# I love my pets. I love my pets. I love my pets.



## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

It's one of those days when I have to keep telling myself that.

Since I have a puppy, I steam clean every weekend. I ordered a black light off of ebay so I can see the spots that REALLY need to be cleaned every weekend in hopes of saving myself some time. Now that Miss Tiffa has recovered from her spay surgery I can really get involved in potty training her once and for all.

So tonight I checked the mail as I got in from work - the black light is here! Yay! I walked through the door, gave everyone their loves and then turned off the lights. I'm walking around saying OMG!!! at all of the little blobs coming to light. I know some of this is from the food they drag around but those big round bright ones are not from the food. They are EVERYWHERE. Then, I spot a stuffed animal in the hall. It's "Dug" and I'm wondering how Tiffa got to that.. after all I put it on top of the dresser far away from her. I figured the cat probably knocked it down and she took advantage. So then I get to my bedroom (lights still out, just the black light guiding me) and as I'm following the glowing urine stains I see a CD. Huh? How did that get there? Then I see a whole stack of CD's and a pile of clothes and my dresser toppled over with all of the drawers knocked out of it. Son of a.....!!!

My daughter got a job dog and house sitting and has been gone for the past week. I guess mayhem ensued today when I went back to work after being home sick yesterday. I can see it now... Miss Tiffa harassing Mo the cat. Mo jumping onto my dresser to get away and the dresser comes crashing down. If cats can swear, I'm sure the f word flew out of him.

So I sat down on my bed. I looked in the bathroom and small wonders, there's poop on the potty patch. Though at this point I'm guessing whenever it makes it there, it's just a lucky shot. Miss Tiffa hops up and snuggles on my hand. I'm mad, but yes I love you. Then something doesn't feel right with my hand - it catches a strange breeze and feels wet. Hold it up in front of me - there's sh*t on my hand. Yes, that's right - I have sh*t on my hand and it's also been wiped on my duvet cover. It's the gift that keeps on giving.....

I have a washing machine full of bedding now, steam cleaner out and I think I'm going to need a bottle of wine.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

Have you found your dachshund hard to potty train? And lord that sounds like a terrible day!

I'd replace the bottle of wine with a bottle of whiskey.. :thumb:


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

bishopthesheltie said:


> Have you found your dachshund hard to potty train? And lord that sounds like a terrible day!
> 
> I'd replace the bottle of wine with a bottle of whiskey.. :thumb:


I've heard doxies are difficult to potty train. I don't have much to compare her to. My first dog was a 6 year old Aussie rescue who was very well trained. Before him, I had cats that are trained by plopping a litter box in front of them. Tanis was 1 1/2 years old when I got him and not house trained, but figured it out real quick the first time he lifted his leg to pee on my ficus tree in the living room. When I screamed "nooooo" he looked up at me, stopped in mid stream with the leg still up like "What? Oh, not on trees INSIDE. Oops, my bad." and it never happened again. I think Aussies are probably easier to house train than most breeds - they'll do anything to please us and their whole world comes crashing down if they hear "bad dog!"

Whiskey would probably be great right about now!


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## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

The pee thing is exactly why I ripped out all of my carpet out and put laminant flooring down throughout my house! I buy washable area rugs, and waa laa!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

the moral of the story to all pet owners is : do NOT buy a black light


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

Black lights are evil. I discovered that the ceiling in my kitchen looks like a war zone. Never leave teenagers alone with barbeque sauce. <sigh>


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

Lisa_j said:


> The pee thing is exactly why I ripped out all of my carpet out and put laminant flooring down throughout my house! I buy washable area rugs, and waa laa!


Unfortunately, I do not have that option right now - but next year I will when I finally buy something.



magicre said:


> the moral of the story to all pet owners is : do NOT buy a black light


BINGO!

I think I may try litter box training Tiffa. The potty patch and pee pads are the same as the floor to her. When we go on walks, she doesn't even try to pee on the grass. We've been out for 2 hour walks and while Tanis empties his tank and tries to mark trees with dust, she doesn't stop once to pee. Today I'm going to take her on a walk solo and see if it makes a difference. When we're out with Tanis she's just trying to keep up with him the whole time.


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

maybe you should get a sitter to come
in and give the dogs a break. a dresser toppled
over and all of the drawers out sounds like
a lot for a dog and cat to do.


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## dmgmn (Apr 24, 2011)

I'm sure we've all been there!
Ya just have to grit your teeth and keep going forward and it still pays off in the end. (the bottle of wine, or stiff drink, or cold beer helps too !)

Have you thought about maybe crate training Tiffa or restricting their access to a smaller part of the house temporarily??


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

Oh my gosh, this was a great thing to read as I'm waking up! :rofl:
I'm laughing so hard I'm crying!!
I think it's just small dogs in general that are pain to potty train. All of ours have been big dogs except Shelby. She was AWFUL. Not sure why, we seem to always "cut her slack" cuz she's little. I would make excuses as to why she would potty in her crate. Once again, oh she's little, she must not be able to hold it. So I put in a towel down, so if she did go, at least it was "on the towel" Oh it's raining out, she doesn't want to get wet, she's cold, blah blah blah. 

So I agree with magicre Stay Away From the Light!! lol!!


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

Here's the funny thing... since I got out that black light and all of her misdeeds have come to light... she hasn't missed the potty pads once! She figured it out and KNEW when all of those spots showed up what they were!


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## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

mischiefgrrl said:


> Here's the funny thing... since I got out that black light and all of her misdeeds have come to light... she hasn't missed the potty pads once! She figured KNEW when all of those spots showed up what they were!


That is funny!


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

She's a pretty smart little girl. When that blacklight came out, she really did know exactly what I was looking at. She was walking beside me sniffing every glowing blob and trying to bury it. I've been pouring a 50% vinegar 50% hot water solution on each one, smooshing it into the pad and then sucking it up with the steam cleaner. It's working a little... she watches the entire process and knows exactly why I'm doing it! Now if I could just get her to pee outside. When she's out there she wants to do everything BUT pee. Maybe I should take her to the dog park to see how the other little dogs do it?


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## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

mischiefgrrl said:


> She's a pretty smart little girl. When that blacklight came out, she really did know exactly what I was looking at. She was walking beside me sniffing every glowing blob and trying to bury it. I've been pouring a 50% vinegar 50% hot water solution on each one, smooshing it into the pad and then sucking it up with the steam cleaner. It's working a little... she watches the entire process and knows exactly why I'm doing it! Now if I could just get her to pee outside. When she's out there she wants to do everything BUT pee. Maybe I should take her to the dog park to see how the other little dogs do it?


If you put the pee pad outside that she has used,and show her, will she pee on it?


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

It hasn't so far... I don't have a yard and live in a 2nd floor unit. I am in the process of building an enclosure on the balcony so the kitties can go outside. Right now I have trees and synthetic grass on the balcony and when I let her out there she has no interest in peeing. Yet.... I just want to catch her peeing outside once so I can give her all of the "oh GOOD girl!!!" rewards. If she gets that, she'll keep doing it. She just has to do it ONE time! When I see that she's gone on the potty patch or pee pad I do that and she gets so happy.


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## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

mischiefgrrl said:


> It hasn't so far... I don't have a yard and live in a 2nd floor unit. I am in the process of building an enclosure on the balcony so the kitties can go outside. Right now I have trees and synthetic grass on the balcony and when I let her out there she has no interest in peeing. Yet.... I just want to catch her peeing outside once so I can give her all of the "oh GOOD girl!!!" rewards. If she gets that, she'll keep doing it. She just has to do it ONE time! When I see that she's gone on the potty patch or pee pad I do that and she gets so happy.


Just wondered. I have a 3 1/2 lb yorkie gal that is now 1 yr and sucks at going potty outdoors. We have tried it all, it seems hit and miss............


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

Well, when you think about it - it's pretty scary for the the little ones to go outside. It's a BIG world for them. I think it's just nerves that keep her from doing it. She'll get it... I was going to ask you how you do it with the yorkie. I have a lot of errands to run today. Maybe I'll get a box for her with those news paper pellets and see if she likes that. I just think the kitties will probably think it is their box and then we might have a problem. Their box is in the guest bathroom with a baby gate so that Tiffa won't get into it.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

we live in an apartment and there are folks who put that fake grass on their patios...and their dogs use it....they invite another dog over to scent it and then their dogs use it.

most of us, however, walk our dogs to teach them to pee...and then stand outside on the patio when we think it's time....and wait with them until they pee. 

dogs need to be walked anyway, and that teaches them to pee outside....


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

She gets 3 walks a day. The first one is 45-90 minutes and the other two are 20 min. She just holds it the whole time. Today I am prepared to wait for her to pee outside. We are going to the dog park and we are going to stay until I see her pee so I can give her the big praises. Just don't tell Tanis we're going without him.... Too many aggressive dogs on the big dog side for him.


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