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Originally Posted by KazzyK810  To anyone that even hints as an issue with the fact that my dog is pad trained, I ask them if they, from the minute they leave the house for work in the morning, until they arrive home in the evening do not use the restroom??? How would they feel if they were never allowed...no matter how much they drank, or what they ate, or how upset their tummy felt on any given day. Admittedly, I ask the question with an honest tone of derision & disgust, because that is truly how I feel about people that subject their animals to that. |
When I leave home, I almost always leave pee pads down for Tibbe and did for Jilly. They just didn't/won't hardly ever use them and prefer to hold it apparently until they can go outside. But that is canine nature that once they learn how they think something should be, they want it to be that way no matter what. Of course, in my part-time job I had after I got Tibbe, I HAVE gone all day without going and driven to work and home 45 mins. each way so I know it can be done! Course I didn't even have time to eat but a bite or two either and maybe a few sips of coke or water.
I don't think Jilly or now Tibbe would eat or drink much when I was away. I always came home to full or near-full bowls when I was working and I think in time they learn to just sleep and do a little guardwork during the day but apparently don't chose to visit the kitchen much if at all. I guess they are smart enough to know when mommie is gone, it is overall best to nap and save all the eating, drinking and pottying for when she comes home where possible. And the vets say that is okay - that dogs can fast quite a while safely and do in the wild quite often.
When I had to go to the ER and be admitted and stay in the hospital, I was I guess irrationally terribly concerned Tibbe would hold it until he was ill. But he didn't. My son got to my house the next day and said Tibbe had used the potty pads and then gone on the floor around them but hadn't eaten/drunk much at all. So apparently when I'm not here, my dogs Jilly and now Tibbe go on an austerity program of caloric/fluid intake except just enough to get by and so finally go when they just have to. That gave me intense relief to know Tibbe would go in the house if he had to in case of emergency. My son took Tibbe to his home for the duration of the rest of my stay so I was relieved in that. Danny said Tibbe did use the potty pad at his house while he was at work. Once Tibbe was back home, he resume his old potty habits of only going outside.
When Tibbe is at the vet, he apparently hardly eats or drinks or potties either unless taken outside from what they tell me. So they get so habituated to their routine, it is very hard for them to break it except when they just have to. So getting home to that little dog to let him out as soon as work lets out was always a priority when I worked and then I would go to the store or out to dinner.
Housebreaking a dog to go outside doesn't mean he never gets to go inside should his person be away a long time but it does mean they want to hold it and not go inside unless they absolutely have to. I doubt any dog would hold his potty or urine until he made himself actually ill and can't think of ever reading that a dog did that but perhaps one might. Mine haven't done that. My sister has always had dogs and she's never had that problem either.