QuestionI have recently adopted a 7 year old male not fixed pom who was house trained. Besides marking which we are getting control over by catching him in the act and sternly saying no and taking him outside we are having a problem when we leave for work. I was wondering about how long the bladder and bowel control can last. Do they have to be let out every hour or can it be 4 hours. He is fine at night and when we are home. Also is there a reason that he asks to go outside, goes outside, urinates, asks to come back in and then trots to the living room and starts to deficate? I have only caught him once and I noticed the smelling circling behaviour and watched him. We did not have any soiling in the house I got him outside in time. Could it just be because he is in a new house and is getting comfortable and feels he can do what he wants?
AnswerAt 7 yrs old you will have to be very consistant in training to unlearn any bad habits your Pom had before coming ot you. You should really have him neutered to make great strides in the marking. Even if you think he is not... he is marking. It is what in tact boys AND girls do to let other animals know who they are and what is theirs. They should be let out every 3-4 hours, depending on the individual dog. Most dogs can go all night without accidents.
He may be pooing in the house becuase you weren't clear on what you wanted him to do out there. Check out the archive questions for lots of leads and links on potty training. It is very very common for dogs in a new envirnemnt to be confused. It just takes time and patience.
Best of luck with him.
-Trish
www.geminipoms.com
