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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Really struggling with my dog.

22 replies

JingoBongo · 27/10/2022 08:02

I’m finding life with my dog (1 of them) increasingly difficult. She hates rain and has stopped toileting outside unless it’s perfectly dry. This includes walks.

She’s 4, spayed, the vet has given her a thorough check over and says it’s a behavioural issue, but hasn’t suggested anything new I can try.

I've gone back to basics with house training, going out with her, rewarding when she does anything outside, taking her outside when she’s eaten or played, watching for signs that she needs a wee or poo, the usual things, but to no avail.

If it’s at all wet outside, in the garden or on a walk, she holds everything in to do it in the house. I seem to spend my whole life at the moment trying to sort this out. I’m an experienced dog owner, I know how to house train dogs and puppies, but she is beating me and it’s really getting me down.

Carpets are cleaned every time with enzymatic cleaner.

This is really affecting my previously robust mental health and most days I fantasise about rehoming her (which i don’t think I could ever do).

She seems happy in general, loves her dog brother. She’s never liked rain but has put up with it until the beginning of summer, and since the weather has been wetter every wee and poo has been inside. Even if I stand outside for hours (and I have) she holds it in.

Help!

OP posts:
KangarooKenny · 27/10/2022 08:07

Do you put a coat on her when it’s raining ?

JingoBongo · 27/10/2022 08:15

Yes (sorry, should have said that!).
Waterproof coat. Hasn’t made any difference at all.

OP posts:
Cavviesarethebest · 27/10/2022 08:16

Can you build an outside covered area where she could toilet?

JingoBongo · 27/10/2022 08:20

There’s already a small sheltered area, but whilst she’ll stand under it she still won’t go to the loo.

OP posts:
NiceTwin · 27/10/2022 08:23

What breed is she?

I have an Italian Greyhound like this. He is 12 now, when I realised trying to get him to go out was futile, I trained him to go in the utility room, which is tiled. It was preferable to doing it on the carpet.
We have since moved and I built him an outdoor shelter that he shoots to and does his business in there if the weather is not to his liking.

Cake4 · 27/10/2022 08:24

Oh god I really sympathise. This would drive me up the wall. Perhaps a dog fleece? Cosier than a coat? I'm sure someone will be along with some better advice.

Roselilly36 · 27/10/2022 08:30

Is it the wet ground she doesn’t like? Have you tried putting down some newspaper where you would like her to go. Is she the same with going out on walk in the rain. I hope you get it sorted out soon OP. Good luck.

Roselilly36 · 27/10/2022 08:32

Sorry I see you said it includes walks! Assuming you have checked her paws?

Quveas · 27/10/2022 08:33

This is a bit of a Hail Mary and will sound totally ridiculous - but it actually is "dog science". It is possible that if she hates rain (and some dogs do) she isn't getting enough exercise to toilet. Dogs are natural predators, albeit rather poor ones in the main, and their toiletting systems are linked to the hunt. Even with highly bred dogs, as you can't overcome nature as easy as all that. In "the hunt" dogs will toilet early on to lose weight - because they can run faster / easier. The burst of running / exploring etc in the run up to the hunt starts that process. If she's miserable and hates the rain then she is likely not getting in the required energy release to toilet well. So maybe a few energetic games before she goes out - a bit of indoor ftech, tugging or whatever, will help. My dog was trained to a treadmill (I'm disabled and have a service dog but very occasionally when it is noring or very icy I can't get out) and this helps him to use up some energy but also to get him to that stage of wanting to toilet. So if you happened to have a treadmill it also might be worth trying!

Ostryga · 27/10/2022 08:34

Could you try her out with rain boots? She’ll probably hate those as well but worth a shot. Can you go out with her with an umbrella?

If all else fails get her to go on puppy pads?

I really sympathise it must be driving you to distraction. I would see if you could get in touch with a behaviourist to help you as well.

Quveas · 27/10/2022 08:34

Fat fingers - snowing not noring, whatever a noring is!

TwoSpoonsofSugar · 27/10/2022 08:35

No advice but I feel for you and hope you can resolve this. There's a really good Facebook group run by dog trainers called Dog Training Advice and Support that might be able to help if you post on there?

MintyGreenDreams · 27/10/2022 08:38

Is she a Chihuahua? I have 2 and they hate going out in the damp

wtfisgoingonhere21 · 27/10/2022 08:41

@JingoBongo exactly the same issue with one of my rescues at the minute.

He crouched and started to pee on my lounge rug last night for the first time.

Normally it's on the kitchen floor but not what you want to get up to every morning or walk into when you've popped out.

I've started feeding mine earlier in the tea time window and then letting them out multiple times in the evenings.

I actually shut them out now for a bit or they just stand there looking at me and come back in.

In the process of laying new floors aswell so that's really not going to go well.

He started the week we had really bad storms here overnight and I'm convinced it's upset him.

He's also barking at night and when I go down to let him out he doesn't want to go out at all. I think it's re assurance he needs but gah I'm struggling this week with it.

I was home with covid for ten days so was with them all the time and I'm sure that's not helped either

Fishlegs · 27/10/2022 08:42

Could you maybe put an old off cut of carpet under the covered area? You’d still need to clean it but at least it’s not inside.

My whippet has just started to wee inside the porch when it’s raining, so you have my sympathies.

JingoBongo · 27/10/2022 08:46

Her coat is fleece lined, and seems very cosy.

She’s a greyhound lurcher, but funnily enough several people have described her as a giant chihuahua. I suspect she identifies as a chihuahua 😂

She still runs plenty on walks, even in the rain, and seems happy to do so, but waits until she’s home so she can wee/poo in the house! The whole house is carpeted, even the kitchen, and open plan, so difficult to contain her to one area.

I’ll get some puppy pads to try - good idea!

OP posts:
JingoBongo · 27/10/2022 08:47

An off cut of carpet is a good idea too! Thank you.

OP posts:
crossstitchingnana · 27/10/2022 09:28

I have read that when it's wet it affects their sensitive hearing. Mine doesn't like going into our yard when wet but will go for a walk.

Phrenologistsfinger · 27/10/2022 09:32

These work well and don’t smell - piddlepatch.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw2OiaBhBSEiwAh2ZSPwg4L4PvrGt4pZYOs3UvfsTYSWeFb2yir4oFPXgzNH-oJq91F0lA0RoCu-oQAvD_BwE

We used it for our rescue for several months when she was too scared to go in the garden or on walks. They like the grass.

Newusernameaug · 27/10/2022 09:33

I’d get a crate and pop her in there to retrain. That way she can’t go in the house and has to learn to go outside

Frlrlrubert · 27/10/2022 09:54

Following as we have this exact problem with our (coming up to 8) working cocker.

It is driving me batty, she will wait for the moment I turn my back, I thought I was over constant toilet ring vigilance now all animals and humans in the house are over 5!

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 27/10/2022 10:49

If I were you I think I'd pull the carpets up and opt for hard flooring, that's what I did when we had a puppy. I couldn't cope with the constant carpet cleaning 😕

Is there any pattern to it? Does she go immediately after a walk?

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