Loses concentration

[JR0579]

OK ... I am going absolutely crazy because of this issue. Well crazy and nearly freezing to death

The issue is I take Roy out to poop. If anything or anyone moves or walks by he just forgets why he is out there. A leaf being blown by the wind is a rascal that deserves chasing and killing. Someone passing by is worthy of 110% of attention. He just stands there staring at that person until he/she disappears.
Then the wind blows, let's check what kind of smells the wind is carrying. He stands sniffing the air as if trying to detect an alien coming to earth from outer space. Of course all the time I am standing there in temp. well below zero especially at night. What blows my mind away is that sometimes he's actually squatting and ready to go and all of a sudden something or someone gets his attention and all is forgotten.


Any ideas to help me would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Saje]

LOL Mav was like that as a pup. He would only pee/poop once we got to the beach. There was no going out of the apartment and coming right back in. It was always a long walk. And sometimes he wouldn't go until we'd been moving for 1/2 an hour.

Edit: Sorry that wasn't helpful. The only thing I can think of is to reinforce how good it is to go pee and poo with lots of praise and awards.

 

[ToddPugLover]

I agree with Saje. Praise praise praise.

I've also read that associating a word or phrase, like "Get Busy" while your dog is elminating is a good thing. Once the phrase is associated, then you can encourage him with it while he is just wandering around.

 

[JR0579]

I did all of that. The word is "Hurry up" and he knows what it means because until the age of 6 months he was OK. I also praise and give him treats.
Now, sometimes he actually circles about 7 or 8 times gets ready to go and all of a sudden "Naaaaaah, I like the freezing wind and I'll let that guy enjoy it too so let's sniff the air again or look for a bad leaf to chase and kill"

I don't mind him taking his time even in cold weather but it's just that I am in rush to get to work in the morning. Someone is gonna say "wake up earlier"
I did. I used to wake up at 4.45am and feed him around 5.15. Now I wake up at 4.30 and feed him 4.45 .... so that's 30min.

 

[Geo]

Taking Care of Business...

You have a nice looking dog. Since he was quicker when a puppy, but now takes more time as he interacts with his environment, I would just say that he is more aware, now that he is a little older. Remember, he is a protector and territorial. Naturally, he is interested in everything that moves around 'his' area. In a way, you should be pleased at his attentiveness. Do you have a protected area, not visible from the street, where you can take him to 'hurry up'? Have you considered clicker training, increasing the desirability of the treat(s) as he speeds up his business? I would search for some positive ways to get the conduct you want, but I sure would not scold him for being alert to his surroundings. Also, as he matures more he will better distinguish between insignificant distractions and important work you and he need to do.

Geo