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Comment by Beauty and the Beast on August 6, 2009 at 8:13am

Wow Oliver's story really gives me hope :) Thanks.

Comment by Andrew Little on August 5, 2009 at 3:39pm

Oliver pretty much did the same thing and just when we thought the messing would never end he just stopped and started asking to go out.

Comment by Beauty and the Beast on August 5, 2009 at 3:39pm

I'm going to buy an exercise pen and gate his corner of the living room. There's enough room to move around but not enough to pee, I hope. I never left him alone for over 10 minutes, and I assume I won't be able to for a while. Just a part of growing up.

Comment by Jane Christensen on August 5, 2009 at 3:18pm

Most of my dogs did the same thing and it "corrected" itself but it took a little while. I do have my living room bedroom and tv room gated off when I'm gone now...I no longer have any type of mess in there which many times was "puppy guts" from a stuffed animal or hair etc...that really makes a differance with vacuming too! They get the dining room, kitchen and laundry room.

Comment by Beth on August 5, 2009 at 10:19am

Wanted to add that Jack's being kept mostly to the kitchen meant I spent a lot of time in there myself!

We also had him outside an awful lot in the summer. We would bring him out and fill his little pool and just let him splash and play out there.

Comment by Beth on August 5, 2009 at 10:17am

At 6 months, Jack's inside world was still very tiny. He was not reliable to not pee on a carpet, so he was usually in the kitchen and we would bring him into the living room if he had just gone out and we were right there with him. Some mature quicker than others; Jack was a puppy who would not even pause in his playing to pee. He would be running and just barely pause long enough to squat.

I lose track of exactly what happened when, but by around 7 months he was more reliable for housebreaking, but still not for stealing stuff. At about a year we started leaving him loose in the house for increasingly longer periods, as I recall.

Comment by Kathryn Graham on August 5, 2009 at 10:10am

Shiro's brother Madoc is laughing... Happy 6-month birthday today for both of us! I'm celebrating with some Newman's Own organic beef & liver spooned over my kibble!
I had the same experience. I've wanted to gradually open up the house for Madoc. Since we got him, he's been in the family room and kitchen with the other downstairs rooms gated off. I was taking down the gate once or twice a day for him to explore. He doesn't seem to know what to do with a rug. He "digs" at it and bites at the nap, but he did surprise me by pooing on the dining room carpet. He had been so reliable indoors! When I let him come upstairs, he wants to drag clothes out of the hamper and run amok! And I turned my back on him for a few minutes, and he grabbed and made off with several just addressed and stamped party invitations. Some people will wonder about the tooth marks and smeared ink.... Just when you think you have a corgi all figured out....

Comment by Bev Levy on August 5, 2009 at 9:10am

Not unusual for them to briefly regress. They really are not safe for one to two years. I blocked off rooms we don't use much and confined until one year. Izzy still found things to get into when we weren't around sometimes. It is surprising what a short dog can get into isn't it?