"Unbearable Lightness of Peeing"

[Pokeys Mom]

I am trying a new baby-gating area. There was a royal hissy fit for the first 10 minutes, but I think both are snoozing now.

DH left for work, and a Phantom Pooper left a gift in less than two minutes. Both had just been outside. I think it was Marta, DH thinks it was Pokey.

Then DH stopped by for lunch. After he left, Marta softly whined then PEED without any of her usual warnings right on the carpet. Can I mention pee pads were in the guest bath all day? Grrr. Ack. Groar.

Both are showing huge SA setbacks from being in cage-free boarding over the weekend, but this is the worst.

I baby-gated the upstairs bathroom, put down three pee pads, a cushy area rug, two beds, three blankets, a bowl of water, a kong filled with rice, lifted the trash up, turned the TV on and put in the puppers.

This was my first gating choice, but I avoided it because it is next to the door and a lot of outside noise.

Pokey whined and pawed the gate for 10 minutes (ignored), and is sleeping now. :boogie: Marta has settled down, but I can't see her from here.

All of the cage-free daycares out here just let the dogs poop & pee anywhere. Pokey never ever had accidents at home, but is starting to have some here. Hard to say if it is cognitive dysfunction. Marta never had accidents in our home, has had some at others' homes and has been having a few here. Hers are SA related.

I took pictures of their new limitations. They can't be in there all day. I'm thinking of training them to be in that area for when I leave. Should I not leave pee pads if I'm only going to be gone for 2 hours?

They both have been to the vet this week for stress tummies. I don't think Marta has a UTI...

I just can't believe they are both having so many problems.

[Pokeys Mom]

Just a note: Both never use pee-pads and are housebroken to go outside.

I put the pee pads out when Pokey had diarrhea. He used them once in an emergency.

[Patt]

Stress can cause many problems and forgetting house training would be top of the list. Possibly a smaller area would be the best for both, getting them use to it first. If you are only going to leave for a few hours, I would walk them giving them a chance to do their business and tire them out. That would be debateable on whether to leave pads out or not.

[Pokeys Mom]

Stress can cause many problems and forgetting house training would be top of the list. Possibly a smaller area would be the best for both, getting them use to it first. If you are only going to leave for a few hours, I would walk them giving them a chance to do their business and tire them out. That would be debateable on whether to leave pads out or not.

They get walked a lot and do all of their "business" on regular schedule (-more frequently as needed.) Marta was sleeping on the pee-pads.

This option is just creating more stress. Maybe we can just shell out a ton of change to have Marta in "playcare" all day and spend 2+ hours in traffic just getting there and back.

I will put them back in their primary environment, baby gated in a small area of the living room.

So much for me having a life or a job/income. I am not happy. Nothing is working with Marta. She is causing Pokey to stress out more.

I swear I'm living on the Hellmouth!

[Patt]

I am not happy. Nothing is working with Marta. She is causing Pokey to stress out more. !

Suggest a call to The Dog Whisperer.

[Pokeys Mom]

Suggest a call to The Dog Whisperer.

I know. He is nearby, but is traveling often. He is holding a general event in February.

I've calmed down a bit. She's a special needs whippet and has had severe SA since day one. If she is around men in the day, she is better. Marta always went to work with her daddie or stayed in her hoodad's home office.

Marta will injure herself when boarded cage-free or kenneled. (Usually a bloody snout or paw.)

I can tire her out with 2-hour trips to the dog park and long walks, but she will lie on her side exhausted but still howling once a minute. After three months of work she has stopped this behavior.

She was happy as a clam at our house, without medication. Here she is a battle against nature and she's on the highest dose of medication. Our vet does not advise switching medications. We have a number of a good trainer from our vet. I'm putting DH in charge of that.

Thanks. I'm used to small steps back every now and then, but not huge ones that snowball. I did post in frustration. Thanks for letting me vent!