DOG LOVERS PLEASE HELP ME!

[shadow]

Ok ladies I am at my wits end and I really need some help.

I have 2 dogs, Shadow and Bandit. Shadow is a 3yr old staffy bitch, and bandit is a 2yr old cross rescue dog. We had Shadow from a pup and bandit when he was 6months old.

My problem is as follows. In november we bought a new house and moved in. We bought it as we needed a bigger garden for the dogs and Jadon who was on the way at the time. When we moved in we decided to build a conservatory mainly for the dogs to use, so rather than having them eat and sleep in the kitchen they'd use the conservatory. Well the conservatory was finally finished a week or so ago, we didnt move them in there straight away as it wasn't fully finished (no skirting boards), but we used to leave the door to the conservatory open, and the back door from the conservatory to the garden open, so the dogs could go out as they pleased.

Well one rainy day I was upstairs with Jadon, and dogs were downstairs, I came back down and found one of them had pee'd in the conservatory (which was empty at the time, no furniture). I cleaned it up and made a vet app for shadow as she had been displaying signs of a water infection and wanted to check that before trying to treat any behavioural probs. She's finished her antibiotics, and BOTH dogs have started peeing and pooing in my conservatory, even with the back door open for them.

I dont know why they started doing this. So to try and make them u derstand that this was another room of the house and not a toilet I moved their sofa (yes they have a leather sofa), baskets and food/water bowls in there, as I had read that dogs wont toilet where they eat or sleep. Didnt work, the conservatory is too big, they just find an empty space. So the other night I filled it with stuff, no empty floor space, but one of them moved their basket and poo'd.

They have clear access to outside, and go out there all the time, they will even pee and poo out there, and I praise them when they do. Just before bed I take them for a walk, (but its only a short 10min walk while hubby baths Jadon), and I get them outside and tell them its "time for wee-wee" just before bed. Sometimes they will go, other times they wont.

SO please help, I have no clue why they are toileting in the conservatory. I thought maybe they dont like going out when its raining, but one morning came down to pee on the floor and muddy footprints where one had clearly been out in the rain. I thought maybe it was a seperation anxiety thing, and that they'd do it when i was out or away from them, but one of them has done it when I've been in the kitchen with my back turned. I dont know which is doing it, but i think its both; Bandit had clearly cocked his leg and pee'd on the bin out there, and shadow cant do that she's a bitch, and the other day one had pee'd so I chucked them out (unfortunateltyI lost my rag, and literally chucked them out, I know its not their fault, but with looking after LO aswell, it got to much for me) the back so I could clean up, and bandit went for a pee, so it muct have been shadow who'd messed.

I just dont know why they are doing it. It has been a change for them as they used to sleep in the living room on the sofa's at night, and now they are locked in the conservatory. Also they dont get as much exersize as they should, only a 10 min walk at night, and then not every night. I just cant walk them when I'm home alone with Jadon. That will change when I'm back in work, I can walk them 1st thing in the morning when OH and Jadon are still in bed, and at night when OH bathes Jadon. Mind you its still not enough, only 20mins a day.

So guys help me please, I know its a long post but I'm at my wits end. Also what should I use to get rid of the smell, obviously I cant smell it, but the dogs prob still can. At present I use White Vinegar, Biological Washing powder, bleach and multi surface cleaner.

HELP ME

Please no-body suggest I get rid of the dogs, thats not an option. If I have to get the help of a behaviourist, then so be it. I'm trying to persuade OH to let me employ a dog walker in the days to take them out, but he wont have it. I wouldn't trust anyone other than a professional with them as they are both powerful dogs and pull tremedously on the lead. Other than that I really dont know whats up.

 

[SarahH]

It could just be the new smell of the conservatory and they are trying to make it smell like "their own"....

The only thing I can suggest is that spray stuff you get for when you are training puppies

 

[xkikix]

What about getting one of the pee-post things? Apparently they have pheramone (sp) scent on them which makes them want to toilet on/near it.

In pets at home you can get sprays which totally remove urine odours and they also contain a repellent to stop dogs wanting to toilet in that area.

Dogs are funny buggers and really dont like change I find, when we rehomed one of our dogs the other dog (lab) started peeing in the house

 

[LisaJ1986]

I wish i knew the answer. My dogs go through stages. One week they do it everyday, then nothing for months. I think it can be down to change. New place to sleep. Routine, or new baby. It is very distressing. My OH wants to get rid of the dogs but i won't as i know it is a phase. Does his head in coz i know who does it! He swears blind it's mum's dog but it's not.
Once they get used to things they should calm down.

 

[Penstraze]

I would say your biggest problem is compleatly removing the smell to them as any hint left they will only encourage them to go in there more often, I think its a mixture of all the changes, not getting enough walks and this new room that has been added on to the house that is causing this problem the longer it goes on though the harder the habit will be to break, perhaps contacting a behaviourist is a good idea before the problem gets too engrained or even just joining a dog forum and asking for advice on there as there are usually at least to odd behaviourist on most forums that are willing to give you advice, I have a Toller (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever) and have found by being a member of a toller forum I have gotten invaluable help and suport perfect for my dog from people who know the breed well and I have had a fully qualified behaviourist offer me advice and suport over the phone without wanting any payment which is great as I really don't have the money for a behaviourist!

I can totally sympathies with the upset and frustration of dogs going in the house, when we made changes in preparation for baby earlier on in my pregnancy i.e. my dog sleeping downstairs not in our bedroom on our bed etc he started pooing on the stairs which was so annoying but we got over that and he has now developed a phobia to the back garden for reasons totally unbeknown to us and has a result has started peeing and pooing in the house, it is so very frustrating when a previously very clean dog reverts to going in the house, we are making little steps with him though by going back to house training basics taking him out every 30 minutes and staying out with him praising him for going etc its a real pain finding time to do this whilst heavily pregnant so can imagine would be even harder for you with two dogs to take out and a young baby, I really hope you can get this problem sorted!

 

[Little Bump]

If you use bleach its amonia can actually mimic urine, therefore encouraging them to go more, at least that's what I was told when I had this problem (OH's sister is a dog trainer)

What I did to try and solve the problem was to use a non-amonia based cleaner (I just used hot soapy water) to remove any 'dirt' or stickiness, then I had a spray bottle with neat white vinegar which I sprayed over and left until dry, the smell disperses once the vinegar dries.

It took a good three weeks before my dogs calmed down, and I had to be on top of it constantly as if one went then another would automatically go too.....

We had just moved into a new house and my dogs also have the conservatory as their own space and to be honest I couldn't say whether it was the cleaning or simply the fact that they settled down, but cleaning it up swftly did mean the next had second thoughts about where to go....

 

[shadow]

If you use bleach its amonia can actually mimic urine, therefore encouraging them to go more, at least that's what I was told when I had this problem (OH's sister is a dog trainer)

What I did to try and solve the problem was to use a non-amonia based cleaner (I just used hot soapy water) to remove any 'dirt' or stickiness, then I had a spray bottle with neat white vinegar which I sprayed over and left until dry, the smell disperses once the vinegar dries.

It took a good three weeks before my dogs calmed down, and I had to be on top of it constantly as if one went then another would automatically go too.....

We had just moved into a new house and my dogs also have the conservatory as their own space and to be honest I couldn't say whether it was the cleaning or simply the fact that they settled down, but cleaning it up swftly did mean the next had second thoughts about where to go....

Oooh didn't know that about bleach.

My mam is going to pet at home tonight and they have a product which completely gets rid of the odor, and also discourages them to go there again. Seems a bit to good to be true for £4.49 a bottle, but i'll give it a go.

Also thanks for the advice regarding the dog forum, I think I'll have a look.

I also have been in contact with a local dog walker (didnt know there even was one around here) so that when I go back to work, either once or twice a week I'll have the dog walker take them out for at least an hr, which means its a lot more exercize than they're getting now. I need them to get more exersize as my vet told me my staffy shadow is 6kg overweight

Thanks guys,

Rach xx

 

[Little Bump]

TBH for £4.49 or whatever it is for the odour product you'd may as well stick to 52p asda white vinegar-it completely neutralises urine by breaking down the components that become 'active' when it's exposed to the air. It also sanitises....

It's also the only prduct that will completely neutralise/remove cat urine.

Good luck and I hope it settles down for you, it's frustrating, isn't it?

We've been looking after a friends dog while she's on holiday and this dog revels in being dirty...and by revels I mean loes it...take sunday....she spent the entire morning out in the garden. I brought her in and she took herself off to her crate, I have them open with their beds in, peed, then lay down in it....

Dirty girl, can't wait until she goes home....she'll also come in and straight away poop....she has no problems doing it outside, just likes to do it in....

 

[Bloom]

You have probaly tried this but If it was me i would go back to basics and house train them all over again. Make them go out every 30 mins and encourage them to go, really praise them when they do go and tell them off when they do mess in the house. I cant help on the smell side of things but i see the others have given you some good advice.

Im guessing you find it hard to walk them when your alone as there is two of them i have a staffy and they can pull very hard. But them not getting out probaly doesnt help. I would also try and get them to walk without pulling (do you have any dog classes near you or could you spend some time training them to walk nicely on the lead). Then you could go for nice walks with them and Jadon in a sling or do you have somewhere nearby where you can take them for a walk off the lead?

They may be having a protest because there has been a lot of changes in your house and there not getting the same kind of attention as they were before. Ive had to retrain my dog to walk nicely with the pram (not so easy when you have two) it took a while of stopping every time he pulled, he soon learnt that we didnt get anywhere when he pulled and he now walks lovely for me.

I really hope you can sort it out hun as its the last thing you need at the mo. Good Luck let us know how you get on.