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We are trying to housebreak our 13 week old Rottweiler and it is going pretty well. He now goes to the door when we wants to go out. The problem is that he goes to the door constantly as if he has to go out, but when he gets out he only wanted to play. So, we have been trying to see if we can tell the difference between the "I have to go" look and the "I want to play" look and we are not doing very well. This morning he went to the door 10 times in an hour and each time we let him out with no results, he only wanted to play. literally 15 seconds after coming in from the 10th trip he pooped on the floor 2 feet inside the door. What can we do? We can’t be letting him in and out every 5 minutes on demand. I now find myself crating him even when we are home in an attempt to control his housebreaking. I would love to be able to let him out of his crate more often but we need to know he isn’t going to play the "let me out" game. Alan Before you buy.

Response:

this may work as a ‘cure’ its called the boring walk if your pup asks to go out to ‘potty’ walk the dog on lead to the potty area stand there paying no attention to the pup until pottying happens then praise and go back inside no potty after ‘x’ amount of time (you know what your pup usually does) then go inside again with no play time later take the pup out and play with it or play in the house but *you* initiate the play session and make the potty trips dull necessities only also never play until after potty time happens if you stop the outdoor time and play the moment the pup potties then you teach it to hold it forever to keep the outdoor and play times going Nancy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > We are trying to housebreak our 13 week old Rottweiler and it is going > pretty well. He now goes to the door when we wants to go out. The > problem is that he goes to the door constantly as if he has to go out, > but when he gets out he only wanted to play. So, we have been trying to > see if we can tell the difference between the "I have to go" look and > the "I want to play" look and we are not doing very well. This morning > he went to the door 10 times in an hour and each time we let him out > with no results, he only wanted to play. literally 15 seconds after > coming in from the 10th trip he pooped on the floor 2 feet inside the > door. What can we do? We can’t be letting him in and out every 5 > minutes on demand. I now find myself crating him even when we are home > in an attempt to control his housebreaking. I would love to be able to > let him out of his crate more often but we need to know he isn’t going > to play the "let me out" game. > Alan > Before you buy.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> We are trying to housebreak our 13 week old Rottweiler and it is going > pretty well. He now goes to the door when we wants to go out. The > problem is that he goes to the door constantly as if he has to go out, > but when he gets out he only wanted to play. So, we have been trying to > see if we can tell the difference between the "I have to go" look and > the "I want to play" look and we are not doing very well. This morning > he went to the door 10 times in an hour and each time we let him out > with no results, he only wanted to play. literally 15 seconds after > coming in from the 10th trip he pooped on the floor 2 feet inside the > door. What can we do? We can’t be letting him in and out every 5 > minutes on demand. I now find myself crating him even when we are home > in an attempt to control his housebreaking. I would love to be able to > let him out of his crate more often but we need to know he isn’t going > to play the "let me out" game. > Alan

Hello Alan, It could be that crating him is what’s causing him to keep going to the door. Anxiety from being crated must be expiated. Perhaps his going in and out like that is his catharsis for his anxiety caused from being crated? That’s what our ”experts” fail to realize when they recommend crating… They expect to deal with behavior problems for almost two years. I expect to deal with behavior problems for two days. And I don’t use ANY corrections. You want to get your dog housebroken? Here’s my housebreaking advice. I suggest you read the full text in the Wits’ End Dog Training Method manual available for free at http://www.doggydoright.com HOUSEBREAKING The more you try to "housebreak" her, the more she will do it, and you will never get it done. Here are directions that will quickly get you in good shape with her, but you must follow the directions exactly. Part of the solution is to teach the dog to relieve himself on command, so that the dog knows the purpose of his trip outside, and that he’s got two minutes to relieve himself. That can be done in a couple of days, with a determined effort to supervise and walk the dog as needed when appropriate breaks are necessary, or when the dog shows signs that he needs to go out. Two minutes of standing in one appropriate break area, without walking or talking (which would will only distract the dog.) The request to take a break, should be asked, and if the dog sniffs the ground he should be praised. If he looks around at the birds or other distractions, a second request to take a break should be given. If he sniffs the ground he should be told he’s a good boy,if not, he should elapse the two minutes without walking around and return inside. If he did not relieve himself, constant supervision will be necessary until the dog again shows signs of needing to go. When that happens, it may only be five minutes after having just been out, he should be offered another break, and the same procedure should follow. Two minutes, and that’s it. No more than two requests to relieve himself, and no unnecessary walking. He should be handled on a six foot lead, to prevent hem from wandering around, and getting distracted from his task. You may not have just a housebreaking problem, but also a behavior problem. Every time you react to your dog’s housebreaking mistake, you are reinforcing it as a negative attention getting device. Here’s what you need to do to end your dog’s ability to pull your chain: The behavior is being reinforced when you confront the dog about the behavior. This becomes a vicious cycle, the punishment or scolding only create more stress and anxiety, which may cause other behavior problems as a replacement, even though confronting the dog did seem to "work." Obviously, confronting the dog hasn’t worked, and that should not have been the recommended method to deal with this, or any behavior or housebreaking problem. Keeping the lead on you dog while you go about the house is often recommended, and might occasionally work. You can’t just tie a dog on your belt, and expect him to act like a key chain. The only time the dog should be on lead with you, is when the dog is properly on command. Otherwise, the restriction will cause stress and further promote other behavior problems. How can you deal with the dog tied to you, if you haven’t learned proper lead handling techniques? The pup isn’t a sack of sand, that can be dragged around and dropped anywhere you put it.  Any pulling on the dog’s collar will cause out of control behavior. It’s called the opposition reflex. Now, how do you deal with this? It’s real simple, but you have to not let the dog see your reaction, or he’ll still be "rewarded" for the crime. Ignore the incident. Walk right past the "mistake." It wasn’t a mistake, and you can’t call your physical or verbal attention into the problem without creating more difficulty for yourself. Prearrange a soda can with six pennies in it, in a convenient central location. The can must be picked up silently and unobtrusively, and as you casually, in the presence of the dog, walk by the "dirty deed," you should just ask, "what’s that?" as you subtly drop the can next to the spot, without saying ANYTHING further. Continue doing something else for a moment, and ask the pup if he’d like to do something, like go outside, or anything to get him out of the way, so that you may clean the spot and retrieve the can without him observing and hearing you cuss under your breath about the mess and extra work. When the dog returns to that room with you, he’s going to look at the spot, and look back up at you. You must tell him he is a good boy, and sound like you really mean it. This will blow the dog’s mind, and will render his negative attention getting device that he’s using against you, useless. With a couple of examples of this, the dog will begin to search for other ways to command your attention. Hopefully, he will pick a positive attention getting device. All dogs need attention. What you need to do, is give him that attention prior to the dog getting into trouble. Any time the dog makes even brief eye contact, or glances out of the corner of his eye at you, that moment requires praise, non physical, unless the dog is right by your side. DRAINING THE SWAMP, AND RELOCATING THE GATORS… J>>> "CUSTOM WILL RECONCILE PEOPLE TO ANY ATROCITY." G.B. Shaw. "I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives."                                              Leo Tolstoy Is it any wonder that the following sig file has generated more complaints to my personal email than any other controversial post I have made to date, bar none?:                                             caveat If you have to do things to your dog to train him, that you would rather not have to do, then you shouldn’t be doing them. If you have a dog trainer that tells you to jerk your dog around, choke him, pinch his ears, or twist his toes, shock, shake, slap, scold, hit, or punish him in any manner, that corrections are appropriate, that the dog won’t think of you as the punisher, or that corrections are not harmful, or if they can’t train your dog to do what you want, look for a trainer that knows Howe. Sincerely, Jerry Howe, Wits’ End Dog Training http://www.doggydoright.com Nature, to be mastered, must be obeyed.                       -Francis Bacon- There are terrible people who, instead of solving a problem, bungle it and make it more difficult for all who come after.  Who ever can’t hit the nail on the head should, please, not hit at all.                      -Nietzsche- The abilities to think, rationalize and solve problems are learned qualities. The Wits’ End Dog Training Method challenges the learning centers in the dogs brain. These centers, once challenged, develop and continue to grow exponentially, to make him smarter. The Wits’ End Dog Training method capitalizes on praising split seconds of canine thought, strategy, and timing, not mindless hours of forced repetition, constant corrections, and scolding.                   -Jerry Howe-

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