Desperate over 12-month old dog who isn't house-broken yet

Parent Cafe
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<p>Did you miss my remarks above that say we must return the dog to the breeder if we choose not to keep him, for re-homing? It was in our contract. If we do not keep this dog, or if for any reason, we are unable to care for him, etc., we do not have a choice - he goes back to the breeder. No ifs, ands, or buts about that part of the contract. I can’t even ‘give’ the dog to my daughter if I wanted to. So it’s not like he wouldn’t be going back to a place where he spent many of the first months of his lives. In fact, they still have the mother, as well as a sister, uncle, etc. </p>

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I think I go along with all the others who say the UTI needs to be cured first before we jump to these conclusions. Prior to peeing only in the crate, for about the first month and a half, the crate was always dry, but he would pee on random blankets, often with me sitting right there next to him. Wouldn’t even attempt to go to the door to scratch to let us know he needed to go. It’s not like we ignore his signals. It’s almost as if when he stopped peeing on blankets and rugs (which we’ve pulled up), that’s when he started peeing in the crate.</p>

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How about what we deserve for the money we paid for this dog? If he was initially raised in conditions where he was not able to be properly house-broken, then we were duped. Otherwise he’s a very well-behaved dog and shows no signs of anxiety. Very friendly with anyone who comes in the house, or anyone we run into when out on walks. I also have him registered with a canine playtime place where I can leave him for up to five hours for $25, for socialization with other dogs. I’ve only taken him there twice, but they say he’s very well-behaved and is very social with the other dogs, and is very engaged in the play there. </p>

<p>Interestingly, last night I heard him whimpering around 1AM (he’d last been let out around 10PM, but despite our pulling up his water by 8:30PM, we think he’s snacking on the snow outside, too, when we let him out off leash); I got up and took him out, and he peed quite a bit. Of course he’s not used to us coming down in the middle of the night to pay him attention, so once I’d done that, and put him back in his crate, he whimpered and yelped for about 15 minutes before settling down. He has not shown any signs that he does not like his kennel. As soon as we say the word, he goes right in it. And the only time he’s put in the kennel during the day is if I have appointments or need to run errands, and at night time. Otherwise, we do not put him in the crate - only when we’re not going to be here.</p>

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<p>Thank you for understanding that everyone has their own comfort level when it comes to these issues and your honestly in expressing it.</p>

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<p>Yeesh. A dog is not a machine. He/she’s a living being with his/her own personality. They cannot be guaranteed to do x, y, or z. That’s not how living beings work. </p>

<p>Do you know if the UTI has cleared up yet? Have you talked to your vet about this issue? There could be something else going on. </p>

<p>Or, he’s having separation anxiety.</p>

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<p>By the way, it was the trainer who told us initially to remove all the bedding, that dogs will always go for the softest, most absorbent material around them to pee on. I think the fact that he has only peed in the crate once when there was no bedding in it, proves this. That one time when he did do that happened to coincide with the UTI diagnosis, so the trainer told us to put the bedding back in so that he wouldn’t lay or roll in the urine causing us to bathe him everyday. Before I buy other bedding, I’d try to use some of our old comforters that have been in storage in the basement.</p>

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<p>First, Teri, I am not going to judge. It’s your house, for crying out loud. Not mine.</p>

<p>I can’t crate my dogs. I had a bit of an issue with our black lab, who is now gone, rest in peace. We put in a doggie door and it solved the issue. fwiw. There are electronic ones which open and close based on a sensor on the collar which can be taken out at night. Or you can have one put in that locks, if you want.</p>

<p>I always kept my dogs in bed with me at night until they were broken. That way, I could get them outside the house, but I understand your reticence.</p>

<p>Good luck to you. I hope your pup figures it out for both your sakes.</p>

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<p>We rescued all our dogs. They all came with various personalities. We dealt with them all. We had a friend die and we took her dog. His thing was rubbing his face along a wall after dinner. Ick. Did we get rid of the dog? Of course not. We painted the wall with high gloss paint, wiped his face after dinner and laughed. Another dog we rescued, we were told she had bad vision in one eye. Turns out she was almost blind. We signed up for this and she turned out to be one heckuva amazing dog. We just rescued a puppy. She has her issues. She steals ,y bras and runs around the house. Found one buried in the back yard. So I now am very careful with my bras. </p>

<p>When you get a pet, like having a child, you sign up for the long haul. And unless a pet is violent, attacking and biting, we should be able to deal with the minor normal issues.</p>

<p>If the dog is having leaking or having accidents when crated, but not peeing all over the house, is asking to go outside, does their business outside when they can, that dog is house trained. It’s the crating and the uti that are the issues. </p>

<p>If you want a perfected for the money, maybe get a mechanical one.</p>

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<p>No; we were told to bring him back three weeks after she saw him and they cultured his urine the first time because they gave him three weeks of antibiotics. She thinks he might have had a low-grade UTI since we got him since he’s had problems since then, and he was already ten months old. </p>

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<p>Sorry, but for the sell job this breeder put us through, telling us how healthy the lineage was, and how they were all so heart healthy (this dog is prone to heart problems, and I knew that going into this) and eye healthy, etc., it rubs me the wrong way. It’s almost as if they knew there was a serious unresolved issue, but weren’t willing to share it with us because they were afraid it would scare us off from the sale. I did my research very thoroughly on this breed and felt we had found a dog that was a good fit based on what they told us.</p>

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<p>Teri, jym is an experienced Cavalier owner. While I do think the UTI is an issue, I seem to recall toy or small dogs being more difficult to housebreak. Perhaps jym can offer some resources or suggestions that may be of help to you?</p>

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<p>Frankly, when you buy a dog from a breeder who warranties that the dog is free of congenital defects, you have a right to expect the dog will be free of congenital defects. So, if that’s the OP’s expectation, I don’t think that’s unreasonable.</p>

<p>I would question the fact that the dog was 10 months old and not housebroken yet. That seems odd, especially if the dog had been living in someone’s home most of that time. So maybe there was a chronic UTI that never got diagnosed (which would make me REALLY question the care the dog got for those 10 months!), or perhaps there is some kind of congenital issue.</p>

<p>Either way, if the problem can’t be resolved, and it’s more than the OP can deal with, then she shouldn’t have to. The breeder made a commitment and needs to honor it.</p>

<p>I have a close friend who’s a breeder, and she lives by her reputation. If she had an adult (or nearly adult) dog with a health issue, she’d be looking for an adoptive family, and not a buyer, and she’d also make damned sure that whoever took the dog knew what they were getting into.</p>

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<p>Im Just curious…did the breeder offer any explanation as to why she still had the puppy for 10 months and did she disclose any health problems such as frequent UTI’s?
Sometimes pets don’t ask to go out. If they are on a schedule, they just automatically pee. My suggestion would be to take her out every 2-3 hrs for now. If she is peeing during those times, gradually increase the time between walks. Keep the crate bedding free for now.</p>

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<p>Couldn’t edit my post. If she had a hard time settling down when you put her back in the crate, maybe she does have separation anxiety. That caused my dog to have tiny pee slip ups.</p>

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<p>It may seem wierd but I think ur doggy is marking his territory…, whenever I take my 1 yr pug for a stroll in the garden he ensures that he ****es in atleast 5-6 spots preferably under trees, poles or in bushes…for that he conserves his bladder and drops not more than 4 drops in each spot</p>

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<p>This pup is NOT marking. (Why is it that any time a male dog is not fully housebroken people say this? :rolleyes:) He is peeing in his CRATE, which is just about the diametric opposite of “marking his territory.” Sheesh.</p>

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<p>And anybody who doesn’t understand this really should read Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat.</p>

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<p>Love that book. Also a very good movie.</p>

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<p>Lots of in breeding from reputable breeders. If you want a perfect creature, sadly there is no such thing. </p>

<p>How and when do you crate it? When you leave the house? That could be separation anxietyy and easily worked with. If you leave house and don’t crate and lock up dog, does he pee in house?</p>

<p>Whether the op wants to Admit it or not, the crate is a big part of the problem.</p>

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<p>OP wrote:</p>

<p>For what it’s worth, the dog would go back to the breeder, and we’re the ones who would be out of the money. The breeder has the legal right to re-home the dog if they choose to do so, which I think they probably would.</p>

<p>these statements sadden me, perhaps he deserves better…yes, find him a good home where he will be loved and cherished.</p>

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<p>People take an animal into their home expecting a pet, not an intractable health or behavioral problem that they will have to cope with for 10 years. We aren’t all animal Mother Theresa’s. If OP can’t resolve this dog’s issue with reasonable efforts (which, as many have noted, remains to be seen), I think it makes perfect sense to return the dog to the breeder, who probably is far better equipped and skilled at resolving these sorts of problems. No one should have to live with the constant odor of urine in their home. And I see no reason to feel any guilt for this result. We brought home a purebred kitten who had diarrhea from the minute we put her carrier into the car at the breeder’s home until the day the breeder came to fetch her back six weeks later. In the interim, we tortured the poor creature by forcing multiple kinds of medication down her throat as our vet searched for a solution, and had to keep her isolated and miserable in a bathroom because she sprayed liquid feces everywhere. It was a nightmare for her and us. The breeder was able to use her years of experience to figure out a solution (vets don’t know everything), and found a proper home for the cat. It was the best solution all around.</p>

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<p>FWIW, I absolutely understand needing to return a dog for x, y, or z reasons. We had to return a foster once because of behavioral issues that turned serious. I agree with the sentiments that it might not be a good fit for pup and OP. No reason for either to needlessly suffer. I just have an issue with “getting your money’s worth” with a living creature. Just feels odd to me.</p>

<p>I do hope it all turns out for the best- whatever that solution may be.</p>

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<p>We had a dog from a reputable breeder who had been well trained who suddenly - truly out of nowhere - developed aggression problems, including snarling and growling at my daughter to the point where we put the dog in the crate when she came home from school, and kept a leash on him at all times so we could grab him if he went for her. It was horrific, it was no life for a dog or for us. But our breeder stood by the dog, and accepted the “return” and we were not out the money. (As it turned out, he went after the breeder’s teenage son too. We suspect a brain tumor.) In any case, a good breeder should stand by the dog and give you credit towards another dog.</p>