Need Help

[doxiechallenged]

Hi,
I am at a total loss as to what to do...
I have a very dear friend who I have moved into my home because she dying of cancer in the lungs and brain. She has been told she has 2-4 months to live.
She comes with 3 doxies. 2 males age 6 and 8 and a female who is 16.
These dogs have been part of my life since they were born, I even helped my friend pick them out- well the two males anyway, the female was found wandering down a road.
The dogs have come to my home for many years and spent many nights with me when the owner had to go somewhere.
I am fond of the dogs, Do I love them like I love my golden ? No, I could in time though I believe... Maybe, maybe if they didn't lift their leg on everything I own.

I clean up pee at the very minimum 15 times a day, I have to wash the new dog beds I bought for them several times a day as they keep lifting their legs on them.
I have gone through almost two gallons of icky poo and hundreds of rolls of paper towels since they arrived in Dec..

I have taken up all my carpets. I have the little buggers fenced in the family room where they have access to the outside through a dog door and a sliding door I leave open almost all day.
I don't work and I have been pretty successful at training my golden and many friends dogs. I am really really good at house breaking dogs.

These dogs lifted their legs at my friends home and she didn't ever do anything about it - she just let it go on for the most part. Or she would take them into a room with her and make them stay in box. They had not one bit of freedom in the house. She'd leave them on a back porch with access to the outside. They peed all over that porch.
I bought doggie diapers ( which my sick friend has always thought was a cruel thing to do) and the diapers kinda work, they can get out of them unless I tie the top of the straps together. The diapers get left on too long many times and they get kinda burned I think from the pee. One of the doxies is so horrified when I put on his diaper, he won't move or eat and so unhappy. I have tired everything to get him to relax in the diaper, lots of praise and treats and jovial talking, no luck the dog is freaked out.I have only had the diapers for about 4 days, I got them on line form Happy Jack diapers.
The owner feels the diapers are cruel and so is a crate.
These dogs have been with their owner who is older 24/7, they never leave her side. So they are scared little thing most of the time.
When I leave they howl and carry on like they are being murdered. I have never in my life heard such noise and my neighbors are already complaining.
Should I attempt to crate train them ?
What do I do here?
I have a 1 1/2 year old golden who is very freaked out with these monkeys.
He is acting up and won't recall and is taking things out of the house and chewing them up, so sad because this dog was trained so nicely...
I appreciate any advice you have.
I 'd like to provide a good life for them, even though at this time I feel this current situation isn't sustainable.
Thanks you for listening.
dc

[goldendox]

dc, do you work or are you at home during day? also, what do you mean when you say your friend kept them in a box?

if home, try crate training, using these instructions - http://www.thedachshundnetwork.com/cratebenefits.htm - if they've never been before, introduce using the pup method so that they come to like it.

is the female a problem, too? until they've been crate-trained successfully, you might consider belly bands on the boys, which are similar to diapers, while the dogs are out of the crate, although I wouldn't let them out unless you can watch them every second, keeping them confined with you so that you can catch them and scold, getting them out quickly.

apple cider vinegar and water will get the urine scent out.

i feel for you. you're a good woman to be doing this. let us know how you make out.

[MM2Longdogs]

Are these boy's neutered? Could be marking territory.

[doxiechallenged]

Hi and thank you for your timely responses.
Yes that is right I don't work and I am in the same room with the doxies almost all day. They lift their legs right in front of me and i don't even see them do it. They are so low to the ground I guess is why.
These dogs are neutered and this was donw as soona sthe cotton balls appeared- around 5 months..
The female is old she is 16 and she is not a problem, I just have to remember to carry her outside several times a day.
Its just the boys and this is DEFINITELY TERRITORIAL MARKING.

The owner had a big card board open box, sides were maybe 7 inches high, and she'd move this box next to her computer or next to her tv chair or next to her dinner table so the dogs would have to stay in the box so she could watch that they didn't mark in the house.

I think I will crate train them and I am very familiar with how to do this. I am pretty good with training dogs, I have worked with Dr. Ian Dunbar personally so I know a little about how to communicate with dogs. This problem though I have no idea how to resolve.
I have the belly bands, I got them from Happy Jack best Diapers.
these only stay on if I tie the top of straps together. But these belly bands aren't without side effects, they get left on too long, your not always able to take them off when they go outside and consequently the wet pad is on too long and this can be uncomfortable and harmful to the dogs tender belly and penis skin..
Even the most diligent and well intentioned owner will have this problem...

So I guess I should try the crate training... I 'll keep you posted.
Thanks for your tips.
dc

[MM2Longdogs]

I would then go with Jeannies suggestion and crate train if they have not already been crate trained....If they have go back to basics. As long as you are with them all day it should be fairly easy. House break just as you would a new puppy and do not let them have free roaming unless you have just had them outside.

[Lynne]

Maybe too just have one out at a time so you can keep an eagle eye on him.

[Lynne]

Also if you can take them out one or two at a time so you can really praise them when they go.

[doxiechallenged]

oh yes I do lots od praising when then go out and I go out with them every time, just like I did when I was house breaking my golden.
You know I just did this and then all the dogs and I came back in and both males went over to the end of the couch and lifted their cute little doxie legs!! small amount of pee because they just went outside - I acted quickly and said "no, outside!" and ran after one of them and they ran from me all around the room- all I wanted to do was put them back outside.....
Nice Eh??? so discouraging!
we are now on the couch cuddling ~

[goldendox]

maybe a spray bottle hidden then used along with "outside!" when you see one . head out toward the door, saying "let's go!" firmly but not too loudly. they'll get it. hang in there.

[goldendox]

goldens are much easier to housetrain. it's not that they're smarter - just more easygoing and less stubborn. :-) my goldens were both cratetrained in weeks and housebroken in a few months. all of my puppy doxies took much, much longer. i think those guys will do great with you. diligence and a consistent monitoring, feeding, water schedule will also help the boys. when not able to watch them, you might want to consider putting them in an x-pen. i do that for my two young boy doxies, which works out well. i have a crate in there that they both use to rest. it works for us. my one year old is not 100% housebroken yet, but he's getting there. like i said, he's stubborn.