Dog in the rain....
December 18, 2007 2:53 PM Subscribe
Our little dog refuses to walk outside when it is raining. This is problematic when it's potty time.
We have a chihuahua/dachshund mix. She is 3 years old, and we adopted her about two weeks ago. She is very sweet, well-behaved, housebroken and generally obedient.
She usually enjoys her multiple daily walks. However, when it is raining or very wet, she refuses to walk outside. She obviously dislikes being wet & cold. When I carry her outside, she'll turtle up and refuse to take a step. If I carry her a block away from the house, she might cautiously sniff around, but shows little/no desire to eliminate. This is problematic when walking time is limited and she's about to be left home for several hours.
We have a little jacket for her but it doesn't seem to help much. Any advice on getting her to function while being outside in the rain would be appreciated!
We have a chihuahua/dachshund mix. She is 3 years old, and we adopted her about two weeks ago. She is very sweet, well-behaved, housebroken and generally obedient.
She usually enjoys her multiple daily walks. However, when it is raining or very wet, she refuses to walk outside. She obviously dislikes being wet & cold. When I carry her outside, she'll turtle up and refuse to take a step. If I carry her a block away from the house, she might cautiously sniff around, but shows little/no desire to eliminate. This is problematic when walking time is limited and she's about to be left home for several hours.
We have a little jacket for her but it doesn't seem to help much. Any advice on getting her to function while being outside in the rain would be appreciated!
I bring a wee wee pad and set the Chiahuahua down on a wee wee pad. Since she knows wee wee pad is for her business, she gets the job done a little quicker. I carry her in and out in those times, because she really does HATE to get her paws wet.
posted by bunnycup at 3:13 PM on December 18, 2007
posted by bunnycup at 3:13 PM on December 18, 2007
Best answer: Both my dogs hate going out in the rain or cold to potty. I am able to just use a sterner voice and say "Go potty" a few times and they get the clue that they aren't going to be able to come back inside until they go potty.
posted by CwgrlUp at 3:18 PM on December 18, 2007
posted by CwgrlUp at 3:18 PM on December 18, 2007
Dachshunds are very cat like in that they don't like getting wet. We had dachsunds when I was growing up and I've had dachshunds (or mixes) as an adult. None of them liked being wet. A golf umbrella that will keep both of you dry is your best bet.
posted by COD at 3:47 PM on December 18, 2007
posted by COD at 3:47 PM on December 18, 2007
Best answer: I have a toy rat terrier who sounds exactly like your dog. He has zero interest in going o-u-t when it's raining. I found that if I put him down next to the house or a tree, where there's a bit of shelter, he'll do his business pretty quickly and we can retreat to the cover of the nice, dry house.
posted by cdmwebs at 3:53 PM on December 18, 2007
posted by cdmwebs at 3:53 PM on December 18, 2007
We have two Westies who both hate to go out in the rain. I've found that one of them will sometimes dash outside the back door and then back in. The other other will stick his nose out but usually refuse to go.
On days like this, well, they do go inside. Over several years, I've just adjusted myself to that and adjusted them to (almost always) going on a place that is acceptable. Specifically, when they need to go to the bathroom, they really do go to the bathroom.
Our little boy goes to the commode and lifts his left against it. Our little girl goes in the middle of the tile floor. In either case, it's easy to clean up, and it amuses me to see that they really do go in the most appropriate place. I tell myself that if they could use the commode, they would, but since they can't, they get as close as they can .
Also, the cat's litter box is close by, also in the bathroom. One or both of the dogs clearly uses the box once in awhile.
Bottom line: If your little dog truly won't go outside in inclement weather, find or make an appropriate place inside and train her that it's o.k. to go there. Whether it's a tile floor somewhere or potty pads somewhere else, she needs a place to go. And after all, you probably don't want to have to take her out in the rain and clean her up (if it's muddy) and dry her off every time she needs to potty. It's actually easier to clean an appropriate inside place than it is to clean and dry your dog.
posted by Robert Angelo at 5:05 PM on December 18, 2007
On days like this, well, they do go inside. Over several years, I've just adjusted myself to that and adjusted them to (almost always) going on a place that is acceptable. Specifically, when they need to go to the bathroom, they really do go to the bathroom.
Our little boy goes to the commode and lifts his left against it. Our little girl goes in the middle of the tile floor. In either case, it's easy to clean up, and it amuses me to see that they really do go in the most appropriate place. I tell myself that if they could use the commode, they would, but since they can't, they get as close as they can .
Also, the cat's litter box is close by, also in the bathroom. One or both of the dogs clearly uses the box once in awhile.
Bottom line: If your little dog truly won't go outside in inclement weather, find or make an appropriate place inside and train her that it's o.k. to go there. Whether it's a tile floor somewhere or potty pads somewhere else, she needs a place to go. And after all, you probably don't want to have to take her out in the rain and clean her up (if it's muddy) and dry her off every time she needs to potty. It's actually easier to clean an appropriate inside place than it is to clean and dry your dog.
posted by Robert Angelo at 5:05 PM on December 18, 2007
Best answer: My boxer did this when she was a pup - she wouldn't go outside in the rain, and would eliminate inside instead. I'm not sure if this will work for you, but I waited for a warm spring rain (probably not the best time of year for that) and played her favorite games with her in the rain until she was tuckered out. Sure, we were both pretty muddy and wet when we finally went inside, but she's never minded the rain again.
Maybe this isn't the best method for your particular dog, but perhaps creating a pleasant experience in the rain might change the way she feels about being wet.
posted by rinosaur at 5:23 PM on December 18, 2007
Maybe this isn't the best method for your particular dog, but perhaps creating a pleasant experience in the rain might change the way she feels about being wet.
posted by rinosaur at 5:23 PM on December 18, 2007
any chance you can teach her to use the bathtub? it's a good emergency spot anyway, i guess.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 5:27 PM on December 18, 2007
posted by pseudostrabismus at 5:27 PM on December 18, 2007
Seconding CwgrlUp. I had a chihuahua who would not go outside on his own- just gave that look of, "WTF, mate? Do you think I'm going out there when there's a warm carpet to mark??" Even so, I'd kindly carry the little guy outside with a leash, set him down, and would not go inside until he made his mark. It sucked the first few times, but after a while, he got the picture and hurries up to get back inside to the warm, dry carpet.
posted by jmd82 at 5:53 PM on December 18, 2007
posted by jmd82 at 5:53 PM on December 18, 2007
Seconding brujita. I had a friend with a pug who had respiratory problems and couldn't go outside in the winter. The litter box worked great for them.
posted by radioamy at 10:42 AM on December 19, 2007
posted by radioamy at 10:42 AM on December 19, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
Try and set up an elimination command as well. Mine is "Hurry up", you don't want to say "Go" since that precedes so many other commands.
posted by stormygrey at 3:11 PM on December 18, 2007