Ellie Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I have in my care a very cute little mini-dachsund. She's supposed to be with us for about a year and a half, when her young owner graduates from culinary school here in Austin. Her "grandparents" stayed with us for a week when they first moved to town, and we thought the doggie was very cute, and we said we'd keep her until her real mother could take her. But it turns out that the doggie isn't actually housebroken. The owners just took her outside all the time. She never, ever goes to the door on her own. When she gets up from a long nap, she goes straight into our office and pees on the rug; if the door is closed, she'll go upstairs and pee up there, on the wall-to-wall carpet. She has a sweet temperament, and she's adjusted well over-all to being here. When I take her outside in the morning, I stay outside with her until she pees (or does the other one), and I tell her "good potty," and we come right back inside. I try to be aware of when she's napping and when she wakes up, so I can purposely take her outside (and I ask her if she wants to go potty). But tonight we were dozing in the recliner watching Psych, and I wasn't awake enough to take her outside when she got down from the chair, and in the nanosecond it took me to wake up all the way and realize she was gone, she had gone down and peed on the rug. She's five years old, for crying out loud. How is it that I should be having to housebreak a five-year-old dog, who has always lived inside with her people??? Anyway, we'll be gone for a few days, and she (and our frenchie Wrolf) is staying with a neighbor, who has been forewarned, and who has lots of experience with dogs and a room where the dachsund can be contained safely so I'm not worried about my dog ruining my neighbor's carpet). I'll continue working on the housebreaking when I get home, but if this is how dachsunds are, I'm just not willing to keep on with her, KWIM? WDYT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I don't think that's just how dachsunds are. My mom loved those dogs and we always had one. Many were taken as adults from local shelters, and she was able to train them all to scratch at the front door when they wanted out. I have no idea how, though. :tongue_smilie: Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Could you use a kennel for when you can't directly watch her? That and tethering her to you with a leash to belt loop works wonders. They usually won't pee right there next to you and it does wonders for learning each others routines. My adult rescue was tethered to me for a couple months once she was brave enough to come inside. It worked wonders for potty training and bonding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 We do have a kennel, which of course she isn't used to being in. I've been feeding her in there for a couple of weeks and have only started crating her the last couple of days (she peed in it the first time I put her in there while I ran an errand), when I leave the house and at night. When we get back, I'll try the leash thing. She's already bonded to me, so that isn't an issue. In fact, I've had to work with her to help her be more relaxed, so that she doesn't feel she has to be right at my feet all the time. But I'll try the leash when we sit down to cuddle and watch TV; it's when I doze off and don't feel her get down that I don't catch her, KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zookeeper Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 It's definitely not a dachshund thing. Mine is trained very well! It would be hard to care for someone else's dog if they weren't house broken. Hope it gets better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Are you sure she doesn't have an UTI? I don't know vet care works since your kind of fostering, but if this doesn't improve I might want to have it checked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 Are you sure she doesn't have an UTI? I don't know vet care works since your kind of fostering, but if this doesn't improve I might want to have it checked. No, I'm not sure. But it seems to me that the times she pees on the rug are appropriate, KWIM? It will be after she's slept for a long time and she just has to *go.* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 It's definitely not a dachshund thing. Mine is trained very well! It would be hard to care for someone else's dog if they weren't house broken. Hope it gets better. Hmmm...well, her owners, although well meaning and kind people, just didn't do much training with her at all. She isn't a problem, you know, because she's little, and cute, and has a good temperament. She was with her peeps all the time because they had been living with other families for quite some time, and they took her with them every time they left the house. And of course, it was traumatic for her to be left her without her people, poor thing. I do feel better knowing that it isn't a dachsund thing; it gives me hope, lol. I'll work on it with a vengeance when we get back...but I cannot keep her if she won't be housebroken. I'm not that generous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somo_chickenlady Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I would just start from the very beginning, as if she was a new puppy, until she is potty trained. At her age, it shouldn't take her long. In the kennel (she will get used to it quickly, but you may have to "put" her in it at first...treats work well for our dog) for all naps and any time you can't directly supervise her. She gets no free reign of the house at all. If you get her out of the kennel, and she goes potty, she can be out with you if you can watch her at all times. If you are worried about her walking off and going potty at random times, then put her on a leash and attach it to your belt loop, so she can't go far from you. Only keep her out for half of an hour or up to an hour at first, then have her go potty again then back in her kennel. Be very stern with her if you catch her going potty, so she knows that she isn't allowed to do that, then immediately take her outside, put her in the grass, and say "You go potty here!" You can also hang a bell from the door knob or next to the door, and when you go to take her out have HER ring the bell with her paw or nose, so she learns to do that. Like I said, at her age it shouldn't take very long, but it will take some time and patience. Good luck!! I'm sorry you are having to deal with this!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 I would just start from the very beginning, as if she was a new puppy, until she is potty trained. At her age, it shouldn't take her long. In the kennel (she will get used to it quickly, but you may have to "put" her in it at first...treats work well for our dog) for all naps and any time you can't directly supervise her. She gets no free reign of the house at all. If you get her out of the kennel, and she goes potty, she can be out with you if you can watch her at all times. If you are worried about her walking off and going potty at random times, then put her on a leash and attach it to your belt loop, so she can't go far from you. Only keep her out for half of an hour or up to an hour at first, then have her go potty again then back in her kennel. Be very stern with her if you catch her going potty, so she knows that she isn't allowed to do that, then immediately take her outside, put her in the grass, and say "You go potty here!" You can also hang a bell from the door knob or next to the door, and when you go to take her out have HER ring the bell with her paw or nose, so she learns to do that. Like I said, at her age it shouldn't take very long, but it will take some time and patience. Good luck!! I'm sorry you are having to deal with this!! Yes, I was thinking I might have to resort to this. I was just taken by surprise that she isn't housebroken, KWIM? She isn't spayed, either. That will happen after our vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somo_chickenlady Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Yes, I was thinking I might have to resort to this. I was just taken by surprise that she isn't housebroken, KWIM? She isn't spayed, either. That will happen after our vacation. Oh my. They are going to pay you back, yes? What a pain. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 It's definitely not a dachshund thing... but it's a real nuisance to train an older dog, especially one that you won't be keeping permanently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I've known a lot of dachshunds who were very reliably house trained, so I doubt it's a breed thing. In your shoes I'd do one of two things -- Start back at Housetraining 101 as Kara described in post #9, or get some good quality wee wee pads that have an attractant built in. I'm guessing she'd take to the wee wee pads right away. They're convenient, but the good quality ones can get spendy over time, and understandably some people just don't like the idea of a dog doing its business in the house, even in a designated spot. IME Petsmart's store brand (Great Choice) are the best quality for the money. Spaying may also help somewhat, because what she's doing may be marking. Many female dogs are as bad (or even worse) about marking their territory as male dogs are. If it's hormone-related it'll take a few weeks for the urge to go away after she's spayed, and since it's an ingrained behavior the spaying alone very likely won't be a miracle cure. But there's a slim possibility it will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 Thanks for all the advice. :-) I'll let you know how it goes. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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