Dutch Shepherd Forum

Hey everyone, it's been awhile (life sure does get busy)! I can't believe Ciara is a year old already. I have an issue that I thought I'd run by everyone:

Ciara has always been good about letting us know when she has to go potty. Potty training was really a breeze for us. However, she has found a way to thoroughly frustrate me. She really starts to whine when she has to poop. Normally, she poops twice on our morning walk, once in the afternoon, and after she eats in the evening. So I figure she's on some sort of schedule. Well, here's where I start to grate my teeth: when I'm home during the day, she starts to whine. I take her out and she starts to (excuse my language) f*** around and do everything else EXCEPT poop (sniff around, stare into the distance, roll in the grass, etc). Sometimes she even goes to squat, then a breeze passes, and she stops. I can't begin to describe how infuriating it is!! Normally, I would say "Well fine, then she doesn't go out until after dinner!"...except she'll whine and whine and whine. In the end, I end up taking her out 2-3 times before she'll do anything, and to be honest, I think she's being dominant!

A friend of mine said that he was told to give a dog 5 minutes to do their business. If they don't go, then they go in the crate for 15 minutes; after 15 minutes, take them out again. If they still won't go (after all the whining nonsense), back in the crate they go. I don't want to use the crate as a "holding cell", but at the same time, I can't get any work done when she starts carrying on like she does.

Has anyone else had this problem? I feel like I'm gonna break a tooth from grating my jaw!

When you take her out, is she on lead? If not I would go back to the lead, take her to her "Spot to Potty" and keep her in that spot---no wondering, sniffing the wind, playing, or walking farther than the lead will allow with YOU standing still. I use the verbal "GO OUT". If nothing happens in 2 to 3 minutes, or Immediately if she's obviously just wanting play time, then yes, back to the crate--even if they GO, I still take them back in, just not to the crate, and praise/treat. If you don't want to use the crate, maybe put her in a down/settle someplace else.
I Believe play time should be in a different spot, and when You choose--not when she does.
Just my

She's definitely on lead (we live in a neighborhood where it's a regulation, plus I don't trust her off leash ). I do try to take her to the same spot and REALLY try to associate "GO POTTY" with both the leash and that spot. I like the idea of the treats. My boyfriend and I have talked about having treats with us to give her immediately after she goes, but truth be told, I ALWAYS forget, and that's my fault.

I appreciate the input! I was going nuts!

I use treats when they're babies, but wean off of that as they get older, because they'll ask to go out to pee (even just to dribble) just to get the treats. They're freaking smart.

My rule is only empty dogs get to play, so my dog has to eliminate before any playing or training outdoors. I say this only because it ends up reinforcing the overall elimination cue you should be using.

I agree with your friend; take her out, give her a few minutes, if she doesn't go when she told you she needed to go out, then into a crate for a while, or take her back in and just ignore her totally if you don't want to use a crate (his technique is more appropriate for when you're crate training/housetraining a puppy, and you've just taken it out of the crate after having been in there a while, and you're taking it out to do its business before doing anything else).

At her age, she's messing with you. She may be bored, and while she uses the whine to say "gotta poop," it also gets her outdoors, and she may be using it to say, "really want to go out and get some stimulation please." Remember, they don't speak English (or any other language besides canine ).

Now, #1, I am assuming she doesn't have any health issues. #2, I am assuming she only gives that whining signal (at least, up until recently) when she has to poop, in which case she chose the signal, and uses it for that specific meaning.

If yes to both, she's messing with you, and probably just bored. You can't ignore her the first time, since it may be valid (if she ever gets sick, and has to go off schedule, or for any other reason, well, you'd better have taken her out ), on lead (you're doing that), to her potty place, only for a few minutes, then if she doesn't go, inside, ignored, and don't taker her out again until it's your choice.

leih merigian wrote:I use treats when they're babies, but wean off of that as they get older, because they'll ask to go out to pee (even just to dribble) just to get the treats. They're freaking smart.

My rule is only empty dogs get to play, so my dog has to eliminate before any playing or training outdoors. I say this only because it ends up reinforcing the overall elimination cue you should be using.

I agree with your friend; take her out, give her a few minutes, if she doesn't go when she told you she needed to go out, then into a crate for a while, or take her back in and just ignore her totally if you don't want to use a crate (his technique is more appropriate for when you're crate training/housetraining a puppy, and you've just taken it out of the crate after having been in there a while, and you're taking it out to do its business before doing anything else).

At her age, she's messing with you. She may be bored, and while she uses the whine to say "gotta poop," it also gets her outdoors, and she may be using it to say, "really want to go out and get some stimulation please." Remember, they don't speak English (or any other language besides canine ).

Now, #1, I am assuming she doesn't have any health issues. #2, I am assuming she only gives that whining signal (at least, up until recently) when she has to poop, in which case she chose the signal, and uses it for that specific meaning.

If yes to both, she's messing with you, and probably just bored. You can't ignore her the first time, since it may be valid (if she ever gets sick, and has to go off schedule, or for any other reason, well, you'd better have taken her out ), on lead (you're doing that), to her potty place, only for a few minutes, then if she doesn't go, inside, ignored, and don't taker her out again until it's your choice.

Well said. That's exactly the way it should be done.

Good advice from everyone.

While you are working on the confinement/specific amount of time techniques, also be addressing the fact that some more mental and physical stimulation when she isn't demanding it may reduce things greatly. Have her work for her meals with a food release toy, ramp up her exercise and try some trick training. A frozen Kong before you sit down to work can provide hours of independent entertainment.

Loving all of these tips! Thanks everyone!

I think she's messing with me, too (the answer to both of Leih's questions are: YES!!) She's already cranked it up this afternoon. She's in the crate for a few more minutes, then we'll try again.

saraandciara wrote: I think she's messing with me, too (the answer to both of Leih's questions are: YES!!) She's already cranked it up this afternoon. She's in the crate for a few more minutes, then we'll try again.

You've really gotta laugh, it's so funny how smart they are (tho don't let her see/hear you laughing )

I especially hate it when they pick the absolute worst times to pull this stuff...and of course, they know when those times are, too

Looks to me she`s got you well trained!

"A frozen Kong before you sit down to work can provide hours of independent entertainment."
I am a newbie and have a 6 month old female DS. She has a kong but I have never frozen it. She chews like crazy and can go through just about anything I give her. My question is...do you put anything in the kong before freezing?

I know I'm going to get some sneers and jeers for this but, I like putting a combination of peanut butter and ez cheese in it before I freeze it.

Leo would do anything for cheese, he'd go through hell for cheese , and pop up on the other side with satans pants in his mouth.

I usually put a couple of big pieces of boiled boneless chicken into the kong - wedged in tight so they're hard to get out. If I do a good job, it can keep Zane busy for hours. Though, on the too smart for their own good side of things, Zane has figured out that the best way to get chicken out of a kong is to bring it to us and act like he wants to play fetch so we'll throw it and make the chicken fall out.

You can also put your dog's normal dinner in the kong (assuming you do a mix of wet and dry foods) and either freeze it or not.

Drizlaru wrote:I know I'm going to get some sneers and jeers for this but, I like putting a combination of peanut butter and ez cheese in it before I freeze it.

No sneers here. I used to rotate Kongs and keep 2 by the sink. Every night those would get stuffed with leftovers (avoiding the toxic stuff, don't worry) and then throw them in the freezer. Usually, I also stuff a small piece of cheese in the small end so I could fill it with water and rest it in a cup while it froze. Hours of entertainment while I was at work and they were crated.

There are entire "cook books" dedicated to various Kong recipes

Christie M wrote: (avoiding the toxic stuff, don't worry)

Those leftovers would be saved for us humans, right! That's how it is here!

I had an idea , what about a kong stuffed with hamburg to freeze?

I've done it with canned food, so I'm sure it would be the same. Cool idea.

Drizlaru wrote:I had an idea , what about a kong stuffed with hamburg to freeze?

I do it that way for Lyric, and it does work well.
I mix in some finely chopped veggies and a bit of rice and give the frozen Kong as one of her meals.

That's awsome, I must try it!

I would love to get Ciara into the Kong toys again! Maybe I'll pick one up this week.

I take Duke out and we typically run and play freely for a few and walk to a certain corner of the yard, he does his business then we play some more, but I throw in a couple of tricks and treats. before sitting on the front porch a few more minutes to wind down before going in. When he's in overdrive mode "most of the time" this takes ten minutes or so, but other times he's quick about it and walks right back in the house with me. I hope this keeps up, but It's been less than two weeks that we've had him so we'll see how it goes. Just those darn rabbits. They are our potty nemesis.