[AugiesMomn]

Okay, I'm not sure if this is a health problem or what, or if I should worry or not. I'll need to make vet appts pretty soon anyway, but I am just looking for input.

October 2011: I got two 6 m.o. dachshund/bassett hound mix puppies from the shelter. I housetrained them and all seemed well for a month or so. They started going to the backdoor to tell me they needed to poop/pee. They did this a lot but I figured they're puppies and it's normal. Soon, they even started to sleep through the night in their crates.

Augie, the larger one (they're littermates) can go a good long time without needing a pee. He always sleeps through the night, and only asks to be let out every few hours. They usually bark to be let out, but sometimes they just sit by the door and wait.

Odin still wants to pee all the time. He's smaller and I wonder if it could just be a smaller bladder/smaller dog? A few days ago he peed near the door, probably my fault for not paying attention.

Then today Augie was on the couch and Odie was just barking at him to play for a few minutes. Suddenly. Odie peed right on the carpet, without going to the door or giving any sign.

I don't know if it could be a health problem, because he's always peed often. I've read that both dachshunds and bassets are hard to potty train, and I also wonder if that could be part of it, too? Or the fact that Odie is much more active, so that could make him need to go more.

Anyway, I will discuss it with the vet soon, but I wonder if I'm worrying for no reason or not. I should have a 6mo checkup in April, they haven't been there since they got their stitches out (neutering) in early November because there weren't any real problems and they were up to date on shots by then.

I don't think something like diabetes is likely, he's small and skinny and not even a year old. There's never been blood in it or anything like that. Maybe he just drinks a lot. The only health problems they've had is worms, they had whipworm when I got them, and then I noticed tapeworms, but that was in oct/nov and they've been treated for that back then. As for peeing in the house, I guess it could just be some regression?

Thanks for reading my long rambling post.

 

[RaeganW]

Get them checked for a urinary tract infection. Usually takes a lab test and a course of antibiotics to clear up. It's a pain, but relatively minor in the scheme of things.

 

[AugiesMomn]

thanks. you're probably right.

at first, i thought it might not be because my last dog would pee a lot and have blood at the end of it, and it seemed like odie's is clear and only as frequent as usual, which is frequent. but i just came back from the store and took him out to pee, and 20 min later, he peed again. and i think other times we were outside, he's peed a few times before coming in. so i guess i will just call the vet and try to get an appt earlier.

but then when i thought about the frequency coupled with the accidents, it does seem pretty likely now.

 

[doxiemommy]

I second a vet check. BUT, that said, when dogs are active they do have to pee more often, and you said Odin was more active, right?

Also, the first thing I thought of with your description of Odin barking at Augie to play was how a toddler gets "too busy playing" to stop and go to the bathroom, and they end up having accidents.

YES, I have dachshunds and YES they were more difficult to potty train.

 

[AugiesMomn]

Thanks. I was able to make an appointment for both of them this week. Now my other concern is Augie is too fat, while Odin is just right, because Augie is so lazy. I know there are things to do about this, but it's just unfamiliar to me, taking care of 2 dogs that are very different.

No accidents since I wrote the original post, and now he isn't going as much. It might be nothing, but since they needed a checkup anyway, and I need to stock up on flea stuff, etc., better safe than sorry. I know when I had a UTI myself, it was no fun at all.

I am thankful I was unaware of certain aspects of dachshunds before adopting 2 dachshund mixes, though, or I may have thought twice. The basset part doesn't help when it comes to stubbornness, either. ^_^ I love them, though, so it'll all work out in the end. The first month, I really thought I was going to lose my mind with the potty training, digging up my garden (it still looks like the surface of the moon), and chewing everything in sight.

 

[doxiemommy]

Yes, I remember the digging, as well! We got them a sandbox (actually a child's sandbox in the shape of a turtle, with a cover ). If they have a designated digging area, they might not dig up the garden as much! It takes a bit of time to get them to understand, and some supervision. When ours started to dig, we'd interrupt them, and redirect them to the sandbox, and praise them for playing in it. Now, they rarely dig elsewhere, unless they sense a critter underground!

 

[AugiesMomn]

Thanks. I read that before, and I do have a sandbox for them now. Apparently, it's still kind of fun to dig up the garden (I have a problem with wild rabbits doing the same thing...), but it's definitely improved since october (most of the time between then and now, it's been too cold to play outside much). It's so funny to watch them dig. They get really into it. ^_^