Spoke to the woman at Q. Kennels about the ectopic ureter thing. She said that post-surgery, it wasn’t usually 2-3 months before the problem corrected itself, but more like 5-8 months. And it meant, among other things, that you have to monitor them VERY closely — they have to be given water and let out 15 minutes later. Puppies who pee have to be washed every day, and their bedding has to be washed every day, and their pee has to be cleaned up with a voice of disappointment. Their movement within the house has to be extremely limited; a kitchen or bathroom is best. Then the dog learns that the peeing-in-the-house thing is unacceptable, and begins strengthening the muscles necessary to hold the bladder in check. Otherwise, it works for them to pee everywhere.
In essence, the dog has to be re-trained to house-breaking, and part of the way that must be done is through careful application of time, effort, energy and focus. And it needs to be constant; you simply cannot get too absorbed in your own stuff, or too focused on anything else, except caring for puppy.
OK. Given my schedule…. how do I do this, again?
Also, ‘s cat, G, is staying with me for a few days until we ship him off to Maine. We hope he’ll do better there than in ‘s house.
