Consumer Homes.

Question:

We’ve had a one-year-old terrier mix for about a month.  She came already house-trained and she’s never had a problem while she was left home alone during the day (for four hours at a stretch usually, and once for the whole day). However… when she’s home alone, we keep the basement door shut.  When we’re home, we’d like to leave it open, but we can’t because the dog has decided it’s fine to poop and/or urinate on the rug.  I cleaned up the poop, shampooed, and sprinkled carpet deodorant on the spot after her first two mistakes, so she moved a little bit away for the third. So just getting rid of the smell isn’t going to help. When the door is closed and we’re home, the dog is *very* persistent about being let outside when she needs to go.  When the door is open, she doesn’t even "ask," and in fact goes at times that aren’t her usual times.  (And it’s always been when we were in my son’s basement bedroom next door reading him a story, but that might just be coincidence because that’s when we let her in the basement.) Is there any hope that we can ever teach the dog that the basement is part of the house, or should we just resign ourselves to leaving the door closed forever?  (She starts obedience school tonight, BTW.) — Nancy

Response:

I’m assuming you adopted this dog because it is a year old and you’ve only had her for a month.  It could be that the previous owners had her trained to go POTTY in the basement and thats just what she is used to and doesn’t know any better.   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >We’ve had a one-year-old terrier mix for about a month.  She came already >house-trained and she’s never had a problem while she was left home >alone during the day (for four hours at a stretch usually, and once for >the whole day). >However… when she’s home alone, we keep the basement door shut. When >we’re home, we’d like to leave it open, but we can’t because the dog >has decided it’s fine to poop and/or urinate on the rug.  I cleaned up >the poop, shampooed, and sprinkled carpet deodorant on the spot after >her first two mistakes, so she moved a little bit away for the third. >So just getting rid of the smell isn’t going to help. >When the door is closed and we’re home, the dog is *very* persistent >about being let outside when she needs to go.  When the door is open, >she doesn’t even "ask," and in fact goes at times that aren’t her >usual times.  (And it’s always been when we were in my son’s basement >bedroom next door reading him a story, but that might just be coincidence >because that’s when we let her in the basement.) >Is there any hope that we can ever teach the dog that the basement is >part of the house, or should we just resign ourselves to leaving the >door closed forever?  (She starts obedience school tonight, BTW.) >– Nancy

Response:

: : |> However… when she’s home alone, we keep the basement door shut.  When : |> we’re home, we’d like to leave it open, but we can’t because the dog : |> has decided it’s fine to poop and/or urinate on the rug.  I cleaned up : |> the poop, shampooed, and sprinkled carpet deodorant on the spot after : |> her first two mistakes, so she moved a little bit away for the third. : |> So just getting rid of the smell isn’t going to help. : : [text cut] Nature’s Miracle. : It can be purchased through any pet catalog or through a pet supply : store.  Now onto the basement flooring… if your flooring is cement, : that smell is probably now absorbed into the cement, so that even : if it is eradicated out of the carpet your dog could still be smelling : it through the porous cement.  I honestly don’t know what to do about : this, but you could try the Nature’s Miracle on the basement flooring. : : /andrea & Max & Rico : : — : Andrea Dec                          (Clever stuff under consideration) : Hewlett-Packard Company             I try not to have too many opinions, : Solutions Mfg. & Distribution       but those I do have are not supported :   Operation (East  )                by HP. I’ve also heard that white vinegar removes odors but haven’t tried it yet.

Response:

I have found that large quantities of Lysol Spray make my dogs totally avoid an area for quite some time.  It also helps the musty basement smell.  I spray the area and about 3 or 4 feet around it until the carpet is just damp.  The lysol makes them sneeze and they hate the smell.  I have used this to make them stop chewing as well.  I spray the area around the furniture and they won’t go near it.   Another suggestion is to use a flight kennel while you are away from home.  I keep a nice cedar bed in the bottom or our two and the dogs know that when the people leave, they go to their kennels until we return and release them. good luck >|> However… when she’s home alone, we keep the basement door shut.  When >|> we’re home, we’d like to leave it open, but we can’t because the dog >|> has decided it’s fine to poop and/or urinate on the rug.  I cleaned up >|> the poop, shampooed, and sprinkled carpet deodorant on the spot after >|> her first two mistakes, so she moved a little bit away for the third. >|> So just getting rid of the smell isn’t going to help.

Traci — Why do housework, after the first 5 years it doesn’t get any worse!  American Greetings card.

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