[PyrNet-L] BEHAVIOR,CARE,CHAT: housebreaking advice need HELP!!

["J Benson" <jonbob@earthlink.net>]

 I have the 2 rescue pups that were fighting, Bear & Wolf.  
I am having a really hard time housebreaking Bear.  He is fine during the
day as long as he is in the main part of the house.  It is the basement he
has a problem with during nights or if we go out even though he gets walked
for a potty break before the family leaves or bedtime.   Wolf takes
complete advantage of ever potty break.  He is an oportunistic
pee-er/pooper.  Wolf gets the concept and Bear seems oblivious to it.  We
have had the dogs a  month and a half now.  
First off I need to tell you that although I agree that crate training is 
most efficient and best my husband does not.  We have a large size crate
but neither dog would fit in it at 5 1/2 months -- they are now 7 months
and the only size I feel it is worth buying them is the giant sized crate
which runs $200 , which we do not have the money for now.  I don't work and
since my husband is anti- crate ( I've explained and others have explained
the benefits and concept of crate training and his mind is not going to
change anytime soon) I do not feel free to spend that much money on
something he opposes anyway.  ( We are having major car trouble this month-
our good car has a cracked head so this is not a time where we could afford
a $200 crate regardless).
After a couple of weeks ( at most ) I resorted to tethering the dogs in the
basement at nightime because they felt way too comfortable relieveing
themselves in the basement at night-time.  This was something I was loath
to do but since I could not get a large enough crate it seemed the only way
to stop them when I could not watch .  This has been effective for Wolf and
Bear seemed to be doing well for the most part up until the last 2 weeks (
or maybe it just seems that way because Wolf is doing so well).   Let me
tell you about Bear.  1)  I KNOW he has the ability to control himself
because the final straw before breaking down and tethering was that I used
to hang around with the dogs in the basement after they had their last
potty break ( btw 11 and midnight)  and wait for them to settle down .  I
saw Bear start to squat one night and grabbed him before he had a chance to
do anything and bundled up ( still hanging onto his collar ) leashed him
and went outside.  This happenned to be around 1 am this particular night. 
It was snowing.  I knew the dog had to go so I was determined not to let
him in until he pooped. I lead him to all the usual spots and nothing .  I
was out with him for one full hour ( my husband periodically opening the
window and telling me to forget it and come in beccause Wolf was barking
inside seeing Bear and me out without him.)  No poop after an hour and I
was really mad so I slept on the sofa in the basement with that dog right
next to me leashed the rest of the night because I felt like I would be
damned if I let him crap in the basement after I spent all that time in the
snow in the middle of the night waiting for him to finish something I knew 
he had to do.  Bear did not poop until the next morning when I took them
both out.  Therefore I KNOW he has the ability to control himself.
2)  The dog is just not getting the concept of letting me know he has to go
out.  He will poop in his bed and THEN bark like mad because he does not
want to sleep in it.   I used to give them a bit more line and he would
poop a bit away from his bed and then bark for me to come clean it up.  He
would shut up barking after it was cleaned.   Now if they bark in the
middle of the night I will check on them and bring them out .  
What ( other than buying a crate) can I do to help this dog understand ??? 
 I use that get the smell out stuff when I clean up after them.  They do
not get walked on concrete blankets or rugs so I do not feel it is
confusion for them in this way.  I would like them to eventually be able to
be loose in the basement and later on the first floor ( separated one in
basement one on main floor to avoid potential fights) when sleeping and we
are not home .  I despise tethering but I am only doing it until they
understand the  housebreaking bit.  He is on about 3 feet of tether cable
now and I feel extremely reluctant to shorten it any more than that 
because it seems cruel but if it is only for a short time so that he
understands is that okay?   Bears movements ( bowel) are normal and the
dope even prances on them when he sees me come downstairs.  I am so
disgusted with him doing this.  He doesn't do this every night but every
other night probably.  They are only down there from say 11-5 am at most. 
I let them determine when I get them up.  Please Help!!!  michelle benson 
jonbob@earthlink.net