I’ve just taken on a 14 month old neutered Phalene male called Roo. He is a rescue dog who was kept in a kennel block until the age of 11 months. He hasn’t been properly socialised with people or other dogs. Luckily he is both sweet natured and trusting so we are making slow progress with his uncertainty over human contact but other dogs remain a mystery to him. We live in an apartment block so I’m also trying to teach him not to bark at the door when people pass by. Some days he is fine and some days he barks at every noise.
Our main problems at the moment are regarding house training. We live on the first floor and he has been crate trained previously. Mostly he is very good and will wait till we let him out, he doesn’t mark in the flat but nearly every night he eliminates on the kitchen floor. We are trying to find a routine where he won’t need to go at 4am but I’m starting to run out of ideas. It does seem like he just needs to go at a ridiculous hour in the night. We let him out at 11.30pm for his last toilet break and his first of the day is a 7.20am. What time do other people feed/toilet their dogs? I’m also gradually changing his diet to a better dry mix with more nutrients (the one he arrived with is terrible).
Any advice on what I should be doing will be gladly accepted. I’m new to dog ownership but have kept various animals. I’m using positive reinforcement training with food as a reinforcer (taken from his normal daily food amount).
Ahh on a final note we don’t crate him at night because he cries to go out at 4am and I like having my dog with me. Plus what if he needs a drink? Is it right to remove access to water? (considering he never pees in the flat).