My name is Nitro and I still wet the floor..

[Skits]

So I'm having problems with Nitro urinating on the floor. It is not a health issue, and he doesn't not have control of his bladder. He'll just hold it for a few minutes, cry, and if he's not let out - go.

He used to make territory around the house but now he's been neutered a few months back and it happens less, but still does. We're moving into a rental home in two weeks and it can't be happening there. We're lucky as it is that they're letting us bring our dogs.

 

[Brattina88]

Are you sure it's not a health issue? It just really sounds a lot like a UTI or kidneys or something if he cries and then can't hold it. has his urine been tested by a vet recently?

If not it's time to go back to puppy basics, and restrict his freedom. Either tether him to you, or confine to one room either gates or a crate.

House Training
Copyright 2004 R L Pless, all rights reserved.
Free for use by anyone as long as author credit remains intact.


House training your dog is simple if you follow a few basic rules.


1) The puppy must have NO time unsupervised in your home. NONE.
If you are not directly watching the puppy, it should be in the crate, or outside in a safe area. You MUST watch the puppy at ALL times when loose in the house. Use baby gates, crates, or tie the leash to your belt.
2) The puppy should sleep inside the crate by your bedside. This way you can hear if the puppy should happen to need to go out during the night.
3) You must go WITH the puppy outside for ALL trips for elimination. You must have treats with you. When the puppy is urinating, say "GO PEE PEE" in a nice praise tone of voice the entire time. When she is finished, pop the treat into her mouth at once, and praise praise praise. This should be something she gets at no other time, like tiny pieces of string cheese or boiled chicken. Same for defecation. Say "GO POOP" while she is going, and food reward and praise afterwards. You must observe and reward ALL outdoor potty time.
4) Keep a schedule. Feed at the same time, and walk outside at the same times. Your pup needs at least 4 trips outdoors each day, and 5 is probably better. Pup needs to go out at wake up time, lunch time, 4-5 PM, after dinner or any other meals, and before bed.
5) Use a key word each time you go out. I say "Let's go out!!" in a happy tone of voice each time I'm opening the door to go out with the dog.
6) If you catch the puppy IN THE ACT of eliminating in your house, CLAP YOUR HANDS, say AH AH, OUTSIDE!! And immediately rush her outside. If she finishes there, do your usual food reward and praise.


The keys to getting your dog reliably housetrained are:


SUPERVISION: NO loose time in the house if you are not watching


REWARDS: ALL outdoor elimination MUST be observed and rewarded. If you only do this ONE thing, your puppy will get housetrained.


PATIENCE: Anger and punishment have no place in dog training. Elimination is a natural and pleasurable experience for your dog. You can teach her to not soil your house, but punishment will NOT help. It will only teach the dog to hide when she needs to eliminate.

If you have RELIGIOUSLY followed these instruction for 4 weeks and you are still finding spots after the fact in your home, it's time to take stronger action. Take a good sized newspaper, roll it up tightly, and band it on both ends. Keep it handy.

The very NEXT time you find a spot that puppy has left, yank out that paper, and hit YOURSELF over the head several times as you repeat: I FORGOT TO WATCH MY PUPPY.

Works every time.

 

[Skits]

He doesn't cry as he urinates or before, but he cries (and scratches) at my bedroom door when he wants to go out whether I'm home or not and then goes. Sometimes he does it for a minute, and as I'm getting up, he'll already have peed in the bathroom next to my door. I will get his urine tested just in case.

Sometimes he'll also go a bit and then cry at my door, so by the time I let him out, there's already pee on the floor. He did have a miracle today and he held it in for 7 hours all night long without an accident, he must have found out I was talking about him online.

Thanks for the tips, I'll read them now.

 

[PWCorgi]

That REALLY sounds like a health issue to me. Especially this:

Sometimes he does it for a minute, and as I'm getting up, he'll already have peed in the bathroom next to my door.

 

[xpaeanx]

I would def have it cleared by a vet as not health related. He *is* asking to be let out, he's not just randomly going and not giving any indication he needs to pee. To me it seems he's incontinent for some reason(UTI, etc), and not that he doesn't understand the concept of pee outside/not inside.

 

[*blackrose]

I would def have it cleared by a vet as not health related. He *is* asking to be let out, he's not just randomly going and not giving any indication he needs to pee. To me it seems he's incontinent for some reason(UTI, etc), and not that he doesn't understand the concept of pee outside/not inside.

That's what I was thinking, too.

Also, how old is he? Abrams had (and still does have, in a limited sense) issues with being able to hold a full bladder. Not when he was crated/sleeping, but if he was up doing puppy things and drinking a lot of water, he just HAD to pee and couldn't hold it. I think part of his issue was with me putting the chain on him, which caused him to urinate submissively, which caused him to associate going out the door with peeing, which caused him to just start peeing on his way out the door regardless...but I also think part of it was just the fact that he wasn't physically mature enough to hold a full bladder. Heck, I'm an adult and when I have a full bladder, I have to PEE. LOL In the past two months he's gotten significantly better, in part due to maturity, I think, and also because he has access to a fenced yard.

When we visited my folks last week, I had to make sure he was fully emptying his bladder outside and wasn't constantly chugging water, or he would have tinkle accidents in the house.

No health issues, although I never looked for any kind of bladder formation issue. Had it not improved after the move I would have.

As for the issue and being in a new living place...perhaps a belly band for management until it is solved?

 

[Ozfozz]

As for the issue and being in a new living place...perhaps a belly band for management until it is solved?

I was thinking of suggesting that as well. Just to keep the peace with the landlord and such

 

[cybavilla]

Train to a word

I agree. Have a vet check it out. Then I would not wait until the dog can't hold it any longer. I would be taking the dog out before it gets to that point. When you take the dog out, use a word like "potty" or "outside". Whatever word you choose, use the same word each time you take the dog out. Before long you should be able to use the word inside when you think the dog might need to go. You should see an increase in the dog's excitement. When the dog needs to go you should also be able to see behavior like circling and sniffing. Don't wait for the dog to whimper. Another thing is that if it has been a while since the dog has gone out, you can take it out just to be sure. I do that sometimes and my dog just stands there and stares at me. That's ok. I don't have to be right all the time.

 

[Kyllobernese]

It sounds like the dog is loose at nights. I would start crating him at night so he will learn to hold it and take him outside first thing in the morning or even during the night if he seems like he cannot hold it. (That is providing there is no health issue). He should be able to hold it all night and more likely to if he is sleeping in a crate.

 

[stardogs]

Does he hold it when crated? Or is he having accidents then, too?

 

[Skits]

Thanks all for the replies.

He was checked at his exam before he got neutered though and he did clear and the vet said he was very healthy. He's been peeing the floors since he was four months old, I don't think he was ever properly trained to go outside. Maybe it's the smell in certain areas that he marks? As he seems to only go in the same places over and over again. He also pees on the ferret cage (gross!) when the litter isn't clean, I'm guessing he smells the ferrets urine and tries to go over it.

Also when he's outside and Buddy is peeing (he squats like a girl), Nitro will go next to him and lift his leg to pee on Bud's pee. I don't know if that has anything to do with him going in the house or not..

He does also know the word 'out', he jumps like a kangaroo (on his hind legs) each time it's mentioned and runs to the back door. He does mostly go outside. I do want to let him out every few hours, but I don't want him to get into the habit of that because once my boyfriend and I are working full time, we won't be able to do that and I don't want to clean messes every day. I do let him out as soon as I hear him crying to go out though.

And blackrose, he is two years old. He'll be three in August.