Originally Posted by
Charmlovesdog
Hi -- I am an avid doggy lover and so i am reading all of the comments with some interest. I also don't understand the attitude in here. I have to agree with the original poster that for some reason when she asked for advice all she is receiving is attention to the fact that she has a love/hate relationship with her dog at the moment.
Here is what I have experienced: When I was much younger and newly married I wanted a dog. I was not equipped to deal with a dog but I thought that I was. Because I wasn't equipped with the knowledge I needed to make our relationship a good one, there were a myriad of issues and just like the poster above, I ended up having a love/hate relationship with my dog, which I eventually ended up giving to my mother who gave her what I could not at the time. I loved the dog, but the dog had been so much of a problem that there were times I really hated that dog, too. Ultimately the problem was me, but no one told me the key information I needed to get through it all, so now I am going to give the information to the poster that I never got and that I think she is asking for, and I sincerely wish her the absolute best, and I hope this helps her out :o)
Here's the thing that needs to be done right now: you need to invest in a crate. That crate is going to save your relationship and bring it back into the loving and caring type that both you and your doggie deserve. That crate is going to become your dog's house, his security, and his training tool. Even if he doesn't like the crate at first, and many dogs who haven't been initiated from the start with one have a bit of a struggle at first, but he will eventually come around, I promise, if you persist.
In the beginning you should only allow your dog out of the crate if you and the dog are going to be playing together or if he is going to receive your constant attention, for feeding, and for going to the bathroom. I would also invest in a long lead and a harness so that when you put the dog out to potty all you need to do is hook his harness to the lead line and it is almost as effective as if you had a fence as long as you don't leave him on it for more than 15 minutes at a time, where it is used for bathroom breaks and not for just "putting the dog outside". You really do need a fence, however, as a lead line is only a temporary fix. And the harness is much more humane as it doesn't pull on his neck.
So now, you have a crate. Each time you let the dog out of the crate, you should be putting it on the lead to go potty. Then you should bring him in again and play with him for at least 10-15 minutes. Have special toys that you save just for that occasion. For feeding time, let the dog out of the crate and potty him, then feed him, play for 5-10 minutes, and then potty him again, and then put him away. Make sure he has in his crate a favorite blanket, a chew toy such as a rawhide treat that he likes, and a toy to play with. Don't leave him in the crate for more than three hours at a time at first unless you work all day, at which point you should have someone coming and letting him out at midday to play for a while, get water, potty, etc.
You will find that as time goes by, you can have the times the dog is allowed outside of the crate gets longer and longer until eventually you can leave the crate door open all the time, or nearly so, and have confidence that the dog can be unsupervised for periods without having an accident since you reinforced pottying outside. You should never take that crate away because it is his security, so plan to have it for life. That is why it should be large enough for the dog to be able to turn around freely, but small enough that the dog cannot set aside a spot to go potty, because dogs will normally not potty in their houses. Also, it might be good to get on Amazon and research a good book on dog training. I would recommend 101 Dog Tricks by Kyra Sundance and Chalcy.
I hope this helps you out and I wish you a long and loving relationship with your doggie! Take care :o)