Expert: Dana Krempels, Ph.D. - 6/6/2010

Question
My family and I own a miniature poodle he is now four years of age almost 5. He was never potty trained a huge mistake on our part... I've been suffering from a number of nasal problems now for the past couple years. Coincidentally this started around the time my dog would urinate every where. Now when we see the dog urine we clean it up but some we dont find till it is dry. He also pees atop of our dinner table and our fruit basket. It is hard to determine when he has urinated on our table aswell as the things on it cause he does this at night. Our home stinks of urine but thanks to my nasal congestion i cant tell or even distinguish smells sometimes. our house stinks: this i found out after constantly asking my good friend to tell me the truth and stop being polite. haha... the dog also takes garbage and used up toilet papers and hides them. not to mention he poops where he likes. i would greatly appreciate it if you doctor can give me answers to my current nasal problems and if it has anything to do with my dog? we also have a year old baby and would like to know if this environment is hazardous towards him as well. my mother thinks i just dislike our dog but it disgusts me how our dog is. one last thing i would like you to know is that wen i am out in the wilderness i can fully and comfortably breath through my nose. obviously i am not allergic to pollen as my previous doctor diagnosed. i will be waiting for your response. thank you for your time and hope you can give me some answers to my problem.

Answer
Dear Diego,

You might well be allergic to the dog, but only a qualified allergist can perform the tests necessary to diagnose your congestion problem.  I hope you'll be able to do that, though it might make you better able to smell the nastiness.

The situation you have really does sound untenable, and it is certainly not one that is healthy for a human (or any species) baby.  Ammonia fumes and bacterial growth from fecal and urinary waste are both hazardous for developing lungs and bodies.  I really think this is a bad situation that needs correcting, despite what your mother says.

My recommendation would be to get thee to a local PetSmart (or other pet supply store that holds classes) to enroll the dog in obedience classes where you can ask the instructor about finally house-training the dog.  It is NOT too late; it can be done with proper discipline and positive reinforcement.  That will make everyone--including the dog--much happier and healthier.

Hope this helps.

Dana