Toiletting Cues

[dirtychicken]

I'm a little bit stuck as to where to go with this

 

If it is a dry day and the back door is open, Bran will *always* choose to go outside to toilet. He will also now only toilet on grass rather than on the patio/pavement/whatever else that isn't grass.

 

However, if the back door is closed, he gives no clue as to whether he needs to go out or not. I make sure that he goes out regularly anyway and that he goes out straight after feeding, but I feel that what I am doing is still housetraining management rather than the fact that he's grasped what it's about, if that makes sense

 

If the door is shut and he decides he needs to pee, he will usually go to the bottom of the stairs and pee there, but there are no indications as to what he is going to do. He will be mid-wrestle with Flora, then just go out, pee, go back to wrestling. Or wake up from a nap, go out, pee, come back in and go back to sleep Because it happens randomly, I can't really anticipate when it is going to happen.

 

So, firstly, is there anything that I should be looking for? He doesn't dance about, whine, bark, pace, go to the door, nothing. Although, if he's in his crate overnight then he will whinge to be let out for a wee in the morning.

 

Secondly, is there any way that I can train a cue to him to let me know when he needs to go out and what is the best thing to use?

[Rudi]

I've not had a puppy that asks to go out but they do generally give subtle cues, such as circling, sniffing, changing their tail position and stuff. I think they're like children in that they just wait until the last minute for a pee and end up not leaving enough time to get to the right place to go unless it's easy e.g. door wide open. The penny will drop in time though, I'm sure

 

Puppies often wee after they wake up, it might be worth taking him outside straight away. You could perhaps try crating him when you can't watch him like a hawk so you can monitor him. I don't think it hurts older puppies to be told a firm but gentle 'no' if you catch them in the act of peeing in the wrong place, they can be put outside and praised when they go out there.

 

You could use a clicker or clicker word to shape his behaviour to perhaps paw the door or bark at it when he wants to go out.

[purple_mog]

I use a word cue for Finn - "hurry ups" just coz my family has always used it! We paired it with when ever you take the doglet out for a wee etc but its easier when you are supervising the toilet trips if that makes sense? and saying it as they start to go etc and adding in rewards as usual... Finn did get it very quickly although he will never ask to go out he does pee and poo pretty much on command

 

Farah being deaf has a toilet signal (my hand close to the ground doing a little circle motion) and I used to 'cheat' and take her out to where Finn had peed, then do the signal on that spot and usually she peed

 

Of course now if I say hurry ups it causes a rush to the back door

[sanrossscot]

I also use 'hurry up' as my command, it doesn't sound silly when you use it in public

[dirtychicken]

We do have a command for getting him to wee on command which is a bit hit and miss at the moment I use "on the grass" just because that's what we used to use for my childhood dog and I don't know why we used that phrase for him either

[Sherlock Bones]

I use "in the garden" cos, like you it's what I used with my childhood dog and it stuck with the five dogs since. Muppet has got it already. Except that, at the moment, he likes to go "in the garden" and then come indoors and pee on the floor. I'm hoping this is a phase... I think like purple mog says, going out and doing the silly what a good dog voice when they actually do go outside at 5am is the key, with treats if necessary.

[yena]

I normally take Dilys out when she's suddenly stopped playing and starts to sniff around. To get my lot to wee, I put my arm up and point my fingers at the garden and say 'go wee'

[Judith gsd]

We used to have one dog trained to "be quick" and one to "hurry up", but now we tend to use just "hurry up", especially now there are 3.

Unless busy sniffing, (which I suppose means they are thinking about going) they normally will go on command, but by saying "hurry up" when they are sniffing, it reminds them to get on with it. What a topic!

[dirtychicken]

I've just spoken to Fi about this as well and she's made a good suggestion. When I'm letting them out on a regular break I tend to say "do you want to go out the back" and they'll race to the back door. She's suggested that instead of just opening the door at this point, that I try and get Bran more excited and see if he'll either get to a point where he barks or spins or something, although obviously not leaving it so long that he pees before he gets out! If he offers a behaviour then I'll try to build on that.

 

Once he's outside, he's fine. If I offer to let him out, he's fine. It's just getting him to let me know that he needs to go out in the first place that's the problem Boys

[ReikiAnge]

I may be strange (ok, maybe that's not a maybe!) but I've never relied on my dogs to let me know that they want to go out. Sometimes they do tell me - M-M is probably about the best at that as I'll notice her going into the kitchen and understand what she wants. Although it doesn't necessarily mean she wants a wee, it may mean she *needs* to go foraging for apples With Max I tend to note that he's gone quiet , which is the reverse of the other times he wants something, and then I'll find him waiting by the back door.

 

With M-M, I just let her out very frequently at first and gradually reduced the frequency down over time.

 

I teach mine "toilet" for actually going outside, but I only ever use it when they're outside and going - I introduce it when they are "mid-flow" so that they associate the cue with the right action. I use the same command for wees and poohs.

[dirtychicken]

Ok. So the "getting him excited at the back door" plan isn't working However excited I get and dance around he just stands there and looks at me going "any time you're ready, mother"

[blackmagic]

you could teach him to ring a bell

 

http://www.traininglines.co.uk/erol.html

[dirtychicken]

you could teach him to ring a bell

 

http://www.traininglines.co.uk/erol.html

That looks really good! And it's portable so we can take it when we go visiting or camping! Hmmmm.............

[safneo]

I teach mine "toilet" for actually going outside, but I only ever use it when they're outside and going - I introduce it when they are "mid-flow" so that they associate the cue with the right action. I use the same command for wees and poohs.

 

I taught both of mine their 'word' while they were actually in the act so to speak. I always used to escort them outside and say 'wee wees' when they were doing whichever (same word for both). When they had finished they got a treat. Then when in the house I'd start saying 'do you want a 'wee wee' as we were heading towards the door. As I'd stood up they were already going in that direction. This progressed to saying ' do you want a wee wee' before I got up and dogs heading in direction of door. They have both kind of picked up that if they want to go the stand in front of me and face the door to go out now.

 

Sarah, do you clicker train? Might be worth giving that a go if you do.