Whining And Jumping

[Guest aowam]

Gable anticipates walks right before it is time to go. In the mornings,the goal wake-up time is 6:00am. He gets up around 5 and starts wandering and whining, nose whistling outside my door; he'll do this in 15 minute spurts with increasing intensity to barks and yips...the pitiful kind. I've tried the ignoring thing (it used to be 4am that he'd start the whole process), and the alarm clock thing but I seem to have hit a plateau. The problem is that I can't tell if he is having an emergency needing to poo or pee. 3 times he's been unable to hold it and actually peed (or marked?), so I've had to put a belly band on him which so far has done the trick, and sometimes he poops almost the moment we get outside (still going through finding the right food) which means he had to go. Like this morning: the whining escalated to these horribly desperate-sounding barks and I couldn't stand it and had to get up and take him out around 5:40...turns out he didn't need to go that bad. Just being annoying.

 

How do you tell the difference?? Just totally ignore it and hope he doesn't pee somewhere?

 

A seperate problem is that he gets so totally excited when I go for the leash or when people come over that he jumps on people. Big dog jumping on unsteady grandparents is not ideal, that's for sure. Any tips on how to discourage jumping?

[Guest june]

Do you have a fenced yard? Sounds like he does have to potty sometimes. First option I would use when he starts whining is to let him out to potty, bring him back in and go back to bed. Do not talk to him, pet him or give him any attention. Even if you can't go back to sleep go back to bed so this says to him, "This a potty only time." If you don't have a fenced yard the same thing only on leash. Harder for you but he will get it eventually. Just remember no petting or talking or any attention except maybe a good boy when he potties.

 

I do this with my girls if they wake me early. They have learned that waking me early does not mean they get fed or walked, but it is a potty only experience. It is amazing how seldom they wake me early now.

 

My dogs do not get the leash put on until they either sit or stand quietly. Does not matter how long it takes they have learned that if they want to walk they must stand or sit still. Takes lots of time and patience but it does work.

 

The easy answer for him jumping on people is to put him in another room until things have settled down. Then quietly bring him in on the leash and correct for anytime all 4 feet are not on the ground. No petting or attention from guests until he is calm. This is a process and your guests will have to cooperate. I actually had neighbors come over several times through the day to practice this with one dog until she got it. Again, lots of patience.

[Guest SusanP]

It sounds like he really does have to go at around that time in the morning. I would just let him outside (or walk him quickly outside if you don't have a yard) and delay a real walk til later. We have seniors, here, and some of them need to go out at odd times, one can't hold it if she has to go. So we get used to quick trips out front on leash for the one who is reluctant to do stairs, and midnight trips out back for those who don't mind the stairs.

 

A good walk late at night *might* empty him out better, but sometimes they just have to go when they have to go.

[Guest jbbuzby]

As for the jumping and getting excited, I have taught my dogs that we go NO WHERE when they behave in such a way. I turn my back on them, and tell them to go lay down or "go place" on their dog beds. Only once they are both there and settled do I leash them up, and they must wait for me to say, "Ok!" before we can go. Once they've learned, it's automatic, and they are glad to do it! It makes it a lot faster now, without worrying about crazy jumpy doggies.

[Guest aowam]

Thanks! I will have to try the down trick.