Too Harsh A Punishment

[ruthless]

Angel wees in the house about once every 6-8wks. We try to keep an eye on her at all times, but sometimes we drop the ball

This morning I got up and found her in her crate with no bed, only the plastic tray. I asked OH wtf he did that for. He said when he was going to bed he found she'd wee'd on Ivan's bed earlier on in the night so she lost her right to a bed last night : I don't dispute that it was her, cause the others hadn't moved from their bed in the lounge all night, but it had happened at least an hour before bedtime.

I was so frickin angry but he reckons that I'm too soft on them and that's why they misbehave

[Luke W]

You OH needs to read some books on animal training and behavior.

For what it's worth his punishment has absolutely ZERO effect on the dogs undesirable behavior unless less it's done during or within a couple of seconds of the act.

[ruthless]

I know that and he's been told that, but he doesn't agree with that theory.

[Rysup]

I know its not going to help teach Angel anything, but if it were me, and one of mine wee'd on anothers bed, then I would take the bed away from the wee'er and give it to the wee'ee (ROTF that is hard to write). But if you had spares, then its not an issue. But around here they only have one bed each, so when one is wet, it has to be dried.

[ruthless]

Ivan would fit in Angel's bed and Ivan's bed wouldn't fit in Angel's crate

We kinda had a spare, but in Trixie's eyes it was her extra matress so she was quite miserable about the whole situation too

[MonElite]

I think you are a combo of too soft and too hard.

I think you spoil your dogs in a way yet if you correct them its also pretty hard.

All in all the dogs get confused and display undesireable behaviours.

[Wobbly]

This is one I read on DOL & used when Jarrah "forgot" her toilet training a few times when we had guests staying.

Make sure Angel is watching you, then scold the wee very, very sternly, get really angry with it (you're probably really angry at the whole situation anyway, so channel the rage at the mess). I felt like a total goose raging away at a puddle of piddle, but Jarrah hasn't "forgotten" her toilet training since.

Edited August 27, 2008 by Wobbly

[Just Midol]

Not to soft.

Your hubby is wrong

[ruthless]

I think you are a combo of too soft and too hard.

I think you spoil your dogs in a way yet if you correct them its also pretty hard.

All in all the dogs get confused and display undesireable behaviours.

I don't spoil them any more Hopefully that means I can look forward to less undesireable behaviours!

[ruthless]

This is one I read on DOL & used when Jarrah "forgot" her toilet training a few times when we had guests staying.

Make sure Angel is watching you, then scold the wee very, very sternly, get really angry with it (you're probably really angry at the whole situation anyway, so channel the rage at the mess). I felt like a total goose raging away at a puddle of piddle, but Jarrah hasn't "forgotten" her toilet training since.

I'm just going to tie the bitch to me so she's never out of my sight!

ETA I mean bitch in the nicest possible sense of the word. I do love her really

Edited August 27, 2008 by ruthless

[Wobbly]

:laugh:

I'm guilty of spoiling Jarrah too, everytime Mr Wobbly catches me giving gratuitous snuggles he pulls me up so I'm slowly learning to make her follow a command before I pet her, it's tough though - such nice soft pettable fur and funny goofy faces when I scratch her behind the ears.

[Quickasyoucan]

Ruth,

I know this is slightly off topic and you have probably already gone into it a hundred times over but have you any idea why she wees in the house?

For the first few months after I got Jake, every now and then if I was slightly (and I mean 20 mins or half an hour) late home from work he would get up on the sofa and wee on top of the cushion where I normally sit. He was walked every day for an hour at about 4.00 pm so he would only have been inside waiting for me for about an hour and a half. He has always had the bladder of a camel (I mean the dog will go and hour hours without needing or wanting to go out for a wee despite encouragement ), so it wasn't because he needed to go.

Someone told me it was dominant behaviour??

Anyway he stopped doing it after a few months. Also when he was still under about 2 he would sometimes wee on people's floor if we went to strangers houses.

Yet to all other intents and purposes he came to me totally housetrained Never once had an accident in any other way.

Is there a certain situation when she is more likely to wee, like if she is stressed or something?

Does she have a weak bladder?

Edited August 27, 2008 by Quickasyoucan

[Erny]

Your hubby is wrong

I agree with LM here. In so far as your opinion of the 'punishment' your OH put out in this instance, I don't think you're too soft either. In fact, I don't even think that what your OH did was a "punishment". For it to be a punishment the dog needs to perceive the action as an aversive for the undesirable action.

[ruthless]

Is there a certain situation when she is more likely to wee, like if she is stressed or something?

Does she have a weak bladder?

We've started NILIF (again ). She was on the dog bed in the lounge and woke up. She came to me and put her head on my knee waiting to be invited up. I ignored her for a while and after a few minutes told her to get back into bed. She did, but got up again a few minutes later and started wandering around. OH got up and let her out the back. She didn't wee. When she came back in and she wouldn't settle so he put her in her crate [which is in another room, but not far from where we were sitting]. He didn't close the door though and she got out and when Ivan came into us a few minutes later I asked if Angel had gotten into his bed, cause he usually wouldn't get up otherwise! A couple of minutes later she came back in and when I put her on the bed with the others she stayed there. I went to bed shortly afterwards and left OH to put the dogs to bed.

OH has the shits cause he gave her the opportunity to pee and she didn't.

I reckon she pee'd in Ivan's bed cause she either had the shits about not being allowed on the sofa or cause she was put in her crate before bedtime.

I have the shits that OH didn't shut the door on her crate like I told him to

She doesn't have a weak bladder, it's definitely a behavioural thing. They're protest wees

[ruthless]

Your hubby is wrong

I agree with LM here. In so far as your opinion of the 'punishment' your OH put out in this instance, I don't think you're too soft either. In fact, I don't even think that what your OH did was a "punishment". For it to be a punishment the dog needs to perceive the action as an aversive for the undesirable action.

Is there an alternative that I can suggest to him? Should there have been no consequences to her actions as we didn't catch her in the act?

[Just Midol]

No consequences at all as you didn't catch it quick enough.

JMO.

[ruthless]

But we never catch her. She's sneaky! She even tiptoes from room to room when she knows she's not supposed to!!!

[The Spotted Devil]

Maybe teach her to toilet on command? Lots of praise or reward with food/toy - it's important to work from the other direction too!

[Silvawilow]

I know its not going to help teach Angel anything, but if it were me, and one of mine wee'd on anothers bed, then I would take the bed away from the wee'er and give it to the wee'ee (ROTF that is hard to write). But if you had spares, then its not an issue. But around here they only have one bed each, so when one is wet, it has to be dried.

I'd be in the same situation too cause I don't have any spares. So the pee dog would lose their bed which I would give to the non pee dog. Besides, maybe your OH was thinking it would be easier to clean up on just plastic if she messed again?

[Staff'n'Toller]

Maybe teach her to toilet on command? Lots of praise or reward with food/toy - it's important to work from the other direction too!

Thankyou!! Thankyou!!

Gypsy has marked on beds outside in her earlier days and I would say it's a dominance thing.

BUT she will toilet inside if she hasn't been outside -why?? Well only a Stafford could know that! Probably grass frosty or wet, wind to cold, too dark out there....the list goes on. She has only ever done this when she hasn't relieved herself outside and she has been a witch and raced back in for her supper without me noticing.

All you need to do is march her back out and tell her to go, that's enough. The fact that she did not settle before OH put her in her crate tells you something is not right with her.

Mel.