I am having a shih tzu, named as bobby, a 9 months old puppy. He used to be trained to pee at the newpaper that was placed at the kitchen and he did that quite well. But lately, he likes to pee at sofa. This made me feel so headache with it... Now, when we are out for work, we have to pull all the sofa cursion up.
Bobby is very behaving when we r at home. But he will be mis-behaving while we are out. I think this is because he is too bored to stay at home with him alone. He may need our attention... some how, we do care about him.
In order to train him not to pee elsewhere, I think i have to be patient in teaching him. Is the Obedient Training for doggie did cover the correct way of pee pee? If so, i will consider to bring him for schooling. I am thinking of buying some sort of spray liquid from the pet shop and spray at the places that he is not supposed to pee on. Any else ways i can learn from you all in teaching him to pee at the correct place???
Re: [jessliew] My Shih Tzu likes to pee at sofa ... :(
[In reply to]
Can't Post
Hi ...
You are correct ... your dog may be exhibiting "separation anxiety" ...
As best I know, the spray liquids etc etc are not effective ... and whether they work or not is more luck than design ...
Obedience classes is not per se to teach house training ... but there should be many trainers with experience who ought to be able to offer good suggestions and possible remedies.
Will suggest the following:
(a) Retrain your pup's peeing & pooping habits ... It is necessary to ground the housetraining well ... sometimes a dog can relapse, and retraining is necessary.
(b) In the meantime ... it is important to prevent mistakes from happening ... otherwise it becomes a habit. Bad habits once grounded are awfully difficult to change.
So, when your dog is left alone at home ... confine your dog to a "safe area" ... Make sure your dog has enough space, fresh water, toys and free access to the designated pee/poop area.
Do research and learn the correct way to confine a dog within a safe area. Understand what a "safe area" is supposed to be. Crating for extended periods is NOT RECOMMENDED or advised!
(c) Separation anxiety is common (especially amoung the smaller breeds and toy dogs) ... It is not a problem that cannot be resolved with correct training and understanding. Understanding the issue of separation anxiety, how and why it occurs - is important ...
For example: When a dog exhibits separation anxiety - over pampering can make the situation worse ... Incorrect discipline or punishment (or abuse of any kind) can also make the situation worse ...
Cannot over emphasise how important it is for a dog owner to understand what separation anxiety is ...
So ... (i) Use the search function and key words ... "separation anxiety" ... this topic has been much discussed before ... and (ii) Get a good training manual and good book explaining dog behaviour ... Search AMAZON for recommendations ... Many of the books listed in AMAZON are now locally available.