Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am brand new to these forums and after reading through, it looks like I am in the right place for some help.

We rescued our boy Helmut from the SPCA a few weeks ago and since then have been working on a few things in trying to get him well adjusted to his new home. He is a 5 year old Rottie Mix. He is extremely well behaved in the home by himself, and out around other people. Our problem is this... He is housetrained to an incredible level, we have not once had even the most remote of a problem with him inside the appartment, however we are having trouble getting him to go to the bathroom in convenient places. As of right now if we want him to go to the bathroom we need to take him on a walk, which of course is not bad, but sometimes our time schedule does not allow that much time to walk him when it is around time for him to go. We would like to get him to go to the bathroom on the patio if possible, and have plans on putting a panel doggie door in for him. Any help in this area would be fantastic.

On a less important note... for the most part he is behaved around other dogs, however he does not play with other dogs, and often he has a tendency to growl really low when meeting another dog. Infrequently he will get slightly hostile to a dog.

Thanks in advance.

Congrats on your new adoptee! He sounds wonderful!

Getting your dog to eliminate when and where you want will take some time. I do know people who have put this behavior on a command and it has worked for them.

You dog probably never had to go on cement before and so to him, it's just not something that is done. Unfortunately, I have no experience with retraining "surface issues" like this.

As for the not playing with other dogs, well, a 5 year old mature rottX male may never really "play" with other dogs. Mature dogs tend not to play with dogs they don't know.

You haven't had your dog very long. He's going to throw out a ton of behaviors in this first year that will show his true personality. Work with him and develop a wonderful dog/human bond. Rescues can be some of the most loving dogs in the world.
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PHReign
Email me: HReign@pethobbyist.com" target="_blank">PHReign@pethobbyist.com
Dear dog,
I can not buy anything larger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think that I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of dogs sleeping, they can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to your fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straigt out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing more than doggy sarcasm.

>>I am brand new to these forums and after reading through, it looks like I am in the right place for some help.
>>
>>We rescued our boy Helmut from the SPCA a few weeks ago and since then have been working on a few things in trying to get him well adjusted to his new home. He is a 5 year old Rottie Mix. He is extremely well behaved in the home by himself, and out around other people. Our problem is this... He is housetrained to an incredible level, we have not once had even the most remote of a problem with him inside the appartment, however we are having trouble getting him to go to the bathroom in convenient places. As of right now if we want him to go to the bathroom we need to take him on a walk, which of course is not bad, but sometimes our time schedule does not allow that much time to walk him when it is around time for him to go. We would like to get him to go to the bathroom on the patio if possible, and have plans on putting a panel doggie door in for him. Any help in this area would be fantastic.
>>
>>On a less important note... for the most part he is behaved around other dogs, however he does not play with other dogs, and often he has a tendency to growl really low when meeting another dog. Infrequently he will get slightly hostile to a dog.
>>
>>Thanks in advance.

>>>>>>>>>>>

If the patio is on the ground (not a 2nd floor or higher) and gets full sun, this might be feasible. Otherwise, you're likely to create an odor problem that landlord and neighbors will not tolerate for long. Also, for a dog this size, the patio must have a high and very secure fence if you're going to use a doggy door when you're not right there.

You could develop a word cue for relief, such as "Go Potty" when out on walks, and then use that to encourage him to eliminate on the patio. A bit of sod could help get him started, and an upright item of some sort for him to lift a leg on. You might wipe up some of his urine on a walk with a cloth or paper towels, place in a plastic bag to keep it fresh, then rub on the post at home.

You might try a metal post such as chain link fences are mounted with. That would be an acceptable target for him to use in public. You would not want to encourage him to use something like a lawn chair to urinate on, because it could transfer to lifting his leg on lawn furniture elsewhere. I suggest metal for something that urine won't soak into.

As far as playing with other dogs, it doesn't sound like he's going to be suited for that. Better to find him a friendly girl dog who also needs a playmate and get them together for play dates. Between male and female, they don't have to fight over dominance.
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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