GudrunTheRed
Well-known member
I'm in a bit of a pickle and I want some opinions. I have babysat Chester's nephew Becket a few times now and he is 10 months old and still not housebroken. I am convinced the main reason he is not housebroken is because his Mom lets him have free roam of the house during the day AND he is not crated at night. I have told her that she should confine him to the kitchen during the day (it's a nice, sunny room with a nice view) but she says that would be cruel to confine him since he's used to having the whole house to himself. She just doesn't get that he's a puppy and that he needs confinement and structure. When he was really little she borrowed my X-pen and he stayed in that during the day for the first 2 months she had him, but after that he had free roam of the house. When she gave the X-pen back I suggested she keep using it until he was at least 6 months old but she assured me he didn't need it. sigh...
I watched him for 5 days last week and on the worst day he had 3 poop and 1 pee accident in one day and I am fed up. He is a sweet little pup but I have tried to give him a crash-course in crate training to try and straighten him out, but I have not had any effect.
I have talked to Lou REPEATEDLY about the crate training issue but she always has excuses like "my husband doesn't want a crate cluttering up the bedroom," or "I feel guilty crating him when he's been used to sleeping in the bed with us." Keep in mind, this is the same pup that jumped up on the bed and peed on his Mom when she was sitting on the bed talking on the phone. Lou also says he has at least 2 poop accidents a week during the day. I don't understand how they can allow that. Granted, they have wood floors, but they are instilling horrible habits in this sweet little pup.
He is a sweet, sweet pup and when he's here with me he seems very comfortable in a crate (he borrows Chester's when he's here) and he will nap in it during the day with the door wide open. My big problem is how to convince Lou and her husband that crate training is not really an option and that it will be for the best for everyone concerned. At this point I have decided that I will not babysit him again until he is totally housebroken and crate trained but I have not told Lou this in so many words. I don't want to piss her off, but I want to make her understand that she is doing her dog a disservice by not crate training him.
Any ideas on how to deal with her? I'm afraid she will ask me to babysit him again and as much as I love the pup I simply won't do it. Lou is a really sweet friend but it is my opinion that she is doing Becket a disservice by giving him too much freedom AND no one will want to babysit him if he is not housebroken. Plus, if she has to board him I'm afriad he'll freak out because he's not used to sleeping in a crate on a regular basis. Should I talk to her about it now or just wait until she asks again to bring it up?
I watched him for 5 days last week and on the worst day he had 3 poop and 1 pee accident in one day and I am fed up. He is a sweet little pup but I have tried to give him a crash-course in crate training to try and straighten him out, but I have not had any effect.
I have talked to Lou REPEATEDLY about the crate training issue but she always has excuses like "my husband doesn't want a crate cluttering up the bedroom," or "I feel guilty crating him when he's been used to sleeping in the bed with us." Keep in mind, this is the same pup that jumped up on the bed and peed on his Mom when she was sitting on the bed talking on the phone. Lou also says he has at least 2 poop accidents a week during the day. I don't understand how they can allow that. Granted, they have wood floors, but they are instilling horrible habits in this sweet little pup.
He is a sweet, sweet pup and when he's here with me he seems very comfortable in a crate (he borrows Chester's when he's here) and he will nap in it during the day with the door wide open. My big problem is how to convince Lou and her husband that crate training is not really an option and that it will be for the best for everyone concerned. At this point I have decided that I will not babysit him again until he is totally housebroken and crate trained but I have not told Lou this in so many words. I don't want to piss her off, but I want to make her understand that she is doing her dog a disservice by not crate training him.
Any ideas on how to deal with her? I'm afraid she will ask me to babysit him again and as much as I love the pup I simply won't do it. Lou is a really sweet friend but it is my opinion that she is doing Becket a disservice by giving him too much freedom AND no one will want to babysit him if he is not housebroken. Plus, if she has to board him I'm afriad he'll freak out because he's not used to sleeping in a crate on a regular basis. Should I talk to her about it now or just wait until she asks again to bring it up?