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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To limit my dog's toys to one at a time?

58 replies

AlexTurnersMrs · 28/05/2018 16:48

About two months ago I got put on quetiapine- I don't know if it's connected or not but after a lifelong state of not being at all houseproud, I'm suddenly obsessed with my house being spotless.

I have a dog, a little Frenchie who I love to bits but he has toys scattered all over the house. He plays with them for 2 minutes and then discards them in various locations so we have ropes, balls, stuffed toys, bones etc all over. Sometimes he'll literally pick one up, carry it to the living room and drop it there with no intentions of playing with it! I'm finding it frustrating and messy! WIBU to let him have one toy out at a time? (And swap them throughout the week)?

OP posts:

RadioDorothy · 28/05/2018 18:21

Haha I was getting all defensive on his behalf but that is funny.

WombatStewForTea · 28/05/2018 18:23

Sounds like he's highly stressed all round. Also sounds like he's been punished for weeing inside and ripping the sofa which is why he does it out of sight.

Pull your finger out and start training the poor thing

Original poster

AlexTurnersMrs · 28/05/2018 18:24

Honestly, I do love him. I love him too much according to everyone we know. He's my baby.

OP posts:

Original poster

AlexTurnersMrs · 28/05/2018 18:25

He's not punished - I don't know wha you're implying there but this dog has never known human aggression. He's pampered like a human baby, maybe that's the issue.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 28/05/2018 18:25

Yep sounds very much like he's been punished for toileting inside. Not being stubborn or manipulative.
He does sound both highly stressed and untrained. Time to sort the housetraining and maybe start some obedience work. Is he getting enough exercise?

Wolfiefan · 28/05/2018 18:26

Dogs don't hide to pee because they're manipulative. They hid because peeing in front of a human in the house gets them told off.
Or because they've never been taught outside is the only place to pee.

VogueVVague · 28/05/2018 18:27

Im not sure where people are getting the punishment idea from but sounds tp me like he would get a lot of fun and stimulation out of obedience classes

Rainydaydog · 28/05/2018 18:29

Actually my dog trainer friend suggested doing something like this. Apparently toys lose their interest to dogs after a short time and controlling access to then makes them more exciting and they will be more likely to play with it. If your dog has a favourite you could let him keep that one and then rotate the others.

Original poster

AlexTurnersMrs · 28/05/2018 18:29

He's NEVER punished.

He gets two walks a day, in the field, off lead, runs around like a nutter, wades through ditches, explores bushy areas, chases rhebodd pheasant. Comes home puffed out, exhausted and starfishes on the floor.

I took him to an obedience class, they could do nothing with him, he's too excitable.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 28/05/2018 18:31

It's not up to them to do something with him. That's your job! Obedience teaches you the tools to train your own dog. Training should be ongoing. Not just a few sessions.
And I explained the punishment thing above.

AviatorShades · 28/05/2018 18:33

AlexTurnersMrs your post of 18.18 made me lol

WombatStewForTea · 28/05/2018 18:50

Well he certainly has had some negativity around it or he wouldn't be acting that way. Maybe not from you it could be another member of the family. Shouting at him or rubbing his nose in his wee will cause that kind of behaviour.

OP you need to step up, stop making excuses and bloody do something

pigsDOfly · 28/05/2018 18:50

Dogs don't pee in the house because they're trying to annoy the owner.

It sounds as if you just need to spend more time training him. He hasn't learned to differentiate between inside and outside. Was he trained on puppy pads, that can lead to this type of confusion.

You might find you need to go back to the beginning and start taking him out every half an hour or so as you would a puppy.

Toys I could live with, pee and poo in the house I couldn't stand.

Having said that, if the peeing inside is a new behaviour, you might need to get him checked out for a UTI.

As far as the toys go, he doesn't need to have all his toys around all the time, but restricting him to one at a time sounds a bit harsh.

mookinsx · 28/05/2018 18:51

So my dog is no saint - we didn't train her well enough to begin with as we were overcome with adoration as she was the size of dp's hand. But she will go on a training mat if the back door isn't open and she's one. This is with very little training. She is getting better and better and is disciplined if she does wrong.
She has a lot of toys including numerous tennis balls. Yes they are a mess and it's annoying but it takes me less than 2 minutes to pick them all up and put them back in her corner. Yabu
Train the poor dog - dogs get bored and training them is a very important part of their lives.
Buy a basket for their toys - takes minutes to tidy each evening before bed

Wolfiefan · 28/05/2018 18:54

Puppy pads are no substitute for toilet training.
You shouldn't "discipline" a dog. Not sure exactly what you mean. Training should be positive and reward based.

pigsDOfly · 29/05/2018 09:39

Ah, you got there before me Wolfiefan.

Mookinsx Training a dog to go on a pad by the back door is not training it to learn the difference from inside and outside, likewise the dog only going out when back door is open. The dog needs to learn to ask to go out and needs to be trained to only toilet outside.

Disciplining a dog because it doesn't understand that the puppy pad is one thing and the rest of the house is something different isn't helpful. Dogs don't need discipline they need positively reinforced training.

Disciplining a dog often results in a nervous dog. Like the OP's dog, the dog is likely to learn that it can toilet in the house when you're not there, because if you are there it gets punished - not saying OP's got get punished, but there's a reason for the toileting and destruction when OP isn't there. And if you're punishing after the event the dog will have no idea what it's done wrong.

Dogs don't like to toilet in the place they live, it goes against their instincts, by training your dog that it's ok to toilet in one part of its home but not in another you're giving your dog mixed messages and just confusing her.

Train her to go outside so she knows where she should be going and stop 'disciplining' her.

mookinsx · 31/05/2018 21:15

My dog can't open a door by itself when I'm at work so I'd rather the puppy of than the carpet thank you. The back door is open all evening and she goes outside, but being a small dog she has a small bladder and cannot hold a wee in all night.
Telling a dog no is needed. My dog will respect the rules and boundaries put in place. If she jumps up at a small child and hurts them because I didn't discipline her would show me in a bad light.

e1y1 · 31/05/2018 21:41

I’m extremely housproud (always have been), I’m one of those posters that would rather have a guest chop their feet off than wear shoes on my carpet and touching my walls is a hanging offence, joking (slightly).

However, Yabvu, they’re dog toys, not biological warfare. My house whilst very clean and tidy everywhere else, has dog toys everywhere around 90percent of the time.

Wolfiefan · 31/05/2018 21:44

So your dog is left for long hours with no choice but to toilet outside.
Dogs should be able to hold it overnight. Late night and early morning loo breaks.
Telling a dog no means very little. You need to work in a positive way to get the behaviour you do want. So teach four on the floor. Not discipline for jumping up.
You shouldn't train your dog to avoid being shown in a bad light!

mookinsx · 31/05/2018 21:58

She's tiny, it gets hot and she's had issues when she's been dehydrated. She gets let out last thing at night and first thing in the morning. If she pees in the night or day when alone it's on the mat? If the doors open it's outside. She knows the difference and half the time the mat it dry, just saves the floor if needed. Thanks for the advice but she is fine. A happy well behaved and completely adored dog. Just small and needs a wee in the night sometimes.
she is trained to be good. Not show me in a light however I don't wish her to jump up on small children just to lick their faces and consequently scaring them.
She's good, she's happy, she has plenty of toys and love

Wolfiefan · 31/05/2018 22:51

If she's peeing inside that's not good. Mats are meant for training (and not great for that) not for when a dog is forced to pee inside.

mookinsx · 01/06/2018 06:26

I need sleep and she can't open doors her self. Last time it was used was when she woke at 3am and it was nearly light. Probably got confused. Back tf off of my dogs bladder

VogueVVague · 01/06/2018 06:50

Why the hell do you think they're called puppy pads? Theyre for puppy pads.

A grown dog shouldn't have to resort to pissing indoors.

And its not just at night its during the day too.

Do you actually walk your dog? Or does it just spend the day alone at home and then in the garden when you're home?

Hate it when people get dogs when they're out all day. Theres a reason dog walkers exist. Sort it out.

VogueVVague · 01/06/2018 06:50

Thats to @mookinsx

adaline · 01/06/2018 06:54

If your dog needs to pee in the night, then take them out in the night! Our puppy still needs letting out at night - yes, it's tiring and frustrating sometimes but surely letting a dog piss in the house because you'd rather sleep just teaches him that it's okay to piss in the house?

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