Exercise R Us

Question:

Quote: I thought she was just being plain old stubborn, when I should have been praising her for waiting patiently to have her feet wiped! Well, bless her little heart! Reminds me of the story about the cat who always went to the cat food cupboard, got knocked in the face when it was opened, and stood so that the dumped cat food landed on her head. ALWAYS. Far as she was concerned, this was how you got dinner. Jane Webb M&M

Response:

Quote: t least I  won’t feel so darn guilty about forcing her inside on a beautiful day From her actions, she really wants to be with you. She wants *you* to be outside with her.  Hook a leash on her and keep on playing — being out there — whatever. Then, when it’s time to go in, grab the leash and haul her in. This isn’t pleasant, but she will learn that you mean business. Hey — old lady or no, (and I have an old lady too, and it’s tempting to let them get away with stuff) she  isn’t the boss. Jane Webb Moonpie and Mudpie (who you callin’ old?)

Response:

Quote: she sits staring at the door as if she wants to come in. I’m always out with the dogs (no fence), but Mudpie gets tired before Moonpie does, so I let her in. Mostly, Moon and I stay out and play a bit more. But if I’m busy, Moon has to come in, too. I’ve gone in and watched out the window, too — she sits, waiting for me. Doesn’t go anywhere, doesn’t do anything. Sits with stick-out ears and neat feet, watching the door. Obedience training is the answer. If I just say C’mon in, she doesn’t. If I stand formally facing her, and call Moon, Come! she does. Jane Webb Moon and Muddy

Response:

Hello again! I just had to share my discovery and solution to this problem, because I think it’s so cute. As it turns out, my dogs behavior is actually something that I unknowingly taught her to do! In the fall, we used to take walks in the park, and her feet would get all muddy. So before she was allowed in the house, I would make her wait outside the door while I went inside to get a towel to wipe her feet. And I guess that ritual has become so much of a habit to her, she now won’t enter the house after being outside for a long time until I wipe her feet! I discovered this yesterday after she decided to nap in a mud spot, and she did her same little routine (I call her, she comes 5 feet from the door and stops.) After wiping her feet, she trotted right on into the house without even looking back! Just goes to show you…..sometimes you gotta dig a little deeper below the surface to find an answer. All along, I thought she was just being plain old stubborn, when I should have been praising her for waiting patiently to have her feet wiped! Now if I could just teach my kids to be as polite….. -Sharon

Response:

Sharon posted a second message: >Okay, I’m getting lots of great suggestions, but most of them are suggestions >on how to solve the wrong problem. Fencing my yard…yes, I would love to, >but >I >don’t understand how that would help convince my dog to come inside when I >want her to and she doesn’t.>>

becoming road pizza.   Training is still necessary.  My sister has a 12 year old dog like this – I find it incredibly annoying, and potentially dangerous. Does she come to you when called otherwise (when you are doing other things in the yard – not asking her to come in)? > I guess I should have mentioned in my original >post that my dog is an old lady, and she hasn’t dashed off after a squirrel >in >eons. The >thought of her doing that is actually quite humurous. If I thought for one >milli second that there was even the most remote possibility she would run >away or something, I would never let her outside off the leash.>>

statement?: >I can’t leave her out there by herself because the yard >isn’t > fenced. >The suggestions I like best so far is to fence the yard and getting a doggie >door. Although this won’t correct the problem, at least I  won’t feel so darn >guilty about forcing her inside on a beautiful day.>>

attached to the dog and left to drag.  When you want your dog, go to the end of the line (15, 20 ft…) and call your dog.  No INSTANT response?  Correct her and reel her in, praising her as she gets to you under her own steam.  Comes up until 5′ away?  Use the leash to reel her in the rest of the way.  Try calling her and praising wildly when she comes, and then releasing her to hang out again.  Don’t make the result of coming ALWAYS that she has to go into the house – make it rewarding and varying. A dog without a reliable recall is always in danger – even if they flee out of fear rather than wanderlust or such.  Be careful out there. Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" "Read your question for the obvious answer"

Response:

Okay, I’m getting lots of great suggestions, but most of them are suggestions on how to solve the wrong problem. Fencing my yard…yes, I would love to, but I don’t understand how that would help convince my dog to come inside when I want her to and she doesn’t. I guess I should have mentioned in my original post that my dog is an old lady, and she hasn’t dashed off after a squirrel in eons. The thought of her doing that is actually quite humurous. If I thought for one milli second that there was even the most remote possibility she would run away or something, I would never let her outside off the leash. Pretty much all she wants to do is lay under a tree and take in the sights, or follow me around while I’m gardening. She’s not allowed outside unless I’m going to be out there too. And then she doesn’t want to come back INSIDE. I really hate to punish her for this behavior, because as I said, this is the first time she’s ever had a yard she can call her own. The suggestions I like best so far is to fence the yard and getting a doggie door. Although this won’t correct the problem, at least I  won’t feel so darn guilty about forcing her inside on a beautiful day. Thanks again. Sharon – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hello. > It’s spring, and I bought a house in fall, so for the first time in my doggies > life, we are not living in an apartment where I have to put her on the leash > to take her outside. We actually have our own little yard to play in! And she > loves it. The problem is, now she won’t come back inside without me dragging > her. It’s so annoying. I’ll call her > and she’ll come about five feet from the door and sit down. If I reach out to > grab her, > she’ll lay down. I can’t leave her out there by herself because the yard isn’t > fenced.I have tried it, just to see what she would do, and she sits staring at > the door > as if she wants to come in. (I can see her through the window.) > But then I open the door, and she starts her little game again. She gets > PLENTY of outdoor time, we were outside for over 6 hours straight on Sunday > while I was doing a landscaping project. Lately, I’ve been picking her up and > carrying her inside, but I’m > sure that’s not the right solution. Bribes don’t work either, she’d rather > stay outside > than have any old treat. Right now I’m just kind of hoping that as the weather > turns > progressively hotter, she won’t be so eager to stay outside and will take any > opportunity > she can get to come back inside a cool air conditioned house. She didn’t do > this in the > winter when it was freezing, she always ran out, did her business, rushed back > in, so > I guess I’m just hoping this is a phase. But if anybody has any suggestions, > I’d love > to hear them. > Thanks. Sharon

Response:

if your dog won’t come inside, keep him locked up in a 3′X3′ box for about four months. make him a shit hole on the side, and a feed/water hole on the other one. if he starts biting, kick him in the face with an iron boot to let him know who’s boss. when you let him out, he should run around in circles for about a year or so, which will keep him from running long distances and running away from you. BTW, he will probably not be able to go over 2 feet without turning in a circular motion. cool, huh?!

Response:

>Hello. >It’s spring, and I bought a house in fall, so for the first time in my >doggies >life, we are not living in an apartment where I have to put her on the leash >to take her outside. We actually have our own little yard to play in! And she >loves it. The problem is, now she won’t come back inside without me dragging >her. It’s so annoying. I’ll call her >and she’ll come about five feet from the door and sit down. If I reach out to >grab her, >she’ll lay down. I can’t leave her out there by herself because the yard >isn’t >fenced.>>

recall (she doesn’t!), then you shouldn’t be letting her out off leash.  Every time she fails to obey, she continues to learn that she doesn’t HAVE to.  One of these days she won’t come at all – not even close to you, instead — running into the street – please don’t let that happen! <<……, and she starts her little game again.>. don’t let her continue to ignore you.  TRAINING is necessary before letting a dog who has this behavior, off leash.  Build respect through subtle ways (Terry Ryan’s "ALPHAbetize yourself), in order for her to respect your wishes. > Right now I’m just kind of hoping that as the >weather >turns >progressively hotter, she won’t be so eager to stay outside and will take any >opportunity >she can get to come back inside a cool air conditioned house.>>

this dog who makes the rules.  She clearly doesn’t think you rate highly enough to be listened to.  Go back to the beginning and remind her that you are in charge (make her wait at doorways, for food, "nothing in life is free", etc).   Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" "Read your question for the obvious answer"

Response:

Hello. It’s spring, and I bought a house in fall, so for the first time in my doggies life, we are not living in an apartment where I have to put her on the leash to take her outside. We actually have our own little yard to play in! And she loves it. The problem is, now she won’t come back inside without me dragging her. It’s so annoying. I’ll call her and she’ll come about five feet from the door and sit down. If I reach out to grab her, she’ll lay down. I can’t leave her out there by herself because the yard isn’t fenced.I have tried it, just to see what she would do, and she sits staring at the door as if she wants to come in. (I can see her through the window.) But then I open the door, and she starts her little game again. She gets PLENTY of outdoor time, we were outside for over 6 hours straight on Sunday while I was doing a landscaping project. Lately, I’ve been picking her up and carrying her inside, but I’m sure that’s not the right solution. Bribes don’t work either, she’d rather stay outside than have any old treat. Right now I’m just kind of hoping that as the weather turns progressively hotter, she won’t be so eager to stay outside and will take any opportunity she can get to come back inside a cool air conditioned house. She didn’t do this in the winter when it was freezing, she always ran out, did her business, rushed back in, so I guess I’m just hoping this is a phase. But if anybody has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. Thanks. Sharon

Response: