You''ve got to help me with this HORRIBLE dog!!!

[Kelli]

Some of you might remember my post a few months ago about my dog who peed in my brand new bed. Well, she's peeing all over my brand new house!

We found her, no one claimed her (shocking) and she is THE hardest dog to house train I've ever known! We crate her when we're gone during the day, but she's small and skinny and really likes to sleep in the bed with us at night. She cries (screams) ALL night if you try to crate her at night so that you can't bear the noise and end up caving. Short of putting her in the cold garage, I don't know what else to do. I have to choose between not sleeping at all due to her screaming, or deal with waking up to messes in the house everyday. What would you do? I've taken her to the vet and am currently waiting on blood test results, but this is one more night that she's keeping me up because I am just so tired of cleaning up her messes. She's currently in her crate in the room next to me and is DRIVING ME INSANE!!!

 

[DebShine]

I know this is no help - but sounds like you are doing everything you can! It is a very frustrating thing. Anybody have the number of the Dog Whisperer???

 

[puffy]

Sorry to hear!! have you tried using the pee-pads? maybe if you put a few of those out during the day, she will go on those instead of all over your house. most dogs respond to those pretty well. or they also have these drops that are scented like pee and a few drops of those on a newspaper or something might also help her get the hint. do you let her out during the day, in a yard or something? maybe also try walking her more and rewarding her when she pees outside. not really sure what else. good luck! i''m sure it is no fun at all.

 

[E B]

Have you tried puppy pads? Positive reinforcement when she goes to the bathroom outside? If you've just been letting her into the backyard, I'd start following her. Bring something delicious like a small cube of cheese (but make sure this is her potty treat, and not her "whenever" treat) and give it to her DIRECTLY after going, all the while making a big excited fuss (GOOD GIRL! *Pet, pet, pet*).

If she's crated during the day, I'd watch her like a hawk when you get home (after letting her out). I know my dogs start sniffing in strange places and "spinning" right before they go, and if you see her do this, grab her (and a treat) and take her outside. Outside potty gets treat.

Forgive me if you've already tried this.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Aw that sucks Kelli! Just wanted to wish you luck, and second the others'' suggestions about pee pads and positive reinforcement!

 

[trillionaire]

put the crate in your room, facing the bed so she can see you. Also, try warming some blankets for her (pop them in the dryer) when you put her to bed. Once she gets used to the crate, you can maybe move it to another room.

Also, crate her occassionally during the day when you are home for short periods, but in the same room so that she can see you. Hopefully this will help her to relax and feel comfortable and safe in there. Good lucky!

ETA, and this might be a real PITA, but a night walk or heavy romp before bed might help. Tire that baby out! 10-15 min jog even? Anything!

You can try one of these... I got one for my girl, she liked to warmth, not the heartbeat. She used to sleep on it. She had it for over a year before she decided to shred it.

 

[Gypsy]

Have you tried a trainer? One that comes to your house, trains you and the dog to work together, and gives you homework? Not group classes like pet smart, and not sending the dog away for training, but someone to work with you and the dog?

Additionally, maybe doggie day care would be helpful at least a couple of times a week, instead of kenneling her? It might help her to be around other animals in an interactive envirionment. Or maybe a dog walker during the day??

It sounds like a behavioural problem caused by stress and anxiety, possibly by abandonment issues. Usually that stuff is 'cured' by lots of time, training, and a routine for the dog and a strong understanding of their position in the household.

 

[brooklyngirl]

I second putting her crate in your room next to your bed. Do not let her sleep in your bed. She has to know know her position in the household and be content with that position.

Does she pee when she''s in her crate?

When we got our dog, the first couple of months were terrible. He had awful separation anxiety, and would whine and howl if we left the house, and wouldn''t stop until we got back. He also used to pee where he wasn''t supposed to.

Watching for signs of impending pee, and taking him out immediately really helped. The typical signs are if she starts sniffing around. Definitely encourage her when she goes outside.

 

[AGBF]

I'm not sure if this is your issue, but our veterinarian put us onto something during the brief time that we had Cookie, a year-old cocker spaniel, within the last year. He did something no other dog we had ever had did, submissive urination and the treatment for it was totally counter-intuitive. If one yelled at the dog at all, it made it much worse! Not only did he urinate and defecate in the house when we were not home, but he urinated whenever he was excited to see someone. We had to greet him in ways that lessened our dominance, like petting him from under his chest. The vet gave me some literature. The problem apparently usually gets better as the dog gets older, but there are ways you should be handling it if it is the same problem. I would look for literature about it.

Deborah

 

[bee*]

I''d second the idea of a dog trainer who will come to your house. It sounds like you''re doing everything that you can do but they might be able to give their professional POV and give you exercises to work on. A daycare might be good too for her.

 

[tlh]

I actually found crating when they can see you worse tahn when they cant. I have a winer, and we put a blanket over his cage like he was a bird. It shuts him up.
It is never easy dealing w/ an animal that soils in the house. I have a little dog and through repitition we take him out until he wees and he has an actual "wee spot" where he can smell his marking so he''ll consitantly go outside. So I''d take the little one out on a leash and ummm check that he wees and woos outside. Then like a child, no water before bedtime, regulate the water, and this should help... a trainer can also be helpful. Best wishes!

((hugs!))

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Time for puppy class. There is such thing as a "bad dog"...only dogs that haven''t learned yet.

 

[lyra]

So this is the Jack Russell? Is she spayed? Definitely go to the vet and make sure she doesn''t have any urinary tract/bladder problems. A talk with a trainer is a GREAT idea too. You''re not going to like this part, but these particular terriers (and ours, the Smooth Fox Terrier) are known for never becoming completely housetrained, and it can be worse in females. I put it down to revenge in a lot of cases. It''s a known issue, even our breeder warned us about it. Our dog is 11 years old this year and is smart as can be. But she will go in the house if we are not giving her enough attention, or if we do not put her outside for the hundredth time that day. This is really awesome, but one day she even pooped in our grown daughter''s shoe, and daughter is the one she loves most.

That said, the number one thing with these dogs is they need things to keep their clever minds busy, and they''re athletic bodies well exercised. A tired dog is usually a *good* dog! And it''s very important with terriers. Long walks and runs are excellent. Our dog will play catch and retrieve until she can barely stand, they have a ton of stamina. You can teach her obedience (to a degree, they are very stubborn, but a food reward is always appreciated), like sit, laydown, stay, and reward her well when she catches on. Does she like any longer lasting treats like Busy Bones? You can give them to her only when she is in her crate. I would crate her every time you leave the house. She will get used to it. Never say goodbye to your dogs, it prolongs separation anxiety.

Be patient. Our terrier sleeps with our daughter because she gets really cold all year round. She doesn''t have accidents, she has planned events, but never in bed. A dog that consistently goes in its bed has problems if it is an adult. Good luck. Start out asking those experts for advice though, it may be a simple matter that will help her and you.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

I know there''s lots of advice on here about the crates, and I think it''s definitely a good idea to somehow get her used to the crate so it''s your choice and she''s submissive to that, but I do know for SURE that you should never use the crate for punishment.

The crate is supposed to be a relaxing place the dog is welcome to go to even when they want to, and there should be no negative connotation with it. Lots of people like to leave the crates out and open during home time, and no other dog beds around, so when the dog wants to lay down, the crate is the place with the blankets/etc where they go to hang out. Sometimes it''s recommended to put it under an end table or unused dining table (somewhere they feel protected, sort of under and away from hustle and bustle, not out in the open and exposed).

I definitely think the crate is where you need to focus the effort first. Once you''ve got her where she''ll stay in it at night and while you''re gone, the first thing you immediately do when you get up or come home is let her out and take her straight outside. Then that''s when you do the treats after she pees. Dogs don''t like to soil their beds, so they hold it till you let them out, so she should learn pretty quickly to go when you take her out, as long as you take her STRAIGHT outside, no running around in the house till she''s gone out and done her business.

I don''t know what advice to give you as far as how to start the positive association with the crate, especially since right now she''s got negative associations with it, but check out websites like this to start (and google crate training):
http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

In all seriousness, check out Dog Whisperer info too (http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/). He''s got video lessons you can purchase, places to "ask" Cesar questions, etc. - see if anything on there will help. Or, apply for him to come!

Part of your dog''s problem could just be that everything is new/unfamiliar - there''s no established schedule/discipline that she''s used to, so she''s just anxious, and this may be the results of that. I''m not sure what to say about her howling while she''s in the crate, but she obviously doesn''t like it right now. The only thing I can think of to get her to like it is do like Cesar does when a dog is afraid of something - he makes the dog face the fear. But he does it in a way that the dog and owner approach the fear object together, so the dog can see the owner doing it too. And once he pulls the dog on the leash up to the object, they turn around and leave - confront the fear, then leave it alone. But Cesar''s also talked about only making the crate a positive object, so I''m not sure how to go about that. Do a little research on it online, also maybe his website will have some good info.

 

[movie zombie]

not being familiar with your other thread can i assume you did have the dog checked by a vet or two for problems?

my parents had a dog some years ago with this problem.....and unfortuantely the problem wasn''t diagnosed until it was almost dead: brain tumor. my mother felt a lot of guilt for how she handled and hated that dog for behavior it could not control due to conditions beyond its control.

movie zombie

 

[Loves Vintage]

As someone else mentioned, if there are no medical issues, really tiring her out should help. If you cave every time she wants out of the crate, she has learned that all she needs to do is whine in order to get what she wants, and so she whines.

I am terrible at dog training myself. I would recommend that you have a professional come in to help with this process.

And, uhm, can you post a pic? We wanna see her!

 

[AmberGretchen]

I really agree with a lot of the suggestions you are getting here - positive reinforcements for good behavior like pottying outside, not using the crate as punishment, trying to tire the dog out mentally and physically as much as possible.

However, as someone who trains dogs myself, I can''t recommend strongly enough AGAINST Cesar Milan - many of his techniques are outdated and can be dangerous to you and/or the dog, especially if applied by a less experienced dog trainer. MUCH better, check out any of the following trainers, who use safer and more effective methods based on current understanding of animal behavior, not stuff that is at least two decades old: Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, or if you want someone with a TV show, Victoria Stillwell is miles better than the Dog Whisperer - her techniques will be so much more effective and easy for you as an owner to implement.

 

[sba771]

Hi,

I don''t have advice other than what has been said- re: wee wee pads and positive reinforcment. And I am also a bad example cause we FAILED at crating and Darth Vader sleeps in our bed. But I just wanted to say how wonderful you are for taking in this dog and not giving up on it.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 2/3/2009 11:08:49 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
I really agree with a lot of the suggestions you are getting here - positive reinforcements for good behavior like pottying outside, not using the crate as punishment, trying to tire the dog out mentally and physically as much as possible.

However, as someone who trains dogs myself, I can''t recommend strongly enough AGAINST Cesar Milan - many of his techniques are outdated and can be dangerous to you and/or the dog, especially if applied by a less experienced dog trainer. MUCH better, check out any of the following trainers, who use safer and more effective methods based on current understanding of animal behavior, not stuff that is at least two decades old: Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, or if you want someone with a TV show, Victoria Stillwell is miles better than the Dog Whisperer - her techniques will be so much more effective and easy for you as an owner to implement.

Not to threadjack, b/c maybe this will help towards the post. AmberGretchen, just out of curiosity, what sort of techniques does Cesar Milan use that are outdated? I''m honestly just wondering. I love any extra knowledge I can get, so I promise I won''t argue in any way!

I''m really just curious what sort of things he does that are different or older than what some other people use. Or what things he teaches that are hard for owners to implement (or maybe a better question would be what techniques the others teach that are easier to implement). Anything I can learn about doggies makes me happy!

I''d work with dogs every day if I could.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 2/3/2009 11:14:42 AM
Author: sba771
Hi,

I don''t have advice other than what has been said- re: wee wee pads and positive reinforcment. And I am also a bad example cause we FAILED at crating and Darth Vader sleeps in our bed. But I just wanted to say how wonderful you are for taking in this dog and not giving up on it.

Ditto ditto ditto!!! Very true. Thank you for not putting it back out on the streets and for trying everything you can on here to learn how to help the dog (and yourself

)!

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 2/3/2009 11:08:49 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
I really agree with a lot of the suggestions you are getting here - positive reinforcements for good behavior like pottying outside, not using the crate as punishment, trying to tire the dog out mentally and physically as much as possible.

However, as someone who trains dogs myself, I can''t recommend strongly enough AGAINST Cesar Milan - many of his techniques are outdated and can be dangerous to you and/or the dog, especially if applied by a less experienced dog trainer. MUCH better, check out any of the following trainers, who use safer and more effective methods based on current understanding of animal behavior, not stuff that is at least two decades old: Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, or if you want someone with a TV show, Victoria Stillwell is miles better than the Dog Whisperer - her techniques will be so much more effective and easy for you as an owner to implement.

Mini thread jack:
AmberGretchen, it''s so great to hear someone say what you did about Cesar''s methods! I''ve been watching him for years and while I find the transformation aspect of his show to be very interesting, I can''t stand his methods. It may not be cruel and it may not hurt the dog, but doing things his way will get you bit more often than not unless you''re a professional. I''m so glad that Victoria''s show came to the states. I absolutely love her and recommended her strongly to my friends who got a new puppy and are just learning about all of this stuff. I''d also like to throw in a recommendation for Brian Kilcommons. I think his books are very good, especially the puppy one.

In response to Kelli, it sounds like you''re doing everything you can and I don''t know what to recommend other than the things others have said. Good luck! Hopefully you''re able to find a professional who can give you new methods to help your pup. I can only imagine how frustrating it is.

 

[whitetulips]

Date: 2/3/2009 8:35:18 AM
Author: tlh
I actually found crating when they can see you worse tahn when they cant. I have a winer, and we put a blanket over his cage like he was a bird. It shuts him up.

It is never easy dealing w/ an animal that soils in the house. I have a little dog and through repitition we take him out until he wees and he has an actual ''wee spot'' where he can smell his marking so he''ll consitantly go outside. So I''d take the little one out on a leash and ummm check that he wees and woos outside. Then like a child, no water before bedtime, regulate the water, and this should help... a trainer can also be helpful. Best wishes!


((hugs!))

Ditto to all of this, but especially the bolded part. My dog was terribly hard to housebreak- to the point of me having breakdowns just feeling completely deflated because I felt like I couldn''t get anything right. I would say don''t put this dog in a crate that is facing you- that is just a tease showing her what she is so close to but can''t have. I 100% agree with putting a blanket over the crate at night as a way to show that it is bedtime- that worked for my dog while I was still crating her at night.

Also, puppy pads are only a good idea if your dog doesn''t like to shred things. I tried those one time and it was a waste of money and added stress as Lupita just shredded them and drug them all over the house. Your dog''s crying at night almost sounds like separation anxiety, which can be a really hard thing to work out of a pet. A lot of times when you cave or make any acknowledgment of the dog in the crate it just reinforces their excitement and anxiety. I would work on crating like another poster here recommended- during the day just have crate time and get her more and more used to being in there. If she was abandoned before, then she very well may feel that each time she goes into her crate could be the last time that she sees you.

Hang in there- it will get better. It may take time (it took almost a year to get Lupita to stop going to the bathroom in the house and her crate- and to work on her screaming separation anxiety) but it is so worth it in the end.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 2/3/2009 11:15:11 AM
Author: luvthemstrawberries

Date: 2/3/2009 11:08:49 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
I really agree with a lot of the suggestions you are getting here - positive reinforcements for good behavior like pottying outside, not using the crate as punishment, trying to tire the dog out mentally and physically as much as possible.

However, as someone who trains dogs myself, I can''t recommend strongly enough AGAINST Cesar Milan - many of his techniques are outdated and can be dangerous to you and/or the dog, especially if applied by a less experienced dog trainer. MUCH better, check out any of the following trainers, who use safer and more effective methods based on current understanding of animal behavior, not stuff that is at least two decades old: Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, or if you want someone with a TV show, Victoria Stillwell is miles better than the Dog Whisperer - her techniques will be so much more effective and easy for you as an owner to implement.

Not to threadjack, b/c maybe this will help towards the post. AmberGretchen, just out of curiosity, what sort of techniques does Cesar Milan use that are outdated? I''m honestly just wondering. I love any extra knowledge I can get, so I promise I won''t argue in any way!

I''m really just curious what sort of things he does that are different or older than what some other people use. Or what things he teaches that are hard for owners to implement (or maybe a better question would be what techniques the others teach that are easier to implement). Anything I can learn about doggies makes me happy!

I''d work with dogs every day if I could.

Sorry to threadjack (again) but I agree with Strawberries that this is somewhat important to the topic at hand because different training philosophies are going to make a big difference in how the OP approaches her own doggie issues.

Strawberries, I don''t think I''m as much of an expert as AmberGretchen is, but from my point of view the things Cesar does can very easily result in the dog turning around and biting you. He puts himself in very risky situations that work out for him in the end because he''s an expert with years of experience, but would not be good for a novice owner (reaching down to assertively touch a dog who is in an aggressive state is very dangerous). Also, some of the things he does are very dependent on how the dog is behaving (is it fear based, domination, etc). If you tried the technique and guessed wrong on the fear vs aggression thing, you could seriously set your dog back by causing more fear, etc.

I like Victoria''s show because she gives simple step by step solutions. Cesar seems to focus so much on "energy", but this doesn''t really describe what he''s doing or how he''s doing it. It''s just a vague fluffy term. I can see the eyes of the people he''s helping glaze over as they nod and pretend to get it. Victoria''s instructions are so clear and step by step that it''s very hard to get it wrong.

She also uses positive reinforcement which assumes that the dog has no idea what you want, but that they''ll get it eventually if you praise what you like. Cesar''s methods kind of assume the dog knows how you want it to behave but it''s just not convinced it should listen to you. I think positive reinforcement is much more effective and a more modern technique.

Sorry for the novel! I really didn''t mean to threadjack so much, but this is something I''ve felt strongly about for a while.

 

[lyra]

Regarding pee pads... We have pee pads for Lola our rescue Chihuahua, because when she came to us 2 weeks ago at 5 months old, that''s all she''d been using. She is now I''d say 80% or better housetrained to go outside. One of our clues is she sometimes goes to the pee pad and starts "circling". That means get her outside asap. Otherwise, because she''s so young and her bladder is so tiny, I take her out about every half hour to hour depending on what she''s done. She''s starting to get a bit of a routine, so we don''t have to take her out as often. ANYWAY, I just wanted to add for anyone who wants to use pee pads at first, they now make this $5 metal frame to attach the pee pads to so they don''t move around. It''s still possible for a bratty dog to get a corner out I guess, but we discourage anything but business on the pad. The pads attach to the 4 corners like swiffer pads attach to a swiffer with that grabby thing from the underside of the metal frame so when it''s set up the metal is actually sitting on top of the pee pad. Just a little info for people who might be interested. Our other 2 dogs we got much younger and they only had the pads for a few weeks tops, and were crate trained from the start, as is Lola.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 2/3/2009 12:16:29 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 2/3/2009 11:15:11 AM
Author: luvthemstrawberries

Date: 2/3/2009 11:08:49 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
I really agree with a lot of the suggestions you are getting here - positive reinforcements for good behavior like pottying outside, not using the crate as punishment, trying to tire the dog out mentally and physically as much as possible.

However, as someone who trains dogs myself, I can''t recommend strongly enough AGAINST Cesar Milan - many of his techniques are outdated and can be dangerous to you and/or the dog, especially if applied by a less experienced dog trainer. MUCH better, check out any of the following trainers, who use safer and more effective methods based on current understanding of animal behavior, not stuff that is at least two decades old: Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, or if you want someone with a TV show, Victoria Stillwell is miles better than the Dog Whisperer - her techniques will be so much more effective and easy for you as an owner to implement.

Not to threadjack, b/c maybe this will help towards the post. AmberGretchen, just out of curiosity, what sort of techniques does Cesar Milan use that are outdated? I''m honestly just wondering. I love any extra knowledge I can get, so I promise I won''t argue in any way!

I''m really just curious what sort of things he does that are different or older than what some other people use. Or what things he teaches that are hard for owners to implement (or maybe a better question would be what techniques the others teach that are easier to implement). Anything I can learn about doggies makes me happy!

I''d work with dogs every day if I could.

Sorry to threadjack (again) but I agree with Strawberries that this is somewhat important to the topic at hand because different training philosophies are going to make a big difference in how the OP approaches her own doggie issues.

Strawberries, I don''t think I''m as much of an expert as AmberGretchen is, but from my point of view the things Cesar does can very easily result in the dog turning around and biting you. He puts himself in very risky situations that work out for him in the end because he''s an expert with years of experience, but would not be good for a novice owner (reaching down to assertively touch a dog who is in an aggressive state is very dangerous). Also, some of the things he does are very dependent on how the dog is behaving (is it fear based, domination, etc). If you tried the technique and guessed wrong on the fear vs aggression thing, you could seriously set your dog back by causing more fear, etc.

I like Victoria''s show because she gives simple step by step solutions. Cesar seems to focus so much on ''energy'', but this doesn''t really describe what he''s doing or how he''s doing it. It''s just a vague fluffy term. I can see the eyes of the people he''s helping glaze over as they nod and pretend to get it. Victoria''s instructions are so clear and step by step that it''s very hard to get it wrong.

She also uses positive reinforcement which assumes that the dog has no idea what you want, but that they''ll get it eventually if you praise what you like. Cesar''s methods kind of assume the dog knows how you want it to behave but it''s just not convinced it should listen to you. I think positive reinforcement is much more effective and a more modern technique.

Sorry for the novel! I really didn''t mean to threadjack so much, but this is something I''ve felt strongly about for a while.

Hey elrohwen - this is exactly what I was wondering about! I thought it could help towards the thread topic anyway. Thanks!

 

[tlh]

Date: 2/3/2009 12:23:33 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries

Date: 2/3/2009 12:16:29 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 2/3/2009 11:15:11 AM
Author: luvthemstrawberries

Date: 2/3/2009 11:08:49 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
I really agree with a lot of the suggestions you are getting here - positive reinforcements for good behavior like pottying outside, not using the crate as punishment, trying to tire the dog out mentally and physically as much as possible.

However, as someone who trains dogs myself, I can''t recommend strongly enough AGAINST Cesar Milan - many of his techniques are outdated and can be dangerous to you and/or the dog, especially if applied by a less experienced dog trainer. MUCH better, check out any of the following trainers, who use safer and more effective methods based on current understanding of animal behavior, not stuff that is at least two decades old: Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, or if you want someone with a TV show, Victoria Stillwell is miles better than the Dog Whisperer - her techniques will be so much more effective and easy for you as an owner to implement.

Not to threadjack, b/c maybe this will help towards the post. AmberGretchen, just out of curiosity, what sort of techniques does Cesar Milan use that are outdated? I''m honestly just wondering. I love any extra knowledge I can get, so I promise I won''t argue in any way!

I''m really just curious what sort of things he does that are different or older than what some other people use. Or what things he teaches that are hard for owners to implement (or maybe a better question would be what techniques the others teach that are easier to implement). Anything I can learn about doggies makes me happy!

I''d work with dogs every day if I could.

Sorry to threadjack (again) but I agree with Strawberries that this is somewhat important to the topic at hand because different training philosophies are going to make a big difference in how the OP approaches her own doggie issues.

Strawberries, I don''t think I''m as much of an expert as AmberGretchen is, but from my point of view the things Cesar does can very easily result in the dog turning around and biting you. He puts himself in very risky situations that work out for him in the end because he''s an expert with years of experience, but would not be good for a novice owner (reaching down to assertively touch a dog who is in an aggressive state is very dangerous). Also, some of the things he does are very dependent on how the dog is behaving (is it fear based, domination, etc). If you tried the technique and guessed wrong on the fear vs aggression thing, you could seriously set your dog back by causing more fear, etc.

I like Victoria''s show because she gives simple step by step solutions. Cesar seems to focus so much on ''energy'', but this doesn''t really describe what he''s doing or how he''s doing it. It''s just a vague fluffy term. I can see the eyes of the people he''s helping glaze over as they nod and pretend to get it. Victoria''s instructions are so clear and step by step that it''s very hard to get it wrong.

She also uses positive reinforcement which assumes that the dog has no idea what you want, but that they''ll get it eventually if you praise what you like. Cesar''s methods kind of assume the dog knows how you want it to behave but it''s just not convinced it should listen to you. I think positive reinforcement is much more effective and a more modern technique.

Sorry for the novel! I really didn''t mean to threadjack so much, but this is something I''ve felt strongly about for a while.

Hey elrohwen - this is exactly what I was wondering about! I thought it could help towards the thread topic anyway. Thanks!

As far as + reinforcement, I like to give treats to my lilttle bugger when he wees and woos outside. I keep biljac close to the door and take it out with me when we go to the "leash". Then when he wees he gets a treat IMMEDIATELY after, when he Woos he grets a treat then too. sometimes he''ll even do a wee-woo at the same time because he wants his treat so bad.

Now we only have accidents in the house, if I ignore him. (He sits and stares at you when he has to go outside. He is a lap dog, so sometimes I misread and just pick him up and put him on my lap. Then when he hops off, sometimes during my nap, I''ll hear him wee''ing in the house. I know it was my fault because I misread him. So now I say, oh, he''s been laying in the same spot for 3 hours, he OBVIOUSLY has to go to the bathroom. And my DH gets mad because he''ll wee right away for the bisquits.)

Best Wishes!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I highly recommend Ian Dunbar''s book "Before and After getting your Puppy" It doesn''t matter that your dog is older, start from the beginning and be firm! Giving in ONE TIME to whining in the crate reinforces the behaviour and it can take a loooong time to extinguish again. Being inconcistent is actually the worst thing you can do... it is called a variable reinforcement schedule and it creates monsters and behaviour that is very hard to break! (same with kids, in case you are wondering, all animals learn in the same way). It may take 2 - 4 weeks to fully break your dog of whining when in the crate, but once you accomplish that goal you will have a well behaved dog for 10-15 years! The first 2 years with a new dog are hard work, IMO, but the hard work has a huge payoff in the longer term.

 

[soocool]

Kelli: I am by no means an expert when it comes to training, but all my dogs (mini schnauzers) have gone to training classes, not only to help them but help me as their owner.

You have to be consistent whenever you try to train your dog. By crating them and then letting them sleep in your bed you are confusing them. My dog sleeps in his own bed in our room at night. When we say "go to bed" he goes to his bed. When I go out, I say "crate" and he goes in the crate (I toss in a treat as well- if I am gone for a few hours he gets a frozen treat filled Kong). It has gotten to the point that when he sees my with my handbag he goes right in the crate waiting for the treat (usually a biscuit)

The downside is that your are gone during the day so you need to start on a weekend to do your intense training. I always use treats as rewards and since you have a small dog, you can break the treats into tiny pieces (I used Wellness soft treats and eventually you will eliminate the treats) . Take your dog out 1st thing in the morning and when she pees give her the treat immdiately and praise her by saying "Good Potty" (immediately means when you see her crouching get down and have the treat in your hands to give to her immediately. Take her out after regular intervals (every couple of hours, after she eats and drinks or plays intensely)and. tell her "Go Potty" or "Get Busy" whatever and when she does her thing treat and praise immediately so she can connect her action to the reward.

To get her to like her crate, feed her in the crate with the door open. Toss some treats in there during the day so she is not afraid of the crate. When she seems comfortable close the door. Put the crate in your room and keep the door open. Some people I know keep their dogs in the powder room when they go out.

The key to get her to sleep in the crate all night is to tire her out. If she is a high energy dog, like my dog, just taking long walks is not enough. I have a laser light that he loves to chase around the house and we play fetch, tug of war, etc. During the week consider finding someone to come in around noontime to walk and paly with her. Keep the tv on when you are out. The sound of some background noise is soothing.

I read all the books that were ever written and all I want to add is that positive reinforcement is what works. My dogs have always been so well trained that they respond immediately when I call them and have never misbehaved. Don''t worry you can do it!

 

[Kelli]

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!!! I am so grateful that you all took time to post! You''re right, I need to consistently crate her at night. She doesn''t go in her crate, so I know she CAN hold it. The toughest thing is when it''s cold or rainy outside. Yesterday I walked out with her SEVERAL TIMES IN THE COLD RAIN and she didn''t go once. Of course, the very second I (stupidly) turned my back she peed on the carpet, and made a gross stinky pile right next to it. I use plenty of positive reinforcement when she DOES go outside, and I don''t really use the crate as punishment. It''s more like, you didn''t go outside and I can''t watch your every move right now, so you HAVE to go in it for a few minutes until I take you out again. More often than not, though, she won''t go the next time I take her out either.

I will get some puppy pads and see if that helps, and I will just HAVE to crate her at night. It doesn''t help that my fiance babies her and wants her to sleep in the bad, but I''m the one who cleans the carpet and I''ve had enough! I''ll just put her in the crate in our bedroom and go happily sleep in the guest room for a while and see if that helps. He''ll sleep through anything and I can''t. Anyway, I''m off to work now but again, I appreciate all your help. Tonight when I have some more time I can post as picture if you want. Luckily for her, she is a cutie.