This is Sharpie. Cute, right? Smart as a whip, too. Well, as far as dogs go.But for the past year, I've been dealing with a problem I now call "the poo war".
She's well trained, more than any other dog I know. She can sit, lie down, get my shoes for me, and she knows perfectly well that her toilet is outdoors.
But lately she's been acting out. Leaving her alone is like giving your 5-year-old child full reign of the house. Leaving her on the couch with a toy and the tv on is not enough. She has to go and take a dump in my nice big walk-in closet when I forget to shut her in the living room, as if to say, "Hey Mom! Screw you for leaving me alone like this!" Like taking her out before I leave is not good enough, her poo is too good to waste on that bush outside. It's almost like she's purposely holding in her load and praying for me to leave the living room door open. What a spiteful bitch.
Punishing her has no effect. It only makes her afraid of me for an hour or so, and then she does it again when the next opportunity arises. She's not stupid, she knows it's wrong, but she does it anyway. I'm going to lose my mind if it doesn't stop soon.
How do I break her of this?
6 comments:
Do you watch the dog whisperer?
Check that show out - theres plenty of episodes on youtube - and there'll be an answer there no doubt.
I've heard of it, but never watched it. Good idea, I'll give it a shot. Thanks. :)
I see someone else mentioned the Dog Whisperer above. I have his book, and I think what you're experiencing with Sharpie sounds like what he refers to as separation anxiety. I looked it up, and I'll email the details to you, as it's too long to post here.
Chris
I would go back to step one with housebreaking him. Crate training is THE best thing for your dog. Seriously.
That aside, it could be any number of things. I wouldn't punish him. Better to praise him for doing the right thing than punish him for something he has likely long forgotten. Go out with him and give him a cookie when he goes outside. Make pooping in the yard a happy thing for him. Figure out his cycle.
By feeding him good food at the same time every day and not giving him people food, your dog should be very regular. Encouraging this by taking him out at the same times every day will make it even more so.
He could also be acting out of boredom. If this is the case, I'd recommend some good exercise in the afternoon (or whenever you have time). Making it the same time of day will help him set up a routine. Also, there are some great toys that will give him something to think about. My dogs LOVE something called a Buster Cube. It's a large plastic cube that I put their food in. There's only a small hole, so they have to work for their food. It can take them 15 minutes to eat and makes them happy.
Also, a kong with peanut butter is good, too. :)
Disclaimer: I'm not a professional dog person... just a guy with three dogs who are all pains in the butt. :)
Raivyn,
Thanks for the post again on Sharpie's poo problem. He is adorable by the way. Glad to hear Cesar's methods are working. After talking with you, I decided to add a post about walking on my blog. It's always the simple things that work the best. Our dogs love to please us; it's just hard on them living in our world sometimes. Also, thanks so much for the post about me and my blog. I really appreciate the kind words. You have a very interesting blog yourself, very creative, and although I didn't post comments on your favorite music post, I like your music selections. Keep on rockin.
Chris
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