OK, it's kind of gross, but Hiro will have a potty accident in the house and he will lick it up like it's water! Is this normal? Does anyone know why he's doing this?
As Jesse said, it is most likely one of those reasons..
How long have you had him? I'm not sure where he came from, but his prior living arrangements might lend themselves to this tendency, whether out of necessity or some other reason.
Hi, We have had Hiro for 2 weeks now. And his potty training is going well, but sometimes, he has accidents, like peeing in the house (he's never pooped). But, right after he pees, he licks it like he's drinking water!
I got him from a breeder and he's 10 weeks, almost 11 weeks. It's just really gross and weird to me that he would want to drink his own pee.
Tskitsune, you said that his prior living arrangements might have something to do with it? What do you think it could be? I never saw where the breeder lived b/c she drove him here from Missouri to AZ...
Should I be worried? Am I being over-dramatic? I've never had any of my dogs eat their pee or poop....
Hi, Sorry for the brusque response, but this second post of yours is really the missing piece of the puzzle to your dog's behavior. How often is Hiro left between potty breaks? The golden rule is the dog's age in months + 1 is how long he is able to hold his bladder. But in the case of the young pup, it's either that *or* within 2 hours of having drunk a lot of water.
When my dog was little, I was OCD about taking him out every 2 hours or so (every 4 while I was at work). I didn't give him a chance to pee indoors and if I did catch him in the act, I would yell, pick him up (these two actions would scare him so that he'd stop), and take him to where he's supposed to go. Once he pees where I need him to pee, I give him a lot of praise.
Your best ally in potty training your young pup is a strict regiment that he has to adhere to. As he gets older, it'll be easier to deviate. My guess about him licking his pee is that he knows he's not supposed to go in the house, and he's licking it up to make amends for his accident.
You can use puppy potty pads inside during training to help alleviate his "accidents" and move the potty pads outside to supplement the potty training.
We take Hiro out to potty 30 min after he eats and drinks ( I am currently not working)... but minus the accidents in the house, he was getting the hang of it and he would scratch the door or sit at the door and stare at us, so we thought he had gotten the idea. HOWEVER, he's been having a few accidents and we do yell and say no, but right after he pees, he will go to lick it... that's the only problem I have. I mean, I know he's young and he'll have accidents... but it's the pee licking that I don't really understand/like. He's really good inside his crate though, he's never peed or pooped inside the crate... and now he's good through the night. His bedtime is about 9-10 pm and he doesn't wake me up until 6:30 am the next morning...
Oh and we praise him and give him "yum yum's" every time he potty's outside...
Anyways, thanks for all your recommendations. I will keep them in mind and will also keep you all updated!
You never want to yell when he is peeing in the house. This may seem counter-intuitive, but yelling makes it worse. You are scaring her (by yelling) and the licking is probably connected to that. Don't feel bad about the yelling. There are so many mixed messages about what to do with potty training pups. But keep in mind that shibas are very sensitive. I once yelled at mine and he fear peed right there. I never yelled again and we were both better off.
When she has an accident, get to her quickly and take her right outside, even if she is done peeing. Keep her outside walking with her until she pees. Then praise the living hell out of her.
He is likely having accidents because he is growing. Sometimes there bladders cannot keep up with their little bodies. What Jen likely meant was dogs that come from puppy mill setting, or less than ideal breeding settings, where they were kept in a kennel/crate all the time. Often puppies with consume their own urine or feces to keep their living space clean.
My shiba Moto used to eat his poop because his previous owner kept him crated 16+ hours a day.
Your little guy is very young. Even if he knows what to do his body may not always accommodate him. Shibas learn much faster than other dogs, it is true. But just like 10 and 12 year old kids sometimes wet the bed because their bodies are growing so fast, their bladders can't keep up. They are also still learning to understand the sensation of having to pee.
You guys will get there. Don't worry. Your puppy sounds perfectly normal. Just be patient.
I meant the yell as a "make sharp loud noise" to interrupt the dog into holding it until the dog can get outside. If you keep the dog outside until the dog pees, you could be out there for a while (30+ min). However, if you interrupt the dog and immediately bring the dog outside to pee whatever is left, then lavishly praise afterwards, then the association can be made. Just my humble opinion.
Comments
2.) He's not really potty trained.
3.) He likes the taste of his own pee/poo
All three of these are equally probable and you would know best which is likely.
Jesse
How long have you had him? I'm not sure where he came from, but his prior living arrangements might lend themselves to this tendency, whether out of necessity or some other reason.
We have had Hiro for 2 weeks now. And his potty training is going well, but sometimes, he has accidents, like peeing in the house (he's never pooped). But, right after he pees, he licks it like he's drinking water!
I got him from a breeder and he's 10 weeks, almost 11 weeks. It's just really gross and weird to me that he would want to drink his own pee.
Tskitsune, you said that his prior living arrangements might have something to do with it? What do you think it could be? I never saw where the breeder lived b/c she drove him here from Missouri to AZ...
Should I be worried? Am I being over-dramatic? I've never had any of my dogs eat their pee or poop....
Sorry for the brusque response, but this second post of yours is really the missing piece of the puzzle to your dog's behavior. How often is Hiro left between potty breaks? The golden rule is the dog's age in months + 1 is how long he is able to hold his bladder. But in the case of the young pup, it's either that *or* within 2 hours of having drunk a lot of water.
When my dog was little, I was OCD about taking him out every 2 hours or so (every 4 while I was at work). I didn't give him a chance to pee indoors and if I did catch him in the act, I would yell, pick him up (these two actions would scare him so that he'd stop), and take him to where he's supposed to go. Once he pees where I need him to pee, I give him a lot of praise.
Your best ally in potty training your young pup is a strict regiment that he has to adhere to. As he gets older, it'll be easier to deviate. My guess about him licking his pee is that he knows he's not supposed to go in the house, and he's licking it up to make amends for his accident.
You can use puppy potty pads inside during training to help alleviate his "accidents" and move the potty pads outside to supplement the potty training.
Good luck and please keep us updated!
Jesse
Oh and we praise him and give him "yum yum's" every time he potty's outside...
Anyways, thanks for all your recommendations. I will keep them in mind and will also keep you all updated!
I once yelled at mine and he fear peed right there. I never yelled again and we were both better off.
When she has an accident, get to her quickly and take her right outside, even if she is done peeing. Keep her outside walking with her until she pees. Then praise the living hell out of her.
He is likely having accidents because he is growing. Sometimes there bladders cannot keep up with their little bodies.
What Jen likely meant was dogs that come from puppy mill setting, or less than ideal breeding settings, where they were kept in a kennel/crate all the time. Often puppies with consume their own urine or feces to keep their living space clean.
My shiba Moto used to eat his poop because his previous owner kept him crated 16+ hours a day.
Your little guy is very young. Even if he knows what to do his body may not always accommodate him. Shibas learn much faster than other dogs, it is true. But just like 10 and 12 year old kids sometimes wet the bed because their bodies are growing so fast, their bladders can't keep up. They are also still learning to understand the sensation of having to pee.
You guys will get there. Don't worry. Your puppy sounds perfectly normal. Just be patient.
Jesse