Gus - again :(

[fidgiegirl]

Oh, Mr. Gus is still having trouble.

A little separation anxiety has become worse with the snow because now the bathroom schedule is off. He soiled the crate yesterday. Today we couldn't get him to poop this morning before we had to leave or I would have been late to present at a conference. We knew what would happen, but crossed our fingers, since he hasn't consistently pooped in the mornings in the time we've had him and it's been fine every other time. But sure 'nuff - all over him, kennel, floor - yuck.

At least now we know - no matter what, he HAS to poop in the morning. Generally our mornings, at least mine, are more flexible than this morning. :(

We're putting away the wire kennel. He never liked it as well as the plastic one I was borrowing from a friend. I still have that one in the garage so will set it up again. Either that or can bring a smaller plastic one in from the car. I've heard that helps with the soiling - but if you have to go, you have to go. And perhaps he wants the confined space.

We do have that very easy-to-read book "I'll Be Home Soon!" that someone recommended in someone else's dog thread - but we haven't implemented the advice within. Looks like it's time to start.

Not sure if looking for advice or just commiseration. Either one is welcome. We even had to cut poop balls out of his feet hair.

[puglogic]

Oh Kelli, I'm so sorry.

Is there anyone you could pay or barter to come and let him out or take him for a walk? I don't know how long you are keeping him kenneled, but imho, with many dogs, it's really not good for them to be forced to do long stretches without relief. They just "give up" sometimes.

Barring that, it looks like you'll have to rearrange your schedule on the days when you know time will be short in the morning, and get up early to be sure he does his business.....ask me how I know :(

[Tussiemussies]

My dog always has to go In the AM and after lshe eats land then the PM. K maybe you or your DH could get up a little earlier to take him out before work? Good luck!

[fidgiegirl]

Poor honey. We just got so much snow so fast, and he's cold . . . he likes it, but I think he honestly doesn't know where to lower his rear end when we're out! The snow is too high and he knows the sidewalk isn't the place, either . . . argh.

We're also going to get him a little sweater. Maybe the hugging feeling will be calming.

Might enlist my mother-in-law to help. Still thinking that one out. The problem is that she's scared of our big dog, and she'd have to come over here alone. We'll get through it!

[Tussiemussies]

Please excuse my post I am on the pad and it just rarely ,comes out right!

[fidgiegirl]

Tussies - he went on a half an hour walk . . . that's the problem! How to get him to actually do business, when we know he needs to.

[fidgiegirl]

LOL now i see the problem - we are cross posting . . . no worries, Christine! :)

[Tussiemussies]

Sorry Kelli didn't realize the whole situation. Hopefully it is the snow and he doesn't know what to do about it. Hope you find an answer! Christine

[rodeosweetheart]

Just wanted to say our dogs never liked the wire kennels and always liked the plastic kennels, which I think are cozier and denier and feel safer? They have tended to anxiety, so maybe the plastic will help.

I woudl just try calmly doing what you did before with the snow and figuring that he will get use to the snow and be back to success, as I am sure he didnot like soiling the kennel, either, poor guy. But I would keep teh routine the same and I bet he gets used to the snow quickly.

Our dog hated the move from grassy up north to sandy, buggy down south and has never, ever liked being in the yard since--now she is so fussy we have to carry her out and plop her down in the corner of the yard, which is a paIn. we do, however, live in what was apparently the voodoo capital of the United states and I swear the yard is haunted--she at least thinks so.

[fidgiegirl]

we do, however, live in what was apparently the voodoo capital of the United states and I swear the yard is haunted--she at least thinks so.

Thanks for all the supportive words. This gave me a little giggle - although I agree that animals sense that before humans do!

[fidgiegirl]

Good news, the wire kennel is collapsed and the smaller plastic kennel in. Gus went in it twice, just briefly - once to "nest." That's good. He wasn't going in the wire one at all if he didn't have to.

[puglogic]

Okay, this might be TMI, but on the off-chance it might help:

When we got a big snowfall, we found that one of our dogs (when he was younger) had the same issue. A local trainer advised that we do two things: Keep a small area of his usual pooping are shoveled, as though it were the driveway or steps. And make sure that a little bit of his, er, excrement, was there as a scent marker, even if we had to move some from somewhere else (on a shovel) and put it there. It didn't last forever, there is hope!! :)

[fidgiegirl]

Hmm, we will have to give it a try! Two years ago we got so much snow we had to shovel a path around the yard for our 50 lb lab mix!!

[iris lily]

Hmm, we will have to give it a try! Two years ago we got so much snow we had to shovel a path around the yard for our 50 lb lab mix!!
gee fidgie, sorry to hear of this latest trouble. Coming home to find doggie covered in poo is awful.

Does he poo 2X daily? IF it is directly related to morning meal maybe feed him once at night? We feed our dogs 2X daily in order to keep weight on them, but my older fat dogs can eat once a day and be fine.

[Float On]

Sorry for all the trouble with Gus, poor guy......poor you having to deal with it.

[puglogic]

Sorry for all the trouble with Gus, poor guy......poor you having to deal with it.

That's what I was thinking too: Poor Gus, poor little troubled soul. And poor Kelli, all she wants to do is understand his needs and love him!

I know you'll figure this out, Kelli. Look at things from his (confused) perspective and things will become clearer.

Have you ever tried Rescue Remedy to calm him down?

My strange boy (Gordon the Terror) likes his plastic carrier at night, but a wire one during the day so he can feel part of the "pack". Go figure.

[citrine]

I am so sorry too! Can you put puppy pads down when you are gone from the house? That way, there is a designated area if he needs to go.

[Miss Cellane]

Seconding the advice to shovel out an area where he feels safer or warmer or whatever. I wouldn't want cold snow on my butt, either.

Also, consider training him to go in one area, on command, sort of. I have a friend who has a guide dog. Whenever she takes him into an unfamiliar situation, or she knows they will be indoors for a while, she gives him the opportunity to go. She stands in one spot and moves the dog in a circle around her, saying their code phrase, in her case, "Go busy." The action of walking in a circle and the code phrase clue the dog that he should try to go. And he usually does. She does this every single time she takes the dog out for a walk, as well.

[Gardenarian]

Oh, you have my sympathies! My dd's dog hates to go out in the cold. She'll go out in the yard and pretend to go, but little sneaky thing, she waits till everyone is gone then does her business inside. Dd has been getting up early to walk her, but no dice. The breed (Italian Greyhound) is infamous for this behavior, tho' our older one has no such problems, and will use the dog door even if it's hailing out.

Luckily she only weighs 12 pounds and the mess is small. But we are never without "Nature's Miracle."

[Wildflower]

We have a few accidents in the house in the wintertime. Our Pug and Chihuahua just absolutely HATE going outside in the snow. I think this is very common with the toy breeds, which I was thinking Gus is too? Anyway, we shovel the snow down to a very dry pathway from our back door out into the yard and uncover some grass for them. They will use this specific area until the snow melts.... They did better this past winter in less accidents. But when it first snows it freaks them out a little until they get used to it. We always go out with them to make them feel secure and give them a tiny food treat when they perform. They do get used to the snow eventually, but every winter we go through this with them....

And our Corgi, a herding dog, goes plunging into the snow head first every snowstorm. LOL She has no fear, and she is so short that if the snow is deep enough it just swallows her up. But we keep an eye on her to make sure she surfaces! ;)

Good luck with Gus. I'm sure he'll do fine. Sometimes it takes awhile to figure out a dog and what they need....

[Kestra]

I had similar issues with my Shih Tzu every winter as well. When the snow came she'd be scared to walk on it. And then by spring she'd be scared to walk on the concrete as it started appearing again. It was pretty funny. I just put up with some accidents in the house. I never had her 100% house trained - I got her as an older rescue as well. Luckily I had a crappy house so I didn't care that much.

[Tussiemussies]

Hi Kelli, how did your dog do yesterday? I really think it is the snow. Where we moved there are lots of areas with trees, leaves and boulders, noticed a new pattern with my dog, she will only go on the grass on the front lawn as she is only used to grass.

Hope it was better yesterday!

[pony mom]

Oh, you have my sympathies! My dd's dog hates to go out in the cold. She'll go out in the yard and pretend to go, but little sneaky thing, she waits till everyone is gone then does her business inside. Dd has been getting up early to walk her, but no dice. The breed (Italian Greyhound) is infamous for this behavior, tho' our older one has no such problems, and will use the dog door even if it's hailing out.

Luckily she only weighs 12 pounds and the mess is small. But we are never without "Nature's Miracle."

My cousin had an IT and she would go in the house and hide it somewhere--under a table, behind the couch, in the couch cushions.

Draping something over the wire crate may have given the same feeling as the solid plastic crate.

Do you walk him where other dogs relieve themselves? Sometimes that will make a dog want to go in the same spot. Definitely clean a patch of yard for him, don't get frustrated, be patient, and praise praise praise when he goes. Giving a verbal command is good too. And make it a happy thing to go outside. I'm sure you do but even a bit of anxiety and frustration will be picked up by him.

[fidgiegirl]

Well, Gus did fine on the poop front yesterday, but here's a funny . . . remember that we switched to a different crate? A smaller plastic one that we'd been using in the car. Well, DH got home before me, and when I got home, I saw the crate in the kitchen. I asked why he'd put it there, and he insisted he didn't. He's kind of a jokester, so here's me: "No, really . . . why'd you move it?!" Well, in the end he convinced me. He hadn't moved it at all. Gus had . . . about 15 feet from where he started out IN A DIFFERENT ROOM. He even got it through the doorway. The funniest part? The rug it was placed upon was still neatly arranged underneath the crate. Ay ay ay. I am going to set it up in the kitchen today so he can see the back door. Maybe that will be comforting.

Hopefully over Xmas break we can work on the "happy crate training" game that the one pamphlet recommended. We'll keep at it . . .

[puglogic]

Well, Gus did fine on the poop front yesterday, but here's a funny . . .

Hopefully over Xmas break we can work on the "happy crate training" game that the one pamphlet recommended. We'll keep at it . . .

Awesome, Kelli! Hope it all works out for both of you.
Gordon often moves things great distances, but not when he's IN them LOL. He'll grab something with his front feet (like a rug, log, bed) and drag it backward, sometimes from room to room. We've stopped asking "how'd that get there?" :)

What do you give him to occupy his time in the crate while you're gone?

[Tussiemussies]

Well, Gus did fine on the poop front yesterday, but here's a funny . . . remember that we switched to a different crate? A smaller plastic one that we'd been using in the car. Well, DH got home before me, and when I got home, I saw the crate in the kitchen. I asked why he'd put it there, and he insisted he didn't. He's kind of a jokester, so here's me: "No, really . . . why'd you move it?!" Well, in the end he convinced me. He hadn't moved it at all. Gus had . . . about 15 feet from where he started out IN A DIFFERENT ROOM. He even got it through the doorway. The funniest part? The rug it was placed upon was still neatly arranged underneath the crate. Ay ay ay. I am going to set it up in the kitchen today so he can see the back door. Maybe that will be comforting.

Hopefully over Xmas break we can work on the "happy crate training" game that the one pamphlet recommended. We'll keep at it . . .


LOL. HhhhaaaaaaaA. Ha

[decemberlov]

Hi Kelli! Just wanted to pop and and say that we also do the same as someone else suggested, in the winter, and dig out a little bathroom spot for our pup and it works well.

I know all to well about the accidents in the crate and we've had a very hard time with potty training. Poor pup was crated pretty much 24/7 for the first 3-4 months of her life and never had a choice but to go in her crate :( Needless to say it was an incredibly hard habit to break. Anyhow what I found worked the best in the morning was letting her run. I could walk her for a long while and nothing...but all it would take was a few minutes of playing tag or fetch and she would go poo pretty quickly :) I know it's not the easiest in the winter but maybe just getting Gus to chase you up and down steps or play fetch in the living room would be enough to get him to have to go potty.

Good luck!!

[fidgiegirl]

What do you give him to occupy his time in the crate while you're gone?

:|( Nothing . . . we were giving him a Kong but it would go untouched while we were gone. Sometimes we put a bone in there . . . again . . . nothing so we don't bother. But the hope is that with this crate training routine that he'll get used to working on something like that in there. Sigh. . . .

[Wildflower]

With all of our rescue dogs over the years there has always been a learning curve with each dog. Eventually, we got it all figured out. We kept each one for their entire lifespan. :)

Gus will do fine with time. You're giving him such wonderful care, fidgiegirl! :)