New Mom Question

[Guest FlosMomma]

We've had Flo almost 6 weeks now and she has only had two housebreaking accidents (when son forgot to take her out and today due to the rain). I tried putting her new rain gear on and then off, tried taking her out 3 different times, I stood out in the rain trying to get her to come twice; but, she still wouldn't budge. The last time she peed in front of the door in front of me inside! How do you get your grey out into the rain?

[Batmom]

Leash and stay out until pee occurs.

 

Most of mine won't "go" wearing a raincoat.

[Guest flighty02]

Declan doesn't like the rain either, come to think of it he doesn't like it if it is windy either, he just stands around looking sorry for himself or tries to steer us back in the direction of the house... we take him out on the leash and persevere until he goes, eventually you realise where their 'favourite' places to go are so try to steer her towards those

[cleptogrey]

leash, umbrella and RAINCOAT! i have one by voyager, it does the job. i also throw cookies out into the yard when the weather is bad, my dogs do anything for a cookie. it works every time, but i do remember using a huge umbrella and standing in the rain saying, "go pee" and then rewarding the pup for it's output.

[GeorgeofNE]

It's partially in your attitude (body language) and tone of voice, IMHO.

 

Rest assured, she was turned out in the rain at the kennels and the track. And she was not wearing a coat.

 

Put on your own gear, leash her up, and tell her in a bright and happy tone, "Let's go for a walk!" You might try taking her for a spin around the block or whatever until she realizes you're not going to buy the "I'm going to melt, it's raining" nonsense! Then she should be good to go in the yard. Sounds like she's testing you to see what she can get away with.

[Guest BrianRke]

Diamond tried to pull this trick often when I first got her. Like the others said, I would just take an umbrella and put her on a leash and we would walk until she did her business, no matter how long it took. Right after she went, we would run back to the house and get a treat.

 

Over time, this has resolved it self. Now I can just let her out back and she will go and come right back in. She will however, hold it, until she really has to go if its raining

[Fostr_Mom]

Yes, what everyone else has said. I noticed with my fosters that for the first 2 weeks, outside means potty. No problems no matter the weather. Once they settle in a bit, I get the "oh, I'll melt" and some resistance. But they find out that they do not come in until they are finished. With my own hounds, I can trust them to hold it. My thunder phobic male will actually go out in a storm if he absolutely can't hold it any more as long as I am with him. Just be firm, they will try to test you.

[Guest Liz_in_PA]

A knee to the butt.

[buddibear]

I drive by Derby Lane every day. A neon flashing sign " Derby Lane, Rain or shine!" They do stop the racing during thunder and lightning!. Pinellas County claims to be the lightning of the US. Do a test drive with the umbrellas,a quick pop open and you might loose the dog.

[OwnedBySummer]

Attitude has a lot to do with it. I EXPECT a dog to come along briskly and relatively cheerfully and so they do. A knee to the butt, as suggested above, is also often helpful.

 

If Summer is going out in the rain, she happily wears her raincoat. But I know that many greys aren't as pleased with clothing. Try without the coat and see how it goes. I also go outside with her, rain or shine. Maybe your pup wants you out there with her?

 

For very light rain, I don't put her raincoat on (although I will have a towel handy). For regular rain, I will put on the raincoat and we'll go into the back yard. If it's bucketing rain, she will be reluctant (I can't blame her) so then I put on the raincoat and the leash and we go out the front door and across the road to the lamp post, where there's lots of pee-mail. She will always go there and then we quickly run back home.

Edited December 27, 2011 by OwnedBySummer

[Guest KennelMom]

Open the door, shove. It's super fun with 14 With the first turnout of the day, I have the momentum of the pack that just takes them all...after that, they're much more cautious. I've learned which can hold it and which won't, so many of them can pick and choose turnouts if the weather is rainy.

 

In your situation, with a new dog there really is no "choice" or "convincing"...you leash them and walk them outside to potty. Might help to give her a quick treat after pottying in the rain or even just going outside in the rain.

[Guest PhillyPups]

Do you mean after three years I shouldn't have to still take DonnieDude out with an umbrella over him?

[philospher77]

Been there, done that. My Katie was pretty agoraphobic when I first got her. I have found, on days that it is REALLY raining, it helps to take her out to the front porch, which has a bit of an overhang, shut the door, and stand there until she decides to dash out in the yard, go potty, and come back inside. I then remind her that she needs to go poop too! She doesn't love it, but will do it, and then she gets toweled dry inside, which she DOES like, so it makes up for having to get wet.

 

The front yard is fenced, or else we would be doing this in the back, without the overhang. It's just that the overhang makes the transition a bit easier, since I can stand out there and only get cold, not wet.

[TheFullHouse]

I open the door, shove them out and close the door and when they go they can come back in. If they're just standing there looking pathetic, I open the door a crack, tell them to go potty and shut the door again. Most have learned now that there will be no going in until they have gone. Eventually they get wet enough that they can't hold it any more (kind of like if you stick your hands in water, all of a sudden you have to go to the bathroom). I keep a big towel by the door to dry them off as they come in.

[Guest alannamac]

If you try the leash walk with umbrella....definitely be careful if she's not used to umbrellas.....my first pup tried to bolt when I popped mine open the first time.

Stupid me, it never even occurred to me that he might not have seen one before or that it might frighten him.

Anyway, the leash walks is what worked for us and evolved into just a quick turnout in the backyard once he got used to the timings for "pee time" rain or shine.

[Guest FlosMomma]

Thanks everyone! I'll try the bump to the butt, umbrella, and leash on the next scheduled turn out. I will let you know how it goes later.

 

I open the door, shove them out and close the door and when they go they can come back in. If they're just standing there looking pathetic, I open the door a crack, tell them to go potty and shut the door again. Most have learned now that there will be no going in until they have gone. Eventually they get wet enough that they can't hold it any more (kind of like if you stick your hands in water, all of a sudden you have to go to the bathroom). I keep a big towel by the door to dry them off as they come in.

 

 

Wow! How do you manage with so many? I am amazed and have great respect for you!

[Batmom]

It took Gidget 3-4 times to learn that she IS going to go out and pee, thunder or not (she doesn't mind just rain too much). Now most times I don't even put the leash on, just pick it up and she knows I'm serious, hurries to a suitable spot, pees, and dashes on in.

[TheFullHouse]

Thanks everyone! I'll try the bump to the butt, umbrella, and leash on the next scheduled turn out. I will let you know how it goes later.

 

I open the door, shove them out and close the door and when they go they can come back in. If they're just standing there looking pathetic, I open the door a crack, tell them to go potty and shut the door again. Most have learned now that there will be no going in until they have gone. Eventually they get wet enough that they can't hold it any more (kind of like if you stick your hands in water, all of a sudden you have to go to the bathroom). I keep a big towel by the door to dry them off as they come in.

 

 

Wow! How do you manage with so many? I am amazed and have great respect for you!

 

I'm retired and stay at home so we have a routine and things go very smoothly around here, well most of the time any way. I have a very stable pack and they all get along very well so it's really not that hard.

[GeorgeofNE]

I open the door, shove them out and close the door and when they go they can come back in. If they're just standing there looking pathetic, I open the door a crack, tell them to go potty and shut the door again. Most have learned now that there will be no going in until they have gone. Eventually they get wet enough that they can't hold it any more (kind of like if you stick your hands in water, all of a sudden you have to go to the bathroom). I keep a big towel by the door to dry them off as they come in.

 

 

Funny Judy and Heather (two of the largest packs on GT) both say the same thing. This must be the Greyhound upper body workout! Shoving dogs out the door in the rain! Feel the burn!

 

[TheFullHouse]

That's just about it Susan, especially when the big boys put on the brakes. Thank goodness I weigh more than they do.

[Guest sheila]

A knee to the butt.

 

this is what I do as well. I once scolded a dog who was resistant by saying, 'You aren't the dang Wicked Witch of the West! I promise you will not melt!! I got the stink eye but whatever. My hounds have come to learn that resistance is futile and they getterdone in a hurry.

[Guest SupersMom]

Diamond tried to pull this trick often when I first got her. Like the others said, I would just take an umbrella and put her on a leash and we would walk until she did her business, no matter how long it took. Right after she went, we would run back to the house and get a treat.

 

Over time, this has resolved it self. Now I can just let her out back and she will go and come right back in. She will however, hold it, until she really has to go if its raining

 

Mine too. Girl will hold it for hours even though we will leave the back door open while it's raining for her. She has recently figured out that she better go as its just sprinkling, or she'll be waiting a while.

[philospher77]

It does help, I think, if you have taught them a pee command. Katie knows that if we are standing outside in the rain and I say "go potty", if she hurries out there, goes, and comes back she will get to go back inside right away. So she doesn't dilly dally when she hears the command!

[heartdogs]

I have a "but I'll melt" girl here but she has learned she can't come in unless her back is really wet. Only time she willing runs out is if she sees the neighbors cat walking by the fence. Most of the others will play in the rain but then we haven't had that much rain recently! I have used the knee to the butt method on fosters many times & they know it's go & you can go back inside.

[kudzu]

We have had this struggle with most of the fresh off the track dogs. Initially is can be a test of wills that is usually only won if the human is willing to outlast them. I have come to find that a raincoat helps most of them. Later they don't seem to need it. I am also a shove them out the door, close it & not let them in until they have done what I sent them out to do. However, ...

It does help, I think, if you have taught them a pee command. Katie knows that if we are standing outside in the rain and I say "go potty", if she hurries out there, goes, and comes back she will get to go back inside right away. So she doesn't dilly dally when she hears the command!

"Go pee" said in a happy voice. If they pull out the pathetic, "You hate us & want us to melt" expression it becomes a very business like, "Go pee." Sometimes I add "Go potty." If I know it is a time of day when they need to do both & the stinkers come running back onto the porch after doing 1 only I stand at the top of the ramp, point out to the yard & say, "Uh uh, go potty." With heads hung low they trot back out & usually find a spot posthaste.

 

My older girl has developed a look that tells me, "I am standing in the yard in the rain because you are insisting I do what I don't need to do & though I have complied as far as returning to the yard we will both be out here for hours if you insist on number two." This is also the same dog who will go out & give a token squat if I ask her to pee but she doesn't really need to. She is also the only dog who is either asked or invited to go out to potty. If she declines I usually give her a pass. I figure she is an adult & knows if she needs to go or not. With age comes privelege.