AboutKaren Brittan Expertise I have been showing miniature schnauzers in conformation, obedience, and earthdog for forty years, and am a professional dog groomer.
I am not a veterinarian and cannot answer questions of a veterinary nature. However, I can give my opinion or share some experiences on some health issues. If your dog is sick, it should be seen by a licensed professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Experience I have taught obedience classes and have taught people how to groom for many years.
Member: American Miniature Schnauzer Club; Twin Cities Miniature Schnauzer Club; Elk River Kennel Club; Minnesota Professional Pet Groomers Association. Learn more about me and my dogs: http://britmorschnauzers.com
Expert: Karen Brittan Date: 7/6/2008 Subject: pooping while I'm gone
Question I have 2 dogs ages 5 & 6. Our toy Fox Terrier, Calli, will release herself outside a couple of times a day. We bought Calli for my husband after we lost our Miniature Shazner. He had a terrier growing up and wanted another one. The other dog, which is mine because I was not a fan of out terrier at the time, is a Shih Tzu/Poodle mix. We purchased Ginger when she was 6 months from college girls. Her training was not the greatest. She obviously pooped on the sidewalk and was dragged while doing it. She no longer does it on the sidewalk. When we leave them to run an errand, I will find pooh Ginger did on the carpet in one of three rooms. The problem is she takes forever to find a spot to pee and even longer to pooh. My husband takes them out in the morning and does not have the patience to wait for Ginger to take her time to do her business. Neither Calli or Ginger give signals to go outside very often. The only time Ginger poohs is while I am gone. I have used spray to hide the odor and it lasts for a while. What can I do, other than taking her outside myself in the morning, to get her to stop relieving herself in the house? A little while ago, I found pooh on the rug in the office. I stuck her nose in it, spanked her, then put her in the crate. I was going to leave her in their all day, but my heart would not let me. I decided to keep her on a leash so she will always be at my side. What do I do when I leave the house? Should I put her in the crate and allow Calli to be free? Any advice will help. Thanks.
Answer One should never correct a dog for anything "after the fact" as the dog will not have a clue why it is being corrected, and a crate should always be a dog's place of safety, not a place for punishment. Besides, with two dogs loose in the house, there is always a chance that the wrong dog was blamed for it. (I once blamed a bunch of young miscreants for shredding up a bunch of tissues all over the living room, but the only one who ended up pooping kleenex was my wonderful, sweet, well-behaved alpha male who *never* did anything wrong...)
Whenever you leave for any length of time, both dogs should be crated to keep them out of trouble. If your husband won't give the dog enough time outside to eliminate, then it is up to you. Sometimes things like that just cannot be rushed.
Tying the dog to you is a good idea to help with her potty-training. Also, make a journal of elimination habits so that you have a better idea of when she (or both dogs) need to go outside. Also, assign a name for the action ("go potty" or "hurry up", etc.), and praise the dog when it does eliminate.
Just before putting the dogs outside, hesitate at the door and get them all revved up about going outside. Do this every single time, and you might be able to get them to bark or whine about going out. Be sure to praise them when they get excited.
