# Help , what am I doing wrong?



## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

what am I doing wrong??? So frustrating, I feel like I can never relax, I am always on guard.

Jodi is 2 1/2 and he is still not fully housetrained. Our weekday routine is to go out before I leave for work and at 5 pm, he is fine all day (when he was younger I was home at lunch breaks to let him out, he rarely has an accident during the day now , and is confined to the kitchen). He goes out again at about 7:30 and 9:30. I keep him on a routine for meals so I will be more aware of when he needs to go.

At other times/evenings etc. the babygate is in the hall so he can't get in the bedrooms, bec if he had the chance he'd go there. BUT I have not been that great at keeping the gate up (especially when I first got him) , and I the odor attracted him I guess and if he could, he continues to go in there.

Recently, I've removed the carpet and drowned the wooden sub floor in enzyme cleaner hoping it would break down any remaining odor before installing the new floor over it. Now I am better at keeping the gate up but he pooped once already on the new flooring. SIGH, yes my fault I let the gate down once. :smpullhair: when moving furniture...too much going on and he got in.

One good thing thou, at my parents house during the last few overnight visits, I've noticed no accidents and he had plenty of chances to hide in a bedroom and go, but he always sat at the front door and waited to go out. Plus I always took him out in the mornings, at night and several times a day when I thought he needed to go. 

He never pees in bed and will wake me to be let out (which isn't often because he goes outside before bedtime). This is the reason I kept him in the bed when he was a puppy, because he wouln't stay in the crate all night and I had to confine him somewhere (he won't jump off). When I was doing the reno, I had a mattress on the floor and he wouldn't jump off it then, my brave boy!!).

I will probably have to praise him more and offer treats (I'd forgotten about that).

2 years ago I replaced the other carpet in the house with hardwood, also due to too many accidents...and he has not been peeing on the hardwood (maybe 2 accidents on the hardwood in 2 years). I am hoping for the same result in the bedrooms, but that recent accident already makes me wonder if it is just the habit of going in those rooms.

sorry such a long post..any suggestions? there must be something I should change bec I keep :smilie_tischkante: and my head hurts!

ps. this is the same dog that goes berserk with some of the neighbors dogs when he sees them coming, but loves everyone and every other dog...fear barking??? and tends to be dominant I think.

Hopping over the babygate is the most exercise I get but if it means Jodi is trained, I will have to start using my Gazelle !


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Offering a dog more freedom does not come overnight. Think of it this way...you house trained him in the kitchen and whatever other room he has access to. You have to repeat that process every time you add a space AND only add one space at a time. So you could move the gate a bit further down the hall while you are actively watching him. That means your eyes are on him, not on the TV or books. On him! So if he appears to be interested in going, interrupt and redirect his attention/take him out. Once he is consistent in this space, add a little more. The key here is for him to feel like this new space is his space and not an outside place where rules are off. Your error has been too much freedom without active supervision.


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

QUOTE (JMM @ Jul 3 2009, 11:16 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=800466


> Offering a dog more freedom does not come overnight. Think of it this way...you house trained him in the kitchen and whatever other room he has access to. You have to repeat that process every time you add a space AND only add one space at a time. So you could move the gate a bit further down the hall while you are actively watching him. That means your eyes are on him, not on the TV or books. On him! So if he appears to be interested in going, interrupt and redirect his attention/take him out. Once he is consistent in this space, add a little more. The key here is for him to feel like this new space is his space and not an outside place where rules are off. Your error has been too much freedom without active supervision.[/B]


That was going to be my advice. With both my Malts,I slowly widened their territory in my house. One room at a time. I would spend time with them in a room, feeding,playing,napping,grooming,etc off & on for a couple of weeks or so before allowing them freedom alone into that room. A house is huge to a small dog & they have to learn to think of the whole house as their "den". One room or area at a time. Worked great for my 2. A few mths of closed doors & babygates is better than yrs of closed doors & babygates.


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

Thanks for your replies, I appreciate it alot. What you said makes sense. We don't spend much time in those rooms so there's no connection to them. Now I'll start spending time in there doing those things you mentioned, playing, grooming etc. and very gradually allow some unsupervised access.

In the last few months , when we've been in my room together he has taken to scooting behind a chair and making that his little spot to lay down, so I can see now that he's made that little area apart of his den (we can work on the rest of the room)....its interesting when you put it that way. 

Many thanks!


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