Q: We have a Chi-mix, his name is...

Answered by kerrbeark on 11/21/01, 7:23 am

A: We have a Chi-mix, his name is...

> We have a Chi-mix, his name is Mario and he's
> 2yrs. old..We adopted him 1 month ago..During the
> day is crated for about 6 hrs., when I come home I
> find that he has releived himself in the crate
> !..I still take him out to go to the bathroom
> anyhow..sometimes after coming in he will find a
> spot and whizz or pass his bowels again !..We are
> sooooo tired of this and would like to have an
> opinion on "HOW TO STOP HIM FROM DOING THIS"..He
> also doesn't bark when strangers come to the
> house.. Is there a way to teach him to do this
> ??..
>

I have attached an article below that explains one way of dealing with a pet who seems to not get the picture about potty breaks. You can use a litter box and outside they dont usually have a problem with both. You must be consistent and lay down strict boundries so he gets the picture.

As far as teaching him to be a barker when strangers arrive...well, you have to remember dogs were bred for all different things and this is what gives each breed different traits and qualities that are unique to that breed. You cant teach a poodle to stand guard at your door and bark chances are they are just not gonna do it. Your dog has traits that are unique to him and being a guard dog is not one of them. Go to www.akc.org and do a little research on what your breed was bred/used for and this will give you a better understanding of your dogs behaviors and what to expect. If you want a guard dog or one that alerts to strangers than I would suggest buying a dog that was bred for that as it doesnt take training as this behavior is natural to them. Sorry, I know you were hoping for a remedy but that is just the facts on dogs and unfortuneately you cant modify behavior that dramatically you can only build upon what they are generally bred for.

From my Dog FAQ:
Ok, this is what you need:
a cage; one that will fit her, her food/water bowls right next to her, and enough room to fit the litter and thats it. I mean just enough room for her to lay down fairly comfortable but ALL the other room should be taken up by her bowls and the litter box and thats it!
a dog litter box/dog litter; second nature offers a system that come free with a video with the purchase of litter(all stores may not have this option)
dog clicker; for clicker training.

Now what you want to do is this- put your dog bowls in side by side on one side of the kennel all the way to the back but not lining the back side of the crate line up the side. Put her in next to them and put the litter box in front of her at the kennel door. If you dont feed on a routine schedule you should start. This will enable your dogs digestive tract to time itself and you better time when your dog will need to go potty. I would suggest once in am and pm. I would also suggest that you feed in the crate during or after your meals so that you may not have a begger. It may take time to get her used to eating in the kennel because she will be more worried about why she is in there in the first place. If this approach doesnt work over time feed her at scheduled times and place her directly in her kennel with her bowls (they can be empty you need to keep her space limited to only laying in one spot) after each feeding. You must leave her in there for very extended periods of time or until she goes potty. Dogs will not usually soil there sleeping areas so she will more than likely opt not to soil in the only spot she has available to her. Putting the litter at the door and her in the back will make her get in the litter box to get close to the door and to go out/in so this wil get her used to the box over several days of this situation. Pay attention to her and grab that clicker and her favorite treat. When you see her initiate getting in the box to sniff click and reward immediately she will learn this box means good things. When she goes potty click and reward immediately while still in the cage stick a treat thru. She may choose not to eat it either way when she is done doin he business take her out immediately and click, reward, and praise! Its critical to pay attention and click and reward on as many occasions as possible till she has the hang of the clicker and the box. You may have a hard time listening to the whining while she is learning her new rules but if you are to succeed you must do exactly those things in exactly that order for several days, weeks or even months since she is a year old. I doubt it will take her long to figure out that if i go in the litter box i get a treat and i get out- no problem- she will take time to get the hang of it but it should work! PLEASE LET ME KNOW.