Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca

Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca (http://www.pets.ca/forum/index.php)
-   Dog training - dog behavior (http://www.pets.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=3)
-   -   Potty training is a game to him (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=76213)

mrsvixen April 2nd, 2011 02:34 PM

Potty training is a game to him
 
Dexter is now six months old and was going outside to the bathroom about 80% of the time. We also have a chihuahua but she uses paper, but Dex will not use them.

Then about six weeks ago, we adopted a 18 year old boy, who came with his Shepard/X Cross Kush who is around a year old and fully trained.

Kush & Dexter had been best buddies for a few weeks before Kush moved in, both being puppies and love to play together.

But now it seems as it's all a game to Dexter. We used to praise him and give him doggie treats every time he went outside, but he loves the outside so much, he'd go out, play and come back and expect a treat.

Now that it's warmer we leave the back door open and Dexter will go outside and play, come in and pee or poop on the floor, sometimes right in front of us!!! We yell NO! and put him out side, praise him when he goes but he's being a problem child.

It's really hard to pen Dexter up in a small area like we did before as him and Kush roam and play thru out the house and Kush is 56lbs to Dex's 9.

Any ideas?

millitntanimist April 2nd, 2011 09:22 PM

It might be that (being a puppy) Dexter is so excited to play that he forgets to do his business when he's outside, and then can't hold it when he comes back in.
I would suggest regimented bathroom times (after meals, sleeps and plays is usually a good measure) where you take him out alone to do his business so that he cannot be distracted by the other pup.

[I]"We used to praise him and give him doggie treats every time he went outside, but he loves the outside so much, he'd go out, play and come back and expect a treat."[/I]

I'm sorry if I'm misinterpreting (curse you internets!) but it sounds like you may be rewarding too late to capture the right behavior. If your dog goes outside, does his business, and gets a treat for coming back in he will associate coming in the house with the reward - not going to the bathroom outside. In order for him to understand that you want him to eliminate outside you have to be right beside him to reward within seconds of him finishing.

Just take the house training back a few steps and you should be fine :thumbs up.

Stinkycat April 4th, 2011 01:01 PM

This is the tricky part with housetraining, you would rewarding him when he came in from outside, not actually going to the bathroom outside.

Try going out with him and giving him a treat the instant he finishes going to the bathroom and praise like crazy

Brandon W April 4th, 2011 07:09 PM

[QUOTE=Stinkycat;1000398]This is the tricky part with housetraining, you would rewarding him when he came in from outside, not actually going to the bathroom outside.

Try going out with him and giving him a treat the instant he finishes going to the bathroom and praise like crazy[/QUOTE]

This is a great idea. It seems as soon as you gave him more room he started going in the house. Maybe keep on him with the areas he is in,give him more boundarys and rules. One of my dogs is the same,he kinda figured it out now that we know he is just going out to possibly get a treat. So we eventually stopped giving him one all the time and watching when he went.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:09 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.