# Help!!



## hspaulding (Sep 15, 2011)

My almost 2 year old Golden Retirever, Crosby, is the sweetest, most loving dog you will ever meet, a definite Mama's boy. Perfect in every aspect except one: he pees on the floor while we are at work. We have tried everything we can think of. I feel like a failure as a pet owner. But, let me start fom the beginning....

We got him when he was just 7 weeks old, and yes, I probably babied him too much. He was a suprise birthday present from my husband and was hardy ever left alone. I don't think either of us thought potty taining him would be this difficult, that he would "get it." I grew up with a golden retrievers, and never had a problem training them. We began to crate train him when he was a baby he slept in his "place" everynight without incident, but and peed and pooped in his kennel everyday while we were at work. He would go when we took him outside, but it's like he never understood that he was supposed to always go outside, it never "clicked" for him. We took him to 2 obiedience classes, and he did fantastic. The trainers never had anything but great things to say about him. We spoke to them about our issues with potty training and again tried to crate train him. By this point, he was pretty big, and began to damage the kennel, and has actually ruined three kennels since then. Not to mention that he just barks his head off when he is in there. We took him to the vet and she advised us to not try to keep in in the kennel anymore, that he could hurt himself and he probably had separation anxiety. So we stopped and he was left out during the day. Both of us work during so the best we can do to contain him is babygate him downstairs.

At this point, we went back to the basics of potty training, and our perserverance helped. He is on a regular schedule, he is taken out as soon as we wake up in the morning and he pees, and again before we go to work he pees and poops. He is taken out right when we get home and pees. Then he eats dinner and we go out 20-30 mins after that and he goes again and again before bedtime. He rings the bell on the door when he has to go out. He never poops on the floor, when we are at home or away nor does he pee when we are home. The problem is he pees in the same spot in the dining room, behind the table everyday. We actually got rid of the carpet and put in laminate floors and he still goes there.

So again, we tried to crate train. He does not have accidents in there anymore but destroyed the kennel and broke the door. I do not want him hurting himself in the kennel - so what do I do? We cannot afford to send him to daycare and I don't know how to fix this. He is perfect when we are home - why is he peeing when we are at work? I refuse to give up on him but I am getting to the end of my rope coming home to an accident everyday. 

How do I get him to stop?! Please Help!!


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Sounds like separation anxiety... clomicalm and training....


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

If it's the same spot - damage control. Buy a puppy pad to put there every day?


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

I'm so sorry that you are going through this. 

Puppies that come from breeders that dont provide for or aren't careful to teach the pups to potty away from their sleeping area, will grow up without ever learning that. Many of the stray puppies I see at the shelter are like that. That could be one reason. 

Now that he has done it for so long it can be tough to change it. You have to break the habit by reinforcing that outside is the only place to potty. 

The only thing that I could think of to do that is to hire a dog walker or even a neighbor to come take him potty. I do not think it fair to leave a young golden home alone for long periods of time, especially in the crate. Maybe you can find someone who will let him out to potty for a few bucks?


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

I'm no expert, but this doesn't really sound like a potty training issue. It's an anxiety issue. He urinates in the same spot every time you guys leave because he's upset that you're gone. Frankly it could be a lot worse but I understand your frustration.

My suggestion is to read literature on separation anxiety and really work on getting him more comfortable with being alone. Also... is it possible to blockade him from that particular room? I'd be interested to see if he urinated somewhere else if he didn't have access to his usual spot.

Are you cleaning the spot with an enzyme cleaner?


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## hspaulding (Sep 15, 2011)

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'm also not a huge fan of keeping him kenneled for so long everyday and I just want so badly to get him to the point where I can trust him to stay out. I tried to block off that area with chairs and I even surrounded it with a bunch of tin foil hoping that would keep him away. If he goes he goes as close to that spot as he can get, always in the same general vacininty. I did get cleaner from zerorez to clean up the rug and that does seem to help eliminate any smell. I thought for a long time that he just couldn't hold it, but it is not a huge amount of pee (not nearly as much as in the morning after not being out all night, which leads me to believe it is more of an anxiety thing. Has anyone dealt with this sort of thing before, what can I do to help him? Or heard about those vests you can get for your dog to wear while you are out?
What about a behavioral specialist?
Thanks so much for the advice!!


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Really has no one discussed separation anxiety with you?


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## hspaulding (Sep 15, 2011)

No, not the vet or the trainers. I got the feeling they only thought he was being a destructive puupy and he would grow out of it. I have no experience in dealing with a dog with separation anxiety. I try to keep him occupied during the day and he gets his frozen kong with peanut butter in it when we leave. I also got him the kong wobbler and put cheerios or dog treats in it. He does not seemed distressed when we leave, he is more occupied with his toy. I don't know if he just gets nervous at some point in that day when he realizes we are gone and has accidents. Or is he doing it on purpose because he is mad that we left him home alone? He knows what he does is bad. When I come home and see the spot and point at it, he puts his head down and won't make eye contact, like he is embarrassed. So, if he knows he shouldn't do it, why is he?! And how can I get him to stop?!

Thanks!!


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