lucky22
Sep 22, 2010, 09:12 PM
We have a male dog which is a mix Shih_Tzu(7\8) Bichon (1\8). He's just over a year old now and we are yet to get him potty trained. Originally my girlfriend purchased the dog with a job that allowed more of a free schedule, but has now got a new job and can't make it home for lunch to let him out. (so he would be kenneled for 8-10 hours straight w new job) So it has turned into my responsibility to train him for the most part. I started with using the kennel in the am coming home at lunch and letting him out for a 30min to an hour. Then would kennel him again until about 5-6pm and let him out again. I was wondering if this was too much kennel time? Would it be bad to also be kenneling him at night? Our other dog roams free with no kennel which I would gladly allow this one too as well but he just can't be trusted.
The plan I have been going with for the last week or two because I'm not sure what is too much kenneling. I would blockade him in the kitchen for the am\pm (fairly large area 20'x16'ish) and would come home on lunch break which usually is about an hour and let him out as well as clean up any mess he had made. Then would let him out in the pm. Using this method because I have been feeling guilty putting him in the kennel so much. Am\Pm then letting him sleep out at night.. possibly a no go? This seems to be making the problems worse. He eliminates frequently it seems like every hour and it just gets to be too much to constantly let him out over and over. I am basically coming home letting him out, eating letting him out shower let him out play on the internet\tv we for an hour let him out again brush get rdy for bed let him out again... should I be having to let him out so much? He still has frequent accidents. I don't think I could watch him any more closely unless I just sat and stared at him.
He's had way more free roam in his first year than this which would be something different than he's use too. I feel he can't seem to hold and know when to eliminate which Ive read a kennel can be a good tool for this, but at the same time I don't want to leave him in his kennel too long. When I do take him outside to go he will only eliminate small amounts multiple times. He rarely goes for a period, usually only a second or two. I was wondering if this was normal? So a trip to the bathroom he can sometimes go about 10-15 times he will literally stop at every tree. I'll wrap this up as I've rambled plenty, but my current plan is the kennel in am\pm and at night with letting him out at noon. I also don't work weekends so that's easier to watch him, and I usually take him running for about 1-2 miles at night when I get home from work except if its raining. Winter is coming soon though and I don't foresee him getting this kind of exercise. Id like to get him potty trained before the winter so he can roam the house instead of sitting in the kennel. My basic questions would be is it too much kennel time? Will this have a better chance of success for the current schedule I have?
The plan I have been going with for the last week or two because I'm not sure what is too much kenneling. I would blockade him in the kitchen for the am\pm (fairly large area 20'x16'ish) and would come home on lunch break which usually is about an hour and let him out as well as clean up any mess he had made. Then would let him out in the pm. Using this method because I have been feeling guilty putting him in the kennel so much. Am\Pm then letting him sleep out at night.. possibly a no go? This seems to be making the problems worse. He eliminates frequently it seems like every hour and it just gets to be too much to constantly let him out over and over. I am basically coming home letting him out, eating letting him out shower let him out play on the internet\tv we for an hour let him out again brush get rdy for bed let him out again... should I be having to let him out so much? He still has frequent accidents. I don't think I could watch him any more closely unless I just sat and stared at him.
He's had way more free roam in his first year than this which would be something different than he's use too. I feel he can't seem to hold and know when to eliminate which Ive read a kennel can be a good tool for this, but at the same time I don't want to leave him in his kennel too long. When I do take him outside to go he will only eliminate small amounts multiple times. He rarely goes for a period, usually only a second or two. I was wondering if this was normal? So a trip to the bathroom he can sometimes go about 10-15 times he will literally stop at every tree. I'll wrap this up as I've rambled plenty, but my current plan is the kennel in am\pm and at night with letting him out at noon. I also don't work weekends so that's easier to watch him, and I usually take him running for about 1-2 miles at night when I get home from work except if its raining. Winter is coming soon though and I don't foresee him getting this kind of exercise. Id like to get him potty trained before the winter so he can roam the house instead of sitting in the kennel. My basic questions would be is it too much kennel time? Will this have a better chance of success for the current schedule I have?