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House training a cruelty case dog?


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I just went over to meet a customer's new dog. She has only had her about a week. She was a cruelty case that came in from a house where some animals were just abandoned in a garage. She looks like she might be part corgi and part shepherd. She has little short legs and she is very sweet. She's not a puppy but I don't think she is too old. Her teeth are still very white.

 

She is not housebroken at all. And I have her until October 6th - not at my house, at the customer's house. Her new owner said she has not seen her pee one time outside and she has a couple of places in the house where she tends to go.

 

She should be staying in a crate when I'm not there. So far she has managed to get out of the crate every day so the owner has gotten some new stronger catches. The crates are pretty old but they are plenty big enough for her. And she likes the crate. And she likes treats.

 

I should be there by 5:30 am each day to let her out for about 45 minutes. Then again about 1:00 and then about 7:30.

 

Any helpful hints?

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Tommy, when I got Jade she was in a very similar situation. The way I went about training her was by using puppy pee pads in the spot that she was most comfortable relieving herself in the house. I still continued to take her out on a regular schedule and asked her to go potty. It took a bit but she finally got the message and held herself to go outside.

 

But I have a concern here. None of my business but if she came from a place of abandonment, the schedule I am seeing looks like abandonment to me as well. How much time will you be spending with her in the other two times to let her out? I am not opposed to crates or crate training but this again seems like really long times to leave a previously abandoned dog by itself.

 

Teri

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I know. She needs to have someone with her more often but her owner won't be back until the 6th - she is going to Scotland.

 

She is a very nice woman that is an ICU nurse. But her dogs have to stay by themselves for long periods of time as she works a 12 hour shift. She lets the dogs stay out in the house all night so they aren't always in a crate. She just lost her other 2 dogs. One in Dec. to bone cancer and one in April to Mast Cell cancer.

 

I will stay over there as much as I can. At least 45 minutes each time I'm there and I probably will just go over about 3 in the afternoon each day and read a book or something. She doesn't live that far from me. I do that sometimes when I am taking care of dogs that have to stay in crates. I just don't think 3 times a day is enough for those dogs. There is a cat there, too, so she will have some company. I think she is the only dog I have next week so I will have some extra time to stay with her.

 

I will pick up pee pads tomorrow morning.

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She really isn't any problem. I just put pee pads down. This lady works such long hours that the dog is probably better off this way. It's a lot better than being in a crate for 14 hours. She has the run of the basement. When her owner is home she can run all over the huge yard and she stays out in the house all night. It's not perfect but it's a whole lot better than where she was. She's a cute,smart little dog. She looks like a Shepherd on short legs.

 

I'very been fixing her a kong everytime I leave. I'm going to get her some more toys to play with this morning.

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Tommy,

 

Thank you for taking care of her for your friend and it does sound like she is in a better place. Are the pee pads working? I know that isn't the ideal cure but it certainly is easier to clean up and helps with odor.

 

Also, sorry it took me so long to respond but I could not get on the site for a few days. Something about the SQL server. :)

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She is doing really good with the pee pads. The problem I am having with her now is that she jumps up constantly. And I got mad at her this morning after about the one thousandth down. Then I really felt badly because she is just so excited to see me when I get there. And she just doesn't know any better. I am used to border collies and this dog has a whole lot different kind of temperament. I don't know how to help her. She is smart. She learned to "sit" right away. But she is just so excited that the "down" is just not getting through.

 

That and she pulls constantly on the leash. She is a squirrel chaser and the yard is just full of squirrels and rabbits. It would be so much better if I could let her just run and run but this is a huge yard that is fenced on 3 sides. So I can't let her off leash. If she saw a squirrel she would just be gone.

 

Patience is a virtue. I am not giving up.

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The problem I am having with her now is that she jumps up constantly. And I got mad at her this morning after about the one thousandth down. Then I really felt badly because she is just so excited to see me when I get there. And she just doesn't know any better. I am used to border collies and this dog has a whole lot different kind of temperament. I don't know how to help her. She is smart. She learned to "sit" right away. But she is just so excited that the "down" is just not getting through.

Will she sit (even for a milli-second) when you arrive? If so, come equipped with treats that you can throw about 2-3 feet away. When you come in, ask for a 'sit', and if she will plop her butt on the floor for even a second, say 'good' or 'yes' or click and immediately throw the treat about 2-3 feet away from you. Do this 4, 5 or 8 times. Hopefully, she will soon get into the routine (it may take several days or more) and then you can work on duration of sit.

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Also, with Jade, she does exactly the same thing...and she isn't by herself everyday. I am trying to work on when I come through the door, to turn my back on her and ignore her until she settles down so she can actually hear what i am saying to her. When she sits, I speak really calmly to her and give her a treat. If she starts jumping again I will turn my back and ignore her. She is getting better and I don't want to scold her for being excited to see me so I am trying different things. I have had some advice from other posters which has been really beneficial for me.

 

Also, is it possible to give her a really long rope and let her run some or is she just so strong that she would pull you down when she got to the end?

 

I am so sorry about your little chi.

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She was so much better. Or maybe I was better.

 

Or maybe you both were better. ;) Just happy to hear it worked.

 

I'm not a fan of choke chains. It might help, but it might also injure her. . . or frighten her.

 

As a fellow pet sitter, there's no way I would presume to put a choke chain on a dog without the owner's permission. . . . and I'd be furious if someone put one on my dog without my permission. Just sayin' . . .

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Oh I agree. I don't like choke chains. I know that they used to be used for training(many years a trainer had us use one of the a boxer...only when we were training) but it still made me uncomfortable. I am so glad she is doing better and you too. Possibly if your stress level was down she sensed that and felt she could calm down some. :)

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It's working. I can't believe how fast she is improving . She has sit down really well now. I throw her treats 8 or 10 times and by then she is just not jumping up any more. If she does jump up she is not jumping up on me.

 

We are also working on not pulling on the extension leash. I think it was Emily that said she taught her dogs not to pull by putting them on an extension and every time they hit the end it's click and pull back. Every time. And she is just doing so much better.

 

She us very smart and she is starting to get the hang of learning stuff.

 

Thank you, guys.

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