Does your dog stand around outside instead of doing 'his or her business?' (lab, clean)

[GypsySoul22]

This is frustrating for me. I want to walk the dog before my breakfast (or before starting some activity) and when I take her out, we walk around but she will 1) look around and chase the neighbor's cats (lunge more like it, she's on a leash), 2) just sniff and sniff...

This is not a puppy but a 1.5 year old dog.

I usually give her 10-15 minutes then get frustrated and bring her in. This can go on 2 times more (maybe after an hour or 2) till she finally goes...

This dog gets lots of walks all day. But the first one of the day is usually short, because like I said, I want my breakfast, or to drink my coffee in peace.

My husband says she probably just doesn't need to go. Of course he's the pack leader and one word from him in a harsh voice and she's diving under the desk in panic. I don't want a relationship like that with my dog.

Any advice? Wait a few hours THEN take her out instead of 'straight away' when I get up?

Also, does anyone notice a correlation between your dog shedding and 'misbehavior?'

[Shagbark Hickory]

I let my dogs out in the yard to pee first thing in the morning before they eat. I know that I have to pee so I assume they do too.
Then I let them eat then I let them out again to poop and hang out in the back yard for a little while. I think the eating creates the urge to do this after they eat.
Then we go on a walk later in the morning.

We walk for exercise not for potty. I actaully suggest training your dogs to go to the bathroom in your yard as a condition for going on a walk. If you train the "go potty" command and they aren't going then they don't need to go.

[Connecticut Pam]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

This is frustrating for me. I want to walk the dog before my breakfast (or before starting some activity) and when I take her out, we walk around but she will 1) look around and chase the neighbor's cats (lunge more like it, she's on a leash), 2) just sniff and sniff...This is not a puppy but a 1.5 year old dog.
I usually give her 10-15 minutes then get frustrated and bring her in. This can go on 2 times more (maybe after an hour or 2) till she finally goes...
This dog gets lots of walks all day. But the first one of the day is usually short, because like I said, I want my breakfast, or to drink my coffee in peace.My husband says she probably just doesn't need to go. Of course he's the pack leader and one word from him in a harsh voice and she's diving under the desk in panic. I don't want a relationship like that with my dog.Any advice? Wait a few hours THEN take her out instead of 'straight away' when I get up?Also, does anyone notice a correlation between your dog shedding and 'misbehavior?'

Ok.....dogs should be taken out as soon as you awaken. If your bladder is full, then so is the dogs!! If you are lucky enough to have a fenced in yard for the dog, then you get to simply open the door and let him out and he can do his busines on his own time. If you have to leash walk and you are half asleep then YES you are bound to be impatient with the dog as they sniff and snuff and chase and pull you all over the place.

Dogs have to have the EXACT right spot to poop in. They sniff until they find that perfect spot. Our dog goes out and heads for the same spot all the time. We call it the "POOP-A-TORIUM". We have a large fenced in yard so she gets to wander minus her leash. She does sniff and snuff but ends up in the Poop-A-Torium every time.

My advice to you on the pooping is to try to be more patient. The dog can sense in your touch and your voice that you are impatient with him and tired of waiting for him to choose his spot.

I don't believe there is any connection to shedding and misbehavior. Dogs normally shed a couple of times a year. Our Pit Bull doesn't seem to shed all that badly but we did have a lab Pit mix and the shedding was awful. Normally when dog is upset or behaving badly you deal with them chewing stuff up or destroying stuff. I left my Pit in the car to run in and pick up a prescription and when I came out, she had trashed a roll of papertowel I had in the backseat..it was everwhere. They get stressed.

Good luck with this pooping schedule and just be a little more patient with the dog. They sense a lot more than you think.

[Racelady88]

Shadow is the worst picky dog I have ever had. On a road trip she once held it for 4 days because she could not find the right spot.

I get up in the morning & open the back door for her first thing. Most mornings she stays in the bed & waits for me to take a shower & get dressed before she even bothers to get up. We take a short walk and if she does not go then she does not go.

Dogs (and cats) will shed more under stress, so if your dog has been feeling like she is in trouble then yes, you may notice an increase in shedding.

[old_cold]

Ours always had a dog door so they went when they wanted.
While traveling that wasn't working out so I did an ordinary 'training' thing of using an associated phrase with praise when they did go.
It didn't take long at all for them to "go pee" pretty much on command.
Now that our old guy can't use a door anymore, I do the same when I think it's time for him to go.
If he simply doesn't have to he turns his head away and just won't get up

[yukiko11]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

This is frustrating for me. I want to walk the dog before my breakfast (or before starting some activity) and when I take her out, we walk around but she will 1) look around and chase the neighbor's cats (lunge more like it, she's on a leash), 2) just sniff and sniff...

This is not a puppy but a 1.5 year old dog.

I usually give her 10-15 minutes then get frustrated and bring her in. This can go on 2 times more (maybe after an hour or 2) till she finally goes...

This dog gets lots of walks all day. But the first one of the day is usually short, because like I said, I want my breakfast, or to drink my coffee in peace.

My husband says she probably just doesn't need to go. Of course he's the pack leader and one word from him in a harsh voice and she's diving under the desk in panic. I don't want a relationship like that with my dog.

Any advice? Wait a few hours THEN take her out instead of 'straight away' when I get up?

Also, does anyone notice a correlation between your dog shedding and 'misbehavior?'

\
Make your coffee, pour it in a cup, and take it with your on your dog walk. Give him at least a half hour to enjoy your company. If this doesn't work, he may be more likely to enjoy the company of your husband. This is not your or his fault, it is just the preference of the dog. Animals are individuals and have their own choices about what attrracts them. Don't take it personally.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

This is frustrating for me. I want to walk the dog before my breakfast (or before starting some activity) and when I take her out, we walk around but she will 1) look around and chase the neighbor's cats (lunge more like it, she's on a leash), 2) just sniff and sniff...

This is not a puppy but a 1.5 year old dog.

I usually give her 10-15 minutes then get frustrated and bring her in. This can go on 2 times more (maybe after an hour or 2) till she finally goes...

This dog gets lots of walks all day. But the first one of the day is usually short, because like I said, I want my breakfast, or to drink my coffee in peace.

My husband says she probably just doesn't need to go. Of course he's the pack leader and one word from him in a harsh voice and she's diving under the desk in panic. I don't want a relationship like that with my dog.

Any advice? Wait a few hours THEN take her out instead of 'straight away' when I get up?

Also, does anyone notice a correlation between your dog shedding and 'misbehavior?'

Are you talking about pee or poo?

Artie will pee on everything outside, so I've never had a problem with waiting for him to pee (except in the backyard because he doesn't love dirtying "his" yard) but I've had this problem with poo. I could take him out two or three times -- no poo. My husband is of the mind that "he'll go when he wants to go; leave the guy alone!" but I want Artie to poo.

[Viralmd]

First, I don't believe you're going out with her, with her on a leash and you with her. That's the first thing you need to change.

Here's my housetraining post. IT WORKS. Everyone in the house must follow this method TO THE LETTER, including the quality of the treats. One of the basic tenets, however, is that you MUST go out with your dog, who's on a leash.

Housetraining your dog (puppy or adult!)

The first thing you need to do is to remember that you’re trying to reinforce a new behavior. That means that the rewards for this behavior must be WONDERFUL. NOT crap from the store. Wonderful treats are poached chicken breast/turkey breast, cheese and steak. And you don’t have to use big pieces. Tiny pieces (about 3mm cubes) are just fine! I poach a whole turkey breast every few weeks, cut it into hunks when it’s cool enough to handle, wrap them well and store them in the freezer. When I need some, I’ll thaw a hunk overnight and cut off pieces and dice finely, storing them in a plastic bag in the fridge. One hunk will last about five days. Cheese is also popular, so variety is fine.

I carry these plastic bags in my jacket pockets in the winter and in a fanny pack in warmer weather. You HAVE to have these with you, or this method won’t work, because you need to reward as soon as the dog finishes pooping or peeing. It’s not going to work if the rewards are in the house.

Remember that you’re trying to change a very ingrained behavior. Some dogs like to feel certain things under their feet when they eliminate, like fabric, or newspaper. This is called a ‘substrate preference.’ What you’re trying to do is change this substrate preference, and to do that you have to make the treats SO wonderful that the dog will change this very well-entrenched behavior. Thus the chicken, cheese, steak.

I love clicker training, but this can be done without clickers. You just need a way to ‘mark’ the behavior you want to reinforce. Use the word ‘YESSSSS!!!!’ very enthusiastically – that works for some.

You’re going to need to GO OUTSIDE WITH your dog and the dog needs to be on a leash. Yes, even in winter. If you don’t reward IMMEDIATELY after the event (when dog immediately finishes pooping or peeing) and wait inside, the dog is going to be reinforced for coming inside, not for doing its business. So, leash up your dog. STAND IN ONE PLACE. Be boring. Bring a book or magazine for yourself.

Eventually, the dog will do what you’re waiting for. The NANOSECOND that the dog is finished, HAVE A PARTY – lots of loud, high-pitched praise, treats and running around. You want to make this memorable for your dog! You’ll find that once the first event is achieved, the others will come more quickly. Keep on treating (you don’t have to throw a party except for milestones – a milestone = if he only pooped outside but now peed, too, or something equivalent to that) until he’s good and used to peeing/pooping outside. Before you know it, you have a trained dog.

Regarding accidents in the house: NO SCOLDING. Just clean them up. If you scold you’ll get the dog to think it’s bad to pee or poop and he’ll do it in places you won’t see. Until you step in it. Invest in a big bottle of Nature’s Miracle or Simple Solution and use it liberally on accidents.

With young puppies, remember they have little control of the muscle that holds the bladder closed. This is something they grow into. Just as it’s not expected that a human baby is toilet trained at six months, don’t expect much from a puppy. Patience, patience, patience!!!! The nervous system in a puppy has to mature, and it won’t have much control over the sphincter (closing muscle) at the neck of the bladder until six or seven months. The same goes for the anal sphincter. Until control is achieved, both of these muscles operate on reflex: there are stretch receptors in the bladder wall. When the bladder is full, it sends impulses to the spinal cord and these, in turn, send signals to the sphincter to open and the dog pees.

In the stomach wall, there are also stretch receptors. So when the dog eats and the stomach is stretched, the impulses again go to the spinal cord, but this time the reflex, outgoing, nerve signals are sent to the anal sphincter, so the dog defecates. This operates in people, too – which is why some people rush to the ‘reading room’ after a meal – especially breakfast.

[Mearth]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

...
You’re going to need to GO OUTSIDE WITH your dog and the dog needs to be on a leash. Yes, even in winter. If you don’t reward IMMEDIATELY after the event (when dog immediately finishes pooping or peeing) and wait inside, the dog is going to be reinforced for coming inside, not for doing its business. So, leash up your dog. STAND IN ONE PLACE. Be boring. Bring a book or magazine for yourself.

Eventually, the dog will do what you’re waiting for. The NANOSECOND that the dog is finished, HAVE A PARTY – lots of loud, high-pitched praise, treats and running around. You want to make this memorable for your dog! You’ll find that once the first event is achieved, the others will come more quickly. Keep on treating (you don’t have to throw a party except for milestones – a milestone = if he only pooped outside but now peed, too, or something equivalent to that) until he’s good and used to peeing/pooping outside. Before you know it, you have a trained dog.

Yep This worked extremely well for me.

I also named her "business" - #1 is "piddle" and #2 is "poopies." During the praise & treat, I said, "Good piddle!" or "Good poopies!"

Now, when I take her outside and say, "Go poopies!" She DOES - on COMMAND.

[bigcats]

Mine took a long time to housetrain. My guess is that she just used the carpet in her previous home, and 5 years down the road it was a pretty ingrained habit.

But the good news is, she's excellent now She learned in a very similar way to the above posts.

But she DID take forever to go in the beginning. FOREVER! She had a real anxiety about it. Long walks weren't really the ticket - she still wouldn't go. I walked her with a friend's male dog who pees every 5 steps, it seems, hoping she'd mimic him. She didn't. She held it for about 2 days when she first came to me. The next stage was that only one place (a 5 minute drive from my house, beside a particular bush) was the place she would pee or poop - unless it was on my carpet, that was good any ol' time!

Then one day in the magic spot she got pricked by a thistle or something, shrieked, and refused to pee there any more.

What eventually worked was teaching her the command "Go pee!", pointing to the spot, holding her on a very short leash, and refusing to move or even look at her until she went. And then praising her profusely. It went quicker if I picked a place with her particular favorite kind of surface (thick, short grass like a carpet).

After months of that "Go pee!" now means either "Go right now" (if we're outside together) or "Go outside and go pee". I never have a problem with her not going, coming back in, and peeing on the floor as she used to.

Had to come back to add: She loves that command now. She's so cute. The other morning I woke up and she was still zonked out cold next to me. I whispered very quietly "Go pee?" and her eyes sprang open and her ears perked up but she didn't move. I waited until she'd closed her eyes again and said it again. This time she leaped up, licked me, and bounded for the door. "I knew it! It wasn't a dream! You really told me to go pee!"