10-month-old puppy in need of help!!

Question
QUESTION: My mom is calling people already to get rid of our precious Wheaten Terrier named Clark. He has many problems including going to the bathroom in the house, barking as loud as he can when he's outside, chewing on the carpet when we're not home, etc. I don't know how much time we have until he's going to his new home, but my sister and I are trying to convince our mom that he is a good dog. My mom's main concern is the pooping and peeing in the house. Most people say that a dog would rather not soil their feeding and sleeping places, but Clark will go to the bathroom anywhere. Also, he'll go right as you're looking at him. He's not excited; he actually will just poop right as you're petting him. I don't know what's wrong, but if we don't get help soon Clark is going to be given away. Please help!!
-Claire
P.S. We also have an 11-year-old Westy and a 4-year-old mutt. Just wanted to tell you in case we need to do something different because we have 3 dogs.

ANSWER: Hi Claire;
If the dog has no medical problms, thn he is doing this because he has not been properly trained not to.
You can't expect a dog to know what to do unless you teach him.
Petco and Petsmart and Man's Best Friend have weekend group obedience classes.
If you get another dog, and don't train it, it will do the same thing.
Dogs we bring into the house to be companions become members of the family. Thgey want to be appreciated and loved, and they want to please.
If they are not trained, they don't know what you want of them. There are ways to train a dog properly, and if this training isn't done, they will do just what they will do in the wild.
Remind your mom that children that are not properly trained don't behave well either.
You didn't say how old the dog is, but if your mom would allow you to enroll in an obedience class, it would not only make it possible for you to keep this dog, but it would also teach you how to train a dog for basic obedience.This would be really good for you and good for the dog. Other family members can go and watch the classes.
That would be the best way to go, by far.
Getting rid of the dog is not the answer.
If a dog doesn't do what it is supposed to, it is the humans in charge of it that are at fault, NOT the dog!!
I have 4 dogs, all different, but all 4 are males.
That makes no difference though, I have had all females at some times, and a mix of males and females. I train, so everything goes as it should.
Dogs are NOT mean unless their owners allow ithem to become that way, no matter what the breed. They are either taught to be mean, or just not taught at all.
Taking the dog to obedience class will not only teach you how to train your dog, it will also help teach you responsibility, and how to assume it.
Raising and training animals is the best education children can get in learning undrstanding, tollerance and responsibility, and humanity.
Please let your mother ead this, and invite her to write me if she cares to.
I sure hopes she lets you enroll in a class and begin thes great training for both you and your dog.
If she won't allow you to take the classes, but will give you some time to work with the dog, write me, and I wil do my best to explain ways to teach it to go outside etc, and help as much as I can by letter.
The training classes would be many times more effective, though.
Charlotte



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for helping. I forgot to tell you that Clark also came from a puppy mill, so we think part of the problem is that as a young puppy he learned to go to the bathroom anywhere, and someone would clean it up, which is not how it is in our house. We need desperate help to teach him not to poop in his kennel at night.
Sorry that I wasn't too specific in my first paragraph above. Clark is almost 10 months old. Here's the real problem though: he has been going to the bathroom outside, and we praise him for it, but then, out of nowhere comes more poop and pee. It's like he goes to the bathroom more than he eats! We don't get how one puppy can go to the bathroom so much, even when he only gets a certain amount of food. It's really weird.
We have also already taken him to puppy classes and they worked...for a while. It's like he forgot everything that he learned, even though we keep trying to teach him things at home that he learned from the puppy classes.
Can dogs have mental illnesses just like people? 'Cuz if they can, I really believe Clark has some mental problems...hehe.
Thanks for your time
-Claire
P.S. Where do I find an address to e-mail or write you?

Answer
Honey, coming from a puppy mill GAVE Clark mental problems!
Those poor dogs live in such terrible conditions.
they are kept in cages with wire bottoms, and nobody cleans up after them. Most of the poop goes through the mesh, but what doesn't, they just sit in, and the dogs in the cages below other cages get it dumped on them as the ones above go.
they aren't givenm adequate meals and are treated terribly.
they need a LOT os patience and help to overcome the terrible experiences they suffer.
Seriously, they do havbe nerves and feas brought on by those experiences. Some of them have very serious mental problems, that last a long time.
Working with thr rescue groups, we see a lot of these poor little babies.
They need a lot more patience than dogs born under better conditions.
Maybe you need to let him go, and keep him outside longer. Sometimes they don't get finished the first time, and it takes sometimes 30 minutes oor so for the rest they need to expel to work through their bowels.
Charlotte