# Need help in toilet training an old rescued dog



## Tiffanie (Oct 7, 2013)

we had just adopted an old dog, a shihtzu(about 8-10 yo) from a shelter recently. she was from a broken family who placed her in a small cage 24/7, resulting in her walking in circles. she's also underweight, only 4.6lb. she's a sweetie except for her bad toilet habits. 

she likes to eliminate a lot at home, she can even do that right after her walks. we have been encouraging her to do it outdoor, we walk her 3 times a day, morn/evening/night before we sleep, each walk is about 30-45mins. we praise her like crazy and give her treats each time she does it on the grass. problem is she takes her own sweet time. it's exhausting, we walk her yet we still have to clean up her mess at home. we place her in her den with her bed, water, pee tray whenever we are out or sleeping. 

help needed! also how do we correct her walking in circles, will she get better in time, or do we need a trainer/behaviourist?


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## Nuclear_Glitter (Jun 20, 2012)

These threads within this thread will help you potty train her: http://www.dogforums.com/first-time-dog-owner/88458-enough-potty-threads.html

As far as the circling, time will probably tell. What you can do though is when she starts circling, all her to you, and reward her with a treat. You can also give her toys, and toys stuffed with frozen food to try and distract her from circling. It's something she may just ditch over time though, especially if you give her other options of things to do.

My basic potty advice for you, beyond that thread, is to take JUST potty trips. The walks you give her are great, but you need to take her to the yard a few times a day as just a dedicated potty trip. Go in your yard, take her to the spot you want her to eliminate, and stand there. Maybe walk in small circles to let her sniff, but that's it. If she doesn't go in 5 minutes, take her back in. Put her in her crate if she doesn't go, and try again in about 10 minutes. 

I know you may be hesitant to put her in her crate since her previous owners left her in one, but a crate can be a WONDERFUL, rewarding place for a dog. Just make it a great place by placing a SUPER good treat that she only gets IN her crate in there with her when she goes in. (Don't always do this when you're putting her in there between potty breaks though, because you don't want to have to take it away to take her outside to potty. That could make her a resource guarder and give her a negative association with going outside) You can give her a treat in between potty break times, but make sure it's a small, quick one. Something that she will have gone in like 30 seconds.


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## Tiffanie (Oct 7, 2013)

Hi nuclear_glitter, thank you for your advices and link, will read through.  we can't give her frequent short walks but will try. How fast do you think a rescued dog her age will learn? I'm afraid the crate might worsen her circling though, btw when let out of her den, if she's not circling, she will be walking around the house non-stop, she doesn't seem to ever get tired, and we have to keep an eye on her all the time. I'm sure all the walking must have made her thirsty and she keeps on drink water which leads to a lot of accidents. Depressed!


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Have you had a geriatric blood workup done on her, as well as a urinalysis? UTI's can cause frequent urination. For some reason, liver issues will sometimes cause walking in circles. So can vestibular disease. Cushings can cause increased water consumption, lots of accidents in the house, agitation that causes pacing/walking/panting. Get a vet ck w/workup done to make sure there aren't any physical issues that are causing some of the issues. 8-10 yrs is geriatric for a Shih Tsu.


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## Tiffanie (Oct 7, 2013)

Hi nikes, her blood test shows BUN @ 31mg/dL and ALT @ 173U/L, vet says it could be caused by high protein in her food, I've changed her food from Fish4Dogs to Addiction for about a week. After the change, she has been pooping less, from 5-6 times/day to 1-2 times/day. Anyway could the readings actually mean kidney/liver damage? Vet says unlikely.. She's still drinking and peeing a lot and we haven't done a urinalysis, will do it at the next visit.


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