So I need some advice to prevent a recurrence of an understandable (bathroom) accident today. I was told Sully was chained outside day and night before the shelter provider talked her previous owner into surrendering her. The shelter, where she stayed for over a year, had a doggy door so she never had to ask anyone to let her out. As a result she never asks me, I just take her out every few hours, but it is always my idea and her enthusiasm for the suggestion varies widely. Once, after a rouge new treat, she had the runs for a few hours and she actually had to let me know she needed to go out more often. She thought up a trick on her own, as usual, that she may have picked up from watching other shelter dogs taking toys outside to play.

She brought me her stuffed dog, then she took the dog to the door. It worked! Now, on the rare occasions she wants to go out at a different time, she comes to me with the toy dog then she leaves it just outside the door and brings it in when she is done. Unfortunately, I was really sick earlier today and I must have slept through her stuffed puppy routine. Poor Sully had an accident. I don't want to discourage her stuffed dog trick, since she thought of it herself and it normally works, but I wish I could add a component that isn't silent. She rarely - actually never - barks so that would be hard to teach I think. The toy dog has a squeaker which she likes but it is hard to locate the squeak in its long, dachshund body and she usually gives up right away if she can't get it to repeat. I don't want to reinvent the wheel or confuse her. She does tend to chew on small weird things so I don't want to put a bell on the door that she may pull down and choke on somehow. Any thoughts? Also I washed the stain on the wall to wall carpet with a mixture of water and oxy detergent and vinegar. Do I have to use baking soda as well, or should that be enough? After a prednisone induced run of wetting in he past I remember the baking soda being difficult to remove without rewetting and I want to discourage mold growing in the rug mat.

Thanks as always!!

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What a clever pooch!

Years ago I had white carpets. And a German shepherd... The carpet cleaning guy gave me a bottle of this enzyme stuff he had, and it REALLY worked. You do have to get the rug wet, though...but if it's already wet with dog fluids, what's a little more? The carpet guy said first you clean up the spot as best you can. Then apply the enzyme stuff to the stained area. Keep it damp for six or eight hours. Afterward you can blot it up with newspapers, paper towels, or clean fabric towels, and then allow to dry naturally (or set up a fan to blow on it). It got rid of the stain and completely deodorized.

You can buy enzyme treatment stuff at pet stores. Don't know if it's industrial strength, though -- might try asking a carpet-cleaning company if they have any such thing, and if so, will they sell you a pint or two of it.

I hope someone has a good tip. I have one dog who is not a barker and is not at all demanding, and she never asks to go out. Ever. She tries to hold it, but if she can't she just finds a spot. So we have learned to live with this (it's only a handful of times a year), clean diligently, and if she's sick, she gets gated in the kitchen. :-(

What a smart and creative doggie you have! I would not overplay an accident. I hate it when people keep saying their puppies have "accidents" when they are just doing what comes natural and not being adequately supervised and properly taken out and trained, but in your case this was truly an accident. As Beth says, the occasional accident can be lived with and, when you're sick, schedules change and you cannot keep life flowing in the accustomed ways.... I had the same thing happen to me recently with one of my dogs. Enzyme products work well for cleaning.

Thanks for the tips. I can't smell it at all now! I also started rewarding her for finding the squeaker in her stuffed dog. When she decides wants to go out, usually only in the morning, she brings the dog to the door and makes it squeak. The other times, when it's my idea, I just bring her out. She seems to love giving me the command. : D She also barked today but she didn't want to go out when I opened the door. Not sure why she barked. Maybe she heard something outside, but I tried to respond positively in case she ever needs to bark to communicate. I know Sully is corgi smart, but there are plenty of amazing videos that show how smart dogs in general can be. One video shows a dog jumping to show a baby how to use the "Jolly Jumper." They seem to love learning new tricks too. Nothing surprises me now, except when she barks.

The bells on the door worked great for our silent, when he needs to go outside, Rocky. He never barks when he wants out or in. It didn't take much time at all of gently using his nose to ring the bells and then outside he went. He got a treat when he went potty and then back inside. We had to take the bells down when he grew up because he'd ring them just to go out to play!! Now he looks at me, paces to the door, comes back, looks, paces to the door, repeat. It works for him since I know "the look of desperation"! We also have a dog door but in N Iowa winters, the dog door doesn't always get left open! Brrrrrrr!

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