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Post by mrsh2be on Apr 12, 2014 1:27:40 GMT -5
Hello, I'm hoping we can have a bit of advice.
We bought Indy home about 3 weeks ago now, and for the first week or so his housetraining was great- not a single accident in the house when we were out at work or overnight. For the first week we had a dog walker to take him out at lunchtime, but we stopped this after there were no toileting issues. I was off work sick and home all day in that first week and he lasted from 6.30am until 5pm when OH came home to walk him.
However, since then, nearly every time we come home from work he has had a wee somewhere in the house (different place every time) and it's happening overnight now too- usually wees and poos :s
He is taken out for a short walk just before we go to work and just before we go to bed, and he has his proper walks when we wake up and get in from work again.
We're thinking of getting the dog walker again and to slowly increase the time he is left in the morning until it's the time we get back from work, but the thing that confuses us most is overnight! He currently sleeps downstairs but I think tonight we will keep him in the bedroom with us to see if that makes a difference.
Any other advice please?
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Post by gilli176 on Apr 12, 2014 3:42:22 GMT -5
If it was me I would have a dog walker come in half way through the day,630 until 5 is too long for a dog to be left (in my opinion). My dogs sleep in Tyne bedroom with us then at least if they need to go out they can wake me up. 3 weeks is still early in the settling in process,
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Post by lurcherlot on Apr 12, 2014 4:06:01 GMT -5
I agree with Gillian - the dog, in my opinion, is being left far too long. I never leave mine for more than 4 hours, 5 hours on extremely rare occasions.
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Post by sassbu on Apr 12, 2014 4:31:57 GMT -5
I agree with the others, nearly twelve hours is too long. Three days a week mine are left for six hours which they cope with fine because it's always the same routine, as they get older we will need to adjust it probably. If we have work commitments which mean a longer day, the sitter comes in for half an hour. Mine have lasted nine hours in exceptional circumstances and not batted an eyelid but neither of them were new to the home when that happened and both very settled here.
Mine sleep downstairs on the sofa and are fine the whole night through, again it's always been part of the routine and works well for all of us.
I would go back to basics and back to the sitter coming in as it sounds like he isnt managing and hasn't been there long enough with the same ongoing routine to work out happens and when x
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Post by dash4misty on Apr 12, 2014 4:50:09 GMT -5
I agree a whole day is too long , my dogs sleep in my bedroom and. If they need to go out they can let me know , it's still early days so good luck I'm sure given a little more time he will be fine  |
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Post by sharonhigh45 on Apr 12, 2014 6:25:40 GMT -5
I only leave my dogs for 3-4 hours at the most and have done this with all the dogs I have had in the past,my lurcher always sleeps in our room but the old staffie X likes to sleep in my daughters bedroom when she is home or on the sofa in the kitchen, we have had Moss the lurcher since end of October last year and am now having the confidence to let him have the sofa while we are out without covering it, this has only happened in the last month as he was weeing on it before so it is an ongoing process and patience and perseverance are key words,hope you get sorted soon.
Shazx
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Post by kamkay on Apr 12, 2014 7:36:13 GMT -5
I totally agree that you need to get the dog walker to take the dog out during the day. I only work one day a week and my OH drives across the city at lunchtime to take him for a quick walk. Jet sleeps downstairs and we've only ever had to get up and let him out on the odd occasions when he has been poorly. I think the most important thing is to have a routine and stick to it. Good luck
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Post by mrsh2be on Apr 12, 2014 7:58:12 GMT -5
Sorry, I think I worded that funny, he isn't left from 6.30am until 5! Normally OH walks him just before he leaves at 8.30am, and I am usually back at 4.30pm so walk him again then. The 6.30 until 5 was when I was home all day from work ill so would have taken him out when he needed to go, but he just spent the entire day on the sofa with me so we both stayed inside!
I am on my 2 weeks easter break now so we can make sure we can start getting him into a more regular routine before I'm back at work and the dog walker comes. I guess we just tried too much too soon for him...
If we did get a dog sitter around, do you think gradually leaving him longer would be the best way then?
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Post by lurcherlot on Apr 12, 2014 9:44:02 GMT -5
Sorry, I think I worded that funny, he isn't left from 6.30am until 5! Normally OH walks him just before he leaves at 8.30am, and I am usually back at 4.30pm so walk him again then. The 6.30 until 5 was when I was home all day from work ill so would have taken him out when he needed to go, but he just spent the entire day on the sofa with me so we both stayed inside! I am on my 2 weeks easter break now so we can make sure we can start getting him into a more regular routine before I'm back at work and the dog walker comes. I guess we just tried too much too soon for him... If we did get a dog sitter around, do you think gradually leaving him longer would be the best way then? I believe 8.30 - 4.30 will always be too long, so 'gradually leaving him longer' would still be unfair on the dog ..... you and I can't last that long, so why should the dog be able to! |
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Post by samburns on Apr 12, 2014 10:52:09 GMT -5
Is Indy a greyhound? All dogs need routine, especially when settling into a new environment, and especially greyhounds who positively thrive on routine as its all they have ever known. I suspect in the first week you had Indy he quickly settled into the routine of the dog walker taking him out and the times of your OH coming and going....and meanwhile he was also used to your company. Then everything has suddenly changed: you going back to work and the dog walker not coming in any more. Now that you are having a couple of weeks off work, the routine will again change! Try to fix as rigid a schedule as possible (including the dog walker because as everyone has said, leaving him for in excess of four hours is too long) also with meal times and while you are at home with him over Easter make sure you force yourselves to leave on his own so he doesn't get used to you being around all the time again.....Lisa's threads on settling a dog in their new home are really helpful: greyhoundgap.proboards.com/thread/29756/new-hound-homegreyhoundgap.proboards.com/thread/29759/dog-decided-wake-5amgreyhoundgap.proboards.com/thread/29758/okay-late-seperation-anxiety |
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Post by Letty's Mum on Apr 12, 2014 12:08:10 GMT -5
As Liz (Lurcherlot) says, that really is too long to leave a dog, especially as he's an only dog. It's not just about the toileting and how long he can cross his legs for, it's also about how lonely and bored poor Indy must feel being completely alone for so many hours at a time. I have two dogs so they have each other for company, but I very rarely leave them for more than four hours at a time without a loo break and a bit of human company. Personally, I would make the dog walker a permanent thing  |
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Post by sharonhigh45 on Apr 12, 2014 12:39:33 GMT -5
I have to agree with all comments above, I would never leave my two for any longer then four hours and there are two of them to keep each other company!
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Post by andywillow on Apr 12, 2014 13:46:50 GMT -5
I'd definitely keep your dog walker to take him out midday, it is a long time for him to hold his wee! I don't work and my dogs are rarely left for more than an hour or so if I pop out to go shopping but over the last week and a half my mum is ill in hospital, my dogs have a good long walk before I leave them and have never been left for more than 4 hours max. I have come home to the odd pee on the floor even in that short time. They do however go all through the night but do need a break during the day.
As Sam has said they really do like routine and can soon have the odd accident when things change. Good luck with your new boy xx
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Post by gazer on Apr 13, 2014 3:58:32 GMT -5
They can hold their wee for an alarming amount of time, my older greyhound boy does regularly and if I try to put him out for a wee say when the girls have one he just won't go. However, I rarely leave my dogs for more than a couple of hours and they are relaxed and totally settled. Your hound is new, it's very early days for him so I suspect it's more a case of being anxious and more than a bit lonely. I appreciate you work and he has to be left but he needs regular breaks, I wouldn't try to stretch the time he is left but try to break the day up evenly for him.
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