# appropriate bathroom schedule???



## PeppersPop (Apr 13, 2008)

My dog has recently been peeing in the house. I set up a place for him to go inside awhile ago because he had diarrhea and didn't have much control over it and while he did poop on it, until very recently he had never peed in the house. I am very happy that he is using the bathroom area we created, but I'd still prefer he go outside. He never gives us any indication that he needs to go out and we aren't sure when the peeing happens... we find it later. I take full responsibility for it... he goes out at least 3 times a day, usually 4, but not on any particular schedule.

Since Pepper isn't showing any indication that he needs to go and our current schedule in't working, what would you suggest? How frequently should a dog go out? Some nights his last trip out is at 11pm and sometimes 3am.... and I think he's confused. Should he go out more frequently during the day than evening night?

Thanks,
Sid


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

It depends on several things - size (toy & small breeds = small bladders), age, if fed on a schedule or free fed, to mention a few. 

I don't allow a dog who isn't fully housetrained to have freedom of the house. S/he is either supervised or contained. I don't like cleaning up accidents, which reinforces for the dog that it's ok to eliminate in the house.


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## PeppersPop (Apr 13, 2008)

He's a 10.5lb bichon/terrier mix. He's a little over a year old and is fed morning and evening... unrestricted access to water.

He's fully house trained... he had diarrhea and was not able to give us any warning and so after cleaning it up a couple times, I stuck a wee-wee pad down and there has been one down since. The diarrhea is mostly gone, he only poops outside now. But he's peed in the house three or four times over the past week. 

As I said, this is completely my fault. When we first got him (shelter), we were taking him out on pretty much a set schedule and he never went in the house. Then the diarrhea, the bee sting, the vomiting, multiple trips to the vet plus a good dose of life and we're completely out of sorts. He is still going out 3-4x a day but not at all on a schedule... one night "last call" is at 11pm and the next its at 3am.

It's not the end of the world if he goes in the house (as long as its in the right place... and so far has been), but its something new and I think a result of our lack of a schedule, more than him not being fully house broken... I want to get him on a schedule and see what happens from there.

Regards,
Sid 

PS. What does free fed mean? 



poodleholic said:


> It depends on several things - size (toy & small breeds = small bladders), age, if fed on a schedule or free fed, to mention a few.
> 
> I don't allow a dog who isn't fully housetrained to have freedom of the house. S/he is either supervised or contained. I don't like cleaning up accidents, which reinforces for the dog that it's ok to eliminate in the house.


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## Aggie (Mar 13, 2008)

free fed= ad libitum

The animal always has food availible to him; he isn't fed "meals" but rather there is always food int he bowl so he can eat as he wants throughout the day/night.

The easiest thing to do is put him back on a schedule, and perhaps even go out every hour for a few days, them move it back to every 2 hrs, etc, until he's only going out every 4-5 hours. I'd do this over a series of 3-4 weeks. I'd leave him crated at night, he should be able to hold it- you just have to re-train that housebroken part


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Only 3 or 4 times a day? Dogs not trained to hold it will go every 70-90 minutes but, we really can't expect even a housetrained dog to hold it for 6-8 hours at a time.


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## PeppersPop (Apr 13, 2008)

Hmm. I guess that only works for dogs who stop eating when they are full. Pepper's food dish stays out 24/7 but he gets a set amount twice a day. Sometimes he eats it all at once, sometimes he grazes all day... I'm not sure if that would count as free feeding or not.

I think that perhaps I've given the wrong impression... Pepper is not having house training problems nor is he having accidents in the house. I leave a wee-wee pad out for him to use and he's using it. He has peed on the wee-wee pad probably four times in the past 10 days. Since he has not used the wee-wee pad to pee in the past (he only used it when he had diarrhea), I am taking this as a sign that I need to get him back on a schedule.

My guess is that once we've got a schedule in place, he will stop using the wee-wee pads. If he doesn't, it's really not a big deal to me, as long as he continues to go on the pad and not the couch. 

Thanks for responding.
Sid



Aggie said:


> free fed= ad libitum
> 
> The animal always has food availible to him; he isn't fed "meals" but rather there is always food int he bowl so he can eat as he wants throughout the day/night.
> 
> The easiest thing to do is put him back on a schedule, and perhaps even go out every hour for a few days, them move it back to every 2 hrs, etc, until he's only going out every 4-5 hours. I'd do this over a series of 3-4 weeks. I'd leave him crated at night, he should be able to hold it- you just have to re-train that housebroken part


My dog to holds it for eight hours, every night, and none of his indoor peeing happened overnight. I do not get up in the middle of the night to take him out and none of my friends take their dogs out in the middle of the night either. 

If it is unrealistic to expect a dog to hold it for 6 - 8 hours, how long is reasonable? How often do you take your dog out?

I take my dog out 3 - 4x a day and until this week, he has been just fine. He does not give any kind of sign/signal when he needs to go (and believe me, we've been watching) so we just go out on our regular walks.

Because he doesn't tell me when he needs to go and because we only go out 3 or 4x a day, he has a little potty area inside the house. I would much rather he go outside, but its not the end of the world if he doesn't.

Thanks,
Sid





TooneyDogs said:


> Only 3 or 4 times a day? Dogs not trained to hold it will go every 70-90 minutes but, we really can't expect even a housetrained dog to hold it for 6-8 hours at a time.


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## julesh (Apr 27, 2008)

Have you thought about removing the wee wee pads? Or is he still having the diarrhea problem?


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Dogs that are supposed to go outside shouldnt have wee pads down..To me it confuses the dog as to where the appropriate place to go is...If its outside Its outside..If its in the house..Well, Its in the house.

I have a 1 year old that weighs 15 lbs and I take her out 7 or 8 times a day..Sometimes more.

Is he getting enough outdoor excercise?

I recommend tethering him to a leash inside so you can watch for signs..Usually at this age..they do show signs of having to go but you may be missing them..The only way I "learned" the signs was watching them like a hawk for a few days. Good Luck.


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## PeppersPop (Apr 13, 2008)

The diarrhea is better at the moment, but I am transitioning him back onto dog food now. He got pieces of kibble mixed in with his bland food (chicken and rice) this morning.  His afternoon poop was soft so I'm going to give him 5 kibble tomorrow and see what happens. I know it sounds silly that I'm just giving him a couple pieces of dog food, but when I tried to transition him back onto dog food last time, 10 pieces made the diarrhea come back as bad as it was in the begining. I'm giving him a different food now... supposed to be low allergen and good for dogs with GI problems. *crossing fingers*



julesh said:


> Have you thought about removing the wee wee pads? Or is he still having the diarrhea problem?


*******************************

I'm not getting the info I'm looking for.... so forget what I've said so far...forget I mentioned the wee-wee pads.

How often should a small dog be taken outside to go to the bathroom?

Do you take your dog out 7 or 8 times because she needs to go out to the bathroom that often or do you take her out to play or some combination of both? What's the longest time you go between trips outside?

According to the vet, he's getting enough exercise... at minimum, two 20 minute walks, usually 3 and then a longer one for at least an hour. We also play tug of war and I'm trying to teach him how to fetch/catch. He's on the low end of normal as far as weight goes and other than the GI problems, very healthy.

What kind of dog is Cricket? My dog, who is supposed to be a bichon frise / some type of terrier mix, looks similar to yours.

Thanks,
Sid




digits mama said:


> Dogs that are supposed to go outside shouldnt have wee pads down..To me it confuses the dog as to where the appropriate place to go is...If its outside Its outside..If its in the house..Well, Its in the house.
> 
> I have a 1 year old that weighs 15 lbs and I take her out 7 or 8 times a day..Sometimes more.
> 
> ...


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Not sure what Crikett is made of...Sugar and spice I presume

They called her a petite basset griffon vendeen but...I dont think so.

I take them out 7 or 8 times to pee...They dont tell me when they have to go..so to be on the safe side..I bring them to pee and they go more often than not.

We also play outside quite often..and we go on a 1 hour walk in the morning and a 5 mile run every evening..I have 4 dogs now so I switch up who gets to go on the run with me..afterwards we have a fetch and frisbee session for about an hour afterwards.

Usually I take them out every 30 minutes or so..I have a 1 year old...a 6month old and a new pup (crikett) 6? years old from the shelter and trying to teach her housebreaking skills. So all in all...Until I am satisfied that they are all housebroken..Its lots of potty time until I can get it concreted that they wont pee in the house. After I feel confident that they know the system..And I can read that they have to go...then I can lessen up on the potty breaks. Consistancy is the key...its better to over do the potty times than not doing enough.

I have heard canned pumpkin can help with the diarrhea...Also yogurt is exceptional for GI upsets..I use the plain yogurt usually..but do let them have a dab of the good stuff sometimes too.

I hope this helps..Good Luck.


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## PeppersPop (Apr 13, 2008)

Wow... that's a lot. Keeps you busy, I bet.

Pepper is beyond canned pumpkin... 2 1/2 weeks of chicken and rice, one failed re-start on dog food, and now going to a new dog food to hopefully get him off the chicken and rice. He had a course of Flagyl. I'm not sure if its an allergy/intolerance, but he's had 4 negative stool samples in the past month and half and checks out ok at the vet (other than the diarrhea).

I mix about a tablespoon of yogurt into each meal.. I haven't noticed any difference, but it's not hurting, so why not. 

Thanks!
Sid

I have heard canned pumpkin can help with the diarrhea...Also yogurt is exceptional for GI upsets..I use the plain yogurt usually..but do let them have a dab of the good stuff sometimes too.

I hope this helps..Good Luck.[/QUOTE]


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