Still having accidents

[Guest Anonymous]

Ok - I know the housetraining topic has been visited over and over but I didn't see any help for my problem in the forums or compiles. I have a 6 month old Keeshond. He is crate trained, is fed at scheduled times and for the most part appears housebroken. (I know - no such thing as almost housebroken). The problem is - he can't seem to hold it until getting downstairs. I've curbed his upstairs freedom - he's attached to my leg with his leash. Today the family had dinner and as we headed downstairs he peed!!! He had been outside about an hour or so before dinner. I don't understand it. He knows the door to outside is downstairs and when we are all down there he will go to the door and paw it when he needs to go outside. So why oh why can't he wait until he gets downstairs to go to the door to be let outside to urinate. I told my husband that maybe it has something to do with the stairs but that really doesn't excuse the fact that at 6 months he can't hold it for 1 more minute until we get to the door. He can hold it fine in the morning after being crated all night to get from his crate to the door, so I'm at a loss. I'm going to have to stop allowing him upstairs which is too bad because I really want him to hang out with the family as much as possible. Anyone have any insight into this?

[imported_Kat]

Hi Anjie and welcome. I've read your post over a few times and I have to admit that I'm rather stumped. Perhaps go back to square one puppy training and give him an associated word when he pees in the garden with lots of praise. For the meantime use a baby gate across the stairs to keep him from going upstairs. It actually sounds rather like he is getting too excited to hold his bladder when he is upstairs perhaps because he associates going downstairs with going for a walk or something nice? Anyhow try to work through a process of desensitisation with praise when he pees outside. Gradually move the baby gate a few stairs up so that he will be allowed on a few stairs at a time but will not be fully allowed up. Keep doing this so that eventually he will reach the upstairs, but still limit the time which he is allowed to spend upstairs.

When he is near the stairs, don't show any emotion or excitement so that he has no reason to get excited and release his bladder. Additionally only tell him that he is going walkies or whatever yu say when he is downstairs and off the stairs.

I can't guarantee that this will work at all as in dealing with behavioural problems I haven't ever came across this, but try it and see and keep us posted. :wink:

[kidsanddogs]

If you haven't yet, you might have your dog checked over by your vet. Sometimes, a urinary tract infection will cause a dog to pee and not be able to hold it very long. At least that would eliminate an infection as the cause. Good luck, Jan

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi Everyone -

Thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate it! I just wanted to provide a little more information in response because I thought it might be helpful. I used to actually carry him down the stairs but he has become quite big and stocky at 6 months so that isn't really an option anymore. When we go outside I always say "go potty" and praise him when he does. He's actually potty-trained downstairs so I don't think he has a bladder infection. He was recently at the vet anyway because he just got neutered (this isn't the cause as he was having the accidents before the neutering and hasn't had any after).
I've started bringing him upstairs with me again because I am very determined to have another dog that is free to be with us wherever we are in the house - part of the family. I bought some pet odor remover and used that in the area. I'm trying to look for any signals he may exhibit before going but so far nothing seems out of the ordinary. I'm hoping those incidents were just weird occurances that will just have to remain a mystery but then again I thought he was potty trained before they happened.

Anyway - thanks again everyone!