Hi, i brought holly (westie) home xmas day from a family members as she was in a right state and living in the yard.

Things in general are ok - she is really coming out of herself and while im in there are no messes at all but, the second (and i mean the very second as ive come back in and caught her) that i walk out the door she makes a mess in the hallway right behind the door.

I always make sure that before i leave she had been out and done her stuff etc and still the same.

Any suggestions on what im doing wrong or what i can do to stop this? Its beginning to get me down now.

Andy

It's still early days for her yet andy. Bree my Golden seemed to take forever (at least 3 months :(  ) to be totaly house-trained; and we had her from 8 weeks. All I can suggest is to continue to praise her when she goes outside, and to ignore any accidents in the house, i.e. not shout or tell her off. From what you've said, she didn't have the happiest start in life, so this may affect her.

HTH

liberty

im doing my best to keep it up. was kinda worried that, because in the first 4 months of her life she has never had any house training or had to hold for any length of time that she may now not be able to.

will keep trying :)

Andy

Look at it from her point of view, for 4 months she didn't need to hold on, or let someone know she needed to go out. So it sounds to me as if you've come on leaps and bounds to get her this far since Xmas :)  Perservere with her, she's doing very well considering her start in life :)

JMHO

liberty

thanks :) i will, is sometimes a little disheartening when youve got to clean up everytime you come in though - never really had a proper pup before.

couldnt rehome her now even if i wanted to anyway lol - Kara would never come near me again (nearly put speak to me there but thought you might think me a little mad) :))

In every other way i am really really impressed with her progress, she will now play with kara and other dogs and loves walks - when i brought her home she was petrified of everything. She may be starting to think she's an ISBT too though i think :) 

Andy

It sounds like she might be a bit anxious about you going out and having no training to where it is right to go in the past doesnt realise she is doing wrong.

When you do put her out, try and get her used to going on command, so whenever she does goes say 'have a wee, good girl' or something similar.  Could you get her a crate for indoors, let her use it as her bed and just shut the door on it when you go out, I am assuming this is not for long periods.  Most dogs will not mess in their sleeping quarters.

Good luck, it sounds like it is just finding a way to break a habit.

Sandra

This sounds like a little separartion anxiety, which on the whole means you're doing nothing wrong - she loves you and misses you! I would suggest you try a DAP diffuser to help keep her calm, but bear in mind its early days and she didn't have the best start in life.

no, its not for long periods - no more than 3 hours at a time.

I did think about a crate but with having another that would never take to a crate i didnt think it fair.

It depends on how you introduce it to her.  Make it into her little den, nice comfy cuddle up bedding, toys, cover the sides and top with a blanket and make it the most comfy thing in the room for her to lay in. 

If she has been exercised before you leave her, she should be ready for a sleep when you go out.  I think it would really help to get her clean.  Thinking about what she had been used to, it will feel like Buckingham Palace to her :)

Dont panic, it will happen with perseverance (and im my case, gritted teeth and some swearing under the breath).......my lurcher is now 16 months oldddd.....he is only JUST starting to be reliably clean inside.....

Unfortunately for me (and him) when he was tiny, he was scared rigid by next door but ones dog, on several occasions, as he was pooping, so he rapidly decided that pooping outside was dangerous.....its taken me till now to get him going outside again, and trust me, if ANYTHING knocks him back again, i might commit murder!!!!!!!

Hang on in there!

Em

Just to make sure she gets the distinction, reward her with a special food treat as or just after she does her wees etc in the garden. She will hopefully start to make the right associations... :)

Lindsay