Frequent potty breaks

[Lunar]

Alright, Zoe is driving me a little nuts. She's 10 months old now, but when she's loose in the house she's still asking to go out every hour or so. She should be able to hold it longer than that. If she's napping, then it's no problem, she can go all night no problems. But when the two dogs get playing (which is frequently), soon as they're done she runs over to me whining.

 

So I'm starting to think those people who have their dogs on a potty schedule instead of their dog telling them have to go are on the right track. I've never had problems with Zeeke or Oreo in whining to go out - though my hubby has Zeeke on a potty schedule more or less, he just needs Zeeke to make a point when he's late.

 

So how can I get Zoe to go longer in between potty breaks WITHOUT having an accident? Because that's what I'm concerned about still. It's been weeks and weeks (maybe months) since she had an accident - well she had an accident last week while I was out, but that was because hubby is kind of dunce sometimes - but when she has to pee I don't want to just ignore her just in case.

 

Any ideas?

 

Edit: I wanted to add - she had a UTI before, and this really doesn't feel like the same thing. With the UTI she was begging to go out every 10 minutes, non-stop.

[nancy]

Yup. I decided that Fergie would pee when we took her out. Sure, we got up early (one of us was working most days anyhow) and took her out before breakfast. And we always took her out just before bed. And after breakfast, at lunch, when we got home, and after dinner. Still do, over 10 years - and retirement - later.

 

If we let her out every time she wanted, the poor squirrels would never get the food I put out for them. Or even the morning doves, which she considers flying grey squirrels.

[Miztiki]

Hehe.

 

When she whines to go outside, put the leash on her, take her directly to one boring spot in the yard, give her the command to pee, then bring her right back in.

 

Keep doing that so that it's all business and no fun, and if she's whining for any reason other than a legitimate pee need then it should curb her frequent requests to go out.

[smileyzookie]

Rivendell was doing the same thing. SHe's about a year old also. The trainer told us she should be able to hold it 8hours or so. And, we quit taking her out all the time, and she does hold it..We watch her like a hawk still, but she doesnt have accidents at all. Except in that danged garage if we leave.

 

My husband wont get a crate for her, and she knows she can go in the garage and nothing will happen... argh.

[Dixie_Girl]

I think a dogs bladder has to be forced to grow and the dog has to learn to use the muscles to control the out put. I say this only because right after we started house breaking with Jackson, he discovered the doggie door and he never had an accident after that. BUT he can not be left in the house with no way out for any length of time. It's not that he has to pee like every hour, but when he does have to go, he can go at that moment. No waiting for someone to open door! So basicaly he never learned to hold it. Which is why when I took him to town the other day, right after he had been playing hard, and not letting him relieve hisself before going, I came out of the market to find a wet seat! Next pup WILL be taught to hold it!

[2 Devils]

If you know the dog does not have a UTI or something, I would slowly started making her have to hold it longer.

 

Tempe is now 5 months old. She can hold it while in the crate at least 5 hours - we have not tested longer than that except at night and she holds it upwards of 10 hours...

 

When out of the crate she can go at least 4 hours but then again I am a smoker so the dogs usually go out with me.

 

I usually end uup dictating their poot schedule and it works. I also teach them to go on command and that I think would help.

[Lunar]

Miz - I already do that. She goes right out about 10 feet from the door, told to pee, she does, we go right back inside. She does *try* to sniff around, but if she spends more than 10 seconds sniffing with no peeing, then we go back inside.

 

I do crate her when I go out - now that's not that often (I work from home, one vehicle between DH and me), but she can safely be left in her crate over 5 hours.

 

If I have a nap in the middle of the day, both dogs sleep with no problems. But Zoe HAS to go pee soon as she gets let out/wakes up/stops playing/finishes drinking.

 

I really think Dixie_Girl hit the nail on the head - she just never learned to hold it. And I think her bladder is just not used to it. So I guess I'll just tell he to "wait" when she comes up to me whining, and wait for 5 minutes, then 10, etc. Think that would work? I of course will take her out when we get up, before bed, after a meal like we do with Zeeke....

[Miztiki]

Oh!

 

Then maybe she has the "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now, gotta go, gotta go, gotta go" thing going on. Small bladder, weak bladder muscles...

 

Maybe there's a medicine for dogs like there is for people if having her hold it to strengthen the muscles doesn't work.

 

Now you'll have that song running through your head all day.

[Lunar]

LOL! Gee, thanks Miz. And yeah, that sounds like it could be it. Eeenie weenie little bladder. Did I ever mention she sounds like a baby bird when she whines? Chirp chirp chrip. Drives us crazy! O.O Though I can't say it's worse than Zeeke's ear-piercing BARK!

[Shetlander]

Originally posted by Lunar:

And yeah, that sounds like it could be it. Eeenie weenie little bladder.

I probably is just a matter of her needing to learn how to hold it. You might want to rule out that it isn't anything physical though, just to make sure you're addressing the real issue.

 

My Lhasa was terrible about needing to go out a lot. He still can't make it through the entire work day the way my other dogs could and so gets a noon break. It took a long time to convince him that he didn't need to pee the moment the urge struck him, but at some point after age 2, he became very good in the house. Anyway, we did do a urinalysis including making sure that he could concentrate his urine -- which he can. So the vet ruled it a behavioral issue. Maturity and (keeping him always in view) helped eventually

[Lunar]

Oh my gosh. So today was a terrible disaster. She didn't have any pee accidents inside. No, she POOPED. What the heck?? She hasn't done that in... in MONTHS. I wasn't ignoring her for hours, but I didn't jump up when she whined.... but it's nothing I hadn't done before. It wasn't her normal poop time.

 

So then after I fed them (in their crates) she pooped again inside. All over the blanket that was down as their dog bed. I had JUST taken her out, because I always take her out after I feed them. A person with a dog was walking by, so that probably "distracted" her from finishing her business outside. So now that blanket's in the wash, the whole area has been scrubbed (twice), I've sprayed deodorizers everywhere.... gah what a stink. UGH.

 

I feel like I win the prize for worst mommy of the day. Jeez.

[Meg's mum]

Natalie. I can't tell you how much I sympathize. We've given up until we get this subfloor up and the hardwood floors down. There's no way to get the scent out so Meg just keeps sneaking around and pooping and peeing when we turn our head.

 

My caution is that since this is unusual that you seriously consider worms may be the cause and take her to the vet or deworm her as a precaution.

[Lunar]

I'll definitely keep an eye on her. Both our dogs have sensitive stomachs, it seems. Zeeke pukes ALL the time and has a tendency to get diarrhia when worked up. Zoe... well, she tends to eat things.

 

Puppies are cute, yes. But NO MORE PUPPIES for me. Nope. Not until.. until after we have kids and they're all grown up and moved out. Then maybe I'll have forgotten all this.