My dog is almost 5 months old now, but will still squat down to pee or pooh in the house. My fiance and I went out and bount a large area rug so the dog doesn't make a mess on the white carpet. She has got out of the crate a couple weeks ago while we were at work. She peed in the carpet and pooped upstairs (where she isn't allowed to go). When we have been home, she hasn't had an accident in a while, but she has squatted down a couple times, but was caught early enough.

We keep a 6' line tied to the foot of the couch and if the dog is in the house, but out of the crate she is hooked to this line. It keep her off the white carpet until we can be sure she isn't going to make a mess in the house.

A better option would be baby gates, but our house is open concept and baby gates won't work.

1. Is it bad that we have the dog tied in the house?
2. If so, what else can we do?

I have taken her off the lead a couple times and she didn't make a mess, but she started to do laps in the house. She was going crazy (after a 45 minute walk) like a mad man. She would not come when call, sit, down, NOTHING. It was like she was possessed.

It got me discouraged, and she went back on the line. I can't have the dog tearing around the house.

She is generally a very obiedent dog for 5 months old, but when she gets in these laps she is in her own little world.

I know this is a loaded question/scenario, but I don't know what to do and I want to get this dog off the line in the house, but I don't know how I can do it without harming the dog, or getting my house damaged.

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.....She has got out of the crate a couple weeks ago while we were at work. ......

That's the operative phrase. I'd (1) get a better crate right away, and (2) consider an increase in her occasions for exercise -- before and after work.

I'd take her straight from the crate to the outdoors when I got home.

IT does sound like she needs more excercise

Rather than a boring 45 minute walk, can you take her out and let her run around the yard and chase balls? Even my grown dogs get a minimum of two good play sessions a day!

Are you doing obedience with her - motivational puppy stuff to stimulate her mind and mental work really wears out a puppy!

Does she have good chewies to entertain herself in the crate?

The puppy crazies are a fact of life. Something they have to get out of their system Can you live with this happening for a few months? They do grow out of it. Though, I know when my grown dogs get antsy start trying to play with each other it is time to go outside and throw some balls. And that means out in the pouring rain, etc.

How about tying her to YOU when she is out of her crate and letting her follow you around the house? A good way to bond and keep an eye on her.

You need to get the old odors out of the rug or they will always be an invite to "go" - they make products that do that and plain old white vinegar is also good.

I just bet there are a lot of good articles on raising a puppy in the articles section <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I completely agree she needs more exercise. Puppies do not rear themselves, and she is not going to mature into a trained dog without a lot of effort on your part. She should be fully housebroken at that age, maybe with occasional accidents.

Excuse me if I have misinterpreted your post, but it sounds like you are more concerned about your rug and home furnishings then about the dog. I am not suggesting that you let her trash the place, but if she needs to be tethered, tether her to you, not the couch.

I'm not more concerned about the carpet than I am about the dog.

I asked this question because I thought what I was doing may be bad for the dog, and if it was I needed an alternative.

I will admit that she doesn't get as much exercise as she may need, but in Ed's video it says not to play 2 ball with puppies and limit jumping, etc to help their hips.

It's hard to burn out a dog without having her run around outside chasing balls, etc.

Did I interpret this words incorrectly in the video?

When can I start taking her for runs and more intense exercise?

Hi Kevin

First of all, I am a big fan of tethering young dogs. I have tethers all over our house so the pup or young dog can go from room to room with me and be supervised. I do also tether my dogs to ME, if I am moving from room to room a lot (ie. doing laundry or chores around the house)

It does sound like your pup needs more exercise. I would also engage your puppy's brain WHILE exercising her. This is the quickest way to tiring her out.

We caution people against forced exercise, like jogging on leash or 5 mile walks. I would think a long walk in conjunction with some games that make her use her mind would be the ticket.

use marker training and teach her some simple things like, sit, down, back up, touch your hand with her nose, etc... then you can incorporate these things with her exercise and the benefit will be a more tired pup and a better relationship between the 2 of you. Teach her to use her nose to find her toys and play Hide & Seek with them. Teach her to track. Use your imagination.

While a tired puppy is a good puppy, I have found that a mentally stimulated dog is a much happier and well behaved companion. I should know, I have Malinois as house dogs!

(great last name by the way <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Kevin,
Your pup is still a bit young for any real hard exercises and the like.

1) Teather your pup to you while in the house or have a drag line on her so that you can keep her with you as you go from room to room. That way you ALWAYS have your eyes on her so that she can not get herself into trouble.
2) Yes Ed says not to play two ball with a dog that will be a working dog, you can surely play two ball as long as your pup will be a pet and not a working dog. The main thing is that when your pup gets worn out and lays down do not force her to do any more, she will let you know when she is worn out and that is the main thing to keep in mind here. Let your pup let you know when she is finished with the game.
Yes you want to limit jumping and the like but allowing your pup to play will not harm her as long as you respect when she stops playing.
You can allow your pup to run adn play so do not think that is a bad thing at all, she needs it to develop her muscles and bones, just do not over work her is the main thing.
If you are speaking about running with you and the like, well I would not run a dog hard myself until she was closer to 24 months or two years of age, she will be developing all along the way and you do not want to hurt her bones and hips. So after 2 years you can look at really harder type of thing like long run, jogs and the like.
A good steady walk for 20 to 25 minutes or so would not hurt I think, some other know more than I do so I am sure that they will correct me if I am wrong.
Do not get folks wrong here, we are all kind of protective of our dogs and some times when we read a post that seems like a person may be more concerned about the house than the dog we kind of jump on that.
Hope that helps.
Jay

Why is it not good to play ball with a dog who will be a working dog?

Julie

Julie,
You can play ball but not two ball, two ball will allow the dog to become chewy and you do not want a chewy bite in a dog that will be working. So playing ball and playing two ball are two different things.
Jay