dirty dogs

[getonwithit]

i acquired two lhasa apsos a week ago today from a couple who said there circumstances have changed so are unable to keep them they have come with puppy pens are up to date with injections groomed the day before i got them pristine teeth etc they are 3.5 years old , they are very excitable and full on more like a jack russell i have always had lhasas so am familiar with th breed i am having two problems i dont think they have been integrated with oyher dogs as they go ballistic when they see other dogs wanting to fight i hope to sort this with a dog trainer
the massive problem is the pooing indoors they seam to be totally un house trained i have changed there food to james wellbeloved from a other complete food so understand there were going to be bad tummies , they are having lots of walks and regually put outside and praised when they go but one of them in particular just squats and goes indoors i have spent the first 4 days putting outside and ignoring for 20 min ,now i have a rolled up paper he gets alight smak with scold and put out , i would love them to sleep where they want but have them in a utility room the first few nights in there pens but in the morning at there regular get up time 6.30 they have messed in their beds, i have now left back door open at night with there pen doors open and ther is poo everywhere in morning and wee
i am at the end of my tether they poo in my car ,i am lucky enough to take them to work and they poo there, there is no warning to want to go outside

PLEASE HELP I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO TAKE THEM TO BATTERSEA
they are both boys and cry if i separate them for more than 5 minutes apart from this they are very amusing and loving ,the old owner says they cant believe it but i think this is why they got rid !

[divegirl]

Having the two together will be hard but it can be done. As you will be aware there is no miracle cure to this and it will be down to your hard work.
The only way to cure this will be to take them back to basics. They are new to your home and you are going to need to treat them like a couple of 10 week old pups. Take them out side to 'potty' every 30 mins or so and praise the good...ignore the bad. Take them out after feeding, playing, naptime etc and they will soon get the hang of it!
Good luck

Lisa x

[Clanad]

We have (in reality, Mrs. C has) a Lhaso/Bichon cross (euphemistically called a Zuchon, here in the U.S.) and the second most difficult training item was house breaking (the first being getting her to come when called). Mrs. C. followed the example already given of taking the dog outside every 30 minutes. If she was fortunate enough to get the dog to do her 'business' she (Mrs. C) always returned exactly to that spot when taking her back out.

I notice, when walking the dog, (she's now about 3.2 years old) that for a breed thought to be a 'house' dog she investigates every thing by smell. Suppose it's the spaniel influence in the DNA... but this is helpful in house breaking since she will urinate at every site previously visited by another dog.
The saving grace was that the little dog now associates going outside with excitement, which, as you've discovered, seems to be the whole raison d'être for her... since she is the center of the universe...

Best of luck...

[boxtops]

Gopod luck - but don't smack the dogs for pooing, they won't know that the punishment is related to performing a natural action. You'll have to start from scratch with toilet training - they are probably as confused as you are.

[nungate]

I agree with the other posts in that you should probably go back to house training the dogs as if they were puppies. It might be a good idea if you were to invest in some of those puppy training mats that are used for house training, those and copious amounts of bicarbonate of soda to sprinkle on the "spots" and soda water as well maybe. Please don't smack the dogs as they don't associate the mess they've made with the punishment and they will come to fear you in future. Give lots of praise when they do their business in the appropriate places. Good luck.

[Charity]

Do you still have the 6yr old dog you were having a similar problem with?

[getonwithit]

hi charity, the six year old went to my x as she loved her new brother tom a 11 year old lhasa and settled strait away being with another dog that was why i got these new too initially i said no as i thought 3 would be to many i love lhasa apsos but really wanted rescues so not to encourage more breeding

[jules77]

You need to go back to basics and train them as if they are an 8 week old puppy. If you are leaving the back door open at night and they are messing in the utility room it is obvious they do not understand where they should be doing it. I dont know what you think smacking them on the nose is going to achieve to be honest. How often are they put outside, and do you leave them there? Why change the food, and did you do it gradually?

[getonwithit]

I changed there food as advised by vet to something healthier and am doing it gradually I only tap them on the side with rolled up paper which will stop now as that is what most people advise , leaving door open in enclosed outside area I think the younger one was going outside, tonight I have a smaller bed for Harry which will fit in his pen giving him paper to relieve himself on I wont keep back door open tonight ,all day has been good but then the doors have been open all day as I have been working in garden !

[lipsthefish]

Any type of punishment is just going to teach the dogs that it is wrong to do their natural business, they don't understand that they are doing it in the wrong place and will end up trying to hide and do it if they think they are going to get 'smacked'. Leaving the door open is not going to work either, you need to go right back to basics which includes setting the alarm and getting up every few hours through the night and putting them outside, stay with them and as soon as they do a wee or poo start saying a phrase that you would like to use for them to go, in our house we use wee wee and poo poo, ok we might sound mad standing in the yard at 3am singing poo poo with great excitement when the puppy does it but it works! I can't believe you are even thinking of putting them in a dogs home because they are not house trained, God help the poor things when they start eating the furniture!

[getonwithit]

Lipsthefish I've had dogs for 30 years and I've never had any of this I guess I've been extremely lucky of course I sm putting in time and effort

[lankeela]

As they are adults they should only need one meal a day - feed them in the morning so they have all day for it to pass through. Confine them in a smaller crate at night and see if that helps as dogs don't like to mess where they sleep (usually!). Give them plenty of exercise and chances to go, and praise like mad if they do go outside. As above, lots of poo breaks during the day, and stay with them while outside.

[karajan]

You'll have to go back to basics with them , and it will take a lot of patience , smacking them won't do any good . Take them out every half hour and when they have eaten , over the top praise when ever they do 'go' outside . It will take time , if you can't handle it , may be best to get them re-homed as it is a very time consuming problem to sort out . Good luck x

[getonwithit]

At last it's taken three weeks but they are finally sleeping through without messing all be it they sleep on my bed but there is no waking at 3am , wees are had at 7 am in the garden and they now wait for the park for big toilet ! No to tackle the next problem they were never let off leads but one of them is great in the park and runs and plays with other dogs but the younger one goes crazy when he sees other dogs snapping and snarling and pulling on his lead when I have occasionally let him off if he sees a dog of any size in distance he tears off and goes deaf to me and try's to attack it !he has met friends dogs in my house and theirs after an hour he calms down and then they become friends and he plays

[snowshoe1]

YOUR RIGHT, THIS IS WHY THE OWNERS GOT RID OF THE 2 PUPS... IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THEIR TRAINING. YOU WILL HAVE TO START OVER AND BE PATIENT WITH THEM... WHEN THEY GO OUT AND DO THEIR BUSINESS, TELL THEM THEY ARE GOOD BOYS AND GIVE THEM A TREAT... DON'T SCOLD THEM, JUST WORK WITH THEM...