[Dailydrool] update on Harvey

[Dale Rutz]

I hate to admit it but after all these years I have become something of an expert of having a dog who will pee in the house.  GRACIE!!!  How could you???  Honestly before Gracie I have never had a dog that wasn't completely reliable after living with me for 2 weeks.  And in my entire life I have never ever had a dog I didn't pull from the county shelter, myself.  And most of them have been train wrecks when I brought them home.  It's a gift to be able to bond with a dog like that, and I have that gift, so that is where I go to get my dogs.
 
Anyway, Gracie has been ridiculous.  She is FINALLY reliable ..... TEN months later I can FINALLY trust her not to pee in the house.  Of course, last week she still peed in the house THREE times .... but that was due to the girls leaving her ..... she peed right outside their bedroom doors to say this stinks.  And it did too.  But honestly it had been weeks and weeks and we don't do anything special, there is a dog door and she uses it.  Like the others.  Finally.
 
Bassets are VERY different and Gracie is VERY bassety.  Here is what I learned from Gracie:
 
1)  Never, ever react to peeing the house.  If I do (or, more usually, my husband does) then she becomes pee as a weapon girl (as Julianne calls her).  You can't look at her, say anything, react in any way, just silently and calmly clean it up.  She will lurk nearby waiting and watching and wanting a reaction.  She is clearly disappointed when she gets none.
 
2)  Do a wild and crazy happy dance when she is caught going outside to pee, especially if she leave off playing or petting to run outside and take care of it.  Then give ALL the dogs lots of cookies.  It creates peer pressure .... the other dogs know they get a cookie if Gracie goes outside, and they get irritated with her if she doesn't because they don't get the cookie.  Let them tell her off, not you.
 
3)  If the dog pees, clean it as follows:
    a)  get a towel and stand on it and soak up all you can out of the rug
    b)  soak the spot with natures miracle
    c)  wait 5 minutes
    d)  come back with a fresh towel and stand on it and soak up the natures miracle and whatever other pee you can
    e)  Let it dry
    f)  come back with the home carpet shampooer and shampoo the spot
 
Its a hassle but the dog cannot find that spot to pee again and your house won't smell so it's worth it.  Also when we first got Gracie and she was having multiple accidents I went through the whole house with the carpet shampooer filled with a vinegar/water solution and it helped a lot.
 
Good luck,
Dale


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