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This seems like the best place to ask for help with my problem. I've had my dog for almost a year now and have taught her a number of cute and useless tricks. However, the only thing I really care that she does is come when called when off-leash, and I don't know how to teach her that. She has gotten off her leash a few times for various reasons (leash broke once, I slipped on the ice and dropped it once, and she has ran out the door twice when people were coming and going). When she is off-leash outdoors she turns into a crazy dog. She runs full speed checking out everything and won't let me get near her and won't respond to anything I say. Each time I have caught her by pure luck, such as her stopping to poop or running up to stranger who sees me chasing her and helps out. On one occasion I had to chase her for over a mile. The only place I can have her off-leash without being afraid of losing her or her being hit by a car is at our local fenced in dog park. I've tried to practice having her come to me there, and sometimes she does it, but the problem is that she is so excited about the freedom and the other dogs that she won't take treats so I don't know how to reward her. She usually ignores the treats, and if she takes them she will just drop them. The only thing she wants at that point is to play with other dogs, and she already has that. How do I teach her this? To clarify, she will come when called 100% of the time when she is on a leash or indoors. She understands the command, she just won't do it if she is outside and off-leash.
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Nov 13, 2010 03:12
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 17:34 |
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Kerfuffle posted:I'm no where near as rehearsed as lifeless, but I think I can give some advice on this one. It seems like if I leash for coming and then release her she will think she is being punished, although I admit I am not an expert on the dog brain.
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Nov 13, 2010 04:38
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But what if the most awesome thing in the world for your dog is playing with other dogs?
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Nov 13, 2010 04:57
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That sound worth a try. My dog park actually has a really small separate enclosed area that is supposed to be for small/old dogs but it's almost always empty so I can even practice there where she can see the other dogs. Unfortunately I am in the middle of a blizzard right now so I might have to wait a few days 
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Nov 13, 2010 07:22
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I've had my dog for 3 years and love her to death, whatever she is. However, she's always been irritatingly neurotic about where she poops and has held it for hours, even days if she doesn't get a walk which takes her past her constantly rotating magic spot. With a child on the way and about to start a predoctoral internship I'm feeling much less willing to tolerate this. She adamantly refuses to go in the yard. It is bizarre, she will be running up and down the stairs whining like she is about to have an accident but once I take her out she just stares off into space. Thoughts? I tried to fix this in the past by using a walk as a reward for pooping but she would literally hold it in for days and I eventually got worried about this and gave in. Industrial fucked around with this message at 14:43 on Jan 14, 2013 |
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Jan 14, 2013 14:39
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Ikantski posted:Look back a couple of page or two, there seems to be an influx of people worried about where and when their dog poops lately. I would talk to a vet, it really doesn't sound healthy for a dog to not crap for a couple of days. She will if I walk her though, it's behavioral not medical.
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Jan 14, 2013 16:45
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Rixatrix posted:Wait, are you saying the problem is she needs a daily walk in order to do her business? Many dogs don't want to go in their own yard for the same reason they don't go inside the house: it's a part of their home. Yes and no. I live in a townhouse so we don't actually own a yard. There is a large grassy area just past our parking lot which is the closest area she will pee in but she is very resistant to pooping there for some reason. Since she happily pees there I don't think that's the issue. She will also happily poop on our porch if there is snow on it. Today she did poop there but only after taking her out 3 other times when she just stared at me like a retard despite frantically whining at the door each time. Unfortunately she pooped when my 38 week pregnant wife took her out so she didn't get her walk, just lots of praise and treats.
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Jan 15, 2013 02:05
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Rixatrix posted:Keep reinforcing for pooping in the large grassy area but try to take her for daily walks. Dogs sometimes learn that pooping = going back inside so they'll hold it in order to get a longer walk. In general this means they should be walked more. Unfortunately these ideas are mutually exclusive. She will always poop on her walk and therefore will never poop in the grassy area, giving me no chance to reinforce that behavior. I'm just trying to get her to understand that pooping in this spot is good as well for those occasional days when a walk isn't going to happen due to illness, severe weather, etc. The only way I can think of accomplishing this is to only give her walks as a reward for pooping until the association is formed....does this plan make sense?
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Jan 15, 2013 23:30
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Ikantski posted:How many walks a week does this dog get that going on a walk is going to be recognized as a reward and not just the routine? She normally gets 1-2 a day I've been trying this plan for all of 48 hours
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Jan 16, 2013 00:07
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Engineer Lenk posted:I think walking the dog less isn't going to help - walks aren't a fast enough reward to associate that well. We tried this for months I'm pretty sure she formed the association as she goes to the door if we say poop but she won't actually do it when we say.
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Jan 16, 2013 02:31
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 17:34 |
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Engineer Lenk posted:Echoing this. If you give your cue and she doesn't eliminate within 5 seconds, she doesn't know the cue or has starting associating it with something else. Is it possible she understands what I'm asking but is just choosing not to do it?
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Jan 22, 2013 07:29
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