Well, he probably isn't actually vindictive, but he sure is smart! When your dog wets on the door, I'll bet you let him out, right? And guess what? You're very well-trained! His previous owners may have been similarly trained, and when they tired of his bad habits, they may have given him up. Your dog has learned how to call the shots in his world. Every time he knocks on the door, so to speak, someone is ready to answer. You even may know who's wearing the leash in your house; the problem is how to turn things around without causing the dog excessive stress and your house excessive mess!

Elimination has become more than just a source of relief for your dog; it is a loud and clear statement. Urine marking, and sometimes marking with defecation, are ways highly dominant dogs stake claim on areas and reinforce rank over individuals sharing those areas. Intact (unneutered) male dogs are more likely to mark, although female dogs have been known to demonstrate this behavior as well. Neutering may help to reduce some of the hormonal aspects of the behavior, but unless you also change how you respond to the dog, the problem won't be resolved.

The first step whenever there are elimination problems is to create a schedule of times the dog eats and goes out. Although these may not be the only times he goes out, they are the guaranteed times; they are the backbone of this training because they provide needed stability and predictability. When you no longer are obeying the "I need to go out NOW!" demands, it will help your dog to know he can bank on you providing for his needs on a reliable basis.

The next step is to reward the right behaviors and refuse to reinforce the inappropriate ones. A dog at the door for the 37th time in the past hour typically might be told, "Now you can just forget it, Buster; you were just out!" When Buster persists, the owner gives in, complaining but unwilling to take the risk of not taking the dog out. Once outside these dogs have anything but "business" on their minds; dominant, door-signaling dogs show a great deal of territorial interest once outside. In fact, so much is going on they forget all about going until they are back indoors with nothing better to do! When they do go to the bathroom indoors, amazingly the act gets them unceremoniously deposited back in the wonderful great outdoors!

Dogs in training need to differentiate outside business trips from pleasure outings. Take the dog out to the designated relief area at scheduled times, and give him three minutes. Do not talk to him, just wait and see what happens. If the dog does not eliminate, bring him back in and keep him restrained on a short leash at your side. Do not let him have any freedom; it will undoubtedly result in more "knocking on the door," possibly with another stream of urine. Keeping the dog totally physically curtailed for about 10 minutes prevents him from calling the next shot. After the 10-minute wait, indicate that it is once again "Time to go out!" Take him out for another three minutes, and again if he fails to go, come back inside and keep him ball-and-chained very close to you. Another option for confining and causing him to "cross his legs" and hold it would be in a crate, provided the dog has used one in the past and he doesn't eliminate in it. Using the alternating interval approach until he goes outside is a big drag, but it puts life back on your terms. Once he "hits the spot," reward him with a walk, but don't let him pee on every tree and upright surface he passes, because this will further reinforce his sense of himself as a big, dominant dog in the neighborhood. Get into an obedience class with this dog so you can learn how to be a better leader in general; this will help improve all of his behaviors and, most importantly, your specific complaints.

When company is visiting, keep your dog on his leash next to you so he can't demonstrate his dominance in the offensive manner he did to the construction worker. When he eliminates and people react, he is reinforced to repeat the attention-earning behavior. If he eliminates indoors, fight the urge to "pick up the gauntlet" and scold. Just clean it up when he's not looking, and tighten up your supervision and restraint the next day around the time when he has been known to soil. If he walks over to the door and scratches, barks or even pees on it, nonchalantly walk over without speaking to or looking at him and snap his leash on. Walk him away from the door without a word, and keep him close to you for several moments. When he seems resigned, state that it is "Time to go out!"—make it clear that this was your idea, not his.

Although it might seem like a nice idea to take dogs out when they ask, it gives them too much dominant control over their owners. It also can generate a great deal of stress! A schedule guarantees your dog the relief he needs, while your refusal to obey his demands gives him the security of not being in charge. At first this may not feel like a benefit to your dog, but in the long run it is. Dogs that truly respect and follow their owners have less conflict and more social bonding in their lives. The benefit to you will be obvious when your dog is eliminating outside and on your terms.

People who viewed 'Spitz mix urinated, defecated right in front of where the man was working' also found interest in following articles . . .
Category:

• Grooming & Training

• Home
• Educational Library
• FAQ
• Hospital Listings
• Submit
• Contact