Puzzled

[Teresa]

We were gone over the weekend and Schatzi stayed home. Murphy's mom came and took her to their house for a few hours each day and checked on her a couple of times. Since we were coming home on Sunday, I didn't want her to be stuck somewhere until Tuesday. She did great and LOVED going to Murphy's house (Murphy wasn't too sure about her invading his space-he likes invading Schatzi's space much more!).
Here is the puzzle. Schatzi has a doggie door that she uses 90% of the time. If she is just too sleepy or if it is raining, she will go in the kitchen instead. We have come to the conclusion that it is nothing but her being lazy or not wanting to get her feet wet. Since we were going to be gone, I debated over whether to put down puppy pads in the area she goes, but Randy was afraid she would decide that she could then always go in that area. Since we have laminate floors and they are quite durable, we decided to take our chances. Well, it seems Miss Schatzi was the perfect Doxie. She did not pee or poop one time in the house. I even asked Lou Ann just to make sure she had not cleaned up. She had not and said she had checked around, too. I was thrilled, but thought it interesting that she went two and a half days without any accidents. Here is what I don't get. As soon as we are back, she decides during the night last night, to go back to peeing in the kitchen during the night. Now, I have no idea what her reason is. The only thought I have is that we had her closed out of all the rooms but the den and kitchen so if she were sleeping soundly, she didn't have as far to go when she woke up. Last night, she was in our room again. Any ideas. Is she just playing us?

[papbouv]

Sometimes you just never know with dogs you can never 2nd guess them.

[hannah]

Bless that girl, hope she won't develop that idea of doing her business there. Make sure it is totally cleaned up..

[Roberta]

Our pair have a doggy door, but we pull it in at night, as we now live in the bush and don't want univited guests equivalent of raccons etc, where am I going with this..............similar to Teresa. I'm home, two said dachies ear flap to say hi, want out..............if I'm indeep sleep WUFF, and bee line the back door. This occurs at approx 12.30-1.00AM, but if I'm away over night or we both are away they sleep all night.    Like Teresa is it a power trip. On the nights they are half an hour later I nearly wake them up as I lie waiting for them to get up.
Roberta

[Teresa]

Roberta, you just reminded me of something. When we first moved in this house and Molly-angel refused to use the doggy door, she would wake Randy up every night at 2 a.m. so he could open the door and let her out. On the nights that he was at the Fire Department and not home, she would sleep all night without a problem and wait until I got up in the morning to let her out. Maybe it is a power thing. Now to figure out what to do about it...

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

Where does she sleep at night? If this were my problem, I would keep her in a crate at night so she can't go in the house. At her age, unless she has a problem, she can easily "hold it" all night. Often, getting you up to let them out is a habit they have formed, not that they really have to go that badly. I sleep with Hallie so if this was her doing this I would crate her until the new habit of sleeping through the night has been formed then slowly transfer her back to the bed or wherever she normally sleeps. I agree with Randy I don't like using puppy pads it's too easy for them to confuse what is OK and what isn't in the house, I don't allow any pottying inside. Good luck they are smart little toots! 

[Teresa]

She sleeps with us and has the doggy door, so we don't have to get up to let her out. I think she is actually going in the house while I am in the shower in the mornings. She slowly makes her way out of bed, sees that I'm not getting food at the moment, decides to take a potty break (but doesn't want to wake up enough to go outside) and the crawls back into her bed in the corner of the den until I'm out of the shower. The biggest part of the puzzle is why only when we are home and not while we were out of town. I'm going to see if I can catch her tomorrow! I'm off work, but will still be up early. Think I'll start the shower and see where the little turkey takes off to.

[Doxherding Karen]

:thinik: Makes sense to me:

1)  You are home.  Kitchen is marked to establish it as Schatzi's territory. "It's MY Kitchen!"

2)  You leave.  No need to mark.  :thumb: "Aw right!  Now it's really mine!" 

3)  You come back.  "What?  I thought they left!!!  Well, it's MY kitchen - again!"

[Barb]

Interesting...... she may think she is pulling one over on ya....so following her may do the trick - you will probably scare the pee pee right out of her    You just never know what is going on in those little minds    Keep us posted !

[Teresa]

I love Karen's thinking. Makes the most sense to me right now!