DH wants to rehome our Shih Tzu - help appreciated!

[hulla]

We have female Shih Tzu who is about 18 months old. We are her 4th family since she was born (excluding the family she came from). We took her from my aunt who told me feared her bigger dog (possibly a Staffordshire Bull - I don't know dog breeds, sorry) was going to hurt her and would we take her. If not, she was going to a dogs home.

To give a brief history, my mum had the dog from being a puppy but decided to give her to my cousin after my cousin's son took a shine to her (she has a similar, emotionally-detached way with me and my siblings so this didn't really surprise me). My cousin had her for a few months but left the puppy home alone every day and complained that Pip had started peeing and pooping in the house. After a few months my aunty said she would take the dog.

My girls both adore the Pip and I felt sorry for her being passed from pillar to post or being left alone all day. I am a SAHM so I thought her having someone around all day and being walked etc would be a better life than being sent to a dogs home so we took her.

She settled in fine, cuddles a lot, is a very placid dog but she has started peeing and pooping in the house. We walk her twice a day and she goes out into the garden first thing in the morning. Often she'll poop the second we get home from a walk. I just don't understand it.

We went to my dads this morning for breakfast (my step-mum has allergies so had asked us not to bring the dog) and when we came home at lunch time, Pip has pooed on the dining table.

DH is absolutely incandescent with rage and has told me to find her a new home. I am heart broken and the girls are devastated. I don't know whats going on, I really don't want to send her away again, I feel that could be part of her issue.

Can she be trained not to do this and can anyone recommend any links etc?

There's loads you can do.

It sounds a stupid question but has anyone toilet trained her?

Go back to basics with the toilet training. Crate train. If you're leaving her home alone, pop her in her crate with a stuffed Kong.

Kiko Pup on You Tube is a great resource

This book covers all the basics including crate training, separation anxiety and toilet training

I'd go right back to basics with the house training and treat her like a puppy. Taker her out after meals, when she wakes, immediately after walks (as she seems to have form for going inside when you get back) and regularly through the day. Clear up accidents inside with a decent cleaner that will remove any smell (Simple Solutions do a great one, or you can use a solution of biological washing liquid) without making a fuss and lavish praise on her when she goes outside.

I'd also start crate training her so she can be left in one when you go out.

She's had a lot of upheaval in a short space of time and it doesn't sound like she's been appropriately trained either so it's not surprising she's not quite there yet. There's no reason this shouldn't be completely fixable though

It sounds like she hasn't ever been house trained and is totally confused (unsurprisingly) , you need to go back to basics taking her out in the garden regularly.

This is a good plan to follow for house training.

www.facebook.com/notes/dog-training-advice-and-support/toilet-training/375413655807531

You could also try a crate for when you're out or unable to supervise. Two walks and one trip to the garden is not really enough for a dog.

Absolutely agree with the above. We live on a farm and have a lot of dogs. Both my terrier and my sil spaniel are crate trained. Pip, my terrier! Is ten and completely house trained, will toilet on demand. However, she never has free range of the house when we are out.

Our other dogs are working so they stay outside but any dog I ever have will be crate trained.
The table is interesting, I assume you eat there? Dogs tend to toilet when they are marking territory or asserting dominance. If your girls eat there she may be trying to tell you something about where she sees herself in the household structure. As others have said, she is very young and this is easily fixed.

I would not give up. Order a crate and the above guidance today and start as you mean to go on. Good luck.

Dominance in dogs had been widely disproven, it's an old myth that won't go away and can damage dogs further by misguided humans using inappropriate/forceful/damaging 'training' methods on them.

Have you looked at the excellent facebook page for positive dog training OP, taken her to the vets to check for an UTI or bowel problems? Has anything in her life changed recently? Has anything scared her when she's been outside for the toilet, like a bird/loud noise/standing on a thorn?
If not, just do the puppy toilet training as detailed on the Facebook page, it involves just going back to basics and taking her out A LOT. Humans screaming at her for going inside won't make her think 'ah right, I'll go outside then', she'll just think her toileting is so,ethimg she has to hide from you.
Your husband chose to have her, so he'll have to work through this issue. Dog sanctuaries are on their knees, theresno room for yet more unwanted dogs.

It's not your fault, or the dogs fault, she's had a disjointed, stressful short life and she needs help to feel secure and shown kindly what you want her to do.

Thanks so much for the replies and links everyone. Just to be clear, she does go out more than one pee in the garden in the morning. She just doesn't seems to like to pee outside. I don't know what her training was. I know that my mum paid for her to go away to a trainer for a week because I recall being there at the end of that week when she received a text saying he wasn't happy with her progress and was going to keep her another week. My mum was distressed but left it to his expert opinion. No idea what he did.

I am going to look at those links and search for the Facebook group. I have the time to spend on this and even though she hasn't been hear long I am quite upset at the thought of her leaving.

I had heard that crates were cruel but I will look into it now. Back to basics it is.

www.facebook.com/pages/Goodog-Positive-Dog-Training/164212460266079?fref=ts

This one?

Try this one.

www.facebook.com/notes/dog-training-advice-and-support/toilet-training/375413655807531

Although your mum probably had good intentions sending dogs away to be trained rarely works as the person handling the dog on a daily basis needs to be trained as well IYSWIM .

My dog lives his crate, he's 3 now and we rarely lick the door anymore (only if we really need him to be safe/out the way for a while) but he regularly takes himself for a snooze in there.

If the house is busy and he's had enough you'll find him in his crate, if it gets past 'bedtime' and we haven't told him to go to bed, he'll be in his crate, the command he is most obedient to is the one to go in his crate! I am sure he doesn't find it cruel at all, but a safe space where he can feel secure. I would 100% crate train any other dog we might have in the future.

One word of warning though, it does take them a few days to get used to it, and that can be a little bit noisy (you start by just keeping them in for a few seconds, and slowly build up) and you have to be really really strong willed and not let them out while they are actually making a noise, otherwise they learn that shouting gets you to do what they want. It's really not cruel if done properly, but sad dog eyes and cries are pretty good at pulling on even the hardest of heart strings!

Good luck OP - you can sort this :)

OP, when your husband is "absolutely incandescent with rage", how good is he at staying calm and steady with the dog? Cos if he isn't, rehoming might be the best option.