[thompson41603]

My Golden retriever is 10 months old. She won't stop peeing in the house and chews when we leave. I am sure she has separation anxiety, but the potty thing is way out of control. I don't know what to do because we are considering getting rid of her. Help?

[TexasParent]

As for the chewing, a couple of things:

A) You can't stop it, she's a pup.
B) Make sure that anything you don't want chewed is put off the ground.
C) If chewing furniture, etc. get a spray (available at most pet stores) which you spray on things you don't want chewed.
D) Make sure there are lots of other things she can chew available - if when you are home and she tries to chew something you don't want her chewing, immediately replace it with something that is chew approved. You have to teach her with repetition the approved chewables and when she learns that these things are safe to chew, those will be her first choice.
E) Put her in a dog pen when you leave the house, in fact she should be sleeping in the pen so she gets used to it. Keep the pen in your room at night so she hears you sleeping. Also, give her a treat each time you put her in the pen so it becomes her happy place.

Peeing in the house:

A) Pen her when you aren't there, she will not want to soil her bedding. If she is very young, there will be accident's, but in about a month she should be able to hold it through the night or for an extended period when you are out.

B) When you take her outside to pee, sit there with her until she does and then praise her and say something repeatable and silly like "Pee pee outside, good girl". This way she gets a positive experience from peeing outside and will want to do it there again. It takes time to train, you will have to be patient.

Take her out every half hour for then next few weeks.

C) You could put her pen (leave open) in the bathroom when you are away or asleep for the next little while (great if the master bath is off your bedroom so she can hear you) and put scented (grass scent, available at Pet stores) pee pads down in the bathroom so if she needs to go in the middle of the night, she might learn to go on the pee pads. Then I would put more pee pads in the kitchen or other tiled areas so if she feels like peeing in the house, she may feel after the bathroom pee pad training that wherever there is a pee pad it's safe to go.

If she goes in front of you, sternly say no no (do not hit or rub nose in it) and move her to a pee pad or outside and then praise her like she went on the pee pad or outside. She will remember the scolding in the one area and the praise in the other and be more motivated to be praise.


Good luck, puppies are fun!

P.S. Retievers love to chew everything and anything, you are just going to have to monitor her, and if you can't monitor her, put her in the pen. Make sure she has chew toys, etc. in all areas of the house that she is allowed. She's not smart enough or big enough to move them from room to room.

[starbuck8]

I'm sorry, and I don't mean to step on any toes here, but I'm really going to have to disagree with putting pee pads all over the house. This is only going to confuse her, and she will learn it's okay to go pee and poop both outside and in. She needs to know what exactly is expected of her, without variation. Who owns the house? You or her? Because she will take over if you let her. She needs training, just as a child would. They don't know unless you teach them. Would you get rid of your child because you have failed to give her the appropriate training? You have to be the leader of the pack. The pack, meaning your whole family needs to take that role.

She is 10 months old now. She's not an itty bitty anymore. She shouldn't get into the habit of peeing inside. What she does need is a routine. How many times a day do you excersise her? Retrievers are very high energy, and if you don't drain that energy, you can expect bad behavioural problems. For example, chewing the couch! They need a long walk, or preferably run, at least once a day... even following you on a bike or on rollerblades. They will not be as tempted to chew on things if their energy is drained.

If you crate train her, I wouldn't recommend letting her sleep with you in your bedroom, as that will increase her anxiety when you are gone. She needs her own place, and she needs to be lead to her spot or crate, and whether it's day or night time, she needs to be taught where she is expected to go. She should not be given treats in her crate, although she can have her bones and chew toys.

If she is chewing on something of yours, and you catch her, never take it out of her mouth. Make her surrender it. Stay calm, don't get aggrivated, and wait it out until she does. Do not praise her immediately for dropping it. Just pick it up and walk away. This will show her that you own it. If she is still looking fixated on the object, in an excited or fixated manner, once again, don't praise her. You may even have to put the object right in front of her, until she understands that she gets no praise or treats or even hears your voice except for a command. Only when she ignores the object does she get affection.

Try leaving all sorts of things around and watch her. Confront her if she heads towards any of your things. Just act like you would if you were giving a child a firm command in an assertive tone, and use your legs (just to block) and your body language to show her what is not acceptable.

Dogs don't care what you are saying to them, they only learn commands by repetition, but they will pick up on your energy. If you have nervous energy, so will they. If you are frustrated or mad, they will pick up on that. You have to stay strong and in control. It's just how they work. They are all instinctively pack members, and have a pack leader. You have to adopt the role as her pack leader.

There are many books to read that will give you lots of tips, and just my personal preference, I would suggest Cesar Millans books or videos. Please don't get rid of your dog. He is counting on you to teach him, and he only wants to learn what you want from him.

Good luck! :)