Phoebe can't really decide which expression to wear this morning. Should she smile like this ...
Or should she instead wear her pouty face ... like this?
The reason she is undecided is because we heard back from the vet yesterday afternoon and the good news is that Phoebe's urinalysis and bloodwork came back picture perfect. She does not have a UTI, bladder infection, or any other medical issue that would explain the recent episodes of peeing on the floor. That's the good news, and is certainly reason to smile. The bad news is that since there is nothing medical to explain these episodes, it has to be behavioral. IE - Phoebe has an aversion to going outside to pee in the rain, and has decided to pee on the floor in the house instead. And while I must admit that I would not enjoy peeing in the rain either, neither do I find Phoebe's proposed alternative to doing so acceptable.
So until the rain stops, well, raining, Phoebe will be spending the nights in her crate as opposed to in our bed. She did so last night, and as, thank goodness, I have always made a point of building and maintaining positive association with the crate, she went in willingly, bedded down happily, and spent the night there without a whimper of protest or complaint. She did wake up about thirty minutes earlier than my alarm was set to go off at 6:30 am, because she urgently needed to pee, which she did in spite of a light drizzle.
I got a comment and an email or two about using puppy pads when it rains. I know a lot of people use these, and that's fine. For city dwellers with smaller dogs, I can see how these would make life a lot easier for all involved. And if that were my situation, or if Phoebe were a puppy, a senior dog, or were ill, I would happily make use of these pads. As it stands, though, she is none of these things. We have a suburban house with a spacious fenced yard, and she also goes on frequent walks, so as unfortunate as it is, until she can learn to use the toilet, she's going to occasionally have to go outside and pee in the rain. I already scoop three litter boxes on a daily basis. I'm not going to add picking up soiled pee pads to my list of daily chores unless there is a valid reason to do so. Unfortunately for Phoebe, I don't consider her stubbornness a valid reason. Also, even though those pads are treated with a pheremone that is supposed to encourage the puppy/dog to eliminate on them, there is still training involved in getting the dog to actually use them. I just can't justify expending effort and time training Phoebe to do something I don't want her to do.
On the up side, the weather is changing and as of November 1st, our rainy season will be essentially over. So in a few more weeks this should be a moot point anyway. Meanwhile, if it rains during the day, Phoebe will be spending the nights in her crate. Fortunately, she doesn't really mind this all that much.
