Max is trained!!!

[judyeve]

Max is finally trained again. He had started marking and since around Christmas, I've been retraining him not to pee all over the house. I'm so happy and proud of him (and me). I really have to thank all of you YTers who have been so helpful with your ideas, and for just giving me a place to go for for support.

He goes outside. He decided to do that himself, and I love it because he used to hold it all day when we were out. I used to have to come home after about 5-6 hours so he could go because I felt sorry for the little guy. No more!
We also love our walks together.

He also goes on his pee pads so I don't have to worry about taking him out on a schedule. He even taught himself to poop in the vicinity of the paper. I think when he circles, he forgets about getting the poop on the paper. He only pooped outside once so far, in the snow. I think he'll figure it out soon enough.

I still have him leashed all day because now we're working on other things.
He's a biter and I'm teaching him that it's not allowed. Next will be sit, down, come, etc. They all got delayed because of the peeing in the house.

By the way, leashing a dominant dog like Max, even if you let him run around the house, really helps. Just the fact that he's leashed puts him in a more realistic place, because he just thinks who he is!

I wanted to share my good news with you all,

Judy

[laurenr]

Yay Max!!!!! congratulations little boy!!! We're proud of ya!!

[Hokule'a]

Way to go, Max! and Mom

[Siara28]

YAY!!!!!!!
Great feeling isn't it!!!!

[PANAMA69]

Max your are such a good baby

[Mz_s3ski_Kitt3n]

*YAY* congratz max we knew you could do it !!

[ellie81]

I'm happy for you and Max. I know it's great when a baby is finally housebroken!

[lisatodd]

that is so awesome. what method worked for you? you have to tell us.

[suzysmitt]

I bet your relieved. Go Max.

[Reesee's mom]

Give me an M! Give me an A! Give me an X! GO MAX GO!!!

[koolbreeze]

WTG! MAX!!!!! i can only look forward to that day!!! can you explain this whole leash thing to me!!! i would appreciate it! thanks

[judyeve]

Originally Posted by lisatodd

that is so awesome. what method worked for you? you have to tell us.

He had already been pee pad trained and then started marking and peeing all over the house at about 7 months. I had him neutered and then I leashed him and kept him next to me all day (boring!) so I could monitor his marking.
(This idea was thanks to a YT member). I had papers in the living room, hallway, kitchen and bathroom. I keep the bedroom doors closed anyway.

When he peed or pooped anywhere but the paper, he got crated for a while.
He also got his "peepee treats" which he loves and doesn't get at any other time except when he goes on his paper. Somewhere in that time period, He began to pee outside so I began to walk him every 4 hours or so. I still wanted him to go on the paper also, so I would walk him on his leash over to the paper and eventually he learned to pee on command with the promise of a treat. The poop I had nothing to do with. He just did it on his own. Now when he poops nowhere near the paper he gets crated.

Those are the basics. I left out the time I tried to confine him to the kitchen and all he did was find ways to get out, the times I lost it and started yelling like a lunatic (WRONG THING TO DO - IT DOESN'T WORK), the boredom of having a dog on a leash with you all of the time and all of the days I had to stay home so that he got into a schedule. (Very important!) I also went to a wedding out of town and decided to stay in a pet friendly motel (musty smelling, no coffee in the room, and he peed on the sheet) instead of with my family so that I could maintain his schedule and the discipline routine we were into. OH - and the getting down on my hands and knees and, with a sponge, saturating my carpeting, couches, throw pillows, etc. with OdorMate, which removes urine, feces, skunk odor, etc. My fingertips and nails have finally recovered from that.

Anyway, to make a very long story short, consistency and a schedule and showing him who's boss is what worked. He doesn't know that I was a high school teacher! You also have to remove the odor from the floor, rugs, whatever.

Good luck to anyone else who needs to do this. The good news is that there is a light at the end of that tunnel (as also told to me by another YTer).

Judy

[judyeve]

I spoke too soon! Max must have found an especially enticing spot on the rug because there were dry pee pads from late yesterday till now! When I walked him this morning, no pee.

He's being crated today - only allowed out either for a walk or to the pad about every 4 hours. I noticed that he's been hiding from me last night and this morning. At least he knows he did something wrong.

He's been a good boy so I don't think it will take too long to get him back on track. One of the problems is that you really can't get the smell out of the padding under the carpet so it's always there to call to them ..."Max, pee on me, I smell so good..."

As far as the leash thing goes, I kept him on a soft leash and a cat collar which is a break-away. It opens if it gets caught. He will not wear a halter. I wish I had a digital camera. It's a sight! Whenever I put a halter leash on him, he immediately collapses to the floor, his face on the ground, and gives me the saddest puppy dog eyes I've ever seen. He then lays there or on the comfortable couch with the same expression all day. He sneaks me dirty looks when he thinks I'm not watching.

I kept him in the room and watched him so he couldn't sneak in a nice little pee on the rug. He gets his treat when he goes on the paper, and the usual good boy peepee dance and song. When he made a mistake and peed in the wrong place, he got crated for about 20-30 minutes. I was walking him to the paper or outside in the beginning, then he got it, so I lengthened the leash. As he got really good, I let him free with the leash on. The past couple of days, he's chewed his collar off ($20 worth of collars in 15 minutes!).

The real issue is to show the dog that you're the boss. Max has an alpha
personality, so I will always have to reinforce that I'm in charge with him.
I think that by just leashing them and letting them now that you're watching their every move, it puts them in the right place in the house.

The truth is that I love his spunky little self, so I don't mind that there will always be a struggle of the wills. Once the summer is over, I'm going to start looking for a little yorkie girl. I can't get another dominant dog - they'll fight and I just don't have the energy.

Sorry this is so long.

Judy