Moon, a.k.a. The most stubborn Maltese in existence

[thepinkbee]

Oh the frustrations I've been having with Moon as of late...

Moon is now 8 months and potty training is still an issue. He'll only go outside if I use the phrase "do you want to go out?" Otherwise, Moon will find a room nobody is occupying and he will pee there. By the time I find the accident, I can't correct him because he won't know why I'm correcting him! Very annoying in an carpeted house. I ask him if he needs to go out every hour, yet he still pees in between his trips outside!

I've also been gearing him up for winter (we already have snow on the ground!) so I got him boots. They're the latex ones from Pawz that have really good reviews. He was fine with having them on today when I tested them out. The real STRUGGLE is putting them on! He will NOT let me touch his legs or paws under ANY circumstances. Not for trimming, nail clipping, or boots. We never had any accidents or slips of the scissors that would give him bad memories, even at the groomer as I've watched his nail trimmings and such. I've tried massaging his feet when he's relaxed, which has been good for the past 4 months. The second I try to clip or put the boots on is when the panic ensues. I'll carry him close to my body and pet him while praising him to no avail. I get him acclimated to the tools, but he PULLS, scratches, nips, wriggles... ANYTHING to break free. I correct him when he does that and praise him when he's good. He just never learns...

Lastly, and this is a BIGGIE. Walks. He will NEVER voluntarily go on a walk. A few months back, I posted about his pulling behind struggles and I got a GREAT tip for just carrying him halfway through the walk and having him walk back home. I did this everyday in the hopes he would get better but it only got worse. Now he won't walk. He shakes, tail down between his legs, trembles, and collapses on the pavement in fear. I praise him, keep a loose leash, and no progress is made! It's so upsetting as I want him to have fun on walks and, as an avid walker myself, I want to take him on walks. Yet, he acts as if I'm sending him off to die! Treats don't help. I'm really stuck.

If any light can be brought on any of these problems, I would appreciate it so much! I just want the best for Moonie! He's the coolest little puppy, but he can be a pain. Otherwise, his behavior is stellar. No barking, aggression, jumping, confrontation with people/animals. Any help?

[Sylie]

I can't help. I know for sure I am the worst malt mom when it comes to house training. But one thing I do acknowledge is that my dogs aren't lacking...I am. So I just pick up the poop and sigh. I just never was able to stick to a strict schedule. The only "help" I have to offer is that you realistically see that you are the problem, and cope with it. The way I cope is to do my best to persuade them to potty outside, but if they potty on the floor, I just shut up and clean it up. I am a bad mom. I am a failure at house-breaking. I shrug my shoulders and sigh. I'm just saying that you need to acknowledge that your dog just isn't getting a clear and consistent message from you.

[lyndy]

I would go back to the beginning with potty training. Don't let him roam the house unsupervised. I did crate training and once I figured out what I was doing wrong it took about a week for daisy to get it. One of the members here has really great potty training tips and that is what I used.




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[Grace'sMom]

I agree with lyndy -- If he is still having that many accidents, that means he is not "getting" potty training yet and so he should not be given free run of the house.

I know that seems mean, but you will only continue to get more frustrated, and the older and older he gets the more it is becoming a habit for him to pee in the house.

Perhaps an alternative would be to confine him to an xpen with a potty pad. If he uses the pad between outside trips, praise him. You may be able to dual train him and leave the pad down in case he needs to run over and pee quickly.

Another thing would be to put bells on the door. Grace and Gus are bell trained. They ring the bell when they need to go out. I take them out every few hours, but if they need out in between, they ring the bell. It's taught both of them to "tell" someone they need out - and if we don't hear the bell they will come get whoever is closest - Gus will run back and forth from the person to the door, Grace will whine.


The boots -- Pawz boots are SO HARD to get on tiny dogs. Plus with a maltese's long hair - I'm sure the rubber pulls on it and it doesn't feel nice. So I'd recommend looking at a different kind of boot that would be easier for both of you so there is less fight.

The walking -- Hopefully someone who has had a dog with that issue can post some tips for you

Pats for Moon....

[Malt Shoppe]

Brooke, agreed, no free roaming of the house. Leash him and be in control of his whereabouts.

I adopted a 5 yr old retired champion who was not house trained. I trained her with Cheerios - when she did her business outside, she got a Cheerio - in no time she was an expert. I said 'go' and she'd squeeze out a little pp and look at me so proudly - she got a cheerio. Works great!

Might try that with walking as well. Being leashed in his house while limiting his roaming should also get him more use to leashing but in the comfort of his home.

Trimming feet - Puddin acted like I was cutting off her feet. I learned to keep her wrapped in a towel after bathing, one foot at at time exposed and cut the nails, giving her Cheerio treats when she was not resisting. She really improved greatly doing this.

[thepinkbee]

Thanks for all the help! Definitely going to start potty training from scratch. The good thing is that he knows enough never to pee in his crate, so that shouldn't be problematic.

I never thought to use Cheerios as training treats! That's his favorite daily snack! Maybe I should take his snack and turn it into a nice reward for him.