***Potty Training??

[welsummerchicks]

I hope you have a lot of success with the dog, and really enjoy her. It's so much fun to have a dog you can take anywhere, stay in a hotel with, go visiting friends. Though in a hotel, I'm scared to death some staff might let the dog out of the room, so I put them in a crate in the hotel room. But I try not to leave them in the hotel room for long. Once I came back and the staff had the room door open and was merrily cleaning the room, thank God the dogs did not wander out - since then I've used the crate.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

This is a high-energy working dog. They need LOTS of exercise. I'd say more time outside & more frequent bathroom breaks. The Border Collie & the Australian Cattle dog don't make the best indoor dogs due to their high energy levels. Is there any way you can leave it out for long periods of time? If so, I think you & the dog would be happier.

 

[BeccaB00]

Quote:
Nope. call me crazy, but shes not allowed outside with-out a leash. She, just what you should expect a bored border collie/cattle dog to do, goes on the hunt for kitty poop, dead critturs, and anything she can eat, and she runs off to my neighbors yards. So I'm trying to exersize her myself daily, whether its biking or agility. we dont have the money to get a $1.000+ fenced in yard either..

 

[sourland]

Do you know about crate training? It is the most effective way of house breaking a dog. In my experience hitting and yelling at dogs for urinating/defecating in the house accomplishes nothing more than creating a scared neurotic animal. They do not have the capacity to understand why they are being hit. Do a search on crate training.

 

[arabianequine]

Technical again,

You don't have to swat or shove the dogs face in the pee or feces just very close and say no then take the dog outside. Use common sense you know. Everyone has their right way of doing things so you may do some of the suggestions but not all of them and that is ok. Find the method that works for you and your dog. No one dog is alike and different things may work for different dogs and owners. I don't like my dogs in a crate all the time....but I do have a fenced yard. Agree to disagree!

Good luck!

 

[sourland]

Arabianequine, nothing technical.

Did you miss "in my experience"? What works for one person may or may not work for another. In my experience negatve reinforcement is not a good training tool for any animals.

 

[welsummerchicks]

I feel the same way. Instead, I like to structure the situation so the dog succeeds.

But in my experience, actually there's more to it than what works for this dog or that or what one's personal preference is.

I've never actually found any adversive methods of housebreaking to actually give the same results as consistent crate training - the dogs are simply not as reliably house broken. The training drags on and on, and the dogs simply aren't as reliable.

I'm constantly being asked to help people fix dogs they've used adversive methods on - punishing, yelling, smearing their faces - and those dogs are still poohing and peeing in the house when they are months and even years old. It has been many many years of seeing this, to the point that I simply don't believe these methods produce as reliably trained a dog.

Or, I can crate train, and have a puppy, that at eight weeks of age(or within a few days of whenever I get him), is ringing a bell to go outside, and never makes any mistakes in the house - not one. I prefer that.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

Quote:
THIS IS ABUSIVE, AND A HORRIBLE AND FILTHY THING TO DO TO ANY PUPPY!!!! IN addition there is HITTING???? NEVER DO THIS TO ANY PUPPY!!!

Steps to housetraining:

SUPERVISE and confine your puppy so that elimination inside the house is impossible or unlikely. IGNORE mistakes that you find after the fact. Go out with the puppy for ALL outdoor elimination. Each time the pup squats, name the behavior while it is happening. Do not name it UNTIL it happens. So while the pup is peeing or pooping, I stand nearby and say "go pee pee" or "go poop" while it's happening. Immediately when they finish give them a very tasty food reward. Save your BEST stuff for this. Leftover bits of table meat, strong smelling cheese, etc. After 14 days of naming the behavior, most puppies will eliminate on command. Continue rewards outdoors, going WITH the pup. Then you can go to rewarding her when she comes back in, with you observing from indoors.

PUNISHMENT for mistakes inside the house will not help ANY dog get housetrained. They get trained in SPITE of this, not because of it. Punishment will only teach the puppy to hide from you when they need to go.

4 months is still a BABY, no matter what sort of puppy it is. Elimination is a natural and pleasurable experience for a puppy. Puppies should be taught KINDLY how to earn rewards for outdoor pottying. Indoor mistakes are ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS the fault of the HUMAN, not the puppy..

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[thebritt]

Redyre - the op said they've HAD the dog 4 mos, but it is now 1 yr old. However, they got it from the pound, so it may never have learned to go outside. Maybe the previous owner punished the dog? In any event, I agree with you 1000%. And YOU, of all people know how this potty-training thing works!!!!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Redyre.....have you had any experience at this?