Question:I have a ten month old Min-pin who uses her potty papers indoor. When I take her outside, she will potty. When we come back inside, she uses her paper again. It may not be for a couple of hours or so, but she doesn't let me know she needs to go outside. I have probably confused her, but I wanted her to be able to go potty inside and out. I reinforce her going outside with a treat. I have put her in her carrier kennel for 7 hours at a time; so I know she can hold it...I just don't like putting her in it.
She also has a tendency to eat her do-do. Yuck! I have try to watch and pick it up before she can eat it and I've tried putting red pepper on it. It's just hard for me to find it before she eats.
Help!
Answers:
May I suggest removing the pee pad for a short time and then paying closer attention to her own potty schedule. In other words take her back out an hour and 50 minutes after her last trip until she gets used to the idea. Another thought is to add a bell to the door knob and when you are heading out with her ring the bell, then maybe she will learn that ringing the bell means going outside. My chi girl is learning this pretty well and she too has a pee pad indoors. When she had the go outside concept down I put the pee pad back for her to know it was there for emergencies. She rarely uses it now. But I want to keep it for winter when some days are just too cold for her and she just stands outside and shivers.
You are confusing her.. Do one or another..
The only way to get her peeing consistently outside will be to remove the potty paper. Keep the paper and she will continue to pee on them.
Teach her to potty outside only. This will take her confusion away and keep your home cleaner.
I think you hit the nail on the head and is one of my main arguments against "puppy pad" training - outside of the obvious reason that I don't want my dog crapping in my house. But if the dog is "allowed" to poop SOMEWHERE in the house, the dog may not be able to fully understand why it's not okay to poop ANYWHERE in the house. Afterall - my dog knows she can poop outside, and it doesn't matter WHERE outside she poops. You see?
I just think puppy pads are a disgusting concept, and I personally wouldn't want to have to walk on a soiled pad to use the bathroom. (Which is why I think a lot of puppy pad users *constantly* complain the animal with have it's head over the pad but relieve itself on the carpet)
I'm not really sure what the main cause of copraphagia is. I know rabbits do it because they do not have a multi-chambered stomach (they're hind gut fermenters) and lose a lot of nutrients in their waste as a result. So eating it is a way of regaining that.
This shouldn't be a problem for dogs, and in your situation the only feasible way to prevent it is to nix the puppy pads and let her go to the bathroom outside.
Good luck.
You cannot do both, you should only train her to go outside.
Usually a dog who eats feces is missing nutrients in their diet. Please have your puppy checked by the vet.
Good Luck!
Yah, I would suggest removing the pee pads when you are there to watch her.
Also you could reward her with tons of praise for going potty outside. Hugs and kisses galore! So that she knows THATs the place to go where she will get such good lovins.
She will likely decide to hold it until she can go potty for the big loving reward.
Give her a few weeks to get used to the idea that outside is the place to go. Then if you have to be away for longer than she can hold it you can leave the pee pads for her just in case.
If she is eating her own poop it might be that she is trying to make up for a nutritional deficiency. See your vet or read up on what her needs may be, respective of activity level and soon.
I have to say that I am happy to read that youre not a fan of the kennel carrier.
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