Scotland) and the local vet we registered with.

No signs of having skin issues, but again it's a bit of a black box history with no next of kin for the deceased owner. Having had a Westie for years as a family dog back home though we'll be watching her diet for any causes of irritation.

Spayed wise they couldn't tell, which I was surprised by, but apparently with dissolvable stitches it's harder to tell.
The SPCA advised watching out for her time of the month and if it happens they'll spay for free. She was with them 3 weeks and they didn't see any signs she was not spayed.

Apparently today she's not dived into the water at all.

Thanks for the responses so far.

Does the ' clean bill of health' include blood checks for liver/kidney/pancreas function?. If it doesn't, I'd be to the vet in a shot. Also, reducing water is never an good idea. In regards to expecting everything being hunky dory immediately? Ho, of course not.Dogs have feelings and this girl was used to having her mummy around 24/7 so i'd expect some issues in the beginning, especially when left alone...crate is trial and error, if she's never been before I'd go slow...

tk123

You need to go back to the vet so they can check out his specific issue. Bring a urine sample with you too to save time My dog was in the vets the other night about a potential issue with his tummy and a sprained toe... Had I said the toe was fine the vet wouldn't have started manipulating his joints and realised his knee is really really sore. If I hadn't of mentioned the tummy she wouldn't have know there was a problem..

DBB

Op, a "clean bill of health" without having checked bloods and urine (and rescues won't ask for blood tests unless they need to... If the dog was in kennels or with inexperienced carers, this problem won't have been picked up on), does not mean your dog is OK.
I would not hesitate to get her properly, specifically checked... Urine, bloods, and make certain there's nothing iffy going on in the uterus department. I'm speaking from experience of running a rescue op... Too much weight, excessive thirst, broken housetraining, in a westie, must be properly checked out.

razorblunt

We called the SPCA around a half hour ago and they confirmed they ran some tests when they noticed the excessive thirst and it came back clear. They advised recording the water intake for the next 24hours and let them know tomorrow.

My OH is working from home and said half her water bowl is still half full and looks to be settling so fingers crossed she'll get more settled as each day goes by. She'll be on her own from 3 until 4:45 today so will check the training side then again.

Aru

Get a full medical history of what tests have been done from the rescue and go to your own vet if the rescue are not willing to help(they should be but just in case)
It may be nothing but excessive thirst is rarely normal in dogs and there are a lot of things that could be causing this.
The rescue may have done some testing...but unless they know why she needs to drink like this I would be concerned....
also they have not been great here....they should have let you know she had this issue esp if she has had a vet work up....it's not fair expect a dog drinking excessively to hold her urine like a normal dog....and it's cruel to withhold water from a dog who's is drinking obsessively as they are almost always doing it for a reason...even when it's behavioural...
Monitor how much she's drinking and go from there I guess.
Assuming she's neutered?

razorblunt

Aru wrote: »

Get a full medical history of what tests have been done from the rescue and go to your own vet if the rescue are not willing to help(they should be but just in case)
It may be nothing but excessive thirst is rarely normal in dogs and there are a lot of things that could be causing this.
The rescue may have done some testing...but unless they know why she needs to drink like this I would be concerned....
also they have not been great here....they should have let you know she had this issue esp if she has had a vet work up....it's not fair expect a dog drinking excessively to hold her urine like a normal dog....and it's cruel to withhold water from a dog who's is drinking obsessively as they are almost always doing it for a reason...even when it's behavioural...
Monitor how much she's drinking and go from there I guess.
Assuming she's neutered?

Apparently she's a lot, lot better today, but we'll keep watching her until tomorrow afternoon and take her to our own vet then on Wednesday.

Regarding the neuter, neither vet could tell for definite. Neither of us are experienced with female dogs so we need to read up on identifying when/if she's on.

Ms Doubtfire1

a simple ultrasound should solve the riddle of neutered or not neutered. if she's not, get it done asap. next to the obvious dangers, un neutered females are more prone to all kinds of issues the older they get.:-)

razorblunt

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

a simple ultrasound should solve the riddle of neutered or not neutered. if she's not, get it done asap. next to the obvious dangers, un neutered females are more prone to all kinds of issues the older they get.:-)

That's mad, why wouldn't both sets of vets have tried that already? Costs (at least for the shelter?)

She'll be straight in to get neutered if it turns out that's not the case!

Ms Doubtfire1

costs most definitely. It's cheaper to wait but not an option I would take. However, it's not always conclusive..have a chat with your vet.:-)
here's a few things you can do meanwhile:
Look for the spaying scar


When a female dog has been spayed, an incision will have been made on the body to allow the vet to remove the sexual organs, and as this is an invasive surgery, afterwards, the incision will be sutured up and will leave a fine scar. How prominent the scar is after surgery will depend on how large it is, how well it was sutured, and how long ago the procedure was performed.



A spay performed within the last six months will likely still show signs of uneven fur where the hair is re-growing, and so this can be relatively simple. If this is not the case, you may have to shave the fur from the potential surgical field in order to look for the scar!



To add to the confusion, the spaying scar is not in the same place on every dog. Spaying within the UK is most commonly performed on the flank, on the left hand side of the body, but midline spaying (performed on the natural “seam” of the dog’s stomach, on their underside) is also growing in popularity.



Look for the scar on the flank first of all, but do not rule out a midline spay either!



Secondary indicators of spaying


In bitches that were spayed at a relatively young age and that have never carried a litter, the vulva, nipples and mammary glands are likely to be smaller and less developed than an intact female dog of a similar size, or a spayed bitch that has previously carried a litter. While this is not an exact science, and a spayed bitch who had a litter prior to spaying is unlikely to appear any different to an unsprayed bitch, if you already have a good idea about whether or not the bitch is spayed, it can help to confirm your suspicions.

njs030

My female doesn't have a visable scar either op. She also drank heavily in her first few weeks, it settled after a while and I would guess she wasn't used to a constant supply of fresh water and was gulping it down until she realised it was always available.

Cherry Blossom

Just in case you aren't aware as you mentioned 'time of the month'. Dogs come into heat every 6 to 9 months, not every month. It just reads a bit like you think the dog is spayed because she showed no signs of being in heat for 3 weeks at the shelter and one and a bit weeks with you.

Excessive drinking and peeing are often early signs that a dog is comming into heat but these things may not be related.

razorblunt

Thanks again for the response and the indepth info Ms D (and everyone else).

I'm hoping its a case of her being the same as notjustsweet's dog, in fact today, I'm just home and the water bowl was full with my wife having filled it and left about 45 mins before I got in. She took a few drinks only when I get on and hasn't touched it again since.

Unfortunately she piddled in our spare room, which is where she seems to like to go, we can't lock that door as there's an issue with her and she can see the garden from there so I wonder is that confusing her? Not going to make a big deal of it just yet as it's only been 5 days, but she was taken out less than an hour before I got in. I'm going to try and block the door to that room, when I'm out later to see if that helps.

razorblunt

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

Just in case you aren't aware as you mentioned 'time of the month'. Dogs come into heat every 6 to 9 months, not every month. It just reads a bit like you think the dog is spayed because she showed no signs of being in heat for 3 weeks at the shelter and one and a bit weeks with you.

Excessive drinking and peeing are often early signs that a dog is comming into heat but these things may not be related.

I definitely did think it was monthly, that's not to say my wife does, I just assumed it, she may have been working to the 6 to 9 month time frame too.
She's due a haircut too, but we're going to give her a fortnight to get settled before cutting her and it might be easier to spot then.

Ms Doubtfire1

razorblunt wrote: »

Thanks again for the response and the indepth info Ms D (and everyone else).

I'm hoping its a case of her being the same as notjustsweet's dog, in fact today, I'm just home and the water bowl was full with my wife having filled it and left about 45 mins before I got in. She took a few drinks only when I get on and hasn't touched it again since.

Unfortunately she piddled in our spare room, which is where she seems to like to go, we can't lock that door as there's an issue with her and she can see the garden from there so I wonder is that confusing her? Not going to make a big deal of it just yet as it's only been 5 days, but she was taken out less than an hour before I got in. I'm going to try and block the door to that room, when I'm out later to see if that helps.

I wouldn't block the door, she'll just go somewhere else..put down a doggiepad..it might help.;-)

razorblunt

Sorry, I didn't see that last night. I had to go training afterwards last night, left her alone for just over an hour, having walked her beforehand and there were no accidents.

Thankfully on the water side of things, it looks to have calmed down and there is no gulping anymore. We'll continue to monitor this obviously and we'll give the water count to the vet this afternoon.

She's such an amazing dog though, the way she's settled is absolutely remarkable. Her owner, though obviously probably not the most mobile, trained her really, really well in every other regard. We're lucky to have her!

Ms Doubtfire1

Lol you didn't see it last night cause I only posted this morning. Yes I can see you love this dog and want whats best for her.Keep us posted!!

razorblunt

Ha ha, good point, well made!
Will do!

njs030

Does she only wee when left alone? It could be a fear and/or anxiety thing. Perhaps leaving on a radio in another room might help

Could you set up a video link sometime to see how she acts when you're gone?

razorblunt

Yes, it's only when left alone, which is why I was thinking she's still trying to gett used to our comings and goings.
I've considered the video link alright, will need to find the best one, that red ball with the built in camera might be the best idea.

njs030

razorblunt wrote: »

Yes, it's only when left alone, which is why I was thinking she's still trying to gett used to our comings and goings.
I've considered the video link alright, will need to find the best one, that red ball with the built in camera might be the best idea.

Just a laptop/tablet Skype or google hangouts call to one of your phones would work.

The puppy pads are great for the time being too!!

razorblunt

Good news on the water intake, she's now with us a week and seems to be fitter and slimmer so is drinking a lot less water.

Didn't pee yesterday, until we went to bed and pee'd in the bedroom during the night.
Bought some puppy pads and put a plan together to use the front area of our apartment (we're groundfloor with a patio) so she gets used to that as her "going area" rather than waiting for a walk.
She asked to be let out yesterday evening too but obviously we may have missed the signs during the night and probably should have left her out once before bed.

Pretty confident she'll pick this routine up in no time, she's picked so much up so far.

Ms Doubtfire1

just think of your doggie as a very young or old human..she will have less stamina to hold up so deffo bring her out just before you turn in and first thing in the morning. I ahve a ver secure backyard so I'm lucky enough only to have to stumble to the front door half awake to open it and let kevin out...:-)

ShaShaBear

It's quite possible she was never properly housetrained. You might need to start this from scratch and start taking her out for wees in the middle of the night like you would with a puppy. I'd advise against the pads if you want to train her - you're only showing her what material she is allowed to wee on and where in the house it is acceptable to go. Ideally you'd like her to not go inside at all.

I'm also rather surprised that a rescue gave you a dog without any clear info on their medical history and without checking if she had been neutered.

razorblunt

ShaShaBear wrote: »

It's quite possible she was never properly housetrained. You might need to start this from scratch and start taking her out for wees in the middle of the night like you would with a puppy. I'd advise against the pads if you want to train her - you're only showing her what material she is allowed to wee on and where in the house it is acceptable to go. Ideally you'd like her to not go inside at all.

I'm also rather surprised that a rescue gave you a dog without any clear info on their medical history and without checking if she had been neutered.

Yes we were surprised too, I've got a suspicion that she might be older than 7 too. But given the circumstances (her apparently elderly lady owner passed away suddenly in her sleep with no next of kin) it's probably understandable. My questions around, why doesn't she have a bed with her? Where's her bowls? Did you ask the neighbours about her? Did you check any local vets (she wasn't chipped) was pushing the wrong buttons in the rescue center.

I would have said that she wasn't house trained except that she's already asked to get out and is incredibly well trained in other regards. Unfortunately we're away for a week (admittedly not best timing but we couldn't move/cancel) so her doggy day care person is taking her into her own house and said she'll keep an eye on the housetraining.

Anyways we'll get that sorted in quick time, we're completely besotted with her anyway so she's lumped with us!

Ms Doubtfire1

razorblunt wrote: »

Yes we were surprised too, I've got a suspicion that she might be older than 7 too. But given the circumstances (her apparently elderly lady owner passed away suddenly in her sleep with no next of kin) it's probably understandable. My questions around, why doesn't she have a bed with her? Where's her bowls? Did you ask the neighbours about her? Did you check any local vets (she wasn't chipped) was pushing the wrong buttons in the rescue center.

Any rescue worth their description would have answered those with no problemsand would have chipped her too!! One wonders which rescue that was (nono don't name them publicly on here!!)

cocker5

razorblunt wrote: »

Yes we were surprised too, I've got a suspicion that she might be older than 7 too. But given the circumstances (her apparently elderly lady owner passed away suddenly in her sleep with no next of kin) it's probably understandable. My questions around, why doesn't she have a bed with her? Where's her bowls? Did you ask the neighbours about her? Did you check any local vets (she wasn't chipped) was pushing the wrong buttons in the rescue center.

I would have said that she wasn't house trained except that she's already asked to get out and is incredibly well trained in other regards. Unfortunately we're away for a week (admittedly not best timing but we couldn't move/cancel) so her doggy day care person is taking her into her own house and said she'll keep an eye on the housetraining.

Anyways we'll get that sorted in quick time, we're completely besotted with her anyway so she's lumped with us!

Regardless of how she came to be with you OP she is lucky to have found you... any issue can be worked on she sounds like a lovely little dog

muddypaws

Are you in Ireland, op? Not relevant at all, just curious

DBB

muddypaws wrote: »

Are you in Ireland, op? Not relevant at all, just curious

The op said way back near the start that they're in Scotland

razorblunt

Aye, I'm in Scotland (at least until Brexit kicks in). I may have also already name the charity but in fairness I do think their hands were tied a little.

We kicked off the plan to use the front patio last night and so far so good, she's definitely trained to the extent that I recognise that once she goes in that area she looks to come straight back in. Prior to this she went in the kitchen when left alone, but i think the patio will work and quite quickly. Will keep you all posted with the progress.

Gormal

I got a rescue dog and he drank loads of water in the beginning, I think it was the excitement or nerves being in a new home (he was incredibly hyper, it made us dizzy). I had zero history for him. There was lots of peeing and we decided to just toilet train him from the start, making a huge fuss when he went outside, but if he did it inside he was put outside for 10 mins (he hated that, being separated. I have no porch) building up the time between pees. Took 2 weeks to get him house clean and the water intake went down.

Personally I think she's excited about the new family and just needs to settle, with a little toilet training and learn the boundaries/rules. I always ask my wee fella if he needs out for a wee wee.......lol

razorblunt

Quick update on this, so after our holiday she had a piddle both Sunday and Monday, she got into the spare room on Monday so we've copletely blocked that off. Sunday she went on her blanket which was a bit strange, but she done likewise in her boarding house. The lady there said she caught her in the act on her 3rd piddle and it never happened again.
She's taken really well to going on the patio area, but we're not going to rush her on the accidents, so far we've said nothing, except for not leaving her on the couch as her blanket was there.

Regardin the water intake her bloods were tested today and she was given the all clear. She's trimmed down nicely in two weeks already. The Vet thinks it will settle down especially when her fitness increases. Also said it might be the case she likes water but leave her have what she needs and give regular breaks.

He also seemed to agree that she's probably a bit older than 7, but thinks an improvement in fitness might swing this back around again.

She's not curled up in her bed, at the bottom of our's having gone out for a last "wees" and gotten a treat.

Gormal

I think if you notice she's about to do it (perhaps there is something she does/behaves), take her out for wee wee's and sing her praises/give a treat. If you catch her in the act you should put on a stern voice and scold her (can be just one gruff word or noise) otherwise she thinks it's ok to do it inside on her blanket or whatever area she prefers. I think the lady scolded her when she caught her in the act and that's possibly why it didn't happen again.

Obviously if she's done it already there's no point in making a fuss as she won't know what it's all about.

Glad to hear there's no medical reason for it.

razorblunt

2 Days incident free now, 20 mins ago she went into a tizzy jumping at our feet to go out and do her business. As signs go, it's a mad one but we'll take it. I think the reduced water intake is helping things too, she doesn't glutton the water anymore, the bowl will go from full to half full and then quarter when she drinks now, she always leaves some.

The most remarkable thing is her transformation though, I remember seeing her in the shelter and she was so forlorn and hunkered looking I was thinking there's no way she can be a Westie it must be a cross. 3 weeks later and she's the usual west highland terriorist you'd expect, ears and tail up, shoulders back. Brilliant to see.

Gormal

Probably starting to realise that you are for keeps! Perhaps she may have thought you'd abandoned her putting her in the kennels, it might have reminded her of being in the shelter. You might find her making more of an effort to go outside now and a few months down the line she'll be totally transformed.

If that's her only issue you have been very fortunate indeed. You will have the most devoted Westie in Scotland

razorblunt

She's such a lady's lady though, you can tell she had the one owner. Though every now and then she gives the impression she likes me!

Gormal

Ahh you'll grow on her. My wee fella had loads of issues, a year old, pretty much feral, no training, never been in a house (barking at the TV etc) aggressive towards every living thing, except me (as I rescued him from the pound, I suppose). For the first year he would growl and snarl at the man of the house if he came anywhere near him or me. I spent the first 5 months cuddling and petting a very angry wee ball of fluff, yet he never snapped or bit either of us.

He's settled down quite a lot from that snarling inferno, except when there's another dog (goes into full attack mode), although I had 2 females here for a short visit and after a day he realised that they weren't going to hurt him and tried his way of playing........ which including a lot of growling and confused the other dog, so I had to act as a middle man for them to play.

So almost 2 years down the line and we are in a better place, but still learning. He's a quirky wee thing and has a lot of doggy vocabulary & mannerisms. A right goofball entertainer. Yes I get funny looks because I pick him up if a strange dog comes near and he goes into a snarling rage. He obviously had a really rough start in life and I'm glad he managed to escape from it and find me, all our patience is paying off. I can tell you, getting him to trust me to give him a groom took months, now I can get him trimmed in 15 minutes.

Gael23

Its her marking her territory. Its annoying for you but I wouldn't be concerned that theres anything wrong with her.

razorblunt

Looks like she's still not out of anxiety issues. 3 incidents since Sunday, she would have been left alone for less than an hour each time.
She no longer goes indoors at the day care.

Am I right in thinking that I should put her out "to go" even if she doesn't end up going before we leave and right after we get back?
With the get back I'm trying to get her to realise she will get out as soon as we're home.

I'm in the process of setting up a Skype account too for her so we can monitor what she does.

Gormal

Yes take her out before you go and you might have to give it 10 minutes (or more). I take my dog out and tell him to do his wee wees and sometimes he takes a while about it. Then I praise him, take him inside, tell him I'm going shopping and leave him with his treats. When I get home there's the huge fuss of welcome home and after that I take him to his patch for more wee wees and he usually goes straight away.

She doesn't do it in day care because she was caught and told off for it (I assume) therefore she knows that it's not allowed. If you haven't told her off, when you catch her in the act of doing it inside, she will think it's ok and continue.

muddypaws

Gormal wrote: »

Yes take her out before you go and you might have to give it 10 minutes (or more). I take my dog out and tell him to do his wee wees and sometimes he takes a while about it. Then I praise him, take him inside, tell him I'm going shopping and leave him with his treats. When I get home there's the huge fuss of welcome home and after that I take him to his patch for more wee wees and he usually goes straight away.

She doesn't do it in day care because she was caught and told off for it (I assume) therefore she knows that it's not allowed. If you haven't told her off, when you catch her in the act of doing it inside, she will think it's ok and continue.

I hope she wasn't told off in day care, if so I'd change day care providers.

Reward when she goes outside, ignore when she goes inside, just clean it up.

It sounds like it is anxiety at being left on her own, which she wouldn't be at day care. Or, it could just be that she is very stimulated at day care, so doesn't remember that she needs to go to the toilet.

Choc Chip

Gormal wrote: »

She doesn't do it in day care because she was caught and told off for it (I assume) therefore she knows that it's not allowed. If you haven't told her off, when you catch her in the act of doing it inside, she will think it's ok and continue.

As far as I'm aware, the problem with telling them off if they go inside, is that you can create a secret pee-er (I've no idea how to write that).

As in, you tell them off and expect them to think "Oh I shouldn't pee inside" and the dog really thinks, "Oh, the scary tall monkey shouts at me when I pee in front of him/her. I'll just avoid peeing where they can see me". So you've created a dog that hides behind the TV and pees in the corner, or waits til you leave and pees all over the rug.

And I say this as someone who mournfully wailed "noooooo" at a foster puppy peeing beside me a couple of months ago. Sometimes it's hard to contain yourself.

Gormal

I don't have a secret pee-er. He was told NO (in a firm voice, like every other command) and put outside for 5 minutes. Being male it was all marking his territory. I had him house clean within 2 weeks and he was a year old when I got him. But then I was home all day and he was taken out every hour for the first 2 days, then 2 hours, then 3 etc.


Perhaps if it's only happening when she is home alone, it's because she is scared that she has been left alone? I have just re-read the post and seen the part about the previous owner passing away in her sleep. I think that is your link right there. Any idea how long before she was found?

You might have to A. crate train or B. Put in the porch whilst out, with her toys etc or C. leave the radio on when you're out

I agree you should take her out before you leave and when you get back as stated in my previous post. Give her a cuddle before you go and on return.

Choc Chip

Gormal wrote: »

I don't have a secret pee-er. He was told NO (in a firm voice, like every other command) and put outside for 5 minutes. Being male it was all marking his territory. I had him house clean within 2 weeks and he was a year old when I got him. But then I was home all day and he was taken out every hour for the first 2 days, then 2 hours, then 3 etc.

You might have to A. crate train or B. Put in the porch whilst out, with her toys etc or C. leave the radio on when you're out

I didn't mean to suggest that you created a secret pee-er, just that it CAN have that effect on a dog if you tell them off when they pee in front you. I don't think it's worth the risk as it's supposedly very hard to fix housetraining if you can't catch the dog peeing.

I agree with your crate training suggestion - I've both found it great and heard great things from other people.

razorblunt

After a decent week, last week, she's done it again today.
I cam home at 5:30, she would have been dropped off my day care at 4:30/4:45, no accidents. I went to the gym for just over an hour 6:15 to 7:40pm and at first it all looked ok, but then I noticed she went on her new bed. It's the bed we use in the front room rather than where she sleeps.

I left her out before I left, no success and after I came home. I didn't acknowledge the pee I just put the bed in the washing machine and went about my business.
I'll get a kong tomorrow and see if that keeps her busy.

razorblunt

To clarify on the day care side, when she was caught, she was told "out" and managed to get out the door before relieveing herself. Funnily enough she pee'd on her bed there last week too.

We had considered crate training but at 7 years old, having been sheltered for 7 weeks I'm wondering would it do more harm than good?
It didn't appear to be the case that she had a crate with her owner anyway.
I'm guessing we could use it and place her in there for 20 minutes at a time when we're in so she gets used to it?

Choc Chip

razorblunt wrote: »

After a decent week, last week, she's done it again today.
I cam home at 5:30, she would have been dropped off my day care at 4:30/4:45, no accidents. I went to the gym for just over an hour 6:15 to 7:40pm and at first it all looked ok, but then I noticed she went on her new bed. It's the bed we use in the front room rather than where she sleeps.

Can I ask how much access she has to the house while you're out? We had to slowly build up room by room with the un-housetrained foster pup. As in, we started with the kitchen as it has a door to the garden, then the hall, then the office... you get the idea.

It seemed to help as she only had the choice of outside or the kitchen, and she'd got massive treats for peeing outside, so she went there. Then a week or so later we'd open another door and she seemed to realise that she could still go to outside from there and so trotted out to where she got big treats for peeing.

We always crated her when we couldn't monitor her so that helped too as she generally wouldn't soil her crate (I know you're not sure about going that route though).

I'm just thinking that if she has access to the whole apartment while you're out she might have too many options and isn't sure where to go yet.

Someone else who has more experience in housetraining might offer more advice though!