Hi I'm new to this forum and have joined this evening in desperation! We have a 17 month old King charles spanial who we have had since she was 10 weeks old. I can not get her toilet trained, when we first got her we tried crate training and this did not work...(in reflection the crate was to big) we tried puppy pads but she would always we next to them, for a while when the weather was warmer she started going outside but now shes in her second winter I am more desperate than ever. I'm begging someone to give me some advice as to how to get her to go outside, I can not continue to clean up the mess, the carpets are constantly soaking wet and shes even started weeing on our bed....I'm at the end of my tether and am having daily arguments with my husband as he wants her to go. to make matters worse we got a cat 5 months ago to keep the dog company on the rare occasions I went out as shes a very human depend dog and they are so lovely together but nowthe past couple of weeks shes started to pee on the carpet as well despite me changing her litter tray every day!!! Please help because at the moment I don't know what else to do, I've had to replace 2 carpets in the 17months we have had her and I can't continue like this, I'm a childminder and have kids around all day long! Any positive advice welcomed xx

Hi, you really do sound as if you are at th end of your tether!

You said you tried crate training her when she ws little and the crate was too big... have you tried it since with a crate the right size?
You will need to go back to basics and train her as if she was a puppy.. it will be much easier taking her out too often rather than her having an accident!

This page is really good for toilet training: House Training your Puppy

and if you are crate training and she does not pee putside, put her back in.
take her out on a lead so she doesn't get the chance to play or she will have fun and forget to pee!

good luck and some more members will be on shortly with more advice i assume lol

x

I would go back to square one, out the garden at regular intervals praising when she does something, get a smaller crate and use it at night, and don't let her on your bed if she's piddling

I have a similar problem with one of my Cavaliers, she will still mess if she's not let out when she demands and she is nearly 6

the smell will stay in the carpets most of the sprays dont seem to work. but you can get doggy ones.

You could try locking her with a stairgate into an easy to clean floor room. Get a dog flap for easy access. if you catch her doing it make a loud noise to make her jump and put her straight outside. The puppy pads if she wees next to it turn it UPSIDE DOWN on the wee patch to soak it up then leave it over th spot she peed. she shoul then GO on it as it lready has her pee smell on it. slowly move it outside. stand outside with ehr LOADS of praise when she gos and stay outside while your praising. If you catch her in the house loud noise shout no and put her outside in the same spot every time. it will be hard work but hopefully you will get there. or find a dog trainer close by to you to help.
good luck

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Thanks ladies.....tomorrow I;m going to spend most of my time in the garden trying my best the trouble is I can't stand out there to long as I have young children inside who I can't obviously leave unattended! I'm not sure I could use a crate now as shes very much ets treated like a child not a dog and would feel to cruel cageing her....see sleeps on my daughters bed at night but has never wee'ed on her bed just ours once I hve changed the sheets! Are all king charles very clingy??? I'm home most of the time, only really go out to do the school runs and even though I'm not gone for long she scratches and whines at the front door till I get back, which is why we got her the cat to keep her company!!

As others have said, back to toilet training from basics.

First - get the carpet cleaned. You can hire a carpet cleaner and get pet odour solution to go in it. (Be careful with the solutions as some are poisonious IIRC - it's been a couple of years since I had mine done and I have to confess my mother sorted it for me) and use biological powder to wash your bedding. If you have duvets, these will need cleaning too (though it might be cheaper to buy new)

This will remove any scent that may be encouraging her to pee to reinforce her scent indoors.

Next - basic puppy training. Not easy with small children around but not impossible.

Take her outside (and any child that can't be put in a play pen in sight of the window unless your oldest is mature enough to watch the youngstes) everytime she wakes up, finishes play, finishes eating and at hourly intervals. With a good routine you can manage the children and toilet time.

Watch for signs - sniffing and circling are classic signs. She does this - take her out.

Praise lavishly and reward with a treat or a game when she pees outside, maybe even introduce a command word (I stupidly use 'pee-pee' - 'get busy' or 'business' is much less embarrassing)

If you catch her in the act, calmly a quietly put her outside - go out with her and praise if she finishes outside.

Any accidents you don't catch, clean up with biological wahing powder or a pet accident spray. Do not punish her - she won't understand.

Consistency is the key. Praise the good behaviour, ignore the bad.

A word on crates - they aren't cruel unless used cruelly. My dogs love their crates. It is a space that is all their own and they go there when they want some quiet time. But you need to use them right - always a positive experience. Crates are very good if you have young children - teach the children that they never go in the crate and the dog always has an escape.

That said, I'm not sure a crate would solve your problem. I understand the theory with keeping puppies dry at night - puppies will instinctively keep their bed area clean as they are vulnerable to predators in the wild. But your girl isn't a baby puppy anymore. That said, no-one likes to lie in their own effluence.

It is going to take time and some effort - especially if she has been punished for peeing indoors (she may not pee infront of you if she has learned she might get shouted at) but you can get there

Getting a cat clean.....a whole other post and whole other psychology!!

And separation anxiety....out of my experience. Perhaps a separate thread might attract advice from the more experienced.

Can I just ask is it a King Charles you have or a Cavalier King Charles...if a King Charles I have no experience, if a Cavalier then YES they are clingy and love nothing more than human contact !!

I really do think you need to stop treating her as "child" and remember she is a dog...sorry not meant as a dig, but I have seen this so many times with Cavaliers and given and inch they will take a mile...you really do need to re-consider a crate, at least until she learns whats acceptabale and whats not.

I've checked the site and it really gives good advice.

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Thank you so much for the advice. this morning I have shut the doors to the two rooms she normally wee's in although I wasn't quick enough to catch the first accident of the day! I have moved all the bedding, cat litter tray and feeding bowls into the kitchen which is quite big and is hard floor. When I do the school run I will shut all doors and stairgates so they cn only go in the kitchen. I'm about to take her for a walk so with a bit of luck I might cathc her next toilet on the walk./...I have put a treat in my bag ready!! As with the cat I think she is just lazy...I have gone out and brought a more expensive catlitter today £6 (ouch) to see if this helps but where she has pee'd more than once in the same place it's the smell attracting her so have shut of the rooms she normally does it in! Am going to put her outside more, our back garden is quite safe. Fingers crossed I get some progress today! And yes she is a cavalier.....does this mean she will never grow out of the clingyness ?

Hi welcome to the forum. It souds like everyone has given you some great advice. I would also set an alarm every half hour ish to remind you to take her out. Just use this to get into a routine then extend it and finally cut it out once you are succesful. Good luck.

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