Hi All, Only my second post and will get some pictures uploaded of the little girl 'Vanilla' shortly. She is now 12 weeks old, and was doing well potty wise both day and night. we had got to the point of locking the grate and going to bed at about 23:30/00:00 and getting back up again at about 2am, then sleeping through to about 5am. We then stoped locking the crate due to her having an upset tummy as she was going pretty much every hour. She ended up on a course of antibiotics and chicken and rice. We are now gradually reintroducing her kibble. This is going well. We then managed to extend the time of toilet break to 3:30am and 5:30 am We where about to start locking the crate again and extending the time gradually, but she ended up with a urinary infection in the last week. She was weeing all over and unable to control both during the day and night. She is now again on her second set of antibiotics. I have started to take her to the toilet about 11pmish. but only for a wee and no little poo's. She goes to sleep and I go back down about 3:30. She doe snot really need the toilet then as she has already relieved herself by the back door both for a poo and at times having a wee. No bark to advise that she needs it. I am reluctant to shut the crate due to her infection, as don't want her to wee or poo in the bed. Should I wait on locking the crate door until she has completed her course of antibiotics and should I change back to smaller windows of toilet and start from the beginning again? As I am typing this I think I have answered my own question, but just wanted to know what other people did in a similar situation.... thanks Sven, Kersten and Vanilla
Oh what a trial for you both! I would start again. Hopefully the first bit will go faster this time and you'll soon catch up to where you were. I think if they're poorly and you know they're likely to toilet before you get to them leaving the crate open is very sensible. You want the crate to stay a positive place. Hope she feels better soon!
That's one reason I'm not a fan of crating in the usual sense. It does not potty train the dog, you do that. And if the poor pup has a problem she's stuck lying in her own pee, poop or puke. My Vet's theory is that the upswing in the number of UTI, joint disorders and neuroses is from too long crating, at least partly - I think this theory would make a great thesis for a Vet student. But anyway, you might consider our method of using the crate but with the door open and inside a bigger pen or our gated kitchen. Our pups, once they had a little bit of control and the odd time we didn't get them out in time, chose a place on the floor well away from their crate to pee or poop. By any chance does Vanilla have an inverted vulva? Also called hooded or recessed vulva? http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/recessed-vulva-overlooked-cause-chronic-uti-dogs
I just wanted to say poor vanilla, hope she gets better soon. Must be very hard for her, I think you do right in to keep crate open for now. I only close the crate for Millie if she go into the crate during the day to nap and my daughter wants to keep on playing, now I close it at night too since she's teething hard and I don't trust her with the wooden items we got.
Thanks for your replies. We will see how she goes, as currently she wees a couple of times during the night and poos. The poos are never when I take her, ie: before bed at 11pm, if she does not go, we go out again at 11:30 and midnight. then when I come down at 3:30am she has produced one, with out a bark. then after going to bed again after her trip outside, she manages to produce another one by the time I get up at 5:30. Anyone have any bright ideas? She gets her dinner at 6pm, and some more kibble (about 20 pieces in total) as training aids for toilet, leaving items etc. last treat is always when she wees outside just before bed. The other strange (well I think so) is she will have a wee in the morning after breakfast (sometimes a poo). Then I leave for work and by the time our neighbour comes in to feed her lunch at 12:30pm, she will have only had one wee and sometimes a poo. She then leaves about 2pm and I get home at 4:15pm. In those 2 and a bit hours she has multiple wees (4-6) and sometimes a poo. then once I am at home she seems to go back to normal time ie: 3-4 hours between each trip. Anyone ever come across this behaviour? I know she is on her medication, but that is just strange...
