Lying about pottying

Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
1,539
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Outside
#1
In our apartment, Pit is very good about telling me if he needs to go out. If he whines at the door, hurry up and run outside, this dog is going to blow. At work he lies constantly and it's starting to waste valuable time.

As soon as we walk into work, he heads to the front door and whines to go out (literally 15 minutes after going potty at home) so I ignore it until he stops. Maybe 45 minutes later he'll whine again at the door, I'll ignore it and eventually he stops. If I ignore him the whole day, he would whine on and off every 30 minutes-1 hour. If I take him out, the majority of the time he just stands there watching people, other times it's just to mark (grr) and rarely but occasionally he will be telling the truth and really REALLY has to go.

I need to figure out a way to get him to stop lying. I can imagine my boss isn't very pleased with me taking my dog out so frequently on company time. Ignoring him works after a while, but the whining in the meantime is probably distracting to others. Should I continue to ignore him and not reinforce the whining by getting him out? He's a very convincing liar; I can't distinguish between genuine and fake pleas to go outside..

Oh, I forgot to mention we have a schedule that worked fine for the first several months. He goes out when we head to work in the morning, out again at noon, and then again before we go home. From then on, he doesn't ask to go out anymore until right before bed. Should I stick firm to the schedule and ignore his whining in between potty times? Thanks for any ideas. :)
 

Dizzy

Sit! Good dog.
Joined
Sep 14, 2005
Messages
17,761
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
Wales
#2
Maybe he is bored? He's learnt whining = outside and outside = fun?

Where do you work?
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2006
Messages
6,444
Likes
0
Points
36
#3
It is probably a result of boredom... does he have things to keep him active... kongs, puzzle toys, etc? Does he get a chance to get out during the day for a walk or quick play time?

The only problem I see with ignoring him is that if he really has to go and goes inside... you cant really yell at him because he asked and got ignored.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
1,539
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Outside
#4
No doubt he's bored. We're there for about 9 hours a day and we only get to go out for a half hour at lunch. I take him out for running and fun after work; I was hoping if he got into that routine, he'd understand to wait patiently throughout the day. For the most part he does sleep, but when he's up he's whining at the door.

I work in an office for a construction company. He's got a dog bed under my desk and the door to outside is right in front of me.

Edit: Oops, didn't see your post PM. He has a couple toys, and he plays with them for a while, but it's never longer than a few minutes. Thanfully even when he really has to go, he has surprisingly good control of his bladder. Even if he did have an accident, I could never yell at him because it would always be my fault.
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2006
Messages
6,444
Likes
0
Points
36
#5
just remember mental stimulation can be tiring too.

Could you skip breakfast or give him less and put the rest in a Kong? Freeze it the night before and let him work on that for awhile during the morning time.

If you have a few minutes to sit at the desk but not work call him over and work on teaching him a new trick or just put him through puppy push ups or something.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
1,539
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Outside
#6
Freezing food into a kong could work for a bit, I think. He's food obsessed, so even if he did have to go, he'd wait until all the food was gone first. I'll have to try that one tomorrow!
 

bethie

New Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Messages
12
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
west tennessee
#7
I would try getting back to your original schedule. Years ago I had a dog that just stood at the back door when he needed out and wasn't vocal at all. I put some bells on the door and in no time they were ringing incessantly!!:) Needless to say he Didn't need to go out that much and the bells didn't last long.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
1,539
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Outside
#8
I think I will go back to the old schedule and during the times when he should hush and be good, I'll give him frozen food in kongs. Hopefully overtime he'll get it.
 

Brattina88

Active Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Messages
12,958
Likes
6
Points
38
Location
OH
#9
Maddie did that when she was a puppy. I tried several things, but nothing worked everytime. I think she out grew it. . . lol i know that's not very helpful, but i know how you feel!
 

lizzybeth727

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
6,403
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Central Texas
#10
I agree, go back to your original schedule, and also ignore the whining when you're home. You're right to never yell at a dog for having an accident in the house, and just because you taught him to let you know when he needs to go out doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be 100% and never have an accident in the house.
 
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
504
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Dallas, Texas
#11
I'd also make potty time boring. Walk to one area, give him the opportunity to go, and if he doesn't at least start sniffing around withing about 2 minutes? Back inside. Don't talk to him, don't interact- and if you can manage to find a boring spot (like a corner of a fence or something where ther'es not even anything to LOOK at and not much traffic so no new smells), that'd be ideal. Inside with toys, even without people interaction, should be preferrable. :p
 

Angelique

New Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2005
Messages
547
Likes
0
Points
0
#12
I agree with the boredom aspect.

The other two areas to keep in mind are:

1. If you do any treating or feeding (or any other rewarding behavior for that matter - and relief of boredom is also rewarding) connected with going outside and/or relieving themselves, many dogs can make the connection of the behavior chain and ask to go out to get the reward.

2. Leaders direct the activities. A possible social dynamic may be at work here. Does your dog initiate any other activities which you respond to? An example would be coming up to you and giving a "sit, which you did not ask for, but rewarded anyway.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
1,539
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Outside
#13
Oh great advice, I do have a habit of praising for toileting. It was something that got ingrained in me when I was housebreaking him as a puppy and I never weaned myself from it.

As for inside behaviours, he doesn't really do anything at work but sleep and whine at the door. He's pretty good at ignoring everyone.
 

smkie

pointer/labrador/terrier
Joined
Dec 16, 2004
Messages
55,184
Likes
35
Points
48
#14
HOnestly i don't think it is lying. I think they have learned to ask to go out. THat to them means OUTSIDE to us means to relieve themselves. Watch and see what your dog's normal schedule is, after drinking a lot, a few minutes after eating, when waking from a sound sleep. THen you will be able to seperate the need to relieve from the bored as heck and want to go out. MOst dogs follow some regularity. IF you think it is a false alarm you can try to distract. IF the dog is persistant then there probably really is a need.

IF you were to follow a schedule of outs as well the dog would learn to time them, know when your going to say yes and will be less likely to insist on running the show. EVery 2 hours for a young dog is fair. Earlier for a puppy. AT least 4 for the dog of adverage age.

A good hard run before you go to work will insure a long morning rest and an easier day.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
1,539
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Outside
#15
I'm almost certain Pit only really NEEDS to go 3 times a day. When we're home on the weekend, he'll ask to go out two or three times and that's it, but I'll take him out for 4 just to be sure. It's just at work where he's at the door every hour at least. When he was a pup, I had him out on an hourly schedule and would definitely believe him if he ever whined to go out in between scheduled breaks, but now that he's over a year and a half, I think it's safe to say he doesn't need to go out that often unless he has an upset stomach or something.

We just got to work today and he's already hollowed out all the frozen ground beef from a kong I prepared last night :eek: Piggy. That gave me a nice 30 miuntes of quiet, though. He's at the door right now with his face crammed into the corner, mooing for anyone to open it.

Should I take him out because he's asking and just keep it super boring and go back inside after 2 minutes of standing there? Or should I keep to the potty schedule only?
 

smkie

pointer/labrador/terrier
Joined
Dec 16, 2004
Messages
55,184
Likes
35
Points
48
#16
IF it were me i would stay to the schedule. IF Victor is desperate enough that he really has to go he gets pretty pacey, whiney. Usally a GO LAY DOWN will work or a redirect to a toy if it's boredom. But if he really has to go, he becomes truly insistant. I can tell the difference. Pepper is already doing teh bored mama routine. But if she has to pot she will shiver, it's a given that i hussle her out the door if that is the case. Mary has potted on the same schedule without fail unless she has a "problem". IF your dog gets too insistant, then the need to go is probably the real reason. All the dogs i have come in contact with really want to do right. Once they figure out that nagging gets them nowhere they knock it off.
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top