Issues with your significant other and furbabies?

[Deenie]

My husband hasn't been all that positive lately about the pets. I'm getting sick of hearing about it. We've been together for over 12 years, married for 10 and our children are 4 and 5. We've had dogs/cats since the children came and I found a home for our bunny, he's doing great. I love animals and want my boys to have that same upbringing. My husband was raised with animals in the house. His mom has two 'babies' and he sees how attached she is and they are getting up in years. I have Guinness and Zoe and they still have accidents in the house. Guinness is doing really well and uses the weewee pad frequently if he isn't taken out in time. Zoe will go next to it, she will go in the other room, she will SOMETIMES use it.
They go outside, stay out for awhile, play, run, romp, sniff around and after being out for up to 20 mins, she will come in and pee or poop on the carpet.

It's getting SO old, so I know there's an issue here

I got a pee smell to spray, I am thinking of doing that around the yard and on the peepee pad but it stinks horribly.

I don't want to cause anymore frustration in our home, because these guys are our family but this is really causing some friction. Anyone else in the same situation?

[erickajm]

My husband makes comments here and there too...I will admit, they have ruined some carpets...that we JUST put down (oops). Usually he only make the comments when he is pissed at me I say, whatever! He knows that it will get my goat so last time I just looked at him and said, "You know what? Your right, lets get rid of them." He just looked at me....I was kidding of course but I don't think he has said anything negative in awhile...or maybe I have just ignored it.

[Erin]

How old are they? It sounds like you just need to work on their house training. A lot of people think that because they are Yorkies they can't be trained but I have two that are trained. It was frustrating for BOTH of us when they would have accidents, but it would just remind us that we had to watch them more closely. You have to learn their patterns and watch them when they go out (or go with them) to make sure they potty and don't just play in the leaves.

Personally I would take away the potty pads because they are too confusing. You are just telling them it's OK to go in the house. Then crate them when you aren't home. If you are away for more than a few hours can you build them some sort of dog run/doggie door? That's what we are planning to do in our new house.

Good luck! It's possible!

[Jilliebeanz96]

OMG I feel for you (both)!! I have the same problems and my husband every once in awhile has his moments... but he would give me up before Alfie...

Anyways... we dont own our home (we live in an apartment) and take Alfie out... but even 2 hours+ out and he will hold it until he gets inside and go on our carpets,floors, anything... he does use his peepads (6 out of 10 times) but those other 4 always seem to be right under our feet and unavoidable.

New carpets, ruined, New floors over-washed, etc.

We have a crate but he cries and he has gone in there are well while being in there... knowing that we will take him out most likely.

..........good luck, I think we (my husband and I) just need to focus more... be sure to let me know if you get it down.

[Erin]

Oh I forgot to mention - The Bissell Quicksteamer was our best friend during house training. It was about $50 at Target and we used it for Loki and for Sammy (so a total of like 1.5 years worth of house training) and it still works great! This has saved us so many times especially when they get sick on the carpet. It gets out the worst spots no problem at all as long as you catch them right away. But it's so lightweight and easy to use - it's smaller than our vacuum!

[Marilize]

I am in the same situation as you. Except my problem is that the man in my life is my dad! I moved back home - moving back for 6 months or until I go to France - and my dad does not like dogs in the house! They have two staffies and my sister's lab is here too, but Cash is the real thorn in my dad's side.
Cash sometimes has accidents in the house, but they are limited to when I forget to take him out. The accidents are my fault, but I constantly get questions like why isn't he potty trained and why can't he be a good dog like the staffies - serious prejudice, but never mind.
I try my best, but sometimes he has an accident and then, when dad gets mad, I get it. Luckily he isn't allergic to him, otherwise I would be living outside!!
I think some people are predisposed to complain about things that they can't do anything about or things that they think they can't do anything about. I suggest that you actively work on the problem - especially when he is there to see it (I believe that this is the only time that a man believes something = when he witnesses it). And don't worry let the complaining get to you. It will only make you frustrated and unhappy.

Using this approach, I have managed to get my whole family to like Cash - they play more with him than the other dogs although they haven't given up their allegiance to staffies and my dad even sometimes plays with him a bit.
It is all about making the guy think he is in control and that you ARE listening to him! Sorry for the long post Good luck!

[celstu1]

Im not married so I have noone to get mad at me or my boys for their lack of potty manners, but my boys are 3 years old and they still have accidents in the house. Its frustrating to say the least. I let them out at 3am this morning, they went out and came in 5 mins later and didnt make it 5 steps into the living room before one squatted to poop on the floor. I was sooo mad, I threw his little butt back outside (not literally) but he just stood there shaking in fear because he knew he did wrong (you'd think I abused him with the way he acts, I never lay a mean hand on him). Yet he still does it and I cannot figure out why. When I got up this morning he had finished his business sometime during the night on the bedroom floor. I just don't get it.

[yorkie_mama22]

My hubby is the same way, sometimes he complains and gets mad about the accidents on the carpet. We haven't been having that many lately though the past week she has been doing really good, we moved the pee pads into the kitchen and she has been using them without a problem. I haven't had to clean a carpet accident in a week and I am so happy! I don't really have any advice just that maybe next time they have an accident put the pee pad in it so the pad smells like it and see how that works. That is what I did to get her to use the peepads. Oh and LOTS of attention after they go, we all go " yay Stormy, your such a good girl, what a big girl, you went pee on the pads yay! " and give her a treat lol It's nice when you have three people cheering you on for peeing

[Lexi Rae]

i live alone so no one would dare say a word to me, but on weekends i go to
my boyfriends new house and he probably thinks lexi is sooooo good. nope.
shes peed and pooped in the house, not on the pad.. ooopss , i woulndt dare tell him.. thank god im the one that finds it.. and if he sees this,, im dead!!

[MeAndMyOlivia]

My dh doesn't object to having Olivia and actually went with me to see her the first time and was in favor of bringing her home with us...however it annoys him to no end that she will not come out of her crate for him! She pees outside, and the occasional poo accident she has I just make sure I find it before he does! He does object to a second yorkie though...

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Originally Posted by Lexi Rae

i live alone so no one would dare say a word to me, but on weekends i go to
my boyfriends new house and he probably thinks lexi is sooooo good. nope.
shes peed and pooped in the house, not on the pad.. ooopss , i woulndt dare tell him.. thank god im the one that finds it.. and if he sees this,, im dead!!

LOL you sound like me - I am the poo detective at my house, gotta find it before dh does! I figure what he doesn't know won't hurt him....

[Potter]

Just to make sure to find the pee/poo before hubby does . I too have bought a Bissell Steam Cleaner. It is so useful to have around the house. I usually use it to clean his yellow bile that he used to throw up once in a while in the morning when he was younger.

[duckie215]

Walker and i live in an apartment with dh. He is still not a potty pro, but he's doing better. Big plus for us, there is no carpet in this place. All linoleum and tile. And my husband, while occasionally mocking the dog for his minuscule size and already planning the purchase of a big pooch when we return to the states, LOVES my little guy. He is awesome about "puddles," and Walker has yet to poop in the house (amen amen and again I say amen) Then again he's not home all that often. Good luck with the husband, they can be difficult

[MeAndMyOlivia]

Originally Posted by Potter

Just to make sure to find the pee/poo before hubby does . I too have bought a Bissell Steam Cleaner. It is so useful to have around the house. I usually use it to clean his yellow bile that he used to throw up once in a while in the morning when he was younger.

Another member of the Poo Patrol?!
I need to look into the Bissell Steam Cleaner, sounds just like what I need...

[CupofDog]

It simply comes down to the fact that men are the lesser sex. I am sorta kidding here, but why aren't women as annoyed with accidents?

Because we have that 'maternal' instinct thing that happens. Now, I know this is a generalization and those of you that know me know that my husband of 5 years left me in August, so I am little down on men anyway right now, but I do think that we woman are just better at dealing with pee, poo and vomit...

Now, I get annoyed, but never enough that it would be an issue in my relationships. For my ex, it was a huge issue (or an excuse to avoid the much larger issue that he didn't want to talk about.)

Potty training is super important. Its just part of establishing boundaries. That said, accidents happen and I believe it takes years of consistency to have a TOTALLY potty trained pet. If you are consistent and firm the dogs will get it and you and your husband need to work together. I cannot say that enough.

Decide on a method, whether its crating, pee pads or whatever and you both have to stick too it. I have found that giving treats outside right after they go, every single time, really encourages the process along...