Puppy Training/Spaying

Question
I adopted a Westie Poo from a Pet Store when she was 4 months old.  I just recently got her spayed when she was 6 months old.  Prior to her getting spayed, she could make it all day in her kennel while I was at work without peeing (about 10 hours).  However, since she has gotten spayed, she is no longer able to make it without peeing.  I have taken a urine sample to the vet and they thought her white/red blood count was a little elevated, so they have given her an antibotic which she has been on for a week, however, she is still having the problem.  The confusing part is, she can make it 9.5 hours at night while we are sleeping without peeing and when we get up, she isn't dying to pee.  So, I'm confused as to what the issue is.  I do let her sleep with me in the bed, but she has done that before she was spayed as well.

Also, she is about 90% trained in my apartment for peeing/pooping, but as soon as I take her to a friend or family memeber's house, she pees and poops in the house.  How can I help with this issue?  I give her treats when she goes outside, but I'm not sure what else I can do to train her.  Thoughts??

Thanks

Answer
Dear Therese,
Thanks for writing. Bladder infections will cause dogs to urinate more often. Hopefully when the infection clears up, she'll be able to hold it as before. You didn't mention how old she is now. As a rule of thumb, puppies can hold it about 1 hour longer than their age in months. So a 7 month old puppy's normal "hold time" is 8 hours. Obviously there are exceptions. If the puppy is sleeping most of the day, then allow for longer periods. If the puppy is awake and active, then elimination will occur more often.

At night, circadian rhythm helps dogs to relax and sleep. During sleep, the metabolism slows, thus the need to eliminate slows as well. The fact that she can go all night without urinating is not an indication of how long she should be able to hold it during the day.

Dogs that are house trained when in one house often urinate when they go to other homes. It's the same with rooms in a house. A dog may not urinate or defecate when in the den, but if you provide access to the other rooms, the dog might urinate or defecate in the new areas.

Any time you take your dog to another place, treat her as if she is not house trained. In essence, she is not house trained if she still has accidents in your home. Over time, she will learn that the outside is the place to go.

Thanks for writing. Good luck!

Alan J Turner

http://howsbentley.com