by Cristina G.
(Illinois)
My rottie is 18 months old nuttered male. If I am around and he is with me he can hold it well. But if I left the room and he does not see me he goes!
In the morning I get up and take him out. If he wants to go before I get up, he comes to my bed and starts whining and licking my face. So I know he needs to go out. I take him. If I am home working in my office for hours and he needs to go he does the same thing coming to me and gives me puppy look and whine. Then I know he needs to go.
He used to go pee and poop right after he ate, but now he can wait about three hours or four after eating if I am around where he is seeing me, but if for some reason he does not see me, he goes!
My husband is getting mad at him because we just got new wood floors and he tends to pick the same spots in the living and dinning room.
Please help me because he is my buddy and I don’t want my husband to tell me to get rid of him. I love this pup!
Hi Cristina
The good news is that your pup knows that he should ask you to let him outdoors to eliminate, and his bladder/bowel control is improving.
The bad news is that right now he thinks that if you’re not around it’s okay to pee/poop indoors, and he’s got into the habit of just going when he feels like it. Luckily he’s still young and you just need to help him break this bad habit.
I’d recommend getting a crate and using that to confine him whenever you’re not around, that way you will remove the opportunity for him to make a mistake indoors, give him a chance to ‘forget’ about doing it, AND protect your floors. A win-win for everyone.
I’d suggest that you only need to use the crate for the times when you’re not home, or are out of his sight for whatever reason…. and make sure you take him out to pee/poop as soon as you let him out of the crate.
With time and repetition he will get into the habit of waiting until you let him out and eventually you won’t NEED to crate him. Hope this helps, good luck.
