Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
Advice on house training a dog?
I have a male collie/terrier cross dog and I am having a very very bad time house training him. When he was a younger pup (he is now 1 year old) i lived half with my mom and half with my bf really so he was constantly from house to house. Now though i live in my own home and we have done for several months. Yet he will not go in the garden to do his business. He will bite me if i try to urge himto go into the yard and will jump up at the door scratching and barking to get in. I also think he is suffering from seperation anxiety because anytime me or my partner leave (even if one of us is still in the room) he willget really anxious and run around and bark at us and if we try and keep him in the house whilst one of us leaves he bites.
Themost frustrating thing is when we visit other people like my mom or my bf's mom he will go in their garden and do his business quite happily. I have tried watching him like a hawk and then as soon as he starts to do his business in the house i tell him no and put him in the yard, then when he does it outside i tell him he is good. This hasnt made the slightest bit of difference. When we are out on walks he will happily go outside too.
Does anyone have any advice what so ever that i can try or has anyone had any experience in this area? I have never ever had a dog that wasnt house trained by now and its beginning to become very stressful.
i would just like to add that my dog isnt aggressive around other people. I understand that it is unacceptable for himto bite anyone at all, even if it is just me. But with other people and dogs he is the most amazing sociable dog ive ever known. i would never ever worry that he would bite another person or another dog, however, i do know that it is important to sort it asap just in case.
8 Answers
- 10 years agoFavorite Answer
You need to get in touch with a dog trainer quickly. It is not unacceptable that your dog bites you and very dangerous to him and others in the future if he continues to have that tendency. You are probably right about the separation anxiety but it also sounds as if your dog is not seeing you as "leader of the pack". What you could do is get into the habit of walking outside with him on a lead to start with at certain times of the day...make it a routine. First thing in the morning, regular intervals, last thing at night and when he does his business in those circumstances, give him lots of praise. Make it a fun thing and try to encourage him to enjoy being outside...if he likes toys, leave a few of these around. But I'd definately recommend a session or two with a dog trainer to get the biting issue sorted out asap.
- 10 years ago
He seems like a school example of an aggressive assertive dog. He is doing his business in the house because he has absolutely zero respect for you and your stuff - he simply doesn't care. I think he knows what he's doing and that you don't like it but as I said he does not care and will turn aggressive if opposed or his authority challenged. He has SA because he wants to be with his subordinates (you and your BF) and he always gets what he wants, he probably gets petted on his request and his terms. There is also insecurity since despite all his efforts you still seem to challenge him much to his confusion...
It is very important to know how do you "urge" him to go outside because he may be mishandled and will bite stronger next time until he gets the point through. Try and look at it from his dog perspective.... he is telling you that you're misbehaving and gives a assertive bite, sooner or later he will give you a "consequence" bite which is far more ferocious.
See these links as a very useful reference:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/topdogrules.htm
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/separationanxiety.htm
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/housebreakingmain.htm
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/dominanthuman...
I hope this helps, and do take the matter seriously because it may escalate. Also, a very good tip is to properly control his diet - learn the time between feeding/elimination and accordingly get him outside until he's done.
Often, people will argue that these dominance issues will make things worse - my post will probably get downgraded as well, but I suggest you ignore that. You don't have a champion breed paid 5000 dollars with 200 years worth of genetic history of calm submissive behaviour but more like a untamed wild horse with dubious history. With proper handling though, he will be a perfect dog with a perfect owner - all he really needs is proper, stricter guidance and strong/firm leadership. Every dog is special and some require more guidance than others.
Best luck!
- Anonymous7 years ago
Go here for the best dog training couse http://dog-training-course.checkhere.info/
Since it is obvious that you do not have a clue about obedience training, your services should be for free. You cannot train even an adult dog for 8 hours a day. About the most that can be done at any one time is 10 - 20 minutes and that is with an adult dog and not a puppy. The attention span on this baby is extremely short and training session should be no more than 10 minutes and twice a day. Additionally, there isn't going to be much learned if you will only be training for 5 days. Obedience training is cumulative and is done over a much longer period of at least several weeks to several months.
What you can charge is determined by your experience, reputation, and accomplishments and in a case like this, should also include guaranteed expectations. Just working with dogs over several years, is not the experience that is necessary to be a dog trainer. There are too many people who are putting that title to their name and fleecing the public. Don't be one of them.
- Anonymous5 years ago
Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://bitly.im/aMvwa
A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.
- How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
- Anonymous5 years ago
the first answer you got is how i did it, and i have house trained more dogs then i can even remember to count (my mom was a breeder and we always house broke the puppies, we would do a whole litter at time) It takes a lot of time and determination but they get it and soon enough you will get a break. Just remember to take them out ever 30 min. after they eat and or drink and as soon as they wake up...And Reinforcement is the key, Make a huge deal about telling them no if they go in the house and rush them outside (there were times i remember running to the door with a hand full of pups dribbling all the way) and then big time rewards when they go out side! good luck, and don't worry it is a lot of work but you will get it done.
- Samantha ELv 410 years ago
I think he may be suffering from anxiety brought on by all the moving around & the best thing for him is if you get a routine going & stick to it. Have meals, exercise, mental stimulation, crate time & play all at set times so he knows what to expect in his day to day life. I would get your carpet professionally cleaned & let them know your trying to get rid of any pet odors so they use the correct products to clean it. I would start crate & umbilical cord house training which I will leave a link for you about this training method. Then for a fair period of time I'd have him crated when not tied to me or exercising. You need to have some obedience training as a part of your mental stimulation times too & you find once he's secure in his daily routine & a little better trained you'll see a big difference.
- JosieLv 410 years ago
i dont think this sounds like separation anxiety, he is obviously top dog in the house, dominant over every one else. when you are leaving, he is saying "where are you going? i didn't allow you to leave, i am in charge!" this is what he is doing. he feels out of control as he is trying to take the role of the dominant dog, and when one of you tries to do something he doesn't want you to do, he will get agitated.
he could be scent marking the house due to his dominance issues, if hes not already neutered you could try this. also, make his feeding times scheduled, so you have more idea of when he will need to go. if you have to go out, you could try crating him. clean everywhere he has soiled which animal disinfectant, even if you can smell the urine/feces he can and it will be drawing him back to that spot. just dont give him a chance to have a mistake in the house, take him out every hour and wait with him. he doesnt like being left out as he is not control. this is the issue i think needs seen to first, everything else will follow. you need to make sure he knows you are in charge. biting is not acceptable and if he is doing it to you, it could only be a matter of time before he injures someone else. i would take him to dog training classes, and practise lots of training at home, dont let him get away with any bad behaviour. once this is sorted out the house training should follow.
- Anonymous5 years ago
Among the many important responsibilities dog owners have, training a dog is among the most important. Learn here https://tr.im/dYN6o
Well-trained pets are easier to care for and love, cause less damage to your home (and theirs), and live happier lives.
Dogs send myriad messages with their bodies and their voices -- this is one reason why they're so fascinating and beloved. The more you understand their messages, the more you understand them and how your own messages are being understood.