Big problems & don't know what to do.
Hi everyone,
This is going to be a pretty long discussion, but I really have no idea what else I can do and I need to talk to some Corgi experts. First, let me explain how we got our Pembroke, Tobi. My boyfriend's, friend's, girlfriend said she was no longer able to keep Tobi because of insurance issues and because her landlord was going to raise their rent because of Tobi (which I have never heard of before). Tobi was purchased when he was 8 weeks old from a breeder for $600 and his owners said they took him to PetSmart training, that he rarely ever had accidents in the house, and that he was a great dog. But, none of that seems to be the case. My boyfriend and I purchased him for $400 and we were given Tobi's crate, toys, food, treats, leashes, bowls, and he already had all of his shots and is licensed. They also gave us his folder of all of his past Vet visits. They obviously put a lot of money into this dog which is also why it seems a little weird how they could get rid of him so easily. They also made us sign a contract which pretty much states that once Tobi left their home we could not bring him back if we were not satisfied (the girl's mother made this very clear). I would never part with my animals, I believe that once you get them they become part of your family forever.
I also want to add that Tobi was really a spur of the moment purchase for my boyfriend and I (stupid, I know). My parents had no idea we were bringing Tobi home and weren't too thrilled because we already have a Min Pin and a German Shepherd, but my boyfriend and I have always wanted a Corgi and we thought this was too good of a deal to pass up.
Tobi rarely ever comes when calls, he bites really hard all of the time and we have tried everything from spraying him with water, yelling, and even putting him in his crate. He barks and whines constantly when in his crate sometimes even after being sprayed or by telling him to be quiet. We will take him outside every couple of hours and right after meals and he will stay outside for up to 20 minutes at a time and never use the bathroom. But, once he gets in the house he starts peeing (he is also not Neutered) and pooping everywhere. We take him right back into the yard after he poops in the house and we drop his poop in the grass to show him that outside is where to go. You would think that by 6 months old he would be going to the bathroom outside A LOT more than inside.
My bedroom now reeks of urine and we are getting it professionally cleaned this week, but we don't know what to do to keep it clean after that. It's like Tobi doesn't want to use the bathroom OUTSIDE. I want him to stop biting, we can't even cuddle with him or play nicely without the biting. And it would be nice for him to come when called. We have tried treats as rewards and cannot afford to take him to PetSmart training right now. So any tips would be greatly appreciated. My parents are giving my boyfriend and I 1 month to straighten Tobi out and if Tobi does not improve my parents are making us give him away and it would break my heart to do that to him. He was already given away once and I don't want to keep shuffling him around from family to family.
***Sorry for this long post, I'm just really lost right now and have no idea what to do. My family thinks that Tobi's owners really just wanted him out because of how he is and that they were not satisfied with him (they also got rid of a dog before him). Thanks in advance for reading and for possibly giving some advice or opinions.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Wow, you are obviously "benefiting" from the previous owners lack of training! Start with Nothing In Life Is Free (a on line search will produce it). Regular walks in the AM and PM of about 45 minutes each time should help with the going in the house. As soon as he starts to go say a command (I use "go potty") and tell him what a good boy he is! While in the house, limit his ability to roam freely until he can learn not to soil inside. You really have to start over as he obviously wasn't potty trained when he should have been. As for the biting I have been successful with a dramatic high pitched screech as soon as the teeth touch you skin. If it continues a short time out in a puppy safe spot reinforces it. This will all take lots of patience and time on your part and if you are not up for it I would contact a rescue organization for help or to see if they can take him. He is still very young and can be rehabilitated but you have to change the way your are dealing with him. Imagine how neglected he was to still behave this way at 6 months and how confused he is that everyone is so unhappy with him right now. He need a consistent structured environment in order to get him on the right track. Good luck and check out some of the training videos on this site.
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Permalink Reply by Tobi, Jack & King <3 on
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Thank you for responding! I am definitely going to start walking him A LOT more than I have been and see if that helps any and we definitely have to try more of the high pitched yelp when Tobi bites. I really want this to work out and I want to keep him and train him so he is a good boy. I feel so bad that I have let my anger come out with him, but that is changing right now. I don't want him to feel unhappy or neglected anymore.
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Hi Leah, thank you for writing, it is not easy to come out and admit to making a mistake, so lets move pass that and answer a few questions for you.
1. Dogs organs are not matured to hold until the age of 9 months, mentally they are not matured until the age of 1 yr- 2 yrs, just like human teenagers, hormone and parenting plays a big part. Read and re-read the FAQ on potty train / common mistakes, we all go through it, it's a matter of time / patience, it is ALWAYS your fault when your dog have an accident, stay calm, be the pack leader, over clean the soil area and promise yourself to do better next time.
2. The majority of dogs who end up in the shelter are under the age of 1 or seniors. Most people like the cute / puppy stage, but are often ill prepared, they don't realize it is a decade of commitment, have no idea how long, how much it cost and what it takes to raise a well behave puppy. NEVER judge someone because they made the decision to give up their dogs, some are valid reasons, some are not, however, at the end of the day, what really matters is the well being of the dog. Everyone's ability in handling dogs is different, so take the words of an owner lightly, what works for someone can be a nightmare to others. Focus on what's within your control and what really matters.
3. One dog is easy to train, 2 dogs are enough work for most people, 3 dogs takes complete dedication, patience and strong leadership. It is NOT shameful to know your limits and throw in the towel. No dogs should be added to the family until you have your existing pack perfected. Most dog owners tolerate / manage their pack, not many people can honestly say they "lead" their pack, in order to do that, you need to commit to daily exercise (on leash out door work 45-90 mins rain or shine), discipline all the dogs in the household (calm and timely), it is no longer, your dog or his dog, it is OUR dog. This is the situation, you have A LOT of work cut out for you, if you still want to do this, you will need to hire an in home personal dog trainer to work with all members in the household, y'all need to be on board, on the same page. The petsmart option is no longer suitable. Spend the money, it is well worth it, you will make that money back in preventing a bad fight / vet cost. Most people will not be able to observe and correct the dynamics in your household unless they see in real life and correct it on the spot, so don't cheap out now, it is cheaper than the cost of Tobi.
4. Testicles are not the root of all evil, by removing them will not "cure" any potty training problem, you only take way the ability to procreate.
5. Any new dog takes at least 1 month to settle in and "learn the ropes" of a new pack, if the new pack is unstable (right now), fighting, biting, growling will continue until things have settle, dogs don't reveal their true color until they feel at ease in the new environment, no one clearly knows what kind of environment he was in, what you can do is provide him with a stable, safe, well structured environment to grow.
6. Before the in home house trainer arrive, take all 3 dogs walk at the same time, on leash, outdoor focus walk, you lead and walk them, not the other way round. 60-90 mins daily, rain or shine. No, back yard doesn't count, no, fetching doesn't count. Walking builts leadership, obedience and pack order, make sure your dogs are beside you, not in the front.
7. Know your limits, my wife and I have made the decision to keep the pack to 2, in case of anything happens, one of us can still function and handle the pack. We foster 1-2 dogs at a time, which push our limit to 4 dogs max at a time, It is exhausting and we want to reserve time / energy to focus on other things in life, that's why we choose to foster, after a month, the dog get to go to a new home, we get time to recuperate mentally and physically, my pack can settle once again and no longer feel stress. Be fair to yourself and be fair to your dogs, things happen and we need to make tough decisions for the well being of others beyond ourselves.
Good luck and don't hesitate to ask for help.
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Thank you so much for all of the tips! I also just want to add that our Min Pin and German Shepherd are 8 years old and they listen very well. Tobi seems to try to heard our Min Pin and he likes to jump all over the both of them until they growl and go after him. My boyfriend and I definitely want Tobi to live a happy life here with us and would like to get a puppy trainer, how much would you say that would cost, roughly? Thanks again so much!
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Hi Leah, anytime :) It is normal puppy behaviour and your older dogs are putting him in the right place. Cost of a private trainer varies, you can find positively certified trainers here, it's also in the faq. There's one quite close to you, they will do an initial in home assessment + followup for $1XX, even if you need several sessions, it is cheaper than any emergency vet bills, I cannot stress how important this is, don't wait until a cosmetic / permanent damage.
When you catch Tobi in the act (poop/pee), stay calm, don't make any noise, don't say no no no or stop, simply tell him to follow you to go out the door and finish his business there, worry about cleaning up later. When you yell, get angry, grab him, you are training him to be a sneaky pooper, he's just get better at doing it behind your back. Stay calm, think then act. Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Sarah C. on
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the 6 month old potty training regression! Argh! We're going through this too. And ours came to us nearly perfect (rare accidents, no biting, very little barking, crate trained) and now he chews shoes, has been pulling up the carpet, poops and pees where he pleases. Don't worry, it's a normal phase and it requires a lot of patience, supervision and consistency. And it also makes you feel like you're going a little insane.
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I'm hoping Tobi grows out of this fast! There has been a lot of talking in my house about giving him up, but I don't have it in my heart to do it. My boyfriend and I want Tobi to be happy here instead of being bounced around from family to family. I didn't know that puppies went through stages like this. Good luck with your pup!
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Permalink Reply by Emily Trupiano on
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I totally disagree that neutering has no affect on temperment. My dog stopped peeing in the house right away after netutering him. Zilch, never again. It may not work for every single dog, but it certainly helps. But in the case of a 6 month dog, it's still going to need potty training. My corgi also had a history of trying to get out of the house to wander (probably to mate.) That stopped right after neutering.
Unless she has a good reason to hold onto those testies, there's no reason to not neuter. Especially when there is an overpopulation crisis.
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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I would definitely start the NILF training asap and go back to square one with his potty training. He should not be out of your sight even for a second; leash him to your belt loop if you have to. If you see him start to potty make a high pitched EEEEEK! noise to interrupt him and immediately take him outside. Praise like heck if he finishes his business outdoors. Do you take him outside on leash or is he just free to roam around? I'd be taking him out every hour or so too.
Don't use adversives while he's in his crate. I wouldn't put him in there as punishment either. The crate should be a happy place for him, not somewhere he gets yelled at or sprayed with water. Give him a kong with some peanut butter in it or some other tasty treat while he's in there if he whines or just wait it out.
When he bites you what do you do? I would make a high pitched YELP! noise like a littermate would, and then immediately stop playing and ignore him. Turn your back, leave the area, whatever is needed. If he persists then I would put him on a 10 minute time-out in a puppy safe room (we used the laundry room). Everyone in the house needs to be consistent and patient with him.
How much exercise is he getting? I would also highly suggest a trainer or at the very least a puppy class.To me Tobi sounds like a typical puppy that just hasn't had any training or discipline at all. At 6 months old he's still very much a baby and it doesn't sound like he was getting much attention in his previous home. It's not his fault, so try not to be angry with him.
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Just looked up the NILF training and we are definitely doing that with Tobi. Tobi only has free roam of my bedroom which is pretty big and today I caught him trying to poop so I immediately screamed and grabbed him and took him outside and once he went in the yard I clapped and praised him.When he is outside he is free to roam and not leashed.
We will definitely stop using the crate as a punishment as I do want it to be his happy place.
As for the biting we haven't really done the yelping noise, but we're going to start doing that now so he learns.
We will definitely walk him more and are going to look into a trainer. I understand that none of this is his fault and I will stop showing my anger so he doesn't feel like everyone is against him. Thank you for the tips!
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When you take him outside to potty I would keep him on a leash for now. Walk him around but don't let him play with anything, and once he goes THEN let him off the leash to play as a reward. He might not be understanding that going outside is supposed to be potty time since he's allowed to just roam around. Once he gets the hang of the potty training more you can gradually phase out the leash.
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Good news! I took your advice and took Tobi into the yard on his leash and he actually pooped right away! Took him on 2 walks today and he urinated frequently, gonna keep the leash and walks up for Tobi.
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