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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Fran grew up teaching everything from chickens and goats to dogs and horses. These days, Fran works with DOG GONE IT rottweiler rescue, is registered with AKC as a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and continues to train dogs in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also writes a canine question & answer column for a local news paper, The Hilltop & High Desert Shopper News.
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Fran Williams
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[Edit]
10/24/2005
We have a 7 year old Lab mix, we've had since she was 11months old; and a 8 year old Golden Retriever girl who we recently adopted about 6 months ago. Our Lab mix has always been reluctant to potty outside if it was rainy, but if she reallllly needs to go, she will brave the rain. Our new girl, the GR, just refuses to go outside if it's wet out. [We got her because she was no longer cranking out puppies for the previous "owner".]
We are at a loss to train her, she's still not de-programmed from living in a kennel. She will just go right back into her crate, and if we don't time her feeding properly, will poop in this crate. We would like to have her upstairs with us to sleep, but she will poop/wee on the carpet, not letting us know. Every night, she walks into her crate, & we close the door til next morning. So, we have started to feed her at 8 or 9pm to time her poops to the morning. What can we do to potty train our older girl? What can we do with both of them about doing their duty in inclement weather? We are stumped! Elliott (Baltimore, Maryland)
Hi Elliott,its such a shame what humans do to animals all for the almighty BUCK, (creeps.) Well now at least maybe she stands a chance of knowing what it "should "be like in a loving home-thanks for putting the time in to her. This was a kind of hard one and a little funny since both your girls don't like the rain yet both are by blood a breed that should love water and not let a little rain cause them concern.
I thought about what would I do if this was ME and here is what I came up with
. I would turn on sprinklers of some sort that shoot very high so the water hits them on there heads and backs and put on some grubby close so I could play with my girls in the water,(if weather allows) I am of course assuming they don't like to get their feet wet. Anyhow I would make such a game of it that they would love being out side in the water. When it rains I would put on my rain gear and walk my dogs, again making it a fun thing to do and the second one of them goes potty - out would come the treats and lots of praise then on with the walk, I would do this every time it rained until I had helped them over come this odd habit-I can't help but think your lab told her this would be a ok thing to do in the rain!
Please keep in mind this is a hard one and its off the books so we have to think out of the box. Also as for feeding at 8 or 9 - is it possible to feed earlier? I would never feed after 6,so the dog has a chance to empty by 8 or 9.Again this is going to take some time, the best way to help a dog poop is a nice long walk after 20 or 30 minutes of eating, so if possible this would really help all of you to get on a regular routine, long walks are SO great for all concerned and also help with the bonding for all of you.
As for sleeping in your room with out a accident I would just keep on with what I have said and maybe in time that will change, but keep in mind she lived most her life in a crate so it’s a safe place for her, so it will be a great test of faith to get her out and by you at night-but it can be done. Please let me know how it goes. Fran Dog Gone It
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