Quote:
Originally Posted by megansmomma  Let me start "fresh" on your question about potty training. After reading all your responses I can see where you have......in your own words failed him.
You are a busy mom of teenagers and on the run all the time. At 5 months you brought him home and he did pretty good for a short time and now he has regressed because you have given him too much freedom and allowed him to roam freely in your home. At first there was the occasional accident and you attributed it to him being a new puppy but as time has gone by there are more and more accidents all over the house. You take him outside every 2 hours by the bell in your kitchen to remind you to keep him on a schedule. Since you do not have a fenced yard he is put onto a stake with a long lead to go potty. He's outside for a while and you go into the house to finish what you were doing (dinner, laundry, cleaning up his pee  ). He is your first small dog and you have always has large dogs in the past that you were able to open the door and let roam freely on your land. The others were potty trained without hardly any attention to what they were doing. You worked with them for about a week and poof they were at the back door scratching or barking to got out. Now this little guy is peeing and pooping all over your house. You have tried to contain him in an Xpen but he escapes so you have now resorted to a crate where he whines and cries to be let out until you put him back out in the yard on the long lead. When he comes back in after a short stay he poops at your feet. Your husband is mad that your "had to have puppy" is crapping all over the house, your kids are being bitchy from being forced to picking up poop and pee from "your dog" and you are disappointed in not getting your baby replacement. They are teenagers and you are starting to see that they will soon be gone and this little guy was going to be your little cuddle bug. Instead he had turned your life upside down with his training problems, socialization issues, the kids are not helpful and are demanding all of your attention in their high school years. Now he has turned into one more annoyance in your crazy hectic life. You are totally frustrated and think that getting a small cute puppy was a huge mistake. 
So have I hit the nail on the head? Don't get angry with me just be truthful. Promise I think I can help you.  |
Wow. I know this wasn't aimed at me but it is exactly how I felt about Ringo for awhile. Just another noose around my neck. I admit it. And the resentment ~ just more work for me to do.
It took a very nice agility trainer to get us all working as a team. She could see that I was struggling with all aspects of Ringo ownership. So different from any other dog that I ever had; ON TOP OF all my other duties and commitments. He was EXTREMELY difficult to train and handle.
I am so thankful to her for bringing us all together; I was so stressed out. She would always talk with me after class and make suggestions about how to handle my little bundle of pent up energy.
If not for her . . . well, I don't know. She gave us a new start.