Rescue dog simply not getting the idea of house training

[Anonymous]

California natural is pretty high in fat. Try acana or wellness reduced fat core. Some dogs just don't tolerate the grains, and the varied poop kind of sounds like it. More fiber isn't necessarily a good idea. A lot of terriers don't do well with fiber.....and dogs in general don't need it. If that doesn't work, try raw prey model.

If he was caged, he's lost a lot of the not soiling ones den thing, and terriers and small dogs have problems with it anyway. Crating isn't the answer.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think you are doing a good job and very patient, love the idea of getting a trainer.

In terms of the training aspect, I have heard it is better to never yell at a dog who has an accident. After the fact, they supposedly do not remember what they did and have no idea why their owner is yelling at them all of a sudden. If the dog has anxiety issues, this will only make it worse. If you catch them in the act, tell them "no" and move them outside, but no yelling!

[Anonymous]

OP, first, and this is important, instead of metamucil, try canned pumpkin. It sounds like your dog has a sensitive digestive tract, and the metamucil might be way too harsh. Try the pumpkin first (to bulk up her stool).

Second, again, it sounds like she has a dodgy digestive tract (think the dog version of irritable bowel). From what you say, this doesn't sound like a training issue as much as it is a tummy issue.

You could try feeding her regular chicken and rice and pumpkin for 2 weeks. Perhaps it will help calm down whatever is going on with her stomach.

Then slowly -- very slowly -- start adding back in dog food.

You could always buy the pre-cooked chicken strips and make the rice over the weekend. It would make it easier to feed her.

But it sounds to me like she has a rough tummy situation that needs to normalize.

It's worth a shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:California natural is pretty high in fat. Try acana or wellness reduced fat core. Some dogs just don't tolerate the grains, and the varied poop kind of sounds like it. More fiber isn't necessarily a good idea. A lot of terriers don't do well with fiber.....and dogs in general don't need it. If that doesn't work, try raw prey model.

If he was caged, he's lost a lot of the not soiling ones den thing, and terriers and small dogs have problems with it anyway. Crating isn't the answer.

I agree with the idea of switching food. Our rescue terrier mix did so-so on CA Natural, and then we did a rotation of various foods (with terrible poop problems) before landing on Acana (Grasslands). We did the switch very very slowly, adding a little bit of Acana the first day to the CA Natural and then upping the amount a tiny bit each day over a period of about two weeks. She's done very well on it for some years now.

If poops seem too soft, add a tablespoon of pumpkin (canned - but not pumpkin pie filling, just pumpkin) to the dog's food at each meal. That helps solidify things.

Last thought, OP - visit dogfoodchat.com. There are forums there populated by people who know a lot about every dog issue under the sun. I bet you'll get some great advice there.

I admire and applaud you for the work you are doing with this pup and feel confident you can fix this.

[Anonymous]

We have a rescued Yorkie that we adopted as a puppy. Took me 9 months to housebreak her, but eventually she caught on. I listened to my vet very closely, I was at my wits end and didn't want to scare her - I was also at my breaking point.

I had to size down the crate to a cat carrier. The crate training was ONLY for housebreaking, she's now 11 and is only crated if she's sick. When she was out of the crate, I had her with me by having her leashed to my belt and when she'd start the figure 8, I'd run her outside and basically be her cheerleader. I'd use "potty" for peeing and "more potty" for poop, and now goes on command. You have to get a grip on the situation and have a plan. She's so darling, and very much loved, and she needed to be housebroken so we could all live peacefully. I know many yorkies that are not housebroken, and are locked up in bathrooms during the day. Our girl has the run of the house, because I was diligent with her training. My vet was super helpful and when I was frustrated, she offered to take her for a nig ht or 2. I can't believe she's 11 now, she still looks like a puppy but with very little teeth

[Anonymous]

My dog has stomach issues and was on Science Diet ID to harden her stool. The folks at Webers Supermarket recommended Regal Sensi Bites to replace the Science Diet. It's worked so well and has helped her sensitive stomach. My dog is a real nervous dog so would get loose stools if any of her environment changed (fun!). Here's a link to the food
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/cr/B000XTNW4O/ref=mw_dp_cr

[Anonymous]

My nervous dog does well with Natural Balance -- keeps everything pretty regular for her (although if she sees a squirrel on a walk she'll get so excited that she needs to poop a second time. TMI but funny.)