Puppy Cataracts

I'd stick her nose in it, give her a smack, yell like a maniac, lock her out with no dinner for the night, clean up the mess, open beer.

When she pees on the carpet and you give her dinner as a result it rewards and reinforces the action of the dog. You need to make the consequence of the action not favourable. She'll learn pretty quickly even if shes a bit spiteful that peeing on the carpet causes trouble for her, not dinner. She also needs to remain at the bottom of the pecking order - you control the meals (top dog).

As an aside, my parents have a dog that does similar but not for food. It takes about 2 psycho episodes from me before she gets the message to bother going outside to the toilet when she comes to stay with me and its all sweet from there.

Thankd for all the comments. Doggie normally has a chicken wing for breakfast and a mix of dry and wet doggie food in the evening. She goes outside to eat the chicken wing and I don't see her for 45mins.

So from now she will get a cup of dry food for brekkie, then at dinner time she can get the chicken wing which will keep her occupied for long while and with a bit of wet can food in her bowl keep her quiet for a bit longer.

We will see how that goes.

Diana thanks for the tips - I have already picked up on the contrast issues and try to keep the floor clear. I have also put some night lights in the halls that through shadows on the steps so she can see the contrast in light on the steps.

Cheers

Garry

Doggie now gets banished to the laundry with her dinner at 5.30 - she has access to the backyard via a doggie door. After I have my dinner and have cleaned up she is allowed back into the house - all OK so far.

The only issue, she makes her displeasure known at being excluded with all her loud sooking and howling. However I think this will subside once she understands what the new routine is.

Garry

I doubt at 14 years old the peeing on the carpet whilst waiting for dinner is out of spite. I'd say its more excitment about impending meal missed with old age and fading bladder control

My parents have a 13 year old beagle that has always been obsessed with food. He now displays similar behaviour to your dog around meal times (minus the peeing on the carpet)

My Mum's solution is to find him twice, before and after thier dinner, He thinks he's getting twice the food, but in reality he get two half serves.
He also get feed around 1730 and 1930, when he was younger dinner time was always 1930.

Keeps him quite and stops the begging at dinner time.

Our mastif X is now 5 and very vocal around dinner time. He now gets put outside as soon as my wife start preparing dinner. As soon as he hears the plates hit the sink the act starts, the sad face, the whining, the trying too look as malnourished as possible.... I ignore it till Im ready too feed him but I suspect on the 2 nights a week that Im away for work wifey crumbles and feeds him straight away :angel:

If get up first in the morning he doesnt move off his bed until I grab his bowl but as soon as my wife gets up he's 2 inches behind her lingering waiting for his breakfast:D

As with most dog behavioural issues (not that this is a major one) it seems mixed signal from the Owners is the main problem:wasntme::p

I worked with a woman ho's Persian cat would pull the doona off her bed if she wasn't home at exactly 17:30hrs to feed the cat! :o

Since the last post on my dog - I have tried a couple of things with some success.

First was taking doggie and her food down to the laundry where she has access to outside and leaving here there until after I had dinner and cleaned up - worked OK but doggie was not happy at all and made everyone in the neighbourhood well aware of here unhappiness.

The second is what I am doing now - at 5.45 I take doggie outside for a wee wee which she does happily. She is content when she comes inside but I make sure she is fed within 30 mins and I have mine soon after - all has been great since then.

Touch wood.

Thanks for all the advice.

Garry

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Slunnie

Quote:

---

I'd stick her nose in it, give her a smack, yell like a maniac, lock her out with no dinner for the night, clean up the mess, open beer.

---

Smacking a dog is not the right answer to any training. Neither is depriving it of its food, and dominating it by forcing its head down and rubbing its nose in it

Quote:

---

When she pees on the carpet and you give her dinner as a result it rewards and reinforces the action of the dog.

---

You need to make the consequence of the action not favourable. She'll learn pretty quickly even if shes a bit spiteful that peeing on the carpet causes trouble for her, not dinner. She also needs to remain at the bottom of the pecking order - you control the meals (top dog).

agree with this but not the rest

As an aside, my parents have a dog that does similar but not for food. It takes about 2 psycho episodes from me before she gets the message to bother going outside to the toilet when she comes to stay with me and its all sweet from there.

---

Lucy has totally hit the nail on the head I was going to say almost exactly the same thing in regards to the excitement but I was only going to add that perhaps due to her age she is not so good at holding that excitement in, she may not be incontinent but doesn't mean to say her bladder is as strong as it used to be.

I don't think dogs are clever enough to be deliberately spiteful..they can be naughty and cheeky but not spitful....with any sudden changes in behaviour (good or bad) that are out of the norm for a dog you know so well there is usually a reason for it. quite often its US that are the problem..the way we perceive these behaviours and the way we deal with them at the time..

more often than not it exacerbates the behaviour:)

Very informative comment - I do think dogs can be vindictive if they do not get their way but of course there is no way to prove it - except through knowing and observing your own dog.

I don't think there is an excitement issue but rather an expectation issue. Also as indicated, she is not incontinent ,she also does not loose it if she gets excited - she easily holds it in in 6 hour trips in the car - when she gets excited she does not pee but she does forget she is 14yo and thinks she is a pup and runs up the stairs (usually trips) followed by a trip to the vet to get anti inflammatory drugs.

She has two meals a day and the morning meal is no issue - as soon as the sun goes down (5.00 in winter, 9.00 in summer) she starts to become restless and starts walking around and wimpering asking where dinner is but doesn't do it for breakfast where she either gets leftovers from the night before or a raw chicken wing - breakfast food is much yummier than dinner food for her.

I know some will think she does it as she excited to get dinner but I still think it is out of frustration that I will not give her dinner when she wants it - also she does not like dog food - human food for her - of course she only gets human food if there are left overs and even if the doggie food is out (except for mushie can crap) she leaves it until she understands there is nothing better on offer. Her favourite human food is Maccas.

Thanks for all the comment - very informative.

Cheers

Garry

That sounds like one VERY spoilt dog there Gary...hahahahahahahah:D

ideally you shouldn't feed human junk food to a dog...well most human foods shouldn't really be given to dogs as they don't break down the fats that are present in our foods easily I'm led to believe.

Also dogs dont really have much concept of time. so a breakfast will not necessarily lead to anticipation like an evening meal will because and evening meal can be associated with it getting dark, hence the anticipation.

did you notice whether the behaviour has increased as the nights are getting earlier?
My dogs do exactly the same thing by the way, they get fed at 7 but as soon as it gets dark to them its feed time so start getting restless around 5:30.

Also garry I did actually say that you said she wasn't incontinent, was just pointing out that as dogs get older they may not involuntary wet themselves but can sturggle to hold on as long as they did as young dogs.

But leading back to my theory were we need to take a look at our selves I think one of the biggest problems garry maybe the way you treat your dog. A little too like a human perhaps???

However it does sound like your on the right track in regards to taking her to the toilet first...and then giving her a meal. by doing it that way your rewarding her for the toilet that she is doing outside of the house. at least your taking a very positive approach to things:) good on yeah!!

You're probably right - have never tried to treat her as a human and as a result she has tended to know her place etc - however from time to time the resolve does fade when she looks at you with a stupid look on here face and she used to sleep on the bed but is now too old and fat to get up.

I used to feed her after I had my dinner - mainly because some expert said that to feed dogs before you would give them a superiority complex and making them wait until the "A" male had his fill is what would happen in the wild. So she has always been used to later times for feeding and after me. However as she got old she would clearly get anxious for dinner when the sun went down - so 5.30 - 6 in winter and 8-9 in summer. The problems only started a few weeks back and I am not sure what has triggered it but taking her outside on dark and feeding her seems to be working - she does seem less anxious.

Thanks for your comments - very helpful.

Cheers

Garry