Disobedient as soon as I turn my back? (clean, poop, skin)
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My dog is very obedient when I'm watching her, but if I let her out of my sight for more than a minute or two she'll get herself into trouble. She's not afraid to break the "rules" my wife and I have established if no one's watching her. For example:
-I might go take a shower (5 mins) and I when I get out I'll find her rolling around on the couch. She's never been allowed on the couch.
-I might step into the garage for a minute, and when I come back inside she's managed to grab a book off the bookshelf and start eating it.
-I've trained her to do her business in one corner of our yard. If I'm not out there physically standing there watching her, she'll do her business wherever she pleases.
-She's not allowed in the kitchen. If I'm walking away from the kitchen, she'll hang back maybe one out of 15 or 20 times (instead of following me at my heel like usual) and quietly go in the kitchen to get at the trash or lick the floor.
One more:
-When I tell her to go to her crate, I taught her to go sit and wait for one of us to come lock her up. If I'm home, she will go and wait for me, whether it be 30 seconds or 15 minutes. If she thinks I've left at any point (if she hears the front door close) before closing her crate, she comes bolting out looking for trouble.
Admittedly, these are minor annoyances at most. However, it indicates a fundamental hole in her training. She thinks that as soon as my back is turned the rules no longer apply. Is there a way I can convey to her that the rules still apply regardless of whether I'm looking directly at her or not? I hate to lock her in her crate just to do something quick like taking the garbage out, but if I don't she get's into trouble.
You are giving her freedom before she is ready. Take it back for a while until she is trustworthy. You could put her on a 6 or 10 ft leash and tie it to you or the doorknob of whatever room she is in. For now she has learned that she can do whatever she wants when you are not around. Continue training while she is being tethered. When she sleeps or you leave the house, she goes in her crate.
There is quite a bit you can do to help her learn and I'm sure you will be getting a good deal of great advice here. You can start with NILF which is Nothing In Life is Free. Everything must be earned. Your attention, walks, her dinner, etc.
How old is she? If she's a puppy it sounds pretty normal to me and she should grow out of it. You may need to crate her while you take out the garbage or take a shower until she's older. When mine are little, that's what I do. I also think it's better not to tell her to go to her crate until you are ready/able to follow her and close the door. IMO you're not going to get 100% obedience in a puppy and more than you will in a toddler. Also if you're only letter her potty in one area of the yard, I'm assuming you're scooping that daily. She's not going to want to potty in a place that's soiled.
Are you playing with her and giving her plenty of exercise and attention? That will also help with her excess energy.
She's 7 and I adopted her about 4 years ago. She's always been a bit sly/sneaky about getting into trouble, but I've noticed it has happened a little more often recently. The behavior issues aren't really that big of a deal, but at this point I'd never be able to let her be free in the house when I'm gone. I feel bad crating her whenever I can't watch her like a hawk.
She gets plenty of attention and exercise. She definitely doesn't have excess energy. If she runs around the yard for 10 minutes she'll be fast asleep afterward. She's not rambunctious or anything. She just has learned that all bets are off the second I look away.
Even if you feel bad, it's best to crate her when you can't watch her. Better that, than have her eat something out of your garbage that's doing to hurt her or make her sick. Even book covers and pages have chemicals to bind the paper together in the paper-making process.
As for her doing her business in the "spot" in the yard, make sure you keep it clean. They don't like to go where they've gone before and they usually are very careful where they step because they don't like stepping on poop. You're just going to have to be present for her while she does her business.
If she gets up on the couch, chances are she was allowed on the couch of the person/people who owned her previously. She's just going to have to re-learn that she can't and you've got to stay consistant and be present to correct that behaviour. Good luck.
A seven year old dog who chews books and "looks for trouble" has pent up energy and frustration.
She needs EXERCISE. WALKING and having interesting smells and sights. LONG WALKS. ENRICHMENT. Running around the yard is not "exercise" and just makes them even MORE neurotic.
A tired dog without pent up energy doesn't look for books to chew. Of course the lack of actual work on her issues and just expecting her to speak English will make everything harder to teach and help her with.
So YOU taught her to go to the crate and followed her to close it.
But when you don't come and she leaves, it's HER fault?
Uh, no.
Never in all my years of being a dog walker and pet sitter and watching thousands of episodes of Cesar Millan The Dog Whisperer did I ever hear of a person who expected their dog to GO to the crate and sit indefinitely until the owner shows up and even SIT THERE hearing the owner leave the HOUSE! . (not including professionally trained dogs)
She's not looking for TROUBLE, for crissakes, she can't watch TV, go to work, go to the movies, talk on the phone.
THIS BORING LIFE IS HER ONLY LIFE. She's trying to find SOMETHING TO DO besides watch YOU living YOURS and ignoring HERS.
Last edited by runswithscissors; 10-16-2014 at 07:16 AM..
She's not looking for TROUBLE, for crissakes, she can't watch TV, go to work, go to the movies, talk on the phone.
THIS BORING LIFE IS HER ONLY LIFE. She's trying to find SOMETHING TO DO besides watch YOU living YOURS and ignoring HERS.
What an incredibly condescending post. You're spewing assumptions and "conclusions" that you've made a huge leap to. I came here asking for advice on training and you lambast me with accusations that essentially mount to animal abuse by neglect. I find that extremely offensive. I'd give you a well thought-out response that refutes many of your insults, but somehow I don't think it would matter. It's not worth the effort.
OP, if you simply read the text without the uppercase, it doesn't sound bad at all. It's just that it seems like RWS is yelling at you. The advice is actually sound.
The dog is bored. She needs long walks outside the yard.
sounds like the op is expecting his dog to be perfectly behaved. the dog does have a mind and personality of his own. so what if the dog goes and licks the kitchen floor? so what if he doesn't stand by his crate for as long as you want him to? the dog is bored and you expect too much. dogs do not have the emotional capability to be "sneaky" you are putting human traits on to your animal.
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