« on: Today at 11:36:37 AM » Quote My dear fellow bichon owners Really need some help and advice. My bichon has been giving me and my wife so much of stress. It's only 2 of us in the house and we do try as much as possible with our busy schedule to take him out to exercise.. We somehow manage like twice a week walking him for 30 minutes around the neighborhood. And on Sundays we take him for an hour of obedience class.. He does really well in class and everyone days I have a wonderful obedient bichon and that I should keep training him till competition on level We are crate training him and take him out at 5.45 in the morning to do his business but sometimes he has already peed in the crate and when we take him out he poos. Then we have to wash him and wash his crate and he is watching us do all this before we feed him in crate.. Then we put him back in crate t for us to catch a bit more sleep before rushing to work. We take him out lunch time and he pees.. At 7pm we take him out again and he poos but doesn't pee.. We bring him back in and feed him in crate again. Then he is given free time in the house and we do some short training and some fetch games in the house.. He only plays awhile and just stops when he feels and just lies down by himself and catches a nap.. We try our best to keep him awake pet him etc.. But he just lays down and doesn't move.. Then it's 10 PM and when we take him out to pee sometimes he goes but most times he just stands on the pee pad outside the house just being stationary . literaryly frozen. Sometimes he even sits on the pad and we will startle him so as to not dirty himself We do use words hurry up everytime we want him to do his business and he already is accustomed to the words. It's as if he is not being let out the crate for long time and doesn't wanna do his business as he knows if he does he will go right back in crate so he is like buying time.. We are guessing. When we ask him to go home.. He seems tense and runs in to his. Crate and goes all the way to the back of the crate looking scared Please help me guys
Dogs don't do things out of spite; they just aren't wired that way. That sounds like an awfully long time for a dog to be spending in a crate......What, 18 hours a day??
Hi Bluejay.. Thanks so much for the Reply.. Well I know he is being crated long but it's not concurrent time and we both work so we don't have a possible solution to that for now.. When he is out and about.. He Marks around my house so we are trying to crate train as much to avoid him Soiling around the house.. What do u recommend?
I recommend more time outside and less crate time. No doubt he is extremely stressed due to all that time in a crate and so little exercise. He will be neigh impossible to train if you can't devote a lot more time to him. Not trying to sound harsh, but if you don't have the proper time for a dog, it is arguable that you should own one.
I'd be asking myself if I was really the best home for him too, to be honest. Three walks a week and a couple of hours out of the crate every day is really not much life for a dog; never mind something like a bichon, bred for companionship! Can you get a dog walker or a friend in? Break up the day a little more, provide him with more much needed exercise and stimulation. How about dog proofing a room for him or having a pen, so he at the very least can have more space. Crate training really isn't the same as locking the dog away all day :/ If he is marking, rather than just weeing, then being crate trained likely won't solve that problem. How old is he?
You don’t say how old he is ! Think you need to go back to basic housetraining Ive never used crates or Puppy Pads and believe it prolongs house training,(if they are left all night without being taken out at regular intervals ) I had large cardboard box by my bed and alarm set for every 2 hours for first week Then every 3 hours after a week or so they would whimper if they wanted to go, yes it’s a pain at first, but by twelve weeks old they slept through the night. If he has to be crated at night’ then you still need to take him out every few hours depending on age.(same applies during the daytime. It would also be beneficial to him if he was exercised every day, 30 mins twice a week is not enough not only for his well being but socializing as well. If you are unable to take him out during the day it would be advisable to get a ‘dog walker, family member or neighbour to take him out at lunchtime for a walk.
Your post can only be a snapshot description, but Bichons are usually such lively little dogs, the usual complaint about them are attacks of the 'zoomies'! This motionless behaviour you describe doesn't sound at all typical. Do you think that it might be an idea to have a vet check him over and rule out any health reasons for it? The other word that springs to mind is, 'institutionalised', he sounds as if he has learned to accept that his place is in the crate, and he is losing the motivation to interact with his family. You clearly care enough to train your boy, and to seek help on here, but I think you are going to have to think of some ways to make his life more fun. I think the other contributors are right, this has got to include a lot more socialisation, exercise and play.
Thank you thank you so much to all the feedback above.. He is 8 months old now and yes he really loves being around me.. But I get it now.. That's too much crate time and too little exercise... I am going to change all of this and see how it goes from there.. I will definitely feedback on the progress here.. Love u all
He is a sweetie, I do hope you can solve his problems soon. House-training is difficult when you can't be with them enough to spot the signs that he is ready, and show them where you would like him to go. Try not to tell him off for making mistakes, that just creates stress, but let him know that he's done something wonderful when he does get it right. Give toileting a name - I say Quickie - and praise and treat every time he performs in the right place, or asks to go out. Hopefully some better weather is on the way, and it will be more pleasant to spend time in standing in the garden with him, just waiting for the chance to say, Good Boy!
I would leave him crate free as much as possible & if you & your partner are working throughout the day, then I would look into dog care centres/dog walkers/dog sitters so your little dog as lots more freedom & can burn of some of his energy
Why on earth buy a dog when you dont have the time...that poor dog has to suffer spending 90% of his day in basically a prison cell. Murderers have a better way of life in a maximum security prison. Damn disgrace and so selfish of you.
I know this is a old post, but I hope your dog is doing better. I feel for him... My little wiley is only in a crate when we go in the car (my wife likes to hold her, but I find she is safer and more relaxed in her very small (but cozy .. a little den) crate... she has no problems going in and out, and knows it isn't punishment. She never goes in a crate at home, and, doesn't use pee-pads (anymore... when we first got her she was young and needed them but, no way now...)... Maybe adding a little excitement to his daily routine, and walking him for a little while to get his/her bowels moving before they do business, usually works for us... He sure is a cutie.
