Chow refuses to use the bathroom_period

Training and behavior topics, guidelines, and tips for Chow Chows.

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AnginWA

Chow refuses to use the bathroom_period

Post by AnginWA »

My family and I are the recent adopters of a goregeous chow/retreiver mix, I know not purebred but she is mostly Chow, body, disposition and the like. We have had her about a week and we have noticed that she will only want to go outside once a day. Yesterday-Today she held her bowels for 36 hours. My husband and I are worried whether it is the move she did or if she may have something wrong. I have tried searching online but can't find anything and I have called Vets and they just blew us off. She doesn't appear to be ill or act like it hurts to go. We try taking her out a lot, figured maybe we were trying too often then only did it everyonce in a while. Needless to say, we do not have enough time in the day to take her out non stop and wonder if she is pulling our chains because she wants to be outside. We need help and advice. Thanks so much.
Angie
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Jeff&Peks
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Chows and spending a penny (bathroom habits)

Post by Jeff&Peks »

From what I have learned from my Chow, Chows are extremely Clean and very picky on where they go to the bathroom I think if they had a choice they would never go to the bathroom anywhere on their property and would rather wait to go somewhere else.

We have a large backyard and our Chow Pekoe will only go in one spot behind one chosen tree, even though we have twenty trees in the backyard and that's only when she is desperate otherwise she will wait until she is walked then go in the exact same spots she uses everyday no matter which way we decide to go.

The same with grass, like most of the other Chows in here Pekoe hates walking on grass, I think the reason for this is they think grass is just one big toilet and will only walk on the grass to do their business then run as fast as they can to get off the grass, I think that is one of the reasons my Chow hates dog parks, again she thinks its one big toilet, she walks in goes to the bathroom then runs for the gate and waits to leave.

When we go camping Pekoe will never go to the bathroom in our camping area she will wait until we are outside of the area where the tent is, she will wait to be walked then claims her spot and that is where she will go the entire time we are there.

To show you what a clean freak a Chow is, my Chow loves cheese and has always taken a piece of cheese from my hand, one day after a walk I was carrying a poop bag when we got home I threw the poop bag in the trash washed my hands then offered Pekoe a piece of cheese, she came up to get the cheese turned her head away from me and ran out the door, my wife and I were trying to figure out why she wouldn't take the cheese from my hand, What happened was even though I had washed my hands before offering her the cheese apparently my hand still smelled like poop from the bag and to this day a year later she will never take a piece of cheese from my hand she turns away and runs, she will take everything except cheese because she relates the cheese to my hands smelling like poop.

Anyway when it comes to bathroom habits Chows are very OCD so I don't think there is anything physically wrong.
Yumiko

Re: Chow refuses to use the bathroom_period

Post by Yumiko »

Dear Chow owner,

Try warm water! not that hot but normal and i am sure your chow wont have any hesitation to take a bath... make it fun ... with my chow it worked for us to also grab her on between our legs and then she stays quiet getting her shower.

Try to show him that water is not bad.
Yumiko

Re: Chow refuses to use the bathroom_period

Post by Yumiko »

a nice bath will help! ... By the way my dog also shows that kind of periods, i've noticed that that happens when she is getting in heat!!
First time i saw her i was really scared, doctors checked her out and found nothing, so we got to the conclusion that what she feels is a kinda cramps of the period and therefore they act like their legs dont work or something like that ... it's really weird but it happens to my dog too...!
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Post by Rogansmommy »

Hello! My Rogan did that once. We left him at a boarding kennel for 36 hours and he refused to have a bm or urinate the entire time! As soon as I picked him up, he immediately went and we haven't had that situation since. Now, if it is raining outside, he will NOT go outside. It doesn't matter how long it is raining. During the hurricanes, he would not go, even in the eyes. When I take him for a walk, he always goes in the exact same spot as well. He has never had an accident in the house either. Chows are very picky about their bathroom habits.
Michele

^Rogan^ at the Bridge on 5/16/09 -- always in my heart
Juniper

Potty habits

Post by Juniper »

My Sheena will go once or twice to do her # 2 and then the next morning she barks at me to make sure that I pick up her feces from the backyard. She demands that I pick it up on a daily basis or she won't go! She will continually bark until I come outside and pick it up - rain or shine or she will hold.

Sheena goes in different places in the backyard most of the time. Sometimes she actually goes in one area and I haven't quite figured out what I do that has her do that. I need to become more observant. After picking up I hose down the area so there is no smell. She doesn't like the smell. Sometimes I wonder if she's part horse since she keeps walking a little bit as she's going to the bathroom! :lol:

To get the idea that I want her to go - I take a paper towel and rub her tooshie with it and massage between her back legs. She usually goes then. She likes that and I think sometimes she doesn't want to go just to get her tooshie rubbed.:oops: :roll:

Sheena doesn't like wet grass and I think Jeff may be correct - the grass is just one big toilet. I notice she always gravitates to cement, dirt or the running track around the park rather than walk on grass.

I also don't think there's anything wrong with your Chow. Just need to find what idiosyncracies it has.

My Sheena refuses to eat food, treats or drink water in public! Slowly I'm training her to drink water in public when she's thirsty - only if I bring her special bowl of course! :lol:

Sooner or later you'll find out what your Chow prefers - I've found Sheena definitely lets me know. Lots of luck and hope this helps. :D
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Jeff&Peks
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Wierd Chows

Post by Jeff&Peks »

Pekoe won't drink out a pubic water bowl either, it has to be her bowl that I carry or she will just go with out water untill we get home.
She also won't take treats from strangers or eat when people are around and I also have to pick up after her or she won't go in her spot until its clean.
There must be something to this Chinese royalty stuff where else would they develop these habits and apparently they all do it so its not a trained behavior its in the genes.
Guest

Primadonna Chows

Post by Guest »

:lol: How right you are Jeff :lol: Sheena would rather go into heat prostration or starvation! Must be that royal gene pool !
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Juniper
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Post by Juniper »

I got over my issue with becoming a member of a group and finally joined. Somehow my prior post came out as Guest. So hopefully this works out.

My Sheena looks just like the Avatar.
Here's to Primadonna Chow-Chows - I love 'em all. :lol:

In case it comes out Guest again - I'm Juniper!
Jennifer & Sheena
AnginWA

THANKS TO ALL THAT HELPED!!

Post by AnginWA »

THANKS SO MUCH! To all that replied, you have been a GREAT big help. Yeah we are definately finding out her little "quirks" we are now trying to figure out Seperation anxiety. :roll: :roll: We are so glad to have Lady with us and she has fit right in. She is QUITE picky about her "spot" now too. One spot and yes, we have to hose it down, only problem it is on an empty lot where a house is about to be built so I amsure we are going to figure something out. I had no idea about the picky factor, but it explains ALOT of things to us.
Thanks,
Lady-girls family in Washington
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Samorrathis
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Post by Samorrathis »

Not sure if this is only used for puppies but we purchased a Snuggle Puppy online, and put it in our Chowling's bed at night time. The snuggle puppy has a heartbeat and a heating pack (even though we don't use the heat) that you put inside a velcro pouch inside the stuffed animal.
I really think that this has helped tons in Nanuk's (our Chowling) separation anxiety. He has gotten to the point to grab it before he goes to bed after my husband forgot it one night :roll: In the morning I make sure to bring it inside so it doesn't get thrashed but already have another one on hand just in case.
Good luck with your new addition, I'm sure things will get easier with time. I know it has for us and we are also recent chow parents as of Mar 6th.
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