How can I stop this?

[chugalug]

Thank you for reading this and I would sure appreciate your valuable and expert advise.

I have a 2 year old male labrador. Absolutely gorgeous dog, exceptional intellect and behavior except for one thing. You see, he's a yard dog. He lives in the backyard. It's a large backyard with plenty of room but even still, we walk in almost every day.

The problem that we have is that he constantly wants to climb up on the patio and sit and stare at us through the glass doors. The closer his nose is to the glass, the happier the dog is. The problem with this is the muddy paw prints all over the patio tiles and my family doesn't like being stared at while we go about our lives and when we have visitors, it's downright embarassing. I know the dog wants to come in and be part of the family but that can't happen not now, not ever.

I have been successful to a point in teaching the dog that the patio is a ' no go zone' but as soon as I turn my back, he's back up there. When I walk towards the glass door, he scrams like a bat out of hell because he knows he going to get a loud 'NO' from me so he obviously knows that it's wrong to get up on the patio.

Other than this, for a 2 year old labrador, he's a gem. Doesn't dig or destroy the garden anymore, plays with his toys when bored, doesn't go near the washing on the line so I'm very keen to resolve this.

By the way, the patio is completely open and I don't want to put a fence around it. Has anyone got any ideas how I can keep the dog off the patio?

 

[juliefurry]

no ideas except he should probably be rehomed. I'm not trying to be mean but that is just my opinion. I have an almost year old lab and if she was made to live outside her entire life without coming in she would be destroyed. Labs are extremely people oriented and if they are not with them then they are miserable. That is why he is constantly up on the patio with his face to your windows. He wants to be inside and with his people.

 

[blue]

I hate to join the rehome bandwagon, but either rehome, a lab is very people oriented, or bring your dog onto the patio and maybe one step further and bring him into your home as part of the family.

If you arent willing to let him on the patio and/or into your house and family, get a beer sit down next to him look in his eyes and explain why he cant stay then chug the beer and look him in the eyes again.

 

[chugalug]

I take rehome to mean.....get rid of the dog? I don't think so.

Erecting fencing is the extreme-most option. Not to want to come off sounding disrespectful or ungrateful but that wasn't quite the advise that I was asking for and I apologize for not making that clear so now I will.

 

[blue]

If you are intent on keeping him as an outdoor dog and off the patio get an invisible fence and train him with it to stay out of "no go zones".

Labs are family dogs and are meant to be with the family. Your description of his actions tell me he wants to be with the family or as close as the situation allows.

 

[Zoom]

It sounds to me like the dog REALLY REALLY wants to be with his family. I'd suggest getting some blinds or a curtains to hang over the door if it makes you that uncomfortable to be watched. Or get him a friend so he doesn't feel so left out of everything all the time. Or give him to a home that will let him be part of their family.

My question: Why choose such a people-oriented dog just to keep him at arm's length constantly? What else do you do with him besides the walk? How long are the walks? Do you play with him? brush him? Hunt with him? Or is he just a pretty yard decoration? Why can't he come inside?

 

[filarotten]

It sounds like this poor lab needs love and attention. The bad thing about keeping a dog in a backyard is they are pushed to the side and basically forgotten. Have you taken the time to consider how you would feel if you were in your dogs place? What if he was the one in the house with company and you were locked outside looking in at them. I bet you would be sitting on the patio or jumping on the window trying to get in also. There is more to being a responsible and loving dog owner than just having a big back yard. Your lab deserves a much better life than you are giving him.

 

[chugalug]

If you are intent on keeping him as an outdoor dog and off the patio get an invisible fence and train him with it to stay out of "no go zones".

Labs are family dogs and are meant to be with the family. Your description of his actions tell me he wants to be with the family or as close as the situation allows.

Thank you for replying. I thought I said all this in my original post though I admit, in a really long winded way.

So I guess I have only one real question to put to the Training Forum, how do I train my dog to keep off the patio?

When you say invisible fence, are you talking out the shock collar and the underground wire because I couldn't bring myself to do this. I'd much rather put as much time as it takes for training. It's just that I don't know how to go about it for this particular situation.

As much as we all love the dog, he ain't stepping foot in the house under any circumstance. He's not a surrogate child for us. He's a pet.

 

[blue]

You dont love the dog, and I have said my piece.

 

[chugalug]

You dont love the dog, and I have said my piece.

Errr, that's your opinion. Thanks for dropping in, bye

 

[Zoom]

Letting a dog inside the house every now and again is not treating it like a surrogate child. It's giving it the attention and closeness it's obviously needs and desires.

Get another dog to be it's friend. Dogs, even pet dogs, are social pack animals and depriving them of that socialization is unhealthy for them.

 

[chugalug]

My question: Why choose such a people-oriented dog just to keep him at arm's length constantly? What else do you do with him besides the walk? How long are the walks? Do you play with him? brush him? Hunt with him? Or is he just a pretty yard decoration? Why can't he come inside?

Hey Zoom and thanks for your reply. I was born and raised on a farm and I've had labs since I was a boy. I've nearly constantly had labs my whole life but it's the first time I've had a patio as we now live in suburbia. Walks are an average 1 hour per day at a relatively brisk space so you can do the math on distance. My kids play frisbee with him, he swims in the pool with them in summer, the dog goes with us to watch the kids play sports and he also goes on vacation with us. He gets brushed occassionally but more often when he is shedding his coat. Hunting is illegal here. He can't come inside because that's the way it's always been and that won't change.

So now. I've posted a simple question and instead of getting a single answer, I'm getting all this extreme right wing doggie political correctness. I don't live in an apartment and the dog is a family pet and not a replacement for a child. Sorry if that offends but it's not intended to, merely a description of my situation.

I've provided I think, more than enough background. If you are prepared to help, I would be grateful but if all you want to do is brow beat, I say move on.

 

[Zoom]

Ok, that information does help alot. It did sound like the dog was just in the backyard with very little interaction. You do have to realize that you hold many more of the puzzle pieces to this than we do. For all we know you are a young kid with his first dog or someone who just got a dog on a whim.

I spent quite some time on a farm myself, so I understand the outdoor dog thing.

 

[tessa_s212]

I cannot help you with the training. I can only say that I feel sorry for the dog, and sorry that you do not love him like he needs to be loved. (He is obviously being deprived if all he ever does is sit by the door wanting in.)

A pet is something to love a care for. Caring for a dog isn't just providing excersize, feeding and watering, and giving it a home. Caring for a dog also means giving it the attention it NEEDS, and forming a good relationship with that dog.

I'm usually a very understanding, open minded person, but the fact that you say he MUST stay outside and that he cannot be apart ofyour family appalls me. If you do not want to form a good relationship with this dog, or give it all the attention and love it needs, maybe it would be best to re-home him to a loving family? One that would let him in the house, one that would spend time playing and petting him? If you love your dog as you say you do, you'd want the best for him. ANd right now, from the information you have given us, that surely seems fit as the best option for the dog.

 

[chugalug]

Zoom, at first I really liked your idea about getting a second dog. I read an article on this board about how the canine mind and how pack behavior works. One thing stuck out was the dominant dog and that there are desirable and no so desirable resting places. We had a friend bring over their dog for a visit and a fight broke out because the friends dog wanted to lay down on the patio and stare inside and my dog wasn't happy about that. I just don't think that getting another dog is going to fix the problem and I fear that it may make matters worse given the basics of canine pack behavior.

 

[chugalug]

Tessa, look you don't understand me and I don't understand you and I certainly don't want to understand your point of view. If you don't have a solution, then you are a problem so please buzz off and stop filling my thread with your drivel.

The same goes for the rest of you that have a distorted view of the boundary between human and canine. I'm here looking for an answer and not to listen to you pontificate or to lecture me how I should be loving my dog.

 

[Zoom]

Chug, do make an effort to keep your posts civil. I know you just want help with your dog, but resorting to name calling isn't allowed.

About the second dog. You have to have the dogs meet on neutral ground to start with, not in your dog's favorite place. Go to a parking lot or something similar and introduce the dogs on leash. If they sniff and ignore or sniff and wag tails, that's fine. Just no posturing, raised hackles, snarling, etc. And your dog just may have not liked that one dog in particular. Go to the shelter and pick one out you like and see if your dog does as well.

 

[amymarley]

You have a few options... please don't bash Tessa, she got enough of that from me (inside joke, not very funny, but she means well!). Anyway, you have several options... just got to find the right one for you. First off, no one here "knows" you or your lifestyle. I for one, have indoor pets that have a lovely life, they have a fenced in (huge) back yard and go out when they need to. I like them in my home, sitting by the fire, and hanging out with the family. Then there are dogs that love being outside so I understand that too. If so, and you want this dog to stay out side, I would find another dog that likes it too, that way, they have the company of each other and he may not be so concerned with the patio.

Just a thought...in my own experience with the black lab (with a bit of chow mix, not that you can tell)....was a show, performing dog. To make a very long story short (I will try), I am an animal trainer that performed shows across the country, our goal was to rescue abused, neglected and abandoned animals from various rescue groups..... Needless to say, we rescused a black lab (Duke) that has a bit of chow in him in 1994, he was a bit past 2 years old, and the owners stated he was "untrainable." This dog is now still with me, living in my home....and was the star of the shows. He can do "everything." Untrainable, my butt... he knows voice and hand signals and has traveled everywhere as well as being on t.v. and in news papers.
I guess the bottom line is you need to do what is best for you, and then do what is best for your dog. There is a way to have him as a pet, but please do what is not only right for you, but what is right for him.

We only have one life to live, as far as we know, so let's make the best of it and help the ones we can.
Good luck, let us know.
Amy

 

[amymarley]

Also, when introducing another dog, do it on neutral ground, not your home.... It should not be too hard, your dog is a lab and still young, the aggression thing should be addressed by a professional trainer that deals with aggression.

 

[amymarley]

O.K., just re-read the thread again...
It sounds like you respect this dog...which is still a pup in dog years, and just getting over that hump. Anyway, from reading your posts again, which you wrote yourself, you seem to really care, but from your own words, it sounds like your dog wants to become part of the family and wants to be inside sometimes to interact. That is also part of the lab nature and none of us can change that. He is giving you signals the best he can, telling you what he wants, and it seems he wants to intergrate with your family. Hopefully, you can both find a common ground......Good luck