Naïa is 18 months old and only manages to be house-trained on and off.
What happens is either she starts circling, so I take her out two or three times in a row for several minutes and she does nothing, but then as soon as she gets back inside, she goes.
Or even when I take her out spontaneously, she manages to do her business five minutes later inside the house.
The problem is she has phases where she's house-trained and other times not at all (I think my mum is undermining my training because she doesn't follow my advice when I'm not around).
It's mostly an issue with pooing, as she usually pees outside, unless she isn't the first one to be let out (I have another dog) — then she'll go inside (first thing in the morning or when getting home from work, for example). That's one of the rules I have that my mum doesn't stick to.
Also, we changed her food because her stools were soft; it was better for a while, but now she's starting to have problems again...
I really need your advice!
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There's not much to it, really, other than regulating her food and regular trips outside for toilet breaks. Give her plenty of praise when she gets it right. Your mum’s got nothing to do with it—it’s your dog, so it’s down to you to train her.
You might know your stuff when it comes to walks, but it would be worth teaching your dog a proper recall, because whatever you might think, a long lead isn't the same as being off-lead. Now, your problem might not just be down to the walks, but it could be a factor...
The way you phrased things when talking about "minutes of walking" made it sound like you only took him out for toilet breaks, which is what a lot of people do. I was just pointing out that it isn't enough, that’s all...
And as for the lead, I was only suggesting it as a possibility; besides, whether it's long or short, some dogs feel uncomfortable doing their business on a lead, even if it’s a 10m one...
Anyway, I’ve re-read my message and I don't see anything aggressive in it; I did use phrases like "maybe", "if ever", etc.
English Spaniels are often cracking gundogs. I agree with @Mel that your girl is probably just far too busy sniffing all the scents to think about having a wee, especially as she’s still so young. You mentioned she hasn’t got a reliable recall; have you ever thought about getting a GPS tracker so you can let her off the lead without the fear of not being able to get her back?
Hi everyone, I'm posting here because I'm a bit at my wits' end. Naïa is 18 months old and she's only house trained on and off. What happens is she starts circling, so I take her out two or three times in a row for several minutes and she does nothing, then she goes as soon as she's back inside. Or even if I just take her out anyway, she'll still manage to do her business 5 minutes after we get back in. The problem is she has phases where she's fine and then others where she's not at all (I think my mum is undermining the training because she doesn't follow my instructions when I'm not there). It’s mainly an issue with pooing, as she mostly wees outside—unless we don't take her out first (I have another dog). If she isn't the first one out, she goes inside (when we wake up or get home from work, for example). That's one of the rules I've set, but my mum doesn't stick to it. Plus, we changed her food because her stools were soft; it was better for a bit but now she's having issues again... I really need your advice!
Good evening,
Why don't you take both dogs out at the same time?
Hi, sorry to keep on about this, but it seems to me your dog is a Brittany Spaniel, he’s a year and a half old, he should be getting at least an hour off-lead every day, minimum... Regarding your problem, it’s also possible he doesn’t feel comfortable doing his business while on a lead, like many dogs, if you don't let him off...
Well, you're wrong there, she’s an English Spaniel, and it’s impossible to let her off-lead because she bolts as soon as she sees a cat or anything else, and I don’t have a fenced garden. She’s on a long lead, pretty much a training lead, so it’s not a lead issue. She’s out for more than an hour a day because we take her out several times plus have playtime at home. Honestly, your input wasn’t really needed; I know what my dog needs in terms of walks. To the others, I’m going to go back to see my vet and set some rules with my mum 😌
One hour of walks a day on a lead (long lead or not, it’s still a lead) split over 4 or 5 walks, maybe even more. It’s normal that your dog goes in the house as soon as you get back.
Let me explain.
She loves being outside, sniffing, tracking, etc. So when she goes out, even if she needed to go before you left, she gets so caught up in the sniffing and tracking that she forgets she needs a wee.
For the urge to come back, the walk needs to be long enough. For some dogs, that’ll be 10 minutes, and for others, it’ll be 30 minutes or more.
Try taking her out for longer, and even walking her somewhere away from your own property until she has a wee.
If you can see she needs to go before you go out, she’ll eventually do it. It’s just like with a puppy; you have to go back to basics. Sometimes you have to stay outside for ages waiting for the urge to return, but you have to be patient – otherwise, the dog just goes as soon as you get home and the "pressure" is off.
I’m sticking with a condescending tone seeing as that’s the same tone being used with me + it’s being implied that I don’t respect my dog’s physiological needs when I actually do.
And just to pre-empt the comments, I’ve done training sessions with her for recall, but once she catches a scent, she’s off and there’s no getting her back. So, she has to stay on the lead.
Hi, sorry to keep on about this, but I think your dog is a Brittany; he's 18 months old and really should be getting at least an hour off-lead every day, as a minimum... Regarding your issue, it might also be that he doesn't feel comfortable doing his business while on a lead—many dogs are like that if you don't let them off...
Well, you're wrong there—she’s an English Springer, and it’s impossible to let her off because she bolts the second she sees a cat or anything else, and I don't have a secure garden.
And she’s on a long lead, practically a training line, so it’s not a lead issue.
She gets more than an hour out a day because she goes out several times, plus we have playtime at home.
Anyway, your input wasn't really necessary; I know what my dog needs when it comes to walks.
To everyone else:
I’m going to head back to the vet and set some ground rules with my mum 😌
I know I MUSTN'T only walk her for 2-3 minutes; besides, I don't think I wrote that I only walk my dog for 2-3 minutes!
Well, you did, lol, I was just going by what you'd written! I realise now that maybe you meant "she paces for 2 or 3 minutes so I take her out", but your sentence definitely said "I take her out 2 or 3 times for several minutes". No need to bite my head off if YOUR sentence wasn't clear 🤷
Hi there,
I think your girl doesn't really know whether she's coming or going at the moment—or perhaps I should say she's a bit "at sixes and paws"! Some dogs adapt really well to changes in their environment, but for others, you really shouldn't change a single thing.
Have you had a check-up with the vet to make sure you've ruled out any physical issues? If she's having loose stools, she might not be able to hold it in. You'll need to get that sorted as it will definitely be affecting her house-training.
And after that—it’s time for "Mum's training", and best of luck with that! 😁
