I think we’ve crossed over a hurdle. There are two reasons why.
Mike’s been on antibiotics for a (possible) infection. Today was his last dose. He went from making multiple small puddles to making single big ones. And today is the second day in a row we’ve not had any (major) accidents. We are still keeping the water up but once we have a few more days in a row accident free, I’ll start putting the water back within reach again. I think the infection has cleared up and Mike is now more capable of understanding what his body is telling him.
The second reason is we think Mike just wants to go out into the dog lot like everyone else. I don’t think he liked going out front, alone, while everyone else got to be off the leash and running around. A few days ago, I took him out the front door. Then, after he’d urinated, we came back in, went through the house to the back door, and went outside with everyone else. Almost every time, he and Sam would go charging across the dog lot and after a minute or less, Mike would stop, wander around for a few seconds, and poop. During the day, he and I still go out the front door except for the first time in the morning, we all go out the back. He gets to burn off energy (after being in his crate for several hours) which prompts him to do his business outside. Then, after dinner, Lorna takes them all out the back again.
We were supposed to see an animal behaviorist Friday but there was a scheduling error. We need to reschedule but we’re debating about whether we need to or not. We probably will, just to get some more input into how to best handle Mike’s late-blooming potty manners.
Regardless, we need to finish repairs on the back dog-ramp so that I feel safer going out there. The top part is safe enough but the second part is steeper and quite “interesting” to use. It kills my knees which is why I only go out there once with him. We decided to not use the front gate because we want to keep separate the “this is for play” and “this is for doing your business”. Mike has to be supervised outside not only to reinforce the behavior we want (doing his business outside) but also because the little snot eats sticks, wood, and mushrooms.
Tags: Housetraining
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Good boy, Mike!
That’s a great idea — out front by himself, then if he’s a good boy, out back with everyone else.
Are you teaching him a “go potty” word? It was helpful at the vet’s when Marley learned to “go pee” on cue.
— submitted February 1, 2009 @ 2:16 pm
We use “hurry up”. Jo never peed on cue, though. I don’t think she knows it means to do it now. She knows it as “this is what we are here to do”. She also knows “are you done?” which means I’m ready to go back in. If she has to go, she’ll get frantic like. If not, she’ll come to me and we go in. I’m working with Mike to do the same thing eventually.
— submitted February 1, 2009 @ 2:30 pm