Confinement at 2yrs old, new house

[sultana]

Today I am feeling really sad, I have just moved to a new house, and today I had to confine Geronimo in the bathroom because he is not handling it well.

I have read about confining and know it's probably better for him, but needed some re-inforcement and tips

Originally I had gotten partitions cut out of plywood for the doorways, so he would be confined to the kitchen and living room which are tile and laminate (easier to clean). Well, he's managed to knock down or move the partitions for 3 days in a row, and proceeded to pee and poop all over the house

-How long should I keep him confined to the bathroom? before I try increasing the space?
-How many hours is too many for him to be alone in a small space?

If you have experience with this can you share with me?

Thanks,
Stressed out doggie mama
Vivienne

[dagibbie]

Instead of blocking off the areas have you tried using an X-pen? It is a metal pen that is open on top and they have room to move around. Also, if he has a crate, put the crate in the x-pen along with food and water. We are gone about 10 hours a day for most of the week and General Lee stays in the pen in the kitchen. After fixing 2 holes in the wall and several floor boards he now stays in while we are gone. He does not wet or poop in the pen and as soon as we get home, he is taken outside to go.

With another fur baby I had when we moved from the only home she had known, I took her off and on to the new place before we actually moved in to get use to the smell. Right now lots of patience and love is in order. He is stressed, but also pushing who is in charge.

I think the pen is a good size for him and he will adjust.

Good luck

[sultana]

No I haven't tried the x-pen. Maybe this is in order. He is puppy pad trained at the moment....

Thank you for the input

[Ladymom]

I feel your pain. My almost thirteen year old Lady seemed to forget her potty training when we moved a few months ago. She just refused to use her pads.

I used a Seabreeze xpen. She was confined in the same room with me and was only allowed the roam after she went potty.

Is Geronimo pad trained or outdoor trained?

If Geronimo is pad trained, make sure you walk him to the pads so he knows where they are now. He may also not like where you put his pads. Lady has always had her pads by the backdoor in my other house, but did not like that spot here. She selected a new spot here and I moved the pads accordingly!

Be patient. It took a couple of weeks for Lady to get back on track.

[sultana]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

I feel your pain. My almost thirteen year old Lady seemed to forget her potty training when we moved a few months ago. She just refused to use her pads.

I used a Seabreeze xpen. She was confined in the same room with me and was only allowed the roam after she went potty.

Is Geronimo pad trained or outdoor trained?

If Geronimo is pad trained, make sure you walk him to the pads so he knows where they are now. He may also not like where you put his pads. Lady has always had her pads by the backdoor in my other house, but did not like that spot here. She selected a new spot here and I moved the pads accordingly!

Be patient. It took a couple of weeks for Lady to get back on track.

He is puppy pad trained, and what you say is true. Maybe he doesn't like the spot I chose. I am going to the pet store after work to look into the pen, I like that idea better than keeping him in the bathroom all day. (6 hrs today).

I am trying to be patient, but I am still in the process of moving and I need him to settle down and be a good boy

[Nancy1999]

Make sure you use a good enzyme cleaner, such as Natures Miracle, on those accidents, or he will continue to go back to the same spots. If the house isn't new, another dog could have left his scent behind and your dog will want to mark on those spots, so cleaning the whole carpet with an enzyme cleaner can be helpful. Even if you can't see or smell anything your dog can. A black light also will show up spots that are invisible to the human eye. Very enlightening.

Many people say, if you are to confine them in the bathroom, use a small gate instead of closing the door to make them feel less confined. We sometimes used a cardboard partition, but it has to have something sturdy in front of it and behind it to keep it from falling. Plywood could be dangerous, if it isn't stabilized solidly with something to keep it from tipping.

[Thorsmomma]

In Ceasar's training book, he says that it's super important to give your dog a really long walk (minimum 1 hour) around the neighborhood that you are moving into before he enters the house. Since dogs are migrating animals, this walk sort of symbolizes migration and gets the dog familiar with it's new surroundings.
Ceasar has really great advice on moving to a new place with your dog, I bet you could pick up a copy at your local library.
I don't have any advice on confining, but I thought I share the long walk thing with you.
Hope things start to settle down at the new house. Be sure you are giving him tons of excercise!

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Thorsmomma

In Ceasar's training book, he says that it's super important to give your dog a really long walk (minimum 1 hour) around the neighborhood that you are moving into before he enters the house. Since dogs are migrating animals, this walk sort of symbolizes migration and gets the dog familiar with it's new surroundings.
Ceasar has really great advice on moving to a new place with your dog, I bet you could pick up a copy at your local library.
I don't have any advice on confining, but I thought I share the long walk thing with you.
Hope things start to settle down at the new house. Be sure you are giving him tons of excercise!

I think this is a great idea, one hour might be too long for a Yorkie, especially if they're not use to such walk, but walking will also get rid of some of the anxiety and energy besides helping familiarize him with the new surroundings. Now, where do you find the time, any helpers? Sometimes neighbors offer to help, or maybe you can find a responsible teenager.

[dagibbie]

When the weather does not permit long walks we have found that General Lee gets a very good work out chasing the laser beam. He will run up and down the stairs, and around the furniture, in and out of the kitchen. He will run and bark for a long as we have the laser and even after we put it away he looks for it for another 5 minutes or so.

I have been away from General Lee for 10 days due to a family illness. My husband has been taking him on 2 miles walks every couple of days and it seems to help him also.