We recently got a dashchund from a rescue(four days ago). He is a year old, and mostly housetrained. The problem is that he cannot stand for us to leave or to be alone at night. He cries and scratches on the door constantly.

The biggest problem is that he gets so excited when we get home that he pees the moment we come in the door. Is this normal behavior for a daschund or is this just temporary? Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks,

Sharon

You need to build his confidence. Who knows what he has been through. The urination is his way of showing his submission to you, and occurs in many individuals of many breeds. Get him a crate. It is only natural that a puppy resists its crate at first. What the puppy wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the
Household, and any other pets. In our modern society, even if we are home,
Other things distract us from the attention an uncrated puppy must have. The
Only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around. The dog may be
Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put
In a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select
A crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding
Time for more than one dog.

Obedience train him. The dogs see all the
People and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in
The pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members
Outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by
Reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class
Or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with
A treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/. When you praise him for carrying out the commands correctly, it will build his confidence.

Play tug of war with him, and lose. Ropes work great for that. Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds. Ones I made
Lasted much better. Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the
Foot. Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie knots in it. Get
Them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer. Watch
Carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

Go through my housebreaking FAQ and see if there are any details that will help him succeed in housebreaking. Watch him carefully so e does not have accidents due to your inattention. This site limits the length of answers. I will make it a separate post.

Housebreaking starts before you get home with the new puppy. If you don't have
A crate, buy one. I prefer the more enclosed, den like plastic ones. Skip the
Bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking
Hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of
Accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely
Spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. If you
Already have a metal crate, covering it may help. Just make sure you use
Something the puppy can't pull in and chew. Dogs that start in crates as
Little puppies, accept them very well. Never leave an unattended puppy loose
In the house. If nobody can watch it, put it in the crate. I suggest letting
The dog have its crate all its life.

Choose a command and spot you want it to use. The less accessible to strays,
The less chance of serious disease. If it is a female, choosing a
Non grassy spot will avoid brown spots later. When you bring it home, take it
To the spot and give it the command in a firm, but friendly voice. Keep
Repeating the command and let the puppy sniff around. If it does anything,
Praise it. Really let it know what a good dog it is and how much you love it,
And maybe a treat. Note, being out there not only means you can praise it,
But it also keeps it from being snatched by a hawk. If it doesn't go, take it
Inside and give it a drink and any meals scheduled. A young puppy will need to
Go out immediately afterward. Go to the spot and follow the above routine.
Praising it if it goes is extremely important. If it doesn't go, take it back
Inside and put it in its crate and try again soon. Do not let it loose in the
House until it does go.

At first it is your responsibility to know and take the puppy out when it
Needs to go. It needs to go out the first thing in the morning, after eating,
Drinking, and sleeping. If it quits playing, and starts running around
Sniffing, it is looking for a place to go. Take it out quickly. You will just
Have to be what I call puppy broke until it is a little older.

By the time most dogs are about 3 months old, they have figured out that if
They go to the door and stand, you will let them out. The praise slowly shifts
To going to the door. Some people hang a bell there for the dog to paw. If
Your dog doesn't figure this out, try praising it and putting it out if it
Even gets near the door. A stern "Bad dog!" is all the punishment that is
Effective, and only when you catch it in the act and are sure you didn't miss
It going to the door. Clean up accidents promptly. I mostly keep the little
Puppies out of the carpeted rooms. Still I need the can of carpet foam
Sometimes. First blot up all the urine you can with a dry towel. Keep moving
It and stepping on it until a fresh area stays dry. A couple big putty knives
Work well on bowel movements. Just slide one under it while holding it with
The other. This gets it up with a minimum of pushing it down into the carpet.
This works with even relatively soft ones, vomit, dirt from over turned house
Plants, or anything else from solids to thick liquids. Finish up with a good
Shot of carpet foam. Note, do not let the puppy lick up the carpet foam.
Once the dog is reliably housebroken, your carpet may need a good steam cleaning.

Thanks for the help. We are working on obedience training now and it seems to be helping.

We are not putting him in the crate because he was kept in one ALL DAY at the shelter, so he hates it so much. We may try to crate train him later on if we feel comfortable. Anyway, he is doing better every day. Thanks.

I know this question was asked a few years ago, but I must answer in case someone reads this.

A crate should only be used when a dog is being punished. If your dog has an accident in the house, show him the spot, say "NO" firmly, and put him in the crate for 2 hours. Then, take him outside. Allow him to be out in the house until the next accident, and repeat. Be consistent! Dogs learn quickly, and they HATE the crate. You can also use a small bathroom. They typically will not use a small area for relieving themselves if they know they will have to stay with it. The point is to use the same area each time there is a punishment.

Now, when you're not home. Choose a room (I use my bedroom) for the dog to stay in every time you're gone. Do not use the same room as the punishment room. He will learn that this means you are not home. I say "bye" to my Daisy every time I leave, and she knows to go to her bed in my room. Dogs learn words easily too, so use the same words for things, like "pee pee", "bed", etc. My dog NEVER uses the house anymore, unless she is sick or as I will explain.

Contrary to what some say, dogs will use other folks' houses, even after they're trained. ALL dogs do this, male or female. They "mark" their territory. When my nephew brought his dog to my house, he hiked his leg and wet on my floor. Minutes later, Daisy wet in the very same place AND right in front of me. She KNEW better and had that look like, "I'm in trouble now." So, don't expect too much if you take him visiting.

Lastly, be patient. Try not to stay gone for long periods either. Go home as much as possible to take the dog out. It's extremely difficult, if not impossible, to train a dog if you're never home. I feel very sorry for animals who are forced to hold their urine for extreme periods. If you are gone a lot, you should train your dog to use puppy pads. Use the same procedure as I mentioned in the second paragraph. Good luck! :)

A crate should only be used when a dog is being punished. If your dog has an accident in the house, show him the spot, say "NO" firmly, and put him in the crate for 2 hours.
No no no no no... A crate should never be used as a punishment!
A crate is a dogs 'safe place' and a training tool, not a punishment... all that is going to do is teach your dog to hate confined spaces.

And everyone please check the dates on threads, this one is almost 6 years old.

thread closed.