Hi all,
I have a one year old Border Terrier bitch. She is currently about a week in to her first season. I have had her since she was 6 weeks old, apperently the mother rejected the pups so they were hand reared.
Well my problem is trying to house train her, it is an absolute nightmare and i am starting to think that she may be incontinent!!! ( i have an app with vet on 27th)
i have tried all the basic training, the 20 min rule and so on and was consistant for the first 8 months which i believe is well long enough for her to have learned. It has also worked for my other 2 dogs. If the back door is open she will go out side and toilet, if the door is shut then she will 'go' anywhere!! it doesnt matter whos watching or whos about she will still go. She will wee and poo in doors she has no preference. Her stools are always soft and vile smelling unlike the other dogs which makes me think of some kind of medical cause. I now let her free feed like the others and she is no longer in a crate at night as it just didnt matter anyway and nothing has changed sinced i have let the rules slip. When she was in the crate at night she would wee and poo in it and lay in it. Which makes me think behaviour problem. The crate was definatly not to big. She isnt clean during the day or night. She will also eat her poo if i am not quick enough. My 12 other animals are all trained even my rabbit, so this isnt something she has picked up off of another and is copying. She is a VERY lively dog and is constantly on the go. I just dont know what to do next. Im fed up of constantly cleaning up poo and wee. Its a nightmare.
Id appreciate your comments on this and any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone else had to go through this and what was the outcome?? Thanks in advance.
xx

__________________

RIP Ben & Jerry

you must be at your wits end!Can i ask what you are feeding her as if you could improve the consistancy of her poos she will be able to hold on for longer.Maybe take a poo sample to the vets so they can rule out infection/worms etc.

The fact that your pup was rejected by its mother is important here. The mother's milk transmits vital antibodies, and gut bacteria essential for proper digestion. You should get some dog probiotics (Protexin is one good brand), and feed some live goats milk yogurt in the meantime. You can get dog probiotics online, or from your vet (who should see the pup anyway, it could also need antibiotics or steroids). Also, don't free feed. It will help house training if the pup is on a routine as it will need to poo so many hours after eating. If you free feed you can't establish this. Because the pup's digestion seems not to be working properly, feed a hypoallergenic diet, free of common irritants to the gut such as wheat and soya. If the food just says 'cereals', don't use it - the manufacturers will just have got whatever cereals were cheapest at the time! Rice is usually well tolerated. It may be that once the gut has settled down, you can feed a 'normal' diet, or you might have to stick to a hypoallergenic food in the long term.

im feeding them Wagg Complete - Dog Food. It says that its all natural ingredients, Here is the ingredient list;

Wheat, Meat Meal, Wheatfeed, Maize, Chicken Meat Meal (min 4% in chicken Kibble), Carrot & Rice (min 20% in Carrot/Rice Disc), Oils & Fats, Linseed, BeetPulp, Peas (min 4% in Pea Kibble), Lucerne, Vitamins & Minerals, Added Citrus, Yeast and Yucca, Contains EC permitted antioxidants & preservatives.

She does't have worms as i use drontal plus on all my animals every 3 months.
I will take a sample to the vets with me.
Thanks

__________________

RIP Ben & Jerry

I was looking at Proxetin online the other day but wasnt sure if this is the type of thing i needed.
Do you know what the best Hypoallergenic food is?
Thanks

__________________

RIP Ben & Jerry

Wagg isn't great. It might be worth trying a better food.

Are you overfeeding? That can cause loose stools.

A vet check is long overdue, I think.

Oh and don't let the vet try to flog you Hill's Science Plan food - it's pretty crap.

Remember, vets aren't nutritionists but they DO get commission for flogging Hill's

Looking at the list the main ingredients are 'fillers' which will just mean more to come out the other end.I would try a food that had a meat source as primary ingredient on list.Please don't think i'm critizising you,i'm not at all,just feel for you.
We have 10 dogs at present fed on arden grange and burns depending on age and dietary needs.I'm not trying to push a certain food but saying that the better quality-less,firmer stools.
Saying that i would also keep your app. at vets,maybe bringing it forward if you can,for your own sanity!GOOD LUCK.