98% Housebroken, But Doesn't Ask To Go Out?

[Guest tinams8]

Lucy has been with us 6 months. Since I already had Sienna, she just went in and out during normal let-out times or when Sienna asked to go out. Instant housebreaking. The problem is, she hasn't figured out how to ask to go out. She has had three accidents, spaced months apart, I believe as a result of this. Tonight I caught her circling in a spot where she has had an accident before. I put her out and she had to go. The other two accidents no one was home, but this time I was sitting right there.

 

She knows what it means when I talk about going out, as well as other normal dog vocab. She whines and carries on when she is hungry, or when she wants me to wake up, or she wants to go for a walk. So the concept of asking for something is there. How can I teach her to ask to go out?

[OwnedBySummer]

Summer doesn't ask, either. I've also heard and read that greys have a particular tendency NOT to ask. I suppose since they grew up never asking, that many of them just don't do it. So I keep my eye on the clock for her.

[DesiRayMom]

DedsiRay doesn't ask either.....we're just on a RIGID schedule. He KNOWS when it's our scheduled time, & heaven help me

if I'm in the middle of something & want to wait 15 min.

[winnie]

Only 2 of our 4 will ask to go out. I suppose 50% is better than none.

[Guest mountain4greys]

None of my 6 greys asks to go out either. Never did. They have been here long enough that they know the routine, so we rarely have an accident. But every now and then.....

[Guest SilverGlass]

Has anyone ever had experience with hanging a string of bells on the door?

 

I read about doing that a few years back, but never actually tried it and wonder if it actually works.

[robinw]

It's been my experience that they do ask. You just need to know what to look for. The signal can be really subtle and you may need to watch them carefully to see if you notice the subtlest change in behaviour or signal.

[Guest Bamn]

She is asking - in her way My kids don't ask but I have learned their behavior when they really need to go. Every dog is an individual and they seem to have their own potty behavior. I know this is no help but at least you know you are not alone!

[Sambuca]

When I first got Bu he didn't "ask", but I could tell by his behavior. He would pace a bit and look uncomfortable then he would start playing in front of me and get me to play. So, I was able to tell when he had to go. Now, he'll pace a bit and if I don't pick up on that, he'll whine at me. If you watch her, you'll start to see signs.

[cleptogrey]

Has anyone ever had experience with hanging a string of bells on the door?

 

I read about doing that a few years back, but never actually tried it and wonder if it actually works.

 

my dogs ring the bells to go out. easy to teach them. but watch out....felix now has learned that he will get my attention ringing the bells. he will ring them to have the blanket put on the couch(rings and then walks up to the couch and stares, rings and walks back to the couch until the cover is on!) and this morning rang it at 6 am. so, dh let him out and back in, then came back to bed. well....felix rang the bell non-stop since he wanted to get into bed and couldn't unlatch the gate to the bedrooms(that's another story).

 

so,yes, it works....almost too well!

 

pm me if you want instuctions

Edited January 7, 2011 by cleptogrey

[Guest mcsheltie]

With a new dog (I consider 6 months still new) every time they get up from sleeping I put them outside. With a GH that isn't very often I do this until I am sure they are totally reliable. I've had Lira since May and she will still pee in the house if I am not paying attention. When she gets up, I get up! And she hasn't had an accident in seven months. But I just "know" she is the type who would pee on the floor, while some of the others would explode before they would.

 

Sniffing the floor, circling, sometimes just a glance at the door. To us dogs use such subtle body language. But what seems so subtle to us is screaming to them!

 

I have a friend who has a cow bell on her door. She said each time she was letting them out she would give her cue word and ring the bells herself. Soon after the dogs would go to the door and nose them out of curiosity. She would say the cue word, praise, treat and let them out.

[Guest Hoolyghans]

 

my dogs ring the bells to go out. easy to teach them. but watch out....felix now has learned that he will get my attention ringing the bells. he will ring them to have the blanket put on the couch(rings and then walks up to the couch and stares, rings and walks back to the couch until the cover is on!) and this morning rang it at 6 am. so, dh let him out and back in, then came back to bed. well....felix rang the bell non-stop since he wanted to get into bed and couldn't unlatch the gate to the bedrooms(that's another story).

 

so,yes, it works....almost too well!

 

pm me if you want instuctions

 

 

My Abba is impressed. She would like a set of bells installed asap.

I think they may be related. If the blanket on the couch is too rumpled for her liking she will stare and whine until someone fixes it to her liking.

[Guest sweetpea]

Tonight I caught her circling in a spot where she has had an accident before. I put her out and she had to go.

 

This is her asking. Didn't you get the memo?

 

My girl is on a schedule, 7 am, noonish, 4pm, and 9pm.

The only time we vary from that is when she's on medication that makes her pee (ie prednisone), or

when I have her on a bland diet (which has more moisture in it than her regular kibble.)

 

I think if you pick a schedule, and stick to it, you'll find your accidents go away.

 

Good luck!

 

Buzzy

[Guest tinams8]

Has anyone ever had experience with hanging a string of bells on the door?

 

I read about doing that a few years back, but never actually tried it and wonder if it actually works.

 

my dogs ring the bells to go out. easy to teach them. but watch out....felix now has learned that he will get my attention ringing the bells. he will ring them to have the blanket put on the couch(rings and then walks up to the couch and stares, rings and walks back to the couch until the cover is on!) and this morning rang it at 6 am. so, dh let him out and back in, then came back to bed. well....felix rang the bell non-stop since he wanted to get into bed and couldn't unlatch the gate to the bedrooms(that's another story).

 

so,yes, it works....almost too well!

 

This is what would happen in my house for sure. Sienna would have us waiting on her hand and foot, while Lucy was off circling on the rug...

 

Ok, so watch her more closely is the answer! She spends plenty of time outside so that isn't contributing to it. Today she had been out no more than two hours earlier. Although if she is hungry, she just stands on the porch and waits to go back in instead of peeing, which I just noticed a few weeks ago! First thing in the morning she does that, after waking me at 6 am. :rolleyes

 

Thanks for the answers, even if they are not what I hoped for.

[OwnedBySummer]

When I'm housetraining any dog, I always go outside with them every time. And I do this for a few months. Summer has now learned to pee on command, which is exceedingly helpful!

[NeylasMom]

Has anyone ever had experience with hanging a string of bells on the door?

 

I read about doing that a few years back, but never actually tried it and wonder if it actually works.

 

my dogs ring the bells to go out. easy to teach them. but watch out....felix now has learned that he will get my attention ringing the bells. he will ring them to have the blanket put on the couch(rings and then walks up to the couch and stares, rings and walks back to the couch until the cover is on!) and this morning rang it at 6 am. so, dh let him out and back in, then came back to bed. well....felix rang the bell non-stop since he wanted to get into bed and couldn't unlatch the gate to the bedrooms(that's another story).

 

so,yes, it works....almost too well!

 

This is what would happen in my house for sure. Sienna would have us waiting on her hand and foot, while Lucy was off circling on the rug...

 

Ok, so watch her more closely is the answer! She spends plenty of time outside so that isn't contributing to it. Today she had been out no more than two hours earlier. Although if she is hungry, she just stands on the porch and waits to go back in instead of peeing, which I just noticed a few weeks ago! First thing in the morning she does that, after waking me at 6 am. :rolleyes

 

Thanks for the answers, even if they are not what I hoped for.

Fear not, you can actually teach her to give a signal!

 

Just pick something you would like to use as a signal - vocalization is easiest but since she already does that for other things it may not be ideal for you. Then again, if you establish it as the signal to go out, she may quit using it in other situations. Otherwise, you could use something like going to the door, but obviously vocalization is ideal in case you aren't in the room.

 

Anyway, once you have your signal established, wait for her to do it. Immediately leash her up and take her outside and ask her to go potty. When she goes, praise and reward (preferably with food if she's food motivated) then right back inside. There's no other interacting during this time, no playing, no attention, it's all business aside from when you are rewarding her so it's clear what the purpose is. That's why you will also want to keep her leashed.

 

Just keep doing this EVERY time she does the signal. Eventually, she will connect the dots adn at that point, you will be able to let her into the yard off lead or whatever to do her business because she'll be asking at that point. Does that all make sense?

[TheFullHouse]

I have a bell hanging on my door. Some of my dogs use it and some will bark or whine at the door to go out. They learned the bell on their own. Every time they hit the bell with their nose, I opened the door and let them out and praised them when they came in. Pretty soon the freaking bell was ringing all the time! Thankfully some learned to vocalize their need to go outside so it doesn't ring as much (thank goodness). When you have 10 greyhounds, that bell can ring a lot!

[Batmom]

I thought about a bell for one of my dogs but never implemented it. Instead, I ask if they want to go out any time they're up on their feet and not doing something purposeful (getting a drink, barking at passersby, etc.), and any time they're seeking attention (playing ostentatiously, coming up for cuddles at odd times, etc.). Gidget will bark when she has to go, Joseph doesn't but somehow always makes clear that that's what he wants.

[Pepsi2004]

Some never learn to ask - you just have to watch for the signs - I have one that goes and walks around the back door area when he needs to go out - just have to be vigilant. Sometimes, I will get the eye too.

[LBass]

Mine are good about letting me know when they want to go and I'm good at watching for their cues. Piper stands at the door, gazing at the back yard, when he wants out. If I don't immediately leap up to let him out, he walks away from the and then carefully walks past me to again stand at the door. Of course, sometimes he is just standing at the door to look out without wanting out. If I open the door for him then, he looks at me as if I am the densest, silliest human he's ever seen.

 

MoMo seldom asks but she has also never had any kind of accident in the house. She will sometimes stand by the door asking to go out but usually just goes out when one of the boys is going anyway or at one of the times that I actively put them all out to potty.

 

Spirit is an odd duck. After about a year with me he was still not asking to go out. He is my problem "child" in that he sometimes marks in the house (new items) and very occasionally urinates in the house for no discernible reason--presumably because he needed to go out and I didn't get the message. I had such an odd and interesting experience with him. One day a few months ago I was talking to him at the door to the backyard. I told him yet again that "pee belongs outside". Then I said, "I'll let you out any time you need to go. Just let me know. Go stand by the door and I'll let you out.". I did NOT expect anything to come of that request. Low and behold, from that day forth, Spirit began to go to the door and look over his shoulder at me, asking to go out. I remain amazed and very pleased with my odd smart boy.

 

So, I guess in terms of advice, pay attention and you may see some cues that are being given but knot yet recognized.

 

--Lucy

[PrairieProf]

I thought about a bell for one of my dogs but never implemented it. Instead, I ask if they want to go out any time they're up on their feet and not doing something purposeful (getting a drink, barking at passersby, etc.), and any time they're seeking attention (playing ostentatiously, coming up for cuddles at odd times, etc.). Gidget will bark when she has to go, Joseph doesn't but somehow always makes clear that that's what he wants.

 

I like this. I've learned that pacing and being more active at an unusual time are Beth's main signals for needing to go. The only times she's ever had an accident in the house (three times during the first four months or so after I brought her home) were because I hadn't learned this yet. She's on a schedule too so now the "need to go out" behavior almost always involves her having D. A week or so ago she was playful and barking after dinner when she's usually in a coma, and just didn't settle down, so I took her out ... sure enough, we had a little incident stemming from those nasty treats the folks at Petsmart had given her earlier in the day. Once in a while she stands facing the front door, but not always....

[Guest cwholsin]

I know a lot of people are happy enough having their dogs on a schedule and not giving much of a signal when they need to go out, but I feel that learning a signal to go out (used in conjunction with a schedule) is an important skill for a dog to learn! I've read really good things about using a bell, and sometimes you can teach a dog to whine or go to the door when they need to go out. Hermes is still working on it. Sometimes he will go to the door and we praise the crud out of him for responding to "Outside?" in that way. Those three seem to be the most common, though: Bell, whine, going to the door. Take your pick of which you'd like to teach!

[Guest tinams8]

Thanks for all the advice! I think I'm going to watch her closely and ask if she has to go out whenever it looks likely. Maybe she is giving signals, but not right at me. That's very likely. They also go in and out enough that it's possible she doesn't need to think about it. Sienna is very good at asking and likes to go out a lot as long as it's not raining. I'm going to pick up bells also. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Guest Sweetreba]

I have had my dogs for two years. Reba never gave any clue she had to go out and she would go in the house if I did not keep the schedule. Never poo just pee. Petey learned very quickly (Don't ask me how) to cry or howl at the door. First he would go to the door and if I was not around he started the whine then it escalated to the howl. About two months ago Reba started coming to me, I thought to be petted. I then realized she was not settling down so I asked if she had to go out and I would get up and she would run to the door, which shocked me. Now if I am not paying attention she started whining and sure enough thats what she wanted. I still find an occassional accident but she is learning from Petey to ask. She saw him whine and I got up and let him out and now she is doing it but it took a year or more. In the summer we are on regular scheduled walks because I live in a condo. In the winter I let them out in the fenced patio area. The summer they have to rarely let me know because we do our walks.