House Soiling

AgentDoggett88 asks:

Hey there!
Today probably isn't the day to talk about how much I love my Bichon, Riley.
I can't get him to stop urinating in the house. I want to kill him (ok, not really---but surely you can understand my frustration). He knows better---I mean, normally he'll go to the door and jump towards the knob--when he needs to go out. However, a lot of times he'll go out and won't "go" but will come inside and go (even when it's NOT raining).

Oh, do you let your Bichon sleep with you? I hadn't plan on doing so---but of course after one night of him being sick--- he was in bed with me and nothing has changed. I think I'm going to have to get him a smaller crate to sleep in (he has larger one for when I'm working ---he's about 25lbs) because I've noticed that he tends to "p" when I'm sleeping. I might as well by stock in my carpet cleaners as much as I used them. It's really driving me nuts and I don't know what to do.

Angelia and Riley
(an-ju-lee-uh)

Katizia07 responds:

I think you need to get Riley to the vet to see if he has a kidney infection. That's what was going on with my old boy a few years ago when he suddenly started soiling in the house after being trained for years and years. He would hold it forever...until he had a kidney infection.
Please, please give little Riley the benefit of the doubt on this and at least call the vet.....

LaceyJane responds:

Hi,
I have the exact problem with my 2 year old female bichon, and I took her to the vet but she checked out fine

She has even gone as far as peeing on my bed, my couch, and chair. She does sleep with us in our bed and once I left her out and 5 minutes later she jumped up on my bed and then she peed on my bed!!

She is a wonderful dog and I dearly love her but I cannot understand why she will do just fine for weeks then she will pee on my bed or pee on my t-shirt if it happens to be laying on my bedroom floor! It seems so strange that she will do just fine and then there are times she will pee in the house. She has never gone in her cage. Once she jumped on my bed and peed on my nightgown that was laying there!!

Any suggestions or help would be so much appreciated...

ShirleyMae63 responds:

Dogs never like to pee where they eat.. Try putting little treats or a little food on the places she likes to pee,,, Sounds like she is marking out her territory,,, Yes females can do it too.. Maybe you could confine her to smaller areas of the house for a period of time or you could put some panties on her. They do make them for female dogs... I do have a web site that makes them for males(belly bands)... A lot of persons that foster dogs use them for dogs that come in for foster that are not house trained... It really helps to get them on track and keeps mom happy. The site is on my home computer if you wish it let me know and I will send it to you or anyone else that think it would help to train their dog. So many people give up their pets because they can't train them... This is an ideal method to keep dog and pet owner together.

GidgetLpM responds:

Reading some posts on peeing and poop'n in the house. WHAT???

I would be taking Bailey right out the door!! I watch him when I let him out, even though we have a fenced in backyard. When you need to RE-TRAIN your pup.....reward him/her when they do it outside.

What do you do when they are "bad"? I used to take Bailey to his poop, show him...make him smell it....then I say..."WHat did you DO????" and I immediately take him outside, rain or shine. If he poops or pees again OUTSIDE I give him a treat.

He hasn't ever had another "accident".

Peeing on the bed? Who is the Alpha Dog here? (The leader)....you or him/her? Get that dog out of the bed and onto the floor (into a crate) if they are peeing!!

I let Bailey up on the bed, but if he even peed once, he would be off, in NO TIME FLAT!

You are not doing them any favours by letting them think they are running YOU. YOU have to be the Leader of the Pack...show him what to do. He will love you more for it.

Just my opinion.
Gidget

AgentDoggett88 responds:

Hello all! I actually purchased a belly band for Riley and that lasted all of about two days--until he chewed it in half. I can't seem to stop him from peeing in the house.
Every now and again I'll see a new spot--not knowing when he did it.
It's driving me nuts to say the least. I guess I'm going to have to not let him out of my site like I did when he was smaller. That way, I can catch him before he does it.

I love him to pieces but I can not let him destroy my house.
He's a year and a 1/2 old, I'm praying he will grow out of this.

Hope everyone is have a great weekend!
Cheers!
Angelia

GidgetLpM responds:

Yup. That is the ONLY way. You will have to RE-TRAIN your dog. It can be done! It just takes a LOT of time. Make sure you have a treat in your pocket though, when he pees outside. NO treats for peeing inside. Just a scolding, and right outside!!

Good luck....be persistant...it works.

Poop Eaters

Corey asks:

My friend really needs some help. My friend got a Bichon 7 months ago, after seeing how great my Bichon is. But she has had nothing but problems. The main being that she constantly eats her poop. Any suggestions that I can give her???

Jersey suggests:

Hi Corey
I'm not an expert but I would suggest that she clean up the deposits made by her Bichon immediately. Mine get into the cat litter box so it is scooped everyday. If it is not available they can't eat it. I have read that they eat it because they are missing something in their diet but I can't recall what it was sorry.
Jersey

JennieMac responds:

Sorry that I can't help, but I will be very interested to hear what advice comes back. My Molly doesn't eat her own pooh, but she gets into our cats pooh !!!!! It's not so nice when she jumps up for a cuddle in the evening, and she has been raking thru cats poo out in the garden.
The vet reckons she just enjoys the flavour of the biscuits/food the cats are eating.
Jennie and Molly

Tabou's Mom responds:

Our two used to do the same thing when they were puppies...the suggestion of the other responder is good...eliminate the poop asap. Puppies usually will eat any and everything they find...as the "older dog's number rule for puppies" is: "If you find something that may be food, always go ahead and eat it...you can always throw it up later". For dogs, this is still one of their common behaviors. Discouraging it plus maturity usually brings some results, although ours still LOVE rabbit pellets!
There are other recommendation out there concerning diet, etc.--best to check with a vet, too.


Jean responds:

We had a poop eater too.
Cleaning up right after helped.
If she got stinky breath -- we gave her a shot of a product called "Happy Breath", like a powder mouthwash for dogs.

Bad Habits: Poop Eating

JennieMac reported:

Well, I hate to say it, but Molly is the first dog we have ever had that likes to eat cat poo! She can smell it out a mile away.
The only thing I can think to do is seek it out and clean it up before she gets to it. Someone at work suggested leaving the poo where it is, and sprinkling pepper or mustard, so that when she eats it the flavour is not so good. My vet says she is eating the poo purely because she likes the food the cats are eating!!! YUK
Good luck, Jennie and Molly

Jean commented:

My Checkers was a poop eater (ate her own, "hot lunch"). So gross! She had to be watched at all times so she would not do this and eventually, she forgot all about it but it took a long time.

There is also a product called "Happy Breath". It is a powder and you give a squirt in their mouths. We kept the Happy Breath people in business.