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Original Poster
#1 Old 30th Mar 2014 at 10:46 AM
Default Dog advice needed, please help!
Hello everyone.

Well recently I've been having some problems with my dog. He's 11 now, which my sister says is getting old for a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (which is what he is). He's always been very highly strung and quite a nervous dog. He often wets himself when people come round, as he gets so excited, he never grew out of it.

Recently due to the wind and other things, the chimney has been making a lot of noise, which terrifies him. He panics, runs upstairs to hide, and even wet himself one day.

For about the past week or so, he has been wetting his bed at night (he is shut in his cage, which has food, water, and his bed in it). I have been dealing with it, by washing his bedding, and wiping him down with toilet paper wipes (I did give him a proper bath the first day). But it's getting worrying, not only for his health, but my mum's tolerance of him is not great at the best of times. I can't hide it from her because our washing machine takes about 2 hours for a complete cycle.

Also, when I say 'night', I am currently unemployed, so I have been going to bed quite late, but I have to get up early to take my pills, so he is only left for a maximum of 5 or 6 hours, sometimes as little as 4 hours, and he can hold on much longer than that usually. Obviously we let him out whenever he asks, but he only asks when he needs to. I'm starting to regret not training him to go out on command, but it's too late to teach him now.

I'm going to ring the vet for some advice tomorrow, but I just wondered what everyone thinks.

I have been wondering, is this psychological, and linked to the chimney? Or is it due to his age? Or is it another unrelated health problem?

Thanks for any insight you may have.
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The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
#2 Old 30th Mar 2014 at 11:50 AM
It might be his age - kidney function getting less efficient maybe? You could try managing it actively by making sure he goes out just before bed and as soon as you get up (I'd guess you're doing this anyway). Not much help - sorry - but the vet should be able to give you some advice and maybe suggest something. Good luck.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
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#3 Old 30th Mar 2014 at 4:47 PM
Like Maxon said it could be his age, but another thing you could try is pulling his water and food out of his cage at night so he doesn't eat or drink in the middle of the night and have to go outside in the middle of the night.
Scholar
Original Poster
#4 Old 30th Mar 2014 at 9:25 PM
Thanks guys. I'm hoping it's not his kidneys, but I'll see what the vet says tomorrow.
Mad Poster
#5 Old 31st Mar 2014 at 8:56 PM
If no health issues, sounds like a trainable problem. Ceaser Milan has a show in US (and elsewhere?); his tecniques are amazing, I've seen him do PEOPLE training that corrected nervous, fearfull, etc dogs. I know he has books and vidios; try googling him.

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Scholar
Original Poster
#6 Old 31st Mar 2014 at 11:06 PM Last edited by Dizzy-noodles : 1st Apr 2014 at 10:48 AM.
Thanks grammapat, I have been hoping it might be psychological rather than physical, but he is getting on. We've got an appointment at the vets tomorrow morning, so fingers crossed it'll go well.

EDIT-We went to the vet today, and the vet said he can't feel anything wrong, but he has given me some antibiotics for him, and I have to get a urine sample from him, because he might have a water infection.
Mad Poster
#7 Old 15th Apr 2014 at 11:40 PM
Hi Dizzy, Is your dog still nervous? In addition to the other suggestions and specific training for the potty issue, have you given thought to helping him with his anxiety? One thing that helps dogs is a tee shirt, put on the dog and then gathered up on top of the back with a rubber band. The idea is to give the dog some snugness around the shoulders and top of the back to help him feel more calm. Also, a gentle massage around the shoulders followed by a somewhat firm stroke down the front and back legs is supposedly calming.

The reaction to the chimney sounds like a sound sensitivity or "gun shyness". It can happen to any dog where they become frightened of sudden or loud noises. My dog had this and I was never successful in getting him past it. Theoretically, the way to do it has to do with desensitizing him to loud noises. You can do this through training. You would need to find a way to create an unexpected moderate level sound while engaging him in an activity that he enjoys such as scratching his belly. Or, when the noise occurs, give him a command to sit and give him a treat. That keeps him focused on his job rather than the sound.

His reaction to new people and subsequent wetting sounds like a typical shyness reaction. If he hasn't always been this way, it could be because his sight or hearing is beginning to go. To overcome shyness, a dog must be socialized. Frankly, the optimal time to do that is when he's a puppy, but better late than never. Proper socialization means exposing your dog to new people and new situations so that he is comfortable and confident no matter what. Take him on walks to new places - a park full of people, a city street, anyplace where he can get lots of pats and where you won't mind a little bit of piddle. The first few days you try this, give him a treat after someone pets him and praise him so that he'll know that you like what he's doing.

Even though he's an old dog, don't overlook his training. Training gives dogs ways to earn your approval, which is something they want. It breaks up boredom which can lead to all kinds of bad behavior. Play sessions with your dog is also a way to keep him happy and stimulated. Play with him outside if piddling is an issue. Also, you can buy a big box of baby wipes to wipe down his legs so he's less of a mess to deal with.

Good luck, Dizzy! Terriers can be so stubborn, but they're sweet creatures, too.

Addicted to The Sims since 2000.
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Original Poster
#8 Old 18th Apr 2014 at 12:46 PM
Hiya, sorry for the late reply. Well technically he is, since he's always been a nervous dog. Luckily the chimney has been quiet recently, and (fingers crossed) he seems to have stopped wetting the bed. I started putting it in the hall, and he has slept on it in his cage a couple of times and managed not to wet himself. I've been rewarding him with a treat every time he goes in his cage by himself (he used to do that a lot before the chimney started being noisy). The weather is helping a bit, as it's been sunny for a few days, and the sunlight comes in through the window, and shines on his bed in the cage, and he loves sitting/lying in the sunshine.

Thanks for the tips on calming him down, I've never heard any of those before.

Yes he hates loud noises, he's scared of the hoover, and fireworks aswell. He's always hated sirens, but I assumed that was because they hurt his ears, with dogs having better hearing than people. The training idea sounds good, unfortunately I can't re-create the chimney noise, but I could give him a treat when it happens. How would you recommend making a noise? I know it sounds silly but my mind has gone blank!

He has always wet himself when he meets new people, ironically he never did it as a puppy, but kind of grew into doing it as he became an adult! He's 11 now, so he's been doing it for years. He just loves people so much that he gets really excited. I think its because he's being submissive aswell, he's a very submissive dog, and often rolls on his back when he meets people. We never really socialized him much as a puppy, because my ex-husband was always paranoid about him being stolen, and we didn't socialize much ourselves, mostly due to money worries, and me being busy with my horses, I often didn't get home until 9pm. The trouble with socializing him now, is that he has been attacked a couple of times (by dogs) when he's on his walks, and now I'm paranoid about him meeting other dogs, I always keep him away from any we see, by pulling him away, crossing the road, or turning round and going the other way. I don't mind him meeting people though.

I have to admit I don't often train him. We normally just snuggle up on the sofa. We do play sometimes, which is fine, he doesn't piddle with us, even when he's excited, just with strangers.

The first day he wet himself I gave him a bath, but since then I have been wiping him with toilet paper wipes.

Thanks for all the advice, it's really helpful!

I'm starting to think that the bed-wetting was due to the chimney, rather than physical, but he won't give me a urine sample. I might see if he could have a blood test instead, just to rule health problems out.
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
#9 Old 18th Apr 2014 at 5:16 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Dizzy-noodles
I'm starting to think that the bed-wetting was due to the chimney, rather than physical, but he won't give me a urine sample. I might see if he could have a blood test instead, just to rule health problems out.

Well, if it's improved after you changed things, that does seem to be indicative. Good, I'm glad to think he's ok though I think you're sensible to check out any potential health problems. Yeah pee sample ... good luck with that.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Scholar
Original Poster
#10 Old 19th Apr 2014 at 1:27 PM
Yeah it does, fingers crossed! He went into his cage (with his bed in it) on his own last night, and when I got up this morning he hadn't wet the bed! I know putting his bed in the hall kind of works, but I really want him to go back to sleeping in his cage, and going in when he's asked. Hopefully we're on the way to that.

Yeah, well it's partly because we thought he was very ill on New Year's Eve, so we took him to the emergency vets, and when we picked him up they said he was a bit dehydrated, and that his kidney results were a bit low or something (I can't remember the exact wording), so I just want to make sure that his kidneys are ok.

I know! As soon as the vet mentioned it I thought "Oh no!" because he is very shy about going to the toilet anyway. Also he has been brought up not to wee on anything except the floor outside, so he probably thinks weeing into a bowl is naughty and will get him told off.
Mad Poster
#11 Old 20th Apr 2014 at 12:56 PM Last edited by VerDeTerre : 20th Apr 2014 at 1:08 PM.
Hi Dizzy,

I'm glad things are getting better! I'm glad you are giving him a treat when you put him in his crate. Dog training does slip over time and they need occasional reinforcers for skills that they may have mastered in the past.

My dog was sensitive to noise, too, and fireworks and thunder were especially a problem. On the 4th of July, I'd put his crate in the basement, put him in with something he could chew on, such as a strip of raw hide or a pig's ear (Chewing helps to relieve stress and the pig's ear was always a big treat, but it never lasted very long), and covered the crate with a blanket. Covering it is supposed to make the crate cave-like. His crate was already a place he felt safe because he was never ever corrected for anything once he was inside there, we kept it clean, and he got treats for going in. Even with all of that, he'd still shake when there were sudden explosions. We did what we could.

If you were to attempt to de-sensitize your dog to noise, you'd need help from someone else to make occasional noises while you distracted him. Or you could use something that makes remote noise, like turning on the tv remotely, or an alarm, or maybe even a piece of music that you know gets very loud at some point. For de-sensitization to work, you have to start out with increments of noise levels that are not too intense to begin with. You would need to find a level that is just slightly beyond what your dog is comfortable with. Also, maybe start with something that is a slow, rather than sudden burst of noise, like music that you turn up. Then have him do something, like sit or chase a ball, or whatever you need to do that grabs his attention. You're trying to build his tolerance and acceptance of noises in his environment. The thing about the fireplace or chimney is that it may have been related to weather and it could happen again. So, if you have time to get a handle on it now, your life will become easier.

The piddling that occurs when meeting people seems very much submissive, as you surmised. Given that it pairs with rolling over, it's fairly clear that's what it is. You can google "submissing dog peeing" to find solutions, such as this article. The advice has to do with how to respond (or not, really) when it happens and how to break the association through training commands, such as "sit".

The Tee-shirt idea that I was trying to describe has morphed into a commercial product called the thunder shirt. You can make your own by using a small tee and just gathering up the extra material on the back with a hair tie. You want the dog to feel some snugness around the top of his shoulders and the back, so that he will feel secure. If you do decide you'd rather buy one, you don't have to buy them from the site I linked. They're also sold on Amazon and at many other pet supply shops and businesses. There are also many products out there to aid with pet calming (google "dog calming medicine"), and some of it has pheromones in it. I've never used any products like that, so I can't say if they work or not. If you try any calming aid, please let me know what you think of it. I'm curious.

Dog training fixes a plethora of ills and prevents many others. It's a valuable activity because it helps you and your dog to bond, gives him intellectual stimulation, allows him to "please" you and earn rewards, and it's fun. It increases confidence, decreases fear (because then dogs know what to expect), and alleviates boredom. It's also never too late to start. Dog training can start with basics such as sit, down, and come and then build to tricks. Remember, it's an activity that benefits both of you and your relationship.

Addicted to The Sims since 2000.
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Original Poster
#12 Old 20th Apr 2014 at 11:12 PM
Hiya, thanks for the advice,

Well for some reason (maybe Easter? Bit weird), there were lots of fireworks near us tonight. He doesn't wet himself with fireworks, or the hoover, he just barks at them. But he was very good and settled down after a bit of barking. I like the blanket idea.

I read the article you linked to, and some of the comments. He's actually not as bad as some of the dogs that were described, so that's good. When we have visitors, we normally get the to say hello outside, then tell them to ignore him. Most people co-operate, but some people won't do what they're told and fuss over him, which is when I have to scrub the carpet!

The t-shirt thing is interesting. How does it work? Does it remind the dog of their mum or something?

He is quite a highly-strung dog, but saying that, he is calm most of the time, especially now he's getting older, he sleeps a lot. The chimney noise seems to have been the cause of the problems we were having. Hopefully it will happen less now summer is coming. I'm not sure exactly what causes it, my mum thinks it is birds making a nest, and dropping bits, but I'm not sure if a few twigs would be that loud. It was much worse when it was windy. I might see if we can get the chimney capped.

Actually, when we went on holiday last year, we left him with a dog-sitter, he went to live at her house for a week. There were other dogs for him to play with, and lots of attention, but we had never left him that long before, and she said he was getting very stressed. She bought him some calming tablets from the vets, but she said they didn't work at all. We're going away again this year, and I'm hoping that he will be a bit better this time, as he knows we will come back, but I'm not sure if dogs have logic like that. They were Serene-UM Calm Xtra tablets. The leaflet says they have got serotonin in them. I forgot I had some left until you mentioned it!

He knows a few commands, such as "Come here", "Go away" (used when we're eating), "Cagey" (go in your cage) and "Budge over" (when he is sitting in the wrong place on the sofa). He kind of knows "Sit" and "Lie-down", but we don't use them that much. We have tried over and over to teach him "Fetch", but he just doesn't seem to understand that he has to bring the ball back, he just runs off with it and starts chewing it!

Thanks for the advice, it's really helpful!
Mad Poster
#13 Old 21st Apr 2014 at 1:47 AM
Ha ha! That's so funny about "fetch". The ball must be too tempting to give up. Well, maybe there's something else you could teach him. You've covered the basics, but if you keep going, it gives him something to work for, even if it's silly stuff like walking through a hoop.

That's awesome that he's better about greeting most people. How sad that the few who won't cooperate ruin it for him. I wonder if they learn after they see the effects of their response?

He probably will do better on a holiday without you the second time. He'll remember that you come back, at least. On the other hand, it's possible that the other dogs stress him out a bit. That would be especially true if he's submissive.

I don't know exactly how the shirt works. I learned about it at a workshop for training dogs with problem behaviors. It went along with the massage suggestions, the idea being that the pressure somehow calms the dogs. Pressure like that also seems to work with some kids, especially those on the autism spectrum. It's some sort of a sensory thing that helps them to feel grounded. For kids, they have weighted pads that they can put over their shoulders. Maybe it's something akin to when a baby is swaddled.

I hope some of the advice helps with your issues. He sounds like a good dog and you sound very devoted, so I'm hoping it all works out the way you'd like it to.

Addicted to The Sims since 2000.
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Original Poster
#14 Old 3rd May 2014 at 12:41 AM
Hiya, I got the results of his blood test today, and everything is fine with his health!

He actually met a dog at the vets today, we were waiting to pay when the other dog and his owner came in. My dog was nervous and put his hackles up, but the other dog was really nice to him , and even licked his ear! I was worried he might bite him, but the owner said he wouldn't.

Thanks, fingers crossed he's doing well.
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