Your Dog Forum

Hi all, I'm new here, and I am looking for some advice.

I have a now 9 month old Standard smooth haired Dachshund x, called Colin (I also have a "Jackuahua" called Luci, but she is an angel!).

My husband and I bought him from a breeder of chihuahuas and shi tzus (the Daxi was a family pet) aged 4 months, so we have now had him for 5 months.

He'd previously been paper-trained, but we wanted to housetrain him, so we started almost straight away.

It took ages, and he was SO stubborn. However, a few months ago, we'd cracked it and Colin was going through the night, and was fine through the day too (they're only left on their own for a max of 4 hours, if mine and my hubby's shifts overlap).
However, a few weeks ago, he began to wet and soil in the house again, so I put him back in his crate overnight and when we weren't able to supervise. I have no idea why!
At first I thought it was behavioural, and I assessed everything, thought it could be Colin preferance to Luci's bed, bought him one the same, left him out of his cage overnight, and came down in the morning to a wee
He is neutered, and I know from the quantity of wee that he is not marking.
I'm starting to think Colin has actually just decided he doesn't want to wait to go out and that if he needs to do a wee or poo, he's going to do it, regardless of where that is.
It's frustrating.

Also, Colin doesn't wet and soil my floor, which I could cope with. Instead, he chooses my sofas (which I cover with shower curtains as a precaution, as he's done this before).
As he NEVER does this in front of me, I can't ever tell him off for it, so he goes on thinking this is acceptable.

He knows 150% where his toilet is.

I just don't know what to do.
I've read lots of books, and as I said, was successful before, but don't know what to do now.

Temporarily, he's back in the crate, but I really hate putting him in there (he doesn't mind though) because the idea of having 2 dogs was for them to be company for each other, but when Luci has the whole room, and he's shoved in a cage, they're no company for each other at all.

Please help.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Hello, welcome to the forum.

If I were you I'd go right back to the beginning, as if you'd just brought an 8 wk old pup home. I'm not a big fan of paper training, think its easier to train a dog to toilet outside from the beginning (assuming you have a garden/yard), taking into consideration vaccinations.

I would make a point of taking your dog outside to toilet reguarly (every couple of hrs if poss)to start with. Dogs usually prefer to poo/wee on grass as opposed to concrete. Carry treats with you, if your dog has a wee/poo outside say 'go toilet' or something similar. Praise and give a treat.

If your dog does a poo/wee indoors you said you don't reprimand him which is exactly right, doing so would make him nervous of going to the toilet in front of you and obviously you don't want this. If you catch him in the middle of the act, if possible, lift him and place him outside. If he finishes his wee/poo outside repeat 'go toilet', praise and reward.

You can buy special detergents for pets which remove the smell of urine properly from furniture and carpets, otherwise he will make a habit of weeing in the same spot.

This is the way I've always trained my dogs to toilet, I've found it to be very successfull and my dog will now toilet on command!! Other posters may have different ways.

Hope this helps.

The key comment in this is that the dog does not do it in front of you, whether or not you consciously reprimand the dog is not the point, it will get all the information it needs from your body language.

Go back to basics, do not allow him free rein.


This has nothing to do with stubborness, it has everything to do with your training.

It has nothing to do with my training, as I said in my post, I HAD him housetrained, and he's relapsed for some reason.

Back to basics it is

Failing that, my boss has told me to put his nose TO his mess (not rub his nose IN it), tell him "NO", and put him outside.
Despite all my books saying otherwise, I may have to do this as a very last resort

Thanks for suggestions

Mousey-kumar wrote - Failing that, my boss has told me to put his nose TO his mess (not rub his nose IN it), tell him "NO", and put him outside.


Please do not resort to this method. Your boss clearly knows nothing about dogs so I wouldn't take advise from him!!. This is an out-dated and ineffective way to toilet train. Instead of becoming frustrated with your dog, try the method I suggested, but be PATIENT, CONSISTENT and as SB suggested concious of you body language.

It is very unusual for a dog to lapse his toileting habits once it has been trained correctly, unless it is due to a health condition.

You also stated that your dog doesn't wee/poo when your there, so pushing his face towards his mess and shouting 'no' any more than a few seconds later will cause confusion for the dog, he won't be able to link the act with the punishment!!

Please NEVER EVER resort to what boss advises,he is very ignorant regarding dog training.Back to the start is only way,definately no short cuts.