[Jesscleodaniels]

Hi!

So my pup Oscar is about 8 and a half months. I got him about four months ago and he was great with toilet training. Within 2.5 weeks he was happily using the cat door to go in and out to play and do is business as he pleased.

About 5 weeks ago he started going inside at night and very rarely when I am at work during the day. I spoke to both my vet and a friend who has always had Chris and they both said young chis sometimes go through a it of a phase and it shouldn't last too long, might happen 3-4 times over two weeks then it will be over, they reminded me to make sure he knows he has done the wrong thing and praise him when I see him go outside which I always do anyway to reinforce as he is still so young.

Anyway, 5 weeks later and it is STILL happening. Daily. Every morning when I wake up there is a surprise for me to clean Up. It is driving me INSANE. The only saving grace is my house is tiled.

The only things that have changed in this time is I work longer hours so I may be home an hour or two later than I used to be. He can still go in and out as he pleases days and night however and he only does it at night after I have gone to bed.

The other strange thing is every now and again he will do it about an hour after I get home from work. While I am in the house with the doors wide open. He knows he has done the wrong thing as well as he hides and does it then slinks away and thats how I know to go looking.

PLEASE HELP ME. Not only is it driving me mad but I am worried I aim doing to something to make this happen.

Might be worthwhile to note my other chihuahua always goes outside.

 

[sammyp]

Im sorry to hear your having problems with the toilet training. I think the hours you work could be a set back, i had the same problem myself with the hours i work but we got there in the end. I will add that even now ninja is 3 years old and has mistakes ever so often, when they need to go they need to go and i blame that on the hours i work.

Not being able to catch your chi in the act is the downfall as that is how they learn. What helped me hugely with training was taking 7 days off work, during that time i watched ninja like a hawk. When i would catch her about to go toilet i would pick her up and put her on her puppy pad. After just 2 days of me doing that she got that she needed to go on a puppy pad. Is this something you have avalible to your chis wile you are out? If not i highly recommend using them.

Also food was a huge help as ninja got older. She was on royal Cain and used to poo between 3-5 times a day!! Lol now she is on ziwipeak its a raw diet and needs to be read up on before you try. This diet reduced the amount of poos she had and now only has 2 per day.

People say crate training is good and i agree but to have your chi cadged up for long periods of time is not something i will recommend. Its so hard to advise you as most of the tricks used wile toilet training are when you can watch your dog but you are unable to due to work. Keep at it when you are at home though and maybe reward him when he goes outside. Find his fav treat and give him it when he has potty outside. When you come home from work or wake up in the morning its not a good idea to tell him off as he will not know why he is being told off and coukd confuse him. You really need to catch him at it. When you clean up in the morning dont give him fuss, tidy up the poop and wee without a word. Once you have done that then give him fuss as he may take the fuss in the morning as being rewarded. Can i ask how many hours you work per day ?

 

[Jesscleodaniels]

I usually leave the house between 6:30 and 7am but I get up around 5 and always make sure I leave at least half an hour in the mornings free just to play with them before I go to work. I can get home anywhere from 5:30-8pm depending on how busy the day is.

What is making me so frustrated is it is super super rare for him to do it during the day, so he must go outside, why will he not do that at night?

The other thing is why did he start doing this after going outside perfectly for 9 weeks straight. Arghhhhh.

I used puppy pads when I first trained him and he was great on them right from the start, then I just moved them closer and closer to the door day by day and then outside and he started going outside.

I know if I put him in a crate he won't go until he is let out but I don't want to have to crate him every night because I know he can go outside, he's done it so many times!

I just don't know how to make him do it