Shitzu

Question
First let me say...I was not raised with animals. I am not an animal person. We bought our two young boys a shitzu puppy 11 years ago. We take very good care of Maggie. She is groomed on a reg basis, vaccinated, we purchase specialty food (as she has a protein allergy), walks, play, toys...and over all we love her (especially our youngest son, who is now 14).
On the other hand, she has constant ear infections, stinks, and has to be checked regularly for UTIes...of which she does not have.
She was very easily house broken as a pup, always followed routine, however, while nothing has changed in our household...she chooses to pee in our dining room. We've tried several things to discourage this...and nothing works. I am so aggrevated by it along with needing new carpet...that I just wish she would pass away naturally.
I feel horrible...however, I will feel so relieved of the burden she has become.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Kim

Answer
Kim, have you read my page on house training? If not, I would encourage you to do so. It is located at http://housetraining.angelfire.com


Is the peeing problem a recent one, or has she been doing it for a long time? If it is more recent, it could be due to her age and you may want to speak with your vet about it. If it's been going on for almost her entire life, I'm afraid it may be next to impossible at this point to try and stop it, though it isn't going to hurt to try.

I understand your frustration; I had a male German shepherd that took almost 2.5 years to housebreak. He was, by far, the most difficult dog I've personally had, in that respect.

Perhaps the easiest solution would be to block her from being able to get in the dining room. If you can't do that, try feeding her on the spot that she continues to go to the bathroom (after thoroughly cleaning the area with an enzymatic cleaner to get rid of all traces of the urine smell - Nature's Miracle is one such cleaner). If that doesn't work, try letting her wear a diaper. While that won't solve the problem completely, it WILL keep the pee off your floor. You will have to remember to keep the diaper pad changed, however, just like with a human baby. You don't want her running around with a wet diaper.


What food do you have her on, and when was her last vaccination? If you would like to e-mail me directly, you may at blueridgerescue at gmail.com