Puppy walking

An adventure in looking after a puppy until it is old enough to be properly trained as a guide dog for the blind.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Entranced by the Swiffer

It has been a week now, since we let Rocky sleep in our room at night and all was well until this morning. Actually, I don’t think what happened had anything to do with the sleeping arrangements but was instead, a result of a change in routine. Even on the weekends and even when Peter has been sick, Peter is the first one up and the one to give Rocky his breakfast and let him out. Earlier on in our relationship (the one with Rocky, not with Peter), I thought it was better to make Rocky go for a pee first thing and then give him breakfast. But Peter discovered that Rocky wouldn’t go out unless you pushed him out the door, so he gave him breakfast and then let him out.

This morning, I got up first and after I’d had my shower and dressed, I went downstairs with Rocky. I gave him his breakfast first because I knew that was his routine with Peter. When he was finished, I was in the kitchen and I heard him trotting up the hall so I turned to say to him, “okay, let’s go out now!” He stopped on the edge of the carpet in the dining room, bent his back legs a little and started peeing on the carpet! I squawked really loudly and jumped at him and yelled “NO!”. He stopped peeing and ran up the stairs where he cowered on the landing. I went up to him and he flopped on his side to show his belly in remorse. He knew he had done wrong but he still did it. I put his collar on and asked him to go outside. He went, I didn’t have to drag him, and then he peed and pooped like he normally does. When he came back in, I had cleaned up the pee and sprayed OdorGon on the spot but we all knew something had gone wrong this morning.

3 Comments:

At 7:27 p.m., November 27, 2005, Blogger 8675309 said...

It's so funny how they know they've done something wrong...just like humans. =)

I'll have to check out the OdorGon (I know it's called something else here in the States). But the folks in my puppy group swear by a product called "Nature's Miracle." I've used quite a bit of it, as all my floors are carpeted....

 
At 1:57 a.m., November 28, 2005, Blogger Sam I Am said...

You crack me up ROCKY!!!
peeing somewhere, whether pup or adult.
we do not understand that our owner will be home again.
Rocky just needs time, patience and showing where to go. Punishment wont help, verbal or otherwise, as the pup wont understand and you'll only make them scared of you.
Let your pup out into the garden or designated peeing place often, then as the weeks go by progress to leaving them longer in between pee breaks.Hang in there.

 
At 9:43 a.m., November 28, 2005, Blogger JuliaR said...

Jenny, Keelin and Sam, I have thought about Rocky’s “accident” and talked with Peter about it and I think I just wasn’t fast enough. Peter always lets him out the back the second he is done his breakfast. I thought he was grown up enough to be able to understand he has to “hold it” until he is outside and only pee outside but apparently not yet. My only previous experience was with Uma, who was completely house trained at the tender age of 2 months and never peed in the house again after that. I thought at 5 months, Rocky would have made the connexion that dogs don’t pee IN the house.

Sam, I didn’t punish Rocky. I just yelled “NO” because I wanted him to STOP and not make a bigger puddle than what was already there.

Jenny, I discovered “OdorGon” when we had a second-hand car and the passenger seat belt was impregnated with the perfume of its previous occupant. It gave me a headache just to ride in the car, never mind wearing the seat belt. I used the OdorGon and it took the smell away and I have used it for everything smelly since.

 

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