Good idea to Crate-Train a 4 year old?? Peeing/Anxiet (Long)

[slobberlove]

So, Briseis for the most part is pretty good when I'm not home. Every now and then she'll get into something and I might not even recognize it but when I walk in the door she immediately starts to act ashamed, cowering up, and pees nervously.

I live in a 2bedroom apartment and she has her own room, so I've begun to keep her in her room area while I'm gone but she hates it. In her last home she was kept in the mudroom all day and never allowed in the house.

So, I'm trying to make her see that her room/her space is a good thing. Before she would go to her bed before I put the gate up in her room but now I have to trick her with food to go in her room when leaving for work otherwise she won't go. And she'll plant herself laying on the ground and if I try and touch her to get her to move or even just to rub her belly - she'll start peeing. So I don't even know how to correct the behavior - cause I don't like to yell but if I raise my voice and point and the pee'd carpet to try and correct the behavior she just gets nervous and pees somewhere else.

I just don't know what to do - all these accidents are starting to be difficult to manage. In the beginning she only got excited when I came home and peed. Now I take more time to great her. But if I have company I either have her great them outside or wait otherwise she gets nervous and pees.

I think this is related to some of her anxiety issues but I'm not sure what to do - and I have had her now for about 9 1/2 months and I'm feeling a little hopeless.

A friend suggested crate training but I think its too late for that for her - and definitely think she'd feel more punished than anything.

Thoughts?

 

[Cami]

She isn't peeing because she is "ashamed" she is doing so as a reaction to *something*. Either how her previous owners acted when she did something they didn't like, how you are acting now or a combination of the two.

Excitement pee is perfectly normal for a PUPPY and they tend to grow out of it with age, maturity and confidence.

Your girl doesn't seem to have obtained the confidence part. You can help her with this on many levels and try to possibly nip this in the bud.

NEVER react to something that has already happened. Meaning if you come home and notice something amiss no matter what it is IGNORE it, clean it up and forget about it. You literally only have seconds (less than 10) to use certain behaviors or actions as a training experience. When a puppy starts to squat to pee you could give a loud NO! and then get them outside. Waiting till they are finished going and then trying to reprimand them for something natural is a waste of time. Same thing applies in this situation.

You need to work with her to help her build her confidence. If you know she gets nervous and goes potty when you try to get her to move or to rub her belly stop those activities. OR....arm yourself with a spoon full of peanut butter (or other yummy treat) and use it as a precursor. It is hard to be nervous and happy while enjoying some peanut butter at the same time. Think outside the box!

Don't force her to do something that she isn't comfortable doing instead figure out a way to make her WANT to do those things. Highly desirable treats a favorite toy to lure her and plenty of exercise so that she would prefer a nap while you are away verses getting upset with the routine of you leaving.

Get into the habit of offering her praise when she shows you behavior that you like. A simple sit that she might do on her own should not be ignored but praised. The more praise that she receives for GOOD (normal) behavior the quicker she will learn to associate good things with that praise. It seems as if she is coming to you with a bit of baggage. Its possible that in her 4 years of life that she wasn't praised and or wasn't helped to become the best dog she can be. It is now up to you to get her there. It won't be easy but it is more than possible.