Advice Needed....

[chauchix]

Amber has been with us for five months and we love her to bits. She was fostered for three months and we were told that she was housetrained but that very occasionally she would forget to go outside and would wee on the carpet. For the first three months with us she would wee a number of times on her walks and in the garden last thing at night and would happily go through the night However, one morning we came downstairs and she had urinated on the carpet. She had not barked or scratched the door to let us know that she needed to go out. Since then, she is dry for a few weeks and then suddenly the same thing will happen. It happened again last night and although I have preserved the carpet by putting down newspapers before going to bed I wonder whether,
a)it is reasonable to still be doing this and
b)are the newspapers sending the message that it is OK to wee on them?

Every time we have one of these lapses I feel disappointed and I have reached the point where I need some good advice. Please help!!!

[Bradpak]

Bella took a long time to be reliable,but never weed at night.Our three dogs are upstairs with us at night - I think if they were shut downstairs Bella wouldn't last till morning.Could it be a security thing?

[cadbury]

If you need to cheack it's not a medical thing, pop her to the vets with a fresh moning sample. I use a clean tea try and tip it into a container washing with boiling water striaght from the kettle. If that is clear it's time to go back to basiscs, out every hour on the hour where possible and out imedialey after meals.
If amber sleeps up stairs with you shut her in your room, most bitches like to keep thier bed area clean so she'll hold it overnight and as soon as you get up let her out.
I've got a hound that as a foster took an age to house train and on her return as she couldn't settle in her new home came back to me and we had to start from square one again too, but she is a dirty moo who uses it as a form of protest. When she had her puppy's which she was not best pleased about she would coat her kennel with poop and not them them in the bed the norty mare. I sure there's no way amber can be as norty as Beauty
Also take the paper up as this is giving her permission to use it.
If she dose have an accident put her outside while you clean up and wash the area with bio washing powder to removethe smell, as it breaks down the fat in urine which is what produces it smell.
I'm sure Amber will get into the routine and soon she'll be asking to go out.

[chauchix]

Thanks very much. It will be a relief to stop the newspaper routine every evening!

[loopylou]

How strange Molly is exactly the same , she will go for weeks and then have accidents on three or four consecutive nights,I'm always careful about letting her out regularly.I do find if ,as only happens very rarely they miss a walk due to unforseen circumstances and have to make do with romps in the garden its almost certain to lead to an accident at night, or if we have to change the time of the walk from lunch time to evening.I think in Molls case as she's an older dog she's a creature of habit and her body likes a regular routine.I have found over the thirty odd years of having dogs its been the bitches who have been less reliable , the dogs being extremely clean even into old age.I wqs thinking about putting paper down but won't now, I'm going to wash the spot she uses ,right next to the door agin with washing powder.Don't you love 'em

[chauchix]

We have had a weird couple of days. On Sunday she went out at 11pm - no wee or poo - then went through the night without accidents. On Monday she went out at 11pm and had a wee. At 1.15am my husband heard her walking about and went down to find a huge wee on the carpet. I have tried to think of anything that was different during the two days but cannot think of anything. How can she manage not to wee from 6pm to 7.30am one day, then the next day wee at 11pm and again at 1.15am???

[cadbury]

Okay you need to go out with Amber when she goes to the toilet and shut the door behind so she can't get back in, wait until she has done her bussiness and then praise her. Sometimes it will take ages so be paitent. I know this isn't possible 100% of the time but always make sure you do it on last wee of the evening and as often as you can manage it.
If she is shy try not to look directly at her as this will send domaint signal to her and intimate her so she won't want to let her guard down and pee infront of you, as dogs are that their most vunarble when squatting.
I'm sorry I should have mentioned this in my last post but I do it as second nature as it took beauty so long to get settled, I forget it's not normal and part of house training.
cheack out this link to lisa's advice too, I also forgot about the wee wee's comand.
greyhoundgap.proboards35.com/index.cgi?board=New&action=display&thread=29757

[chauchix]

Thanks for response. We do go out with her at 11pm and since we have been having accidents we have even resorted to going for a walk around the block as she does do a lot of weeks whilst walking. My OH does use the cue "wee wees and poo poos" which she hopefully undersands. Last night she had a wee at 10.30pm and did not wee until 9am in the morning - which was great!

Thanks very much for advice. I did read Lisa's advice too.
Hope that this is just another phase we are passing through.