Okay so I havnt read the whole thread (I read about 6 pages) so Im sorry if anything I say has already been mentioned.
You say you had dogs when you were younger, were these big dogs?
My boyfriend and his family breed bulldogs, and the dogs have been hit in the past.
I in no way agree with this and I let them know how I feel about it all the time, but they are not my dogs so all I can do is tell them how I feel.
Even though no dog in my opinion should EVER be hit, a bulldog is less likley to come to harm then a yorkie is.
I know if my boyfriend EVER raised a hand to my yorkie it would be HIM getting the smack and not her.
But what im trying to say here is that some people have different opinions on how to teach a dog right from wrong. I think the OP knows he was in the wrong, so now all that is left to do is educate him on the matter and move on from it.
I read that the dog came from a pet store at 8 weeks old.
The dog more then likley came from a puppy mill and at 8 weeks old was far too young to leave its mother.
If the dog had stayed with its mother until it was 12 weeks old then it would have learned bite inhibition.
I have experience because I brought my pup home at 6 weeks old and biting has been a nightmare.
You need a sharp "NO!" then give them something they CAN bite on such as a chew toy, then praise when they bite the correct thing.
But at 6 years old this dog will be harder to train then a pup because it has been allowed to believe that this is the correct way to behave for so long.
The whole situation is your girlfriends fault because she simply hasnt bothered to train the dog.
For 6 years this dog has been allowed to bite and potty in the house, then suddenley this is not okay anymore? the dog is totally confused.
You need to get the dog into a routine.
How big is the crate you are using? it should only be big enough for the dog to lie down in and turn around, if the dog can potty at one end and sit at the other then they will.
You need to take the dog outside for potty before you put him in the crate, stay out there as long as it takes until he potties. Then when he does potty outside give tons of praise and a treat.
The second the dog comes out of the crate you need to take him out again to potty using the same rules (potty, praise, treat).
If the dog makes no attempt to tell you when he needs to go outside you need to take him outside every hour while you are home.
You also need to make sure you clean your floors properly with some sort of odour remover, because dogs have a better sense of smell then humans they will still be able to smell where they have pottied in the house and will probably return to that area.
The last thing I will say is that you really need to talk to your fiance about this and show her this thread.
You cannot train this dog alone, she needs to put in some effort.
If she dosnt put in the effort and follow the same rules as you then this dog will never get any better.
The dog WILL be unhappy because it is constantly being told off, if everyone makes an effort everyone will end up feeling happier.
If she refuses to make the effort then I really think you should give the dog to someone who will make the effort.
Good luck.
__________________  Rachael & Poppy |