How do I make Dudley like the bathroom?

OK... odd title i know. Dud stays in the bathroom at the moment whenever we are in bed or have to go out without him. He's fine when he's in there i think - he has his bed and toys etc, but he hates going in, and I think he sees it as punishment. I really want him to go in happily, but how do I show him that I'm not angry, and that it's just to stop him peeing on and eating everything?

any advice at al?

xx

Go sit in there yourself for a while - read a book, drink a cuppa etc. Lots of positive body-language, fuss him if he comes to you, but don't pander to him. Feed him in there, play with him in there - give him treats and bones in there. Teach him "bed" if he doesn't know it and tons of fuss when he goes in there on his own.

Personally, though, I'd be more inclined to get a crate and crate train him.

Has he had a check-up at the vets yet? Just to rule out a bladder infection as the cause of the weeing (though it's unlikely, it's worth a check-up).

he is going for a vet check as soon as my parents send some money for him hopefully before the weekend. i really think the peeing thing was aone off though - he hasn't done it since - but this beng someone elses house we do need to be careful .

What does crate training involve? i know he is very upset at being put in closed spaces - like on the ship back they have large crate/kennel things and Dud nearly died when we put him in there - we ended up spending all night sat on deck with him because he was so upset. I think he feels the same about our bathroom... it's not that small! lol! i will try what you say, it will give me an excuse to read on the loo now!

xx

It's difficult to know what to suggest. Crating Dudley might not be suitable for him, especially if he associates enclosed spaces with something traumatic. If you want to try crate training there are quite a few threads about it, or you could PM one of us who're crate advocates

It's all quite traumatic for him at the moment. It might be better to let him settle, work out your routine and understand what's going on, and then assess his behaviour. In the meantime, get him used to the bathroom so he's safe while you're out in the day.

ok i will do thank you!
I think he has been here for such a short time he is still unsuure how to react! lol

xx

Yeah he will be for a while. Soph has only just really started to show her true colours, and she's been with us since Feb. At the moment, he's found himself in a new pack and he's no idea how pack members will behave or react to his behaviour.

It gets easier. Maybe others will disagree, but if I were you I'd be gentle, tolerant, but consistent with the rules. You can be firm with his boundaries without terrifying him - many, many dogs prefer to know where their boundaries are and what the rules are as it helps them relax and settle. The very worst thing you can do is keep changing the rules - personally I think it's one of the worst mistakes dog owners can make. For example, if you're gonna go spare if he climbs on the sofa with muddy paws, make the sofa always off limits. Dogs have no understanding of abstract concepts such as 'muddy pawprints on clean sofa', so approving one day and disapproving the next leads to much confusion and an unsettled, nervous dog.

Hope some of this helps.

Becs

It helps a lot - i konw that consitency is very important. Does this mean that if he sleeps in the bathroom now - he'll always have to? or can i change his sleeping place later? other than that, he knows to wait for his dinner and to wait before going through the door (we go first - it's safer than being knocked over ) and we are being very consistant with that - and sitting at kerbs etc when on walks. Is there anything else we should be doing?

xx

You can change his sleeping place later, that shouldn't be a problem. But once you decide where you'd like him to permanently sleep, I'd stick with it. And don't be surprised if he tries to sleep in the bathroom for a while once you've changed it Satchmo has 4 main sleeping places: crate (we've still got building work going on), proper bed, hearth and 'blanky' for when he's eating something messy like a raw bone. He knows the difference between all of them, though crate and bed have the same name ("bed") so if he ever goes to the wrong one I just tell him "other one" and he swaps.

Decide on the basic house rules and stick with them. Is he allowed to sit in the room where you're eating? Is he allowed upstairs? Is he allowed on the furniture? Is he allowed to beg for titbits? Is he allowed to jump up for cuddles? The list is endless really. You'll learn lots of new things about him and the more he settles, the more things you'll learn. Just play it by ear and see what happens. He'll settle much faster with a "firm but fair" attitude. I could give you tons of advice, but none of it might be applicable to Dudley as an individual dog - see what he's like first.

I'd also recommend finding a good trainer somewhere, even just to socialise Dudley. I wouldn't encourage bad experiences, certainly not until he's settled, but try not to treat him like glass either. If he's been abused (sorry if you've mentioned this before) he might get upset if you shout at him at first, but it'll do him good to learn that being told off doesn't automatically mean he'll be hit, or whatever. Hope that makes sense.

it makes great sense and is helpful indeed. At the vets this morning we picked up some cards for trainers - so I'll see what prices are like - we can't *really* afford it right now though... and we will write a list of ground rules for him tonight. He already learned not to go upstairs - which is fab - he doesn't try now if we are upstairs he sits at the bottom and whines at us! awww... I'm sure with a lot of effort and time we'll have a great little man living with us!

xx

This is brilliant advice Archaeopath has given you. It looks like Dudley is a really quick learner. I'm sure once these little hurdles are overcome, he'll be your best buddy for the rest of his life . Tell him Aunty Vicki sends him a big sloppy kiss (oh, I am sooo sad).