AboutHenry Ruhwiedel, BS B/M, CPBE, APDT Expertise Dog training, kenneling, behavior. We train dogs at our facility that offers seperate training building, boarding and grooming facility, 5 acres of dog and cat space. We train pet store and county animal control officers and staff animal behavior and training, to aid adoptability and improve safety and handling of stray dogs. We use AKC Rally style training using agility equipment and positve reinforcement with our own book and DVD as training aids. We've trained over 120 breeds and thousands of dogs. We developed and taught college course at Indiana University, "Professional Animal Behavior and Care" wrote our own book and DVD for obedience training and understanding animal behavior that all training clients receive as part of basic obedience.
Experience Owner, Westwind Kennels LLC, Crown Point, IN. Training dogs for nearly 50 years. Developed and taught college class, Professional Animal Care and Behavior at Indiana University for 6 yers. Authord book and DVD on obedience training. We own over a dozen dogs, 10 cats, and have had as many as 20 dogs at one time of many breeds from Greyhound, Beagle, Basset, Rottweiler, Doberman, Akita, Briard, German Short Hair pointer, Labrador, Shepherd, Husky, mutts, most from animal shelters.
Organizations ABKA, AKC, APDT, Red Cross,
Publications Book and DVD on obedience training, several Chicago TV appearances, TV Guide, McCalls, TV appearances in Toledo, Detroit, Lansing, Topeka, since 1970.
Education/Credentials BS, BM, EET, Red Cross certified pet/human CPR trainer, developed and taught college level animal behavior and care for professionals, CPBE, and an Emmy (1997)
Awards and Honors Recommended by county animal control, area vets, Red Cross, Great Lakes Greyhound, mamy others.
Past/Present Clients Thousands of individuals, police dogs, drug dogs, S&R and bomb detection dogs. Our facility includes 24/7 doggy cam of the entire facililty.
Question My wife and I recently picked up a dog (Wheaten Terrier mix) at the animal shelter. They claimed she was 2-4 years old, but the vet said she was more like 8+. Kind of a shocker, but she is WONDERFUL with our kids. She can be very timid and easily gets spooked when it comes to any type of sudden noise, but likes people a lot - she even lets our one year old climb all over her.
I can tell that at some time in the past, somebody trained her, because she knows how to sit, shake and even heel a bit. Our problem is that she is an "intermittently potty trained" dog. Meaning that she does awesome when anybody is around or when she is in her crate (she seems to have been crate trained back in the day, as well, because she likes her crate). But if we even leave her alone for a few minutes downstairs or she finds a room that nobody's in, she'll pee or poop (but mostly pee) on the floor - often even shortly AFTER we've taken her out to pee.
As I said before, she does fine in all the other parts of house training. Whenever we take her outside, she immediately finds a place in the back yard and relieves herself on queue. But it's like she just waits for us to leave the room for a few minutes and then immediately does the deed. I know they say that the best way to house train a dog is to catch them in the act, but I have YET to see her even do it once! So now we're having to wall off rooms with chairs as well as leave her in her crate EVERY time we go upstairs, and if we forget once, we're 75% guaranteed to have to clean up a mess. How do I house train an older dog that has most of it already down and doesn't seem to be having "accidents," but appears to be purposefully going at certain times... times in which we can't catch her in the act?
I know she's in a new environment
Answer This sounds like stress issues. Gods don't forget much once obedience and crate trained. And that the dog does OK when you are there, says the dog is "normal" but when you leave, the dog has stress and the reaction is to go potty.
You'll need to spend a lot of time with the dog, praise and play and exercise with all the family members. When alone keep her in the crate. After the dog settels down (not spooky) you can begin to leave her out for short periods alone. The behavior can be self extinguishing as the dog feels at home, or you may need to make extra effort to pay attention (play, exercise). You need to observe how close she stays to the family members. There should be a bonding period with the dog staying close at hand, then a slow distancing with where the dog lies down or works a chew toy. If the dog is not close to you physically, then you need to encourage it. Make sure you stay in control and not just let the dog walk all over you when you don't want.
