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This is Chara, she was found running loose in a local park so I'm unsure of her age, the vet's best guess is she's about a year old now. She with no chip, was not spayed, and no one responded to FB/Paw Boost postings (surprise, ha.) I had her chipped spayed, and vaccinated. I also have two older dogs, one I know is 9 the other we guess is also 9, both are rescues, one male and the other female. She annoys them and the male is a bit intimidated by her although he is the larger of the two she is larger than either of them at about 55lbs at her last vet visit. She's been with us since mid-August and is crate trained, knows basic commands, and is 100% gentle and loving. Not an aggressive particle in her, she just wants to play, and be your friend, good thing since her nickname is 'Moose Dog' due to her size.
That's the background, the issue is she doesn't use the doggy door if I'm late getting up in the morning. She is alone at night when I'm in bed as the other two are allowed in my bedroom since neither of them will soil my bed. She has urinated on my bed twice, on her bedding, and on the sofa which I threw out (no loss it needed to be replaced.) She uses the doggy door all day, flying in and out of the house to play and relieve herself without any issues regardless of my presence, if I go out she does not have accidents in the house. I only find a mess in the morning if I sleep late. I don't understand this behavior, if she did it daily I would think she was upset at being excluded but it only happens if I get up late. It seems she thinks if I am in bed/sleeping she cannot use the doggy door and I have no idea how to overcome that thought process. I don't want to crate her at night, she no longer grabs things she shouldn't, initially, but that was an issue she is maturing and her behavior has improved.
Could be she's "trained" you to let her out personally in the mornings instead of using the door for herself. Now it's an expectation; normal. Dogs like routine, especially dogs new to a home. It isn't that she doesn't know to use the door because she does at other times. She wants the morning routine and your focus on her individually. Something the other more established dogs may not get. If/when you break the routine by not getting up "on time" that means you also aren't giving her that little bit of attention, so she keeps waiting for it. Maybe too long. Depending on how long you're sleeping late maybe she simply can't hold it. There may also be some subtle intimidation/dominance thing going on between the dogs that you haven't noticed. I would try crating her at night in your bedroom along with the rest of her pack. Crates can be a dog's personal safe spot, not a punishment. If this is based on anxiety the crate may help relieve it. Added bonus is most dogs won't soil their personal dens unless there is no alternative.
Last edited by Parnassia; 12-04-2022 at 02:17 PM..
It could be a learned behavior from her past life. Similar to yours, mine was found running in a farm field so who knows what her background is.
My dog is weird about what door she'll go out in rainy weather and hence where she'll do her business. If it's not raining she'll jet in and out the dog door for any and all reasons and unfailingly does all her business outdoors. But if it's raining she'll just either stick her head out the dog door and smell the breeze or go out and sit on the covered patio. But that's it. When she needs to go out to pee and poop, she goes out in back, turns right around and races to the front door, like "let's go mom!". So I put on her leash and we go right across the street to my neighbor's mulch and she does whatever it is she needs to do. Then shoots back to the house, proud as can be. She's never had an accident in the house, though. I hope it stays that way. She's been that way since she came to live with me so I've just accepted it, although I've done my best to reprogram her to no avail.
Maybe your girl had some "arrangement" with her previous owner and it's indelibly etched in her brain. Or like Parnassia said, she just can't hold it. Or maybe some sort of separation anxiety?
I agree with the crate idea. Mine loves her crate and will sometimes take her toys in there and play with them in her cave.
It could be that being in her den in your bedroom might solve the whole problem. If not, maybe she'll whine and let you know she needs to go out. At least that gives you a chance to channel her in the right direction at the right moment.
Good luck with this. They're all so different and there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to our dogs. She's a beautiful dog.
My dog is weird about what door she'll go out in rainy weather and hence where she'll do her business. If it's not raining she'll jet in and out the dog door for any and all reasons and unfailingly does all her business outdoors. But if it's raining she'll just either stick her head out the dog door and smell the breeze or go out and sit on the covered patio. But that's it.
Brought back memories of one of my previous dogs. The eaves on that particular house extended just a few inches beyond the edge of the concrete porch the doggie door opened onto. If it was bucketing down rain or snowing, she'd only venture as far as the dry strip of dirt/grass right under the eave and sort of straddle her way along, 2 legs on the ground, two on the porch as she found just the right spot. Looked rather silly and awkward...but at least she stayed mostly dry !
LOL! That sounds about right - that's something my current dog would do. Too funny!
I thought of something else, OP. I wonder if she was used to waking her previous owner up at a set time and gets so agitated because she can't get to you that she loses control? I don't get the urinating on your bed, the sofa, her bedding, though. Maybe it's all stress related.
If only they could talk. Of course, then they'd tell us what they really think of us and I'm not so sure I want to know!
Thanks, I'm going to try using the crate again and see what happens, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying. I've actually considered the buttons but she and my male dog really like chewing plastic so I've hesitated in trying them - but I too would love to be able to communicate with them.
I don't get her urinating on objects either since it is not an ongoing behavior, I can't determine the ABC's of it - (antecedent, behavior, consequence) - I don't punish her of course but I don't know what triggers it. But then again as pointed out I don't know her history - my male dog seems to have PTSD and he was only 8 weeks old when I adopted him. <sigh> humans can be such jerks but that's another thread.
Thanks again, I'm going to try crating her and see how that works.
I don't know about dogs but my first thought is "oh no a doggie door open all night!" I don't like that no way no how. Anything can come either slithering in or stepping and you cute little furdoggie is a goner. Maybe she is afraid of the dark. She was found in the park and who really knows how long she was roaming free afraid at night.
We live in S FL and so far nothing has slithered in, although we do have a black snake living in the Ixora in the front yard. My dogs are fairly large so most creatures are wary of them, and the one in question has the nickname of "Moose dog," if she really wants to get in or out of the doggy dog she will bulldoze her way through the plastic cover.
Last night the little dog slept in the common area, her choice so I left the 'puppy' out of her crate and all seemed well. I think she may be lonely and possibly afraid as suggested. She and the smaller dog often lounge on the loveseat together, the smaller dog tolerates her better than the other dog, he has PTSD and is easily annoyed.
These comments about dogs and rain remind me of my Judy, RIP, she HATED to get wet and if it was raining would go to the door, raise her paw, turn and look at me with disgust and walk back in the house as if it was my fault that it was bucketing down! She would wait for hours if necessary just so she didn't have to get wet. Ben, on the other hand, loves the water, when he was a puppy he'd splash in puddles like a little kid, he is 9 now and still makes it a point to walk in them. He doesn't like to get soaked but will go out if it's raining and run back in as soon as he can. Chara doesn't care either, she will go out if it's pouring rain, which makes her not using the doggy dog such a mystery.
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" I don't like that no way no how. Anything can come either slithering in or stepping and you cute little furdoggie is a goner. Maybe she is afraid of the dark. She was found in the park and who really knows how long she was roaming free afraid at night.
