Is Dog manipulating me?????

[bubber5]

Hi

I have an adorable sheltie, 1 1/2 years old. Housebreaking issues. When she wants to go out she comes, jumps up on me excited, woofs once or twice. That is great, right? Well, she also does the same thing when she wants to play, for attention, etc. So...........I never really know what she is telling me. I want her housetrained 100% so.........out we go. Sometimes goes, othertimes sniffs, goofs around, looks at the birds, etc. I take her, on long leash and treat her everytime she goes. I say "hurry up". I followed advice and always go with her. If I hook her, she will go out and goof around alone but NEVER will go potty unless I am there with her, treat in hand. There are times I hook her out for frest air (15 minutes), go out, and literally have to say hurry up, etc. and she then will go. There are times when she will go 1 and 2 in the house. Basically, if she has to go, will go in the house. Perhaps she has come to tell me, but I may have thought "she wants to play again" and ignored her. UGH. Help. I would like her to have one way to ask to go out that is not the same as let's play. And, I would like her to go outside without me always being there. I am out, in this cold, every 3-4 hours begging her with "hurry up" It is driving me mad.

 

[Doberluv]

Personally, I wouldn't want my dog to communicate with me by jumping up on me and acting excitably. If it were me, I'd begin a strict routine of ignoring that behavior altogether.

First thing in the morning when you take her out to go to the bathroom, why not put her leash on, walk to the door, ask for a sit/wait (presuming she knows sit and wait) and then give a release word and lead her out. If she is jumping up, don't move or speak to her. Wait till she's calm.

You can teach her at other times to bark on command, "speak!" When she barks spontaneously, start adding the word, "speak." (or whatever word you choose) And reward with a tiny treat. Do that for some time until she associates the word with barking. Then begin this phase: When she barks without the command, do not treat. Then later, you can apply that to when she is sitting nicely by the door. Bark once or twice=opening the door for her. You'll have to use a command for a while....then phase it out by encouraging her to bark only when sitting at the door, but without giving the command. She'll eventually connect the bark with getting let outside.

You can also attach a bell to the door and put a tiny dab of peanut butter on it. When she licks the bell, it will jingle and you right away open the door. Eventually, you'll stop using peanut butter when she makes the connection that the bell ringing opens the door.

But, I would discourage that jumping up on you as it is disrespectful from a dog and I would think, not very pleasant. This will take a couple of weeks for this jumping up to extinguish since it has been working for her all this time. But if you're consistant by not reacting to that behavior, it will go away, especially since you are going to be giving her an alternative behavior which will get her what she wants.

In general, try not to react to everything your dog instigates...not to an extreme, anyhow. This teaches the dog that she controls many of the life situations in your family, where it should be you (any human) who is acting and she, who is reacting.

 

[jamiechew]

have you tried telling her to go pee or go poo (or whatever words you want)? do you take her out at regular intervals instead of waiting for her to let you know? I have always taken my dogs out on leash at regular intervals and they have just known that this was the time to do their bathroom thing..