Norris is so weird. Advice?

Sweet72947

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#1
So Norris is my new foster dog. I got him from FOHA last Saturday. I can't believe I've had him a week already! He hasn't spent much of his life in a house, and he is slowly getting used to things. Norris was afraid of everything when I brought him home, and he's getting a little less afraid every day. That said, he can be so weird.

1. His bathroom habits are just, odd. He doesn't pee much. He eats and drinks just fine. He gets a jaunt to the common area out back in the morning when we get up and he does a short pee. Then he gets breakfast and hangs out while I do my thing. I take him for a 30 minute walk around noon, and he poops on this walk, and maybe he'll pee. Then we go back to the house and I get my stuff ready, and right before I go to work I take him out back one more time, and sometimes he'll pee, but he usually doesn't. When I get home from work at night we take a 30 minute walk and maybe he'll pee. Last night when I got home and walked him he did not pee, and you'd think he'd have to after being crated in my room all day! I don't think he's peeing in the crate or lifting his leg and peeing outside the crate, I never find any wet spots. And you'd think my room would reek of pee if that were happening, but it doesn't. It just smells a little like dog. I took Norris to work with me today and he didn't pee ALL DAY until we got home and he only did a small pee out back. He has been pooping once a day very regularly. Anyone have any ideas why Norris' pee habits are so weird?

2. Bathing and grooming. Norris wasn't socialized to these things much at all at FOHA, and he doesn't like being brushed or bathed. When I tried to brush him I gave him treats here and there and I was able to brush him a little, but when Norris decides he's done with it he will bark and cry at me, the brat. He doesn't attempt to bite but he gets wiggly and vocal. As for baths, I finally bathed him at work with the help of a strong male coworker who helped me lift Norris in the tub. Norris was NOT easy to bathe even for two people, and he thrashed and cried. He's really clean now though! Suggestions for teaching him to accept bathing? (I'm fairly sure I can desensitize him to brushing over time with treats). Nail trimming was not attempted today.

And if anyone has any good suggestions for toys for dogs who are avid chewers (and who can chew kongs into little tiny pieces), it would be very much appreciated! Norris loves to chew, and chew EVERYTHING. He listens fairly well when I verbally correct him for chewing on my computer cord, or blankets, or CPAP mask (grrrrrrrrrrr) etc. But I need more toys for him, I only have three at the moment: a big cleaned beef bone, a very tough squeaky toy made specifically for chewers, and a Bionic rubber toy. He likes all three of them.

Why do I always like the challenging ones? :p
 

*blackrose

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1. His bathroom habits are just, odd. He doesn't pee much. He eats and drinks just fine. He gets a jaunt to the common area out back in the morning when we get up and he does a short pee. Then he gets breakfast and hangs out while I do my thing. I take him for a 30 minute walk around noon, and he poops on this walk, and maybe he'll pee. Then we go back to the house and I get my stuff ready, and right before I go to work I take him out back one more time, and sometimes he'll pee, but he usually doesn't. When I get home from work at night we take a 30 minute walk and maybe he'll pee. Last night when I got home and walked him he did not pee, and you'd think he'd have to after being crated in my room all day! I don't think he's peeing in the crate or lifting his leg and peeing outside the crate, I never find any wet spots. And you'd think my room would reek of pee if that were happening, but it doesn't. It just smells a little like dog. I took Norris to work with me today and he didn't pee ALL DAY until we got home and he only did a small pee out back. He has been pooping once a day very regularly. Anyone have any ideas why Norris' pee habits are so weird?
Cynder is the same way, actually. She'll *maybe* pee in the morning before I go to work. It's about a 50/50 chance. She'll hold it all morning until my friend (or I) stop by to let her out at lunch. (And if she pees in the morning, she won't pee at lunch.) I just go home from work and let the dogs out, and she didn't pee. She'll probably go right before bed. She's just...weird. LOL So he's not alone in his pee habits.
 

BostonBanker

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Meg's like that with her potty habits as well. She frequently is done going outside by 5:30 or so at night, and is fine until morning. She may or may not go out when we get up. She will mark quite a bit if we are hiking in the woods, but around the house - eh. Twice a day. One time a couple of years ago, she came home with me at 5:30 from the barn, and didn't pee again until after 1 pm the next day, despite repeated trips outside.

The vet says she's fine and healthy, so I usually just tell her "you are an adult, I trust you know what you are doing". I did teach her to pee on a verbal cue for my own convenience; it's nice at agility trials when I want to empty her before a run! She'll now pee reliably on command, but still never really asks to go out.
 

CaliTerp07

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2. Bathing and grooming. Norris wasn't socialized to these things much at all at FOHA, and he doesn't like being brushed or bathed. When I tried to brush him I gave him treats here and there and I was able to brush him a little, but when Norris decides he's done with it he will bark and cry at me, the brat. He doesn't attempt to bite but he gets wiggly and vocal. As for baths, I finally bathed him at work with the help of a strong male coworker who helped me lift Norris in the tub. Norris was NOT easy to bathe even for two people, and he thrashed and cried. He's really clean now though! Suggestions for teaching him to accept bathing? (I'm fairly sure I can desensitize him to brushing over time with treats). Nail trimming was not attempted today.
Bathing is always a two person job in my house. One person is the (super high value) treats giver, the other lathers and rinses. She regularly gets string cheese in the tub :) I went from a dog who refused to stay in the tub to one who will jump in willingly (though she still doesn't like the act of being bathed, she knows the treats are worth it)
 

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