Incredibly Frustrated Owner

[avborges]

Dear friends, I need once again your advise. I have a very frustrating situation in hands: untrained dogs and uncooperative mother. My adorable yorkies are 2 and 1 and half year olds. When I first got Nina, I successfully trained her to use the wee-wee pad. Things when completely downhill once I added Bartholomew. He did not like the wee-wee pad so the solution was to have both dogs go outside. This would have been great if it wasn't for the fact that my mother is not consistent in taking the dogs outside. With my new job, I spend almost 11 hours away so I can only take them out in the morning and at night. What happens during the day is a nightmare. My dogs will go anywhere... even Nina! Bartholomew will even pee on my bed, which breaks that rules that said pets won't soil the place where they sleep. I am really losing it. I don't punish the dogs because they wouldn't even know what they are being punished for. Many times I tried to re-train them to go on wee-wee pads but without my mother I can't do it. If I ask her to only let them out to pee, she will simply let them out of the playpen all day. She says it's cruel. I say it's wrong to own a dog and not educate it!! My mother grew accostumed to cleaning up while I would do anything to convince her that it's less effort to train them for 2-3 months and then rip the fruits of discipline and maybe save what's left of the floors. My house smells and my dogs are getting using to living in a big bathroom. Please help! Let's start from the beginning - I don't care if you tell me what I already know.. I really need reassurance that I can do this for them. What can I do? How can I do it? Should I crate them separately? Together? Teach me please!

[romeos mommy]

11 hours is a long time. can u come home 4 lunch?

[avborges]

Impossible.. I work 27 miles away and NY rush hour steals an extra 2 hours. I am trying to buy a house in the same town I work but I still haven't found. Hopefully by summer 07. However, my mother is home all day. The dogs have the company... they are not alone. The problem is that she has no discipline and no desire to change the situation. If I had my house I would have no problem in crating them for 8 hours and come home in the middle of the day to feed and let them out for an hour. I feel like I have no control but there must be an answer! This upsets me because I love dogs and my dogs are so beautiful to me!

[dcelmo]

I would just give them a smaller place, instead of the whole house. While I am training my little one, she stays in my bathroom, dressing room area. It is all tile. I have a wooden child gate and the pee-pads are in there. She only comes out when supervised and to potty outside. It seems to be working well. She sleeps at night in her crate. I am a stay at home Nana, so it is a little different. It would be much easier if your mom would help. But sometimes you have to go back to square one and start over to break bad habits. Good luck.

[txshopper73]

I'm a firm believer in crate training. But, since you are away from home for so long, get an ex-pen for your dogs and keep them in there with wee pads.

[makemepretty]

Unfortunately, as you already know, if your mother isn't willing to help train them while she's watching them it's not going to work.

A dog doesn't know the difference between why it's ok to pee here one day but not the next(which is what is happening when you're gone and then come home). It sounds like you need to train your mother not your puppies Is she living with you or are you living with her?

Your mom sounds similar to my mom(whose own pets are not consistantly housebroken). Not to offend but is there any chance your mom might have a slight mental problem? I only ask because my mother does. Normal people do not think it's ok for an animal to poop and pee on their beds, carpets or anywhere in their home. That is why I ask. She's letting them go anywhere in the house because she thinks it's cruel to keep them in a playpen but yet won't let them outside to go to the bathroom. You will need to point out to her it's ruining the home and is unsanitary. You will not be able to train them if she doesn't either let them out during the day or keep the wee wee pads where they can get to them. I wish you all the luck.

[avborges]

Originally Posted by txshopper73

I'm a firm believer in crate training. But, since you are away from home for so long, get an ex-pen for your dogs and keep them in there with wee pads.

We have two ex-pens. There's always a moment when I look at the situation and I say that's it... they are going back on the pen... "Mom, they only leave the pen to play with you and to pee"... I come home, they are every where.. grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

[avborges]

Originally Posted by makemepretty

Unfortunately, as you already know, if your mother isn't willing to help train them while she's watching them it's not going to work.

A dog doesn't know the difference between why it's ok to pee here one day but not the next(which is what is happening when you're gone and then come home). It sounds like you need to train your mother not your puppies Is she living with you or are you living with her?

Your mom sounds similar to my mom(whose own pets are not consistantly housebroken). Not to offend but is there any chance your mom might have a slight mental problem? I only ask because my mother does. Normal people do not think it's ok for an animal to poop and pee on their beds, carpets or anywhere in their home. That is why I ask. She's letting them go anywhere in the house because she thinks it's cruel to keep them in a playpen but yet won't let them outside to go to the bathroom. You will need to point out to her it's ruining the home and is unsanitary. You will not be able to train them if she doesn't either let them out during the day or keep the wee wee pads where they can get to them. I wish you all the luck.

My mother is an extremelly complicated person. I take no offense in your comments. She humanizes the dogs to reflect her own emotions: "Amanda, Nina is so depressed!"... "Amanda, I think the dogs want this or that" - when in fact is how she's feeling as a person. I have talked to her many many times.. and we will have good weeks but then things will be back to chaos. It's her house so when I'm really at it, I calm myself by saying: "When you leave, you can make it right". But you are absolutely right, owners must be trained first, then the dogs. She has no training. She has no energy to learn, etc.

Do you think if I stop showing them the outside and try to wee-wee pad them, it's still possible to learn at their age? I know when winter comes she won't take them outside and it makes me soooo angry!!!

[makemepretty]

Oh yes, I definately think if you just wee wee pad them in the house they can relearn that. I had a dog that was paper trained while I lived in an apartment. After I moved to the country I had her go outside when she had to go. Even after years of being housebroken, if you made the mistake of leaving a newspaper on the floor.....um, you wouldn't want to read it if she found it first .

[tedibair2]

Maybe you could get a small dog litter box to put with him to use while you're at work.

[JeanieK]

Not easy when your trying to retrain your mother. Without the cooperatioen of everyone involved in their care, it's going to be tough.

[avborges]

Thank you everybody for your help. Here's what's happening so far. I spend last week on vacation so my mother and I agreed on start the boot-camp Sunday night. Sunday night I crated the dogs around 8-9 pm. In the morning there were poop and pee next to their bed (5:30 am). I first took Nina out and she gracefully peed on the pad (no poop though)!! I gave her tons of hugs and "good girls" and I gave her a tinny treat. It was then Bartholomew's turn - NOTHING. He doesn't recognize the pad even after sniffing Nina's job. I came home yesterday to find them uncrated and the house dirty (grrrrrrrr). This morning (5:30 am) I decided to show Nina the pad with Bartholomew in the hopes that he would see what she does. She peed and after a few seconds she went back and did #2 - party and treats for her. Bartholomew once again did not recognize the pad. I showed him the outside so he could relief himself. Nina was allowed to be in the house and Bartholomew remained crated. I explained to my mother what happened and begged her not to leave them loose in the house. Let's see. This morning again there were poop next to their bed.

Questions:
1) I would like to control their bowel movement to avoid the poop overnight. How often do you feed your yorkies, when and how much? (Nina is 9 lbs post litter and Bartholomew is 6 lbs). How long after feeding should they want to poop?

2) Nina recognizes the pad because that's how she was trained prior to Bartholomew's era. He doesn't understand it at all. What can I do?

Thanks!

[avborges]

Originally Posted by tedibair2

Maybe you could get a small dog litter box to put with him to use while you're at work.

But do you think if I crate them with the litter box it would be too much room available and they would never make the effort to hold to go to the bathroom in the right place or time? Or do you suggest that just for the beginning?

[tedibair2]

Try the litter box just for the beginning until they realize what it's for. How old are your yorkies?

[avborges]

Originally Posted by tedibair2

Try the litter box just for the beginning until they realize what it's for. How old are your yorkies?

Nina is 2 and Bartholomew is 1 and half. I fixed him to see if that would control his hormones and stop the territory marking. I think it helped but he just loves to have this big bathroom available to him. Today I have crated them at 8 pm until tomorrow. I've added a wee-wee pad to their space. If they have an accident overnight he might remember the pad when I show it to him. Do you agree?