View Single Post
Old 06-23-2009, 05:58 PM   #17
Natalie Marie
Yorkie Yakker
 
Natalie Marie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Southern California
Posts: 44
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by megansmomma View Post
I would like to stay out of the debate going on below as I do not agree with all of the strategies and suggestions that were given as training tools for housebreaking.

First off, you need to control the marking behavior by purchasing Bellybands for your little guy. I would like to discourage you from using a doggie diapers as they are more for incontinence and females in heat.

What a bellyband does is stop the ability to mark by catching the urine before it hits the mark but it does not stop the marking behavior. Are you sure that he is marking and not having a house training issue? These are two totally different and need to be addressed differently.

Since you live in an apartment, I am guessing that this is a house training issue and that he is not going outside enough. You also need to remove his ability to sneak off and pee and you can do this a few different ways. Tethering him to your waist is a perfect solution to not allow him to get out of your site. When he is not tethered to you then you he needs to be put into his crate. As hard as this might sound, you need to take him out once every hour and as soon as he pees, praise, treat and back into the house. Put the belly band back on him and keep him tethered to your waist or into an xpen or crate. The crate needs to be small enough so that he does not have room to potty inside the crate. If he does have a potty accident in the crate, clean it up and DO NOT SCOLD HIM. Each time that he does potty outside you can let him have a little freedom but until you can totally trust him you need to keep him either tethered or banded. When you take him out you need to make sure that he does his business and immediately afterward bring him back into the house. He does not need to sniff around and look at the birdies. Potty inside, tether or crate, with a belly band.

Is he a puppymill puppy? If he is you need to handle him differently than if you have had him from a baby. Puppymill dogs are use to living in their own filth and many cannot be crated because of the past trauma of the mill.
Well.... the diaper strategy has already failed!!! He ripped the thing off right away. Haha. I will have to try the belly band. Pierre is not a puppy mill pup and I really don't think it is a bladder problem. Since I got Pierre... I have been staying with my Mom and Grandma and my Grandma is home everyday to let him out. So I know he is out all the time. It really is a marking thing. He has even marked our golden retriever!!! Definitely moving into a new place will make it easier. I had not known that you needed to clean using certain products... definitely good to know!

And ladies... I am sorry that this became a touchy subject. I appreciate everyone's advice and efforts!

BTW... where should I get these belly bands from and how much do they run? Will he try to rip this off like the diaper??
Natalie Marie is offline   Reply With Quote
Welcome Guest!
Not Registered?

Join today and remove this ad!