Hey guys,

Needing some help. I have two dogs ( one is ten months old, dachshund/beagle mix, and the other is a year old dachshund mix ). The ten month old keeps ripping up the carpet and the other one is not potty trained ( I have pads out but she will do her business right next to them ). I personally haven't found the time to help either of them with that and my mom is attending to my grandmother due to health issues, so my dad is getting to the point where he is ready to get rid of both of them. He's made threats before but this time he seems serious.

Financially I am not in the position to move out into my own place, otherwise I would take both of them in, so I am needing some help. Is there any kind of dog trainer or any training service that could assist both of my dogs in their respective areas? I don't want to lose them ( especially over things such as these. To me, it's a terrible reason to put a dog in a shelter. The one that needs potty training we just adopted not too long ago ).

Put the potty trainer in a crate while your gone, and when your asleep. Dogs will not piss or crap where they sleep. Never use those stupid pads it just tells them it's ok to piss in the house. When it does have an accident take it back to the scene and put a drop of Tabasco in its mouth and put his nose close to the spot then take him outside. And every time he goes outside to do his business reward the hell out of him with praise and treats. As far as the other one eating the carpet that's what puppies do , if they don't have enough stuff to chew on they will find something he might need to be in the crate also while u are not there just to keep him out of trouble. These things have worked for me , but every dog is different

Welcome to the Frontpage (http://www.721stay.com/)

There is a really good nonprofit dog obedience group in OKC and new classes are starting in April.

It's a 9-week program for only $50; a second dog is only $25 more.

Programs - OCOTC Beginning and Puppy (http://www.ocotc.com/classes.php)


Regardless of behavioral problem, I highly recommend a good dog obedience group class. It creates a strong bond with the dog, teaches you to reinforce YOU are the alpha and how do to communicate and reinforce the right behavior.

And groups are better than private anyway because the hardest thing is to get a dog to obey when there are distractions.

Put the potty trainer in a crate while your gone, and when your asleep. Dogs will not piss or crap where they sleep. Never use those stupid pads it just tells them it's ok to piss in the house. When it does have an accident take it back to the scene and put a drop of Tabasco in its mouth and put his nose close to the spot then take him outside. And every time he goes outside to do his business reward the hell out of him with praise and treats. As far as the other one eating the carpet that's what puppies do , if they don't have enough stuff to chew on they will find something he might need to be in the crate also while u are not there just to keep him out of trouble. These things have worked for me , but every dog is different

While crate training is a very good way to housebreak a dog, the tabasco and putting its nose in the accident spot is ludicrous and a terrible way to try to instill anything in a dog other than fear of you and confusion.

Yeah, yeah.... I know.... You're going to respond with "you don't know what you're talking about, it worked for me."

To which I'll respond - its still ludicrous and a terrible and cruel idea.

Yes, I can assure you that punishing a dog after the fact won't work... You have to catch them in the act in order for them to make the connection.

This has been proven time and time again and you are being unfair -- and even a little cruel -- to punish them later, when they cannot begin to make a connection between the punishment and their action.


BTW, any dog training is much more about training the person, not the dog.

You def have to catch them in the act. And an old dog trainer taught me that trick. It's not cruel nobody gets hurt and it doesn't take long for them to figure it out.

Well no one else is saying it so I will. Why did you take in 2 dogs that you admit you don't have time for. Owning a dog, let alone 2 dogs is a responsibility and a commitment.

You def have to catch them in the act. And an old dog trainer taught me that trick. It's not cruel nobody gets hurt and it doesn't take long for them to figure it out.

Tabasco and rubbing a dog's nose in an accident AT ANY POINT is cruel, confusing and counterproductive. Please show me where any legitimate training book, recognized online article etc. suggests this in this day and age as a training practice. (because I can show you dozens and dozens that back up my stance)

As for the pee pads. They are actually and excellent part of housebreaking as long as they are used correctly and not in abundance. Once a dog is house broken a pad can still be used if the dog is not kept in a crate as an emergency location should you not get home in time or if the dog becomes ill. To this day we put a pad down for our 9 year old dog during the day and maybe once every couple of months it uses it because he couldn't wait for us to get home.

The pee pads are also useful for older dogs who can't wait to go outside anymore.

I personally haven't found the time to help either of them with that and my mom is attending to my grandmother due to health issues, so my dad is getting to the point where he is ready to get rid of both of them. He's made threats before but this time he seems serious.

Financially I am not in the position to move out into my own place, otherwise I would take both of them in, so I am needing some help.

Re-home the dogs. Your family is facing enough challenges right now, and you're adding to the stress. Learn how to be a better-prepared dog owner, pick the right dog for your situation next time, limit it to one, and make sure it is under your roof.

Dig in and help your family with their problems.

Ditto what Brian Bates said. Any trainer worth his or her salt these days ONLY teaches using positive rewards of reinforcement, so the Tobasco method and "rubbing their nose in it" method is as archaic and useless as some of the other ideas posited by the same poster. Whoever that "old" trainer is, he or she isn't up with today's reward/treat form of positive dog training. Further, multiple research studies have shown that dogs have no "recall" memory for past behavior, so coming home and punishing a dog for something they may have done hours prior only confuses them into thinking that the happy, "welcome home" behavior they exhibit when you walk through the door is wrong, thereby you end up discouraging "good" behavior.

Crate training IS a good idea, but you have to break them in slowly. You can't just dump a dog who has never been in a crate and leave them there all day. You have to first establish the crate as a safe and desirable place for the dog to go to, then leave him/her there for a half-an-hour, then hour, then a few hours at a time to establish trust that he / she will be let out. For young puppies the rule of thumb is "one our for each month they are old." Dogs cannot consciously hold their bladders like humans can. That's not to say they can't PHYSICALLY hold it, just that they don't think "oh hey, I need to hold it til my owner gets home." Further, not all breeds are suitable for crate training.

For potty training, I'd take the dog out about every 20-30 minutes, and each time he/she does business outside, give them lots of praise, using a key word (one word only), such as "potty." Praise to high heavens, saying "good potty," "good potty," and perhaps have a treat in hand. You've got to start praising the second they squat to pee or poop so they learn that the positive reinforcement is connected to that specific behavior. Be consistent and be positive. They'll get the picture quickly.

As for the carpet chewer, this is likely borne from frustration and/or boredom. It sounds as if you all don't have a lot of time right now to pay much attention to these dogs with everything else that's going on. Dogs need companionship and they need exercise - a brisk walk daily, or lots of time spent outside where their HUMAN companion will play with them. They also need other toys to chew on, and to learn which toys are "chew" appropriate and which are not. This can also take time and requires time and effort on behalf of the human.

In fact, there's an adage in the dog training arena which is "dog training problems are not the fault of the dog, they're the fault of the human." We're the ones who deserve the Tabasco up our nose, frankly, for the idiotic things we expect from our companion animals.

I also think OKC Talker has a point. It sounds like you have very little time to handle the needs these dogs have right now, and as such, this will only create more problems. Please consider reaching out to the Bella Foundation or another reputable rescue group to rehome these animals. Do NOT use Craigslist which is full of predatory "rescue" groups, and do NOT take them to the OKC Shelter where they would be short-listed for euthanasia.

I feel for you and hope you can find a solution that is suitable for your family and your animals. Best of luck!

...BTW, any dog training is much more about training the person, not the dog.

Absolutely true. Dogs are creatures of habit and need their human to closely follow a structured routine. As in waking at the same time, feeding at the same time, potty breaks at the same time, walks at the same time. If a person has difficulty following such a routine without deviation (for whatever reason, including work or personal life) they will have potty/discipline problems with an indoor dog and should either have an outside dog or no dog at all.

Well no one else is saying it so I will. Why did you take in 2 dogs that you admit you don't have time for. Owning a dog, let alone 2 dogs is a responsibility and a commitment.

Well the carpet chewer was not my doing but my mom's. She got him late at night at a local Wal Mart ( a family were handing out a box of puppies to whoever would take them ). The potty training dog I got right before an incident occurred in my life that basically set me back by $1,000 so I've been trying to make up for all that I lost. My father is home constantly and I figure he would be able to help out but has proven to be incredibly lazy ( in fact, he leaves the door to his room shut, even when no one is there, thus leaving the dogs all alone ). At least when I'm there I play with them and attend to them. My dad complains when he has to pick up a pad ( and he was in the military for 20-30 years *smh* ).

Obviously some of this is time management so I just need to have a schedule in place.

Even a professional trainer requires time to teach obedience to a dog. You're not a trainer, you're out of time, and your family needs your help solving their problems right now, not adding to them. You're a guest in your parents' home, you've introduced two dogs that are causing damage, your mom has her hands full dealing with her mom, and your dad has reached his limit.

I don't understand why this is a tough call.

Tabasco and rubbing a dog's nose in an accident AT ANY POINT is cruel, confusing and counterproductive. Please show me where any legitimate training book, recognized online article etc. suggests this in this day and age as a training practice. (because I can show you dozens and dozens that back up my stance)

As for the pee pads. They are actually and excellent part of housebreaking as long as they are used correctly and not in abundance. Once a dog is house broken a pad can still be used if the dog is not kept in a crate as an emergency location should you not get home in time or if the dog becomes ill. To this day we put a pad down for our 9 year old dog during the day and maybe once every couple of months it uses it because he couldn't wait for us to get home.

I said the guy was an old man and he's trained thousands of dogs the same way. I didnt say rub their nose in it i said taken them back and let them smell it , Tabasco is also used to keep your dog from eating its own turds.... tabasco doesnt hurt the dog and the dog doesnt resent and hate you after the fact. rather you agree with it or not is besides the point, it does work and it worked for me.

Okctalker,

I just said the first dog wasn't my doing but my mom's. Please read before commenting.

Also, you obviously have no compassion for dogs or think of them as living breathing souls if you think it's not a tough call to get rid if a pet. Have you been to a shelter? Have you seen how lonely some of those dogs are? Also, have you read the paper or watched the news? There are so many people who abuse their animals that I would never give my dogs to anyone. You may be painting me out to be a bad person, but you're just as guilty. With all respect: piss off. And have a wonderful day.

I said the guy was an old man and he's trained thousands of dogs the same way. I didnt say rub their nose in it i said taken them back and let them smell it , Tabasco is also used to keep your dog from eating its own turds.... tabasco doesnt hurt the dog and the dog doesnt resent and hate you after the fact. rather you agree with it or not is besides the point, it does work and it worked for me.

The topic was house breaking and chewing carpet, not poop eating (Copro***e - or however its spelled/pronounced). Taking them back to smell their accident means nothing to them - other than their owner is forcing them to do something they don't want to do and stressing them out. Adding Tabasco to the mix only makes a bad situation (and pet owner) worse.

I agree that there are many things you can use to dissuade a dog from eating something you don't want them to eat (after first determining the eating isn't caused by some sort of illness or lack of nutrients) - and bad tasting things like Tabasco and vet sprays are some options. But that wasn't the discussion, nor was it in your original post, which we replied to.

The topic was house breaking and chewing carpet, not poop eating (Copro***e - or however its spelled/pronounced). Taking them back to smell their accident means nothing to them - other than their owner is forcing them to do something they don't want to do and stressing them out. Adding Tabasco to the mix only makes a bad situation (and pet owner) worse.

I agree that there are many things you can use to dissuade a dog from eating something you don't want them to eat (after first determining the eating isn't caused by some sort of illness or lack of nutrients) - and bad tasting things like Tabasco and vet sprays are some options. But that wasn't the discussion, nor was it in your original post, which we replied to.

You can potty train with Tabasco sauce..... Move on Brian , my dog loves me and it was used on her so it worked.

....Have you been to a shelter? Have you seen how lonely some of those dogs are? Also, have you read the paper or watched the news? There are so many people who abuse their animals that I would never give my dogs to anyone. You may be painting me out to be a bad person, but you're just as guilty. With all respect: piss off. And have a wonderful day.

I'm pretty sure I've heard that line from 90% of the individuals featured on the show "Pet Hoarders."

One of the key elements in compassion and respect for an animal is knowing when to let it go to a better owner that is in a better set of circumstances to care for the animal. Simply the fact the animals cause the owner(s) stress is cause for concern as the animal(s) will pick up on that stress.

I don't know your situation completely so I have no idea if you should pass them on to someone else. But, some of your comments do raise red flags.

You can potty train with Tabasco sauce..... Move on Brian , my dog loves me and it was used on her so it worked.

Please show me where using Tabasco sauce as a potty training method is advised (beyond your own delusions and those of non-professionals). I won't 'move on' when irresponsible pet owners try and forward such bunk to others. One single instance that you 'claim' worked isn't exactly proof positive. It has long been established that after the fact, a dog has no idea what you're trying to teach it to not do again. It doesn't know its accident spot from a house plant. It has no idea the Tabasco is a punishment for an accident - and accident that is a perfectly normal behavior for a dog. It is simply the owner who doesn't like the activity.

Please show me where using Tabasco sauce as a potty training method is advised (beyond your own delusions). I won't 'move on' when irresponsible pet owners try and forward such bunk to others. One single instance that you 'claim' worked isn't exactly proof positive.

Well personally ive only had one dog that has lived in the house with me , so shes the only one that got trained this way. The old man that told me how to do however trains dogs for a living and has done this thousands of times. I cant help it that you dont agree and thats fine... again it worked for me and obviously for him. just cause you cant find it on the www doesnt mean it cant or didnt work.

South Robinson must be slow today.......

Hey guys,

Needing some help. I have two dogs ( one is ten months old, dachshund/beagle mix, and the other is a year old dachshund mix ). The ten month old keeps ripping up the carpet and the other one is not potty trained ( I have pads out but she will do her business right next to them ). I personally haven't found the time to help either of them with that and my mom is attending to my grandmother due to health issues, so my dad is getting to the point where he is ready to get rid of both of them. He's made threats before but this time he seems serious.

Financially I am not in the position to move out into my own place, otherwise I would take both of them in, so I am needing some help. Is there any kind of dog trainer or any training service that could assist both of my dogs in their respective areas? I don't want to lose them ( especially over things such as these. To me, it's a terrible reason to put a dog in a shelter. The one that needs potty training we just adopted not too long ago ).

Let me just say that I grew up with dogs, and my parents used negative reinforcement (rubbing nose in potty spot, putting Tabasco in mouth and that kind of cruel crap). Having 2 dogs of my own, one being mostly deaf and half blind that acts like a perma-puppy, both very high energy, positive reinforcement is the key. If they are chewing things up in the house, they are bored and need an energy release. Try putting out bones or kongs for them when you are gone. We dont spend money on all the expensive treat fills for these toys, but rather just put some peanut butter in them and then some dog food and freeze them overnight. Gives the dogs something to work on when you are gone until they tire out. Our dalmatian border collie was tearing up beds and woodwork in our house, but once we worked on crate training, then found some of these mental stimulation toys (just using dog food as the treat in them) she completely stopped.

We used petsmart for our training. They are a little more pricey for the training, but they are really helpful. They teach you the tools you need as an owner to work with your dog on basic commands and can help out with destructive habits and potty issues. We used the petsmart at 63rd and may for our first dog, and the petsmart in Edmond for our second (the trainer there has aussies and had worked with blind deaf dogs before). Lots of good ideas and lessons came from it.

Our newest dog, the special aussie, had issues with not being able to be at home while we were at work without going to the bathroom. It mostly just took him time to get used to our schedule. Even now, if I dont get home and let him out immediately, he will usually fail to hold it all in and pee right next to the back door. Try limiting water in the early morning if you see them taking in lots of it.

Well personally ive only had one dog that has lived in the house with me , so shes the only one that got trained this way. The old man that told me how to do however trains dogs for a living and has done this thousands of times. I cant help it that you dont agree and thats fine... again it worked for me and obviously for him. just cause you cant find it on the www doesnt mean it cant or didnt work.

South Robinson must be slow today.......

So you put Tabasco on dog poop but not just go ahead and pick it up?

As others said be consistent....

I have trained my 2 Basset hounds to go to their tornado safe spot on their own any time Norman sets off its tornado sirens. But their safe spot is going to change soon when we have an outdoor underground sloped shelter installed.... I will need to retrain them for the different location and train then so they are comfortable using the ramp that I will need to build.

As frustrating as it might be the dog is almost always only as good as what the owner puts into them.

So you put Tabasco on dog poop but not just go ahead and pick it up?

No my dog didnt eat her poop.

No my dog didnt eat her poop.

Evidently you didn't pick it up either.

Okctalker,

I just said the first dog wasn't my doing but my mom's. Please read before commenting.

Also, you obviously have no compassion for dogs or think of them as living breathing souls if you think it's not a tough call to get rid if a pet. Have you been to a shelter? Have you seen how lonely some of those dogs are? Also, have you read the paper or watched the news? There are so many people who abuse their animals that I would never give my dogs to anyone. You may be painting me out to be a bad person, but you're just as guilty. With all respect: piss off. And have a wonderful day.

Airwave, your lack of respect is noted. Know a little bit about me: I literally have forgotten more about dog training and obedience than you know. I grew up in a house similar to what you describe, one with entirely unhousebroken and untrained animals. When I moved into my own home I picked up books on pet ownership and determined that an English Springer Spaniel was the right breed for me. It was. Since then I have trained five dogs for wheelchair service on behalf of national service dog organizations. I have had more pet dogs than I can quickly count. I have put down all of them as their lives reached the end, all in the back room with the vet. I lost a dog to osteosarcoma following surgery & chemo. I saved a dog after a rattlesnake bite on the muzzle. I have rescued a dog found abandoned on a country road. I have a shelter-rescued dog in my office with me right now. I. Know. Dogs.

And I'm not saying that you're a bad person, I never did - but I'll stand behind saying that you were totally clueless in bringing a dog into your environment based upon how you describe it and yourself. You want help training two dogs but you don't know what you don't know - you don't give dogs to a trainer and they magically return trained. It isn't a pill. It isn't binary. In your situation it takes you, plus everyone else in the home, all on the same page, working with a trainer, to make it happen.

I'm empathetic to your situation, but I'm also direct, blunt & matter-of-fact. If you want hugs & kisses I'm not that guy, not for this. You need a dog-related solution to improve your home situation, and I gave it to you.

Picking up a dog from someone handing them out in a Walmart parking lot shows there was absolutely no planning on anyone's part about adopting a pet. Irresponsibility at it's finest whether it was you or your mom.

Evidently you didn't pick it up either.

Why do you say that?

I tried peepads for a small diabetic dog. I stood up a firewood log for authenticity. The mission was aborted when the rottweiler found it of her liking. lol

Irresponsibility at it's finest whether it was you or your mom.

I disagree with your blanket statement on irresponsibility here. Plenty a stray animal has been adopted right off the street with no pre-planning, just as plenty an animal has been "purchased" from a roadside puppy pusher as a spur of the moment decision. Heck, our beagle came to live in our home during a trip to pet smart to purchase supplies for our other two dogs. She was, as we continue to call her, our "impulse buy," but is as integrated part of the family as our other two. My first pet ever was a dog my mom found in the parking lot at Penn Square Mall and she lived with us happily for some 13+ years, and when we first got her, we had nary a dog bowl in the house, much less collar, food, dog bed, or any of the common accoutrements one normally procures for a pet. Nor had we put any pre-planning into the decision. Many years later, my mom adopted another stray she found running around the Gatewood area. Again, with very positive results.

Many life decisions are made spur-of-the-moment, and while not all work out or end up being in the best interest, they are not all summarily bad or irresponsible. No doubt, this family felt they were doing the best they could. They simply need some guidance in how to handle a situation for which they were not wholly prepared. Better than leaving the dog out on the street and it's obvious the OP cares deeply about his animal, otherwise he wouldn't turn here for help. And as has been repeated a few times in this thread, it's the humans that need the behavioral adjustment first, not the dogs.

My Corgi that just died was a planned buy but my other two dogs are rescued and I wouldn't say it was irresponsibility on my part because they are well taken care of.

I can only think of one pet I ever planned. The rest just happened.

My wife and I got a rescue after a friend posted the pic on Facebook. We had been talking about gettting a dog, so the timing was right for us. The Lab Rescue group picked it up on the day it was to be put down, and it took us a week to fill out paperwork and pick her up at their vet. We had our vet check her out, and then spent the weekend seeing how she behaved (temperament, possessiveness, aggression, fear, intelligence). She developed hip displaysia & arthritis at one year of age, but that couldn't be known until her bones stopped growing, so we have her on some meds for that. She's health, happy, well-behaved and a big part of our family.

I can only think of one pet I ever planned. The rest just happened.

Kind of like my kids lol

... Is there any kind of dog trainer or any training service that could assist both
of my dogs in their respective areas?
I took my dog to Pet Smart and was pleased. Although potty training wasn't
discussed specifically, the trainer could help. It wasn't expensive.

The training is really for the pet owner and not the dog.