From: mlhb@mammoth.dr.att.com (54626-BonhamM(DR2020)214)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: The Puppy from Hell
Date: 24 Jul 92 22:54:11 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.202510.4293@newshost.lanl.gov>, davids@gardener.lanl.gov (David Simmons) writes:
|> 
|> In article <1992Jul24.174444.11289@cbfsb.cb.att.com>, millios@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (william.l.millios) writes:
|> |> Ok, I knew I wasn't long on patience, but *this* has gone
|> |> too far.
|> |> 
|> |> In the space of 2 days, my puppy has learned:
|> |> 1) that if she runs at a very specific angle, and rebounds
|> |> off the deck seat (which is nailed into place, hence cannot
|> |> be moved) she can make it over the fence
|> |> 
|> |> 2) that if she pees her crate, I immediately let her out of
|> |> the crate (to clean it, of course); therefore, when she wants
|> |> to come out of the crate, she pees in it.
|> |> 
|> |> I have dealt with the first problem by totally blocking off
|> |> that section of the fence (when you take into account the
|> |> seat, the height of the fence is effectively 12 inches).
|> |> 
|> |> How do I deal with the second problem?  I am getting tired
|> |> of cleaning the crate, the floor, etc.  I had to clean it
|> |> 3 times last night, and 3 times the night before.  
|> |> 
|> |> It's not a question of she can't hold it, because sometimes
|> |> she's only in there for 30 minutes.  On the other hand, she
|> |> holds it all day while I'm at work.  It's only when I'm
|> |> *there* that she does it.
|> |> 
|> |> Help, O Oracle.
|> |> 
|> |> Bill
|> 
|> Sounds like you've (inadvertently) reinforced the "pee in the crate, get
|> let out" behavior.  Next time she pees in the crate, leave her in there
|> for some length of time.  The old "you made your bed, now lie in it"
|> approach.  If you *stop* reinforcing the behavior of letting her out
|> if she pees in the crate, and *start* reinforcing the other behavior,
|> she will follow.  With puppies, positive reinforcement works MUCH
|> better than negative, so rather than punish her for the "bad" behavior,
|> reward her for doing what you want.  In our house, we have 3 levels of
|> reaction "SUPER dog!" for good beahvior, NO REACTION to negative behavior
|> designed to simply get our attention, and "NO!" for destructive or
|> clearly not allowed behavior.
|> 
|> 'fer instance:  When you let your puppy out of the crate and she HASN'T
|> peed in it, give her LOTS of praise.  If you let here out and she HAS
|> peed, then no reaction (remember the 3 second rule--if you can't correct
|> the behavior within 3 seconds of its occurance, wait till next time because
|> the puppy won't connect the correction with the behavior).  Keep at it, 
|> and she'll figure it out.  

Not true!  As long as there is evidence of the behavior, you *can* correct the
puppy.  I *know* this is not what most trainers say, but my experience (and the
trainer, Job Michael Evans, coauthor w/ Monks of New Skete, How to be your Dog's
Best Friend) says otherwise.

I personally would let a puppy "stew" in it a bit.  Dogs and puppies find it
extremely distasteful to sit in one's own excrement.  If you follow that up with
the proper correction -- point at the puddle and say "No!  Bad puppy!  You should
be ashamed of yourself!"  Then, if the puppy is messy, I would give it a bath. 
(Most dogs don't like baths).  The puppy will associate bad things with urinating
in the crate.

Every time the puppy does not urinate in the crate before you let her out, praise
her.  She will then associate not urinating with good things.
  
|> 
|> The most important thing is to be CONSISTENT with her.  Leave no doubt
|> about what is good and what is bad.  It should never change (ie, getting
|> on the sofa is sometimes okay, sometimes not will confuse the puppy).
|>

True.
 

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