Howard, for the most part, had a good holiday weekend. Until yesterday evening. We were having tv time, he was being a good boy, playing with his toys, wrassling with Booger, just doing dog things. Then, right in front of us, he squatted down and peed on the living room carpet. And it wasn't just a little pee, it was a freaking fire hose pee.
Mrs. Augie and I were both imbedded in the recliner and couldn't get up quickly enough to stop him. By his reaction to the scolding it was obvious that he had done that before and been treated horribly for it. I wasn't harsh with him when I grabbed his collar, but the yelling had already started - he knew that he was in trouble and absolutely panicked. At this point I'm adding "thrown around by the collar" to the list of abuses he suffered at the hands of his previous "caretakers".
We've started teaching him to ring the jingle bells on the doorknob when he wants to go outside, and he's done it a few times already, but it takes a bit of time for doggos to get the hang of that, so I'm not holding it against him. Mrs. Augie, on the other hand, is less than pleased.
On the bright side, it's also obvious that he was crate trained before he made his way to us. He's quite content to be there, and last night he spent the night indoors. He went the entire night without making any noise. I let him out first thing this morning, then brought him in and fed him. Half an hour later he barked at me a couple times so I took him out again so he could do his business - proof that he knows to ask out. He just needs to figure out that he has to do the same when he's not in the crate.
We WILL get through this. With any good luck Howard and I will still be allowed to sleep indoors by the end of it. lol