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I "rescued" a 3-yr. old Corgi about 5 weeks ago and discovered she was not at all housebroken, contrary to what I'd been told by the rescue group. She didn't seem to understand what dirt and grass even were, and would simply freeze up outside, preferring to wait until she was in the house to relieve herself. Literally, we could stand/walk outside for 10 minutes, and she'd refuse to even sniff! This week I began keeping her in her crate except for "bathroom breaks" outside, and met with some success, allowing her playtime in the house after she would relive herself outside. Until today, she wouldn't soil her crate, which made this method of housebreaking fairly foolproof. Foolish me. Today, except for peeing outside first thing this morning, she refused to relieve herself during any of the multitude of times I took her outside to the same place she had been using. I figured eventually she'd HAVE to go. She did (late afternoon)-- IN HER CRATE right after having been outside for about 5 minutes. So now I'm concerned that she's not only going to refuse to relieve herself OUTside, but will make a habit of going in her crate. I'm just about ready to return her to the rescue group, but she and my 9-month-old (also a spayed female)play together wonderfully, which was the reason I adopted the Corgi in the first place. The only difference I can see in today and yesterday (when she REALLY began refusing to go outside) is that it rained, and the grass is WET. Does anyone have any suggestions?????? Please help!!!!!

>>I "rescued" a 3-yr. old Corgi about 5 weeks ago and discovered she was not at all housebroken, contrary to what I'd been told by the rescue group. She didn't seem to understand what dirt and grass even were, and would simply freeze up outside, preferring to wait until she was in the house to relieve herself. Literally, we could stand/walk outside for 10 minutes, and she'd refuse to even sniff! This week I began keeping her in her crate except for "bathroom breaks" outside, and met with some success, allowing her playtime in the house after she would relive herself outside. Until today, she wouldn't soil her crate, which made this method of housebreaking fairly foolproof. Foolish me. Today, except for peeing outside first thing this morning, she refused to relieve herself during any of the multitude of times I took her outside to the same place she had been using. I figured eventually she'd HAVE to go. She did (late afternoon)-- IN HER CRATE right after having been outside for about 5 minutes. So now I'm concerned that she's not only going to refuse to relieve herself OUTside, but will make a habit of going in her crate. I'm just about ready to return her to the rescue group, but she and my 9-month-old (also a spayed female)play together wonderfully, which was the reason I adopted the Corgi in the first place. The only difference I can see in today and yesterday (when she REALLY began refusing to go outside) is that it rained, and the grass is WET. Does anyone have any suggestions?????? Please help!!!!!

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Getting mad at a dog over housetraining will cause the dog to start hiding from you to do it, and could be the reason for her using the crate. There is a great deal of how-to information about housetraining at the link below my signature. The titles of those articles start with "Housetraining" in the alphabetical list.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Kathy,

Thanks for your reply. I went to your link and read most of the housebreaking articles -- concentrating on those referring to adult and rescued dogs. Though a bit discouraging, I will keep trying. My amazement is partly over her reluctance to step onto grass. She walks on the paved driveway, then plants her feet and refuses to step onto the grass. The first few weeks she'd only "go" on the pavement. Even when she has relieved herself outside and I praise her lavishly, she doesn't seem to react one way or the other. I don't know if that's simply a lack of bonding. After five weeks I was expecting a little more "connection". There seems to be none. I don't know what her precise background is, so there's no telling whether or not she's always been this unresponsive. This lack of connection may also be one reason we're not having anymore success with housebreaking.

I have a dog that doesn't like wet grass or grass that is too tall! He's a dachshund so he's low to the ground probably like your Corgi. All I can think of is that he doesn't like the feel of it on his belly.

Luckily we have some gravel in our yard as well, so it works out okay. I don't really have any helpful hints, but I just wanted you to know that it would not be unheard of if your new dog didn't like grass or rain or both!

I think bonding can come in time. It will take patience though. I hope you are able to work things out with this poor dog. Sounds like she needs a loving home.

Thanks for your support. I'd just never known a dog to have issues with grass and "moisture" . . . but if she were always kept inside previously, that would explain her not knowing about grass, rain, dew, sticks, etc. It IS very sad to consider. I have just a small area with gravel. Mostly it's driveway or grass. But I think I'll expand her "area" to be ANYWHERE she opts to "go" . . . If she will just get into the habit of going OUTside, then we can work on the "where" later!

>>Kathy,
>>
>>Thanks for your reply. I went to your link and read most of the housebreaking articles -- concentrating on those referring to adult and rescued dogs. Though a bit discouraging, I will keep trying. My amazement is partly over her reluctance to step onto grass. She walks on the paved driveway, then plants her feet and refuses to step onto the grass. The first few weeks she'd only "go" on the pavement. Even when she has relieved herself outside and I praise her lavishly, she doesn't seem to react one way or the other. I don't know if that's simply a lack of bonding. After five weeks I was expecting a little more "connection". There seems to be none. I don't know what her precise background is, so there's no telling whether or not she's always been this unresponsive. This lack of connection may also be one reason we're not having anymore success with housebreaking.

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Yes, there is a great deal more to housetraining than most people realize. That's why I wrote those articles. I'm getting absolutely buried in housetraining questions, and some of these people are practically drop-kicking their dogs for punishment.

There's an article at the site on Bonding that may help you, too.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Kathy,

Thanks again for more input. I did go back and read your suggestions about bonding, and will try some of your suggestions, especially about working with each dog separately and apart from the others (we currently have three). I have been hand feeding Sydney, requiring eye contact before giving her a handful, and she has improved tremendously over the past few weeks. Regarding the housebreaking, we have started taking her outside and hooking her up to a short lead first thing in the morning, after meals, etc., and then watching her, unseen, until she "goes", then, of course, lavishly praising her and letting her come inside. We sometimes have to wait up to 1/2 an hour, but are meeting with success -- although her preferred "place" is still on the paved driveway. Go figure. I assume this is due to whatever her early training was. We will keep working on it, hopefully eventually getting her preferred spot to be on grass or dirt like our other dogs!