Question for OED or whoever!

Violet_Skies · Post by **Violet_Skies** » Apr 25, 2005 2:10 pm

What do you do with a pokey dog??? We take Paisley out three times a day to do his business. He just takes his own sweet time and has to sniff every spot on the ground 1,000 times. Then he will finally start to squat, and then change his mind and do some more sniffing to find JUST THE PERFECT SPOT FOR HIS S**T. Sometimes it takes 20 minutes and he never goes. Why is he so dang picky? Is this just more border collie neurosis? Would you think limiting him to like 5-10 minutes would teach him to go faster? It's just a real pain when someone has to leave and the dog won't go first...we don't like to leave him home if he hasn't gone. We try to praise him all up for going, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. Any suggestions more than welcome!

patsue53 · Post by **patsue53** » Apr 25, 2005 2:27 pm

I feel your pain VS. Hugo used to do his business immediately, but I think he figured out that if he holds it he gets to stay outside longer. Now he doesn't poop until we actually go for a walk.....so then I get to carry a plastic bag around with me and carry the stinking mess home again!

caliloo · Post by **caliloo** » Apr 25, 2005 2:56 pm

Hmmm...

Not sure about how to re-train a dog to do this, but....

When I got my last dog she was taught to pee and poop on command. It was sort of a Pavlovian thing. When she was about to pee, we would tell her "Go pee!" and repeat it while she was peeing, then she got a treat when done. Same with pooping.

The other thing we made sure was to try to get the dog to go first, then it can be walkies or play time. That way they never know if it is just a potty break or if it is the precursor to several hours of fun outside, but usually it is the latter.

Alexa

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Apr 25, 2005 10:10 pm

Sniffing helps a dog's um colon get moving. So he is trying to do what u want him to by sniffing,,,,think of it this way can u ummm sh*t on command?

My pek/pug knew the difference between pee and poop and if he didn't have to poop he would just come back into the house.

Debbie

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Apr 25, 2005 10:21 pm

Try shorter trips out. The praise didn't seem to work so try a treat when it goes. My dogs go on command. But being a big, tough SAR/Schutzund dog I don't tell Thunder to go potty. I just give him an "outside" command. Tough dogs don't go potty.

Deb118 · Post by **Deb118** » Apr 25, 2005 10:25 pm

I bet you have NEVER, not even when that big ole tough dog was an itty-bitty puppy, EVER done the little "baby talk" thing with him???

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Apr 25, 2005 10:38 pm

Maybe just a little bit.

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Apr 26, 2005 4:33 pm

OED! I tell mine "Go Potty" and they hit the yard and do their business. Doc ,being the male, does take longer, because ,of course, he has to sniff and check out everyone else before he does his business, then he has to go back and pee on everything, so the girls are done and back at the door before he is!

Ginger

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Apr 26, 2005 5:50 pm

Hmmm... I didn't realize you could make a dog (or cat) go potty when you wanted them to! I figured it was like humans.....whenever the call of nature says it's time to go, you go!

(unless of course you use aids to accomplish that task, but let's not even go there!

)

janet · Post by **janet** » Apr 26, 2005 8:19 pm

The command at my house has always been "hurry up" (probably not the best choice for households with kids

). Having a dog that will go on command is great, especially if you travel a lot with the dog. Who wants to spend forever in the rain at a rest area waiting for "Buddy" to do his thing?

Violet_Skies, in working with other peoples dogs, I have found that "purposefully" walking them, on lead or off (at heel), can move things along faster than just letting them stroll around sniffing the petunias. Dogs are creatures of habit and will go at generally (if not ill, stressed, pregnant, etc) the same time(s) relative to their meal(s). Try making it a more business-like deal, reward him for the right behavior (treat, toy, hugs, whatever), then let him play after he performs. If you toss in a command while he is doing what he's supposed to, you will be teaching him to go on command. You have the smartest dog on earth, he'll pick it up in no time.

Joan, somehow I cannot even begin to imagine a cat being the least bit interested in learning to do anything quite so cooperative. Remember, cats can throw up at will (OED remembers that one, I'm sure

). The world is not ready for them to "evacuate" at will as well!!

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Apr 27, 2005 12:59 am

Cat's throwin up.......YUUUUCK!

The dog show people have a way to get their dog to crap before they go in the ring. It's called matching

. You (honestly) stick a match, unlit of course

, in their rectum

. NOT very far.The mild irritation causes them to want to get rid of it. They only way they know is to try and "dump" it out. Give a potty

or whatever command and the dog will soon connect the word to the action. I've never done it but it doesn't seem to really harm the dog. To make sure it isn't painful to the dog, you may want to try it on yourself first

..........well........maybe not.

patsue53 · Post by **patsue53** » Apr 27, 2005 6:26 am

Hmmmm....OED...reminds me of the solution the mathematician had to his constipation.........he worked it out with a pencil.

Violet_Skies · Post by **Violet_Skies** » Apr 27, 2005 1:48 pm

OMG, OED! LOL @ "matching"--gross! I don't think I will take it to that extreme. Paisley is 6 now and he has always gone on command, he knows perfectly well what 'go potty' and 'go poopoo' means. But as he's gotten older he has gotten slower and slower and brattier too. If we tell him something he knows perfectly well how to do, he will often shake his head, as though trying to shake our words out of his ears! He is becoming a brat! He was always just fine off leash, did it in the right place on command pretty quickly. He is taken out at the same times consistently every day, so I think his colon and bladder are conditioned to release at that time after all these years. I've recently started using a retractible leash because in addition to the not-going, he will sometimes take off after other dogs walking by, which he never used to do. Is he just getting old? Is this just more of his epilepsy/hyperactivity/neuroses manifesting itself with age, do you think? It does seem to help if we get him all excited about 'going' for about five minutes, and then take him out...sometimes. And the problem is the kids do the taking out most of the time and they are not consistent with any of the things I suggest.

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Apr 27, 2005 7:41 pm

@ OED

Violet_Skies · Post by **Violet_Skies** » Apr 28, 2005 1:20 pm

After talking to the kids, I guess it's the peeing he takes forever to do after sniffing and sniffing and sniffing and sniffing for e ver! He poops right away. Weird dog!!!!

jay dee · Post by **jay dee** » Apr 28, 2005 6:41 pm

Since Paisley is a male - borrow another male from a friend and let the dog whiz all over the area where you walk Paisley. His manhood will be challenged and he will mark over the spot.

jay dee

Violet_Skies · Post by **Violet_Skies** » Apr 28, 2005 9:44 pm

That's an interesting thought, Jay, I bet it would work...now I just have to locate a male dog. Everyone seems to have girls around here. Also, I wonder if he has any latent maleness...? He's been neutered since he was 4 mo. old.

jay dee · Post by **jay dee** » Apr 29, 2005 6:33 am

It won't be a problem - I think with a male, it is a game to see who can whiz the highest. Good for you in having your male neutered.

jay dee

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » May 02, 2005 9:36 pm

Good advice Jay Dee! That's also a good way to train a puppy to go in a certain spot. A piece of cotton soaked with another dog's pee wil definately get a "I can pee higher, farther and faster than you can" response.

Violet_Skies · Post by **Violet_Skies** » May 05, 2005 1:05 am

That's true, he does pee IMMEDIATELY at the dog park...!

Hallson Gardens

Question for OED or whoever!

Question for OED or whoever!

weird behavior

question