First, my own personal info must be shared. I live in the city 4 days a week in a highrise with a large balcony, and go to the country on Thursday evening until late on Sunday. The country place has a large deck. My dog Mattie, goes where I go ( she is a stray I found almost 2 yrs ago). She insists on sleeping on a bench on the deck in the country no matter what the weather is. Now, she runs there, does her business any time, any place, no constraints. When I bring her back into town, she absolutely will not sleep on the balcony which is 14 X 6, and a nice soft bench to sleep upon. Since she is a free spirit all weekend, I have potty problems the first night back ( on living room floor). No matter how much I fuss, put her in the bathroom, rub her nose in it, we go through the same cycle every Monday morning. Why the heck won't she sleep on the balcony outside in town? In town she sleeps in my bed and wouldn't think of sleeping with me in the country. It is making me crazy trying to figure out what the difference is. I must be missing something, though in all other ways I feel I am in "tune" with her and find work arounds on other problems. I think I need a shrink for one of us and I think it is me! At this point I will try any suggestions. Thanks. Carole and Mattie

-- Carole (carle@earthlink.net), February 25, 2002

Answers

Sounds like she is all mixed up. How about using a common blanket as her bed in both of her homes. Something familiar that goes with her and she knows is HER bed.

Maybe she is sensitive to the traffic noise in town and doesn't get a good nights sleep outside!!!

-- Cowvet (cowvet_nz@hotmail.com), February 25, 2002.

Cowvet.. That suggestion has been in the back of my mind. She does love that pillow in the country. Next weekend I will pack it back to town and see how that works. Will try anything.... I am at my wit's end. C

-- Carole (carle@earthlink.net), February 25, 2002.

Carole, you and you dog might benefit from a good book on training. Crate Training. My favorite book for "moms" and dogs is " MOTHER KNOWS BEST" by Carol Lea Benjamin. This is a wonderful book which will help you through the rough spots and help you get back on track with your dog. Check it out of the library first but buy the book. You won't be sorry. It is not only fun to read, it takes some common sense approaches to problems like you and your dog are having now. My Cattle dog, Howdy, spends most of his nights out in our West Room with his head hanging out the doggie door watching the busy creatures of the night in our meadow and along the river. I suspect this might be what interests your dog out in the country? Naturally his dog door opens into a fenced dog yard so he cannot tear out there and confront the deer, foxes, coyotes , raccoons, 'possums, skunks etc. LOL Good luck, dogs are great! LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 25, 2002.

Could be the noise or the height if you're several floors up. Not much you can do about either of those. Maybe an enclosure like a doghouse or something you can throw together quick would help.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), February 25, 2002.

Maybe the pottying in the living room is her way of punishing you for taking her away from the country and bringing her back to the town.

My in-laws dog begged them to take off the collar he had on after surgery. When they told him to go lie down, he walked to the living room and peed through the gate to let them know he was mad.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), February 25, 2002.

hi carol! let me suggest stronly to you, never rub your dogs nose it its poop or pee. they have a natural tendency to lick thier noses and will aquire a taste for it. and after a while you will have the additional problem of your dog eating its own feces. get a crate for her to sleep in while you are in the city. she shouldnt go in her own crate.let her figure out if she behaves herself she can sleep out of the crate. the issue isnt why wont she sleep on your balcony or in your bed. the issue is her misbehaving and that is what needs to be corrected.why bother with what the difference is?? she is just enjoying the change of lifestyle on the weekend just like you are. cut her some slack. good luck cody

-- cody (urbusted@alltel.net), February 25, 2002.

If you know your dog is going to pee in the floor, why wait until after it happens? I would 1st thing upon arriveing home, give a strong comand, "Don't you potty in this house," and demand a pee/potty outside, before the dog could come in,

I think the bed/cushion idea sounds good too. My dogs have certain pillows and blankets that are "for them" and they will get off other pillows with a normal conversation tone, "get off my pillow," or "thats not your pillow" so they fully understand the difference between the pillows.

As far as for correction, for me over dramatic scolding works better than anything else. With lots of shame on you, that is so bad, how could you do this, type stuff. Me being upset with them seems to hurt their fellings. Well, if I lay it on thick enough anyway.

And Cody, where did you get the idea that a dog [having a natural tendency to lick their nose] will "get a taste for it and start eating it" dogs are licking it off their own body almost from birth, rear end, genitals, and feet, as well as other dogs, [or what ever, it's not like they are picky] the process of rubbing the nose in it produces more fear of the person doing the rubbing, than anything else [in my opinion] and eating feces is a whole other thread.

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), February 26, 2002.

I agree with Dee. Your dog is saying, "I don't like it here and I want to go back to the county."

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), February 26, 2002.

She probably doesn't sleep on the balcony in town because she doesn't like it! We think of a deck and a balcony as the same thing, more or less, probably to a dog there is a big difference. Also, have you considered the fact that Mattie is guarding you? In the country, that's keeping watch on what's going on outside. In the city, that's being in the den (your bedroom) with you at night. I wouldn't be hard on her, in any case. I'd let her sleep in the bedroom with the door shut to the rest of the house and if she doesn't crap in the bedroom (and she won't because it's your den and they don't foul the sleeping area) then let it go at that.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), February 26, 2002.

Cody is right, our dog had developed the "taste" for feces,our vet has said it is b/c she nurses anything ,almost always in milk and cleans their bottoms so much now she eats the cat litter poo and when another animal walks by her she's up their butt, waiting for them to go.

-- Sue in PA (suelpn30@hcworkshop.com), February 26, 2002.

hummm....

City - bed or bench, bed or bench? Country - outside to run free or bed, freedom or bed?

your dogs bathroom is where in the city?

City - how about a dog door to the patio with a a large box filled with 'doggy litter' to poop in and then the dog may have that feeling of freedom.

rubbing nose in it isn't working so you might as well give that up. Spanking and yelling isn't working. How about treating for the good behavior and ignoring the bad. Putting the dog on a feeding and watering schedule so the dog has regular bathroom time.

Go to Pet Smart or Pet Co and talk to their trainers or sales people there is lots of great products that you can use to remove the poopy smell and sprays the smell like poop (to the dog) to intice them to do it where you want it done.

But honestly...move! your doggy is telling you where he wants to be! pay attention.

-- LurkyLu (lurkylu@yahoo.com), February 26, 2002.

Sue, did you rub your dogs nose in poop? If not, her eating feces has nothing to do with getting poop on her nose. Momma dogs or those that have the hormonal imbalance that causes the long term lactation, show this type of cleaning behavior.

"our vet has said it is b/c she nurses anything, almost always in milk"

So your female cleaning up after everything is a mothers instinct gone overboard, and has nothing to do with rubbing noses in it.

And it is normal for dog to eat poop from other animals.

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), February 27, 2002.