Pets
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Getting dog to communicate
DH and I are the proud parents of Cooper, a 4 month old scottie/lab mix. He is wonderful and loving, but not good at letting us know his needs. He does not bark. He has barked a handful of times since we got him.
Here is the problem- He has very few accidents inside. We crate train him and take him out frequently so he doesn't have many accidents. But we aren't sure how to get him to tell us when he needs to go. If we don't take him out he will just go to the bathroom on the floor, he won't tell us. Please help if you can!
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Re: Getting dog to communicate
Some dogs don't have a signal for when they need to go out. Neither of my dogs indicates when they need to go. Instead, they are on a schedule and go out 4 times per day (first thing in the morning, middle of the day, before dinner, and right before bed). We also watch for any signs they might need to go out at other times (drinking lots of water, etc.). However, they are 5 and 6 years old and are 100% potty trained.
At 4 months old, you're still in the potty training process, so I would take Cooper out very often (at least every couple hours) and praise like crazy when he potties outside. When you are inside, he should be crated or tethered to you so he can't sneak off and have accidents. You need to set him up for success because the more accidents he has inside, the harder it can be to 100% potty train him.
Also, make sure you're cleaning any accidents with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle. It will get rid of the smell for Cooper (not just for you like other cleaners) so he doesn't think it's ok to potty there again.
When I got my dog, it took him 2 weeks to bark.:) Its an adjustment thing.
Take him out to answer the call of nature in the morning, right before he eats and right after he eats --- and most definitely before you all turn in for the night.
At least once between meals, after you've taken him out after a meal, is good too.
He'll find a way to tell you he needs to go out. Each dog has their own separate style. Mine nudges me and/or his leash.:)
Bell training is VERY easy. My dog had it down in 2 days. We have a plastic paw that has a huge button in the middle that we leave by the door. When she steps on it, it rings wireless to the speaker we have on the wall. Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Lentek-Pet-Paw-Additional-Chime/dp/B00006JHRG/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1344445096&sr=1-1&keywords=pet+chime
All I did was make her step on it before she could go outside (using the Touch command) and in 2 days she was ringing it on her own. Sometimes abusing her new "voice" to just go in and out to the yard as she pleases, but I'd rather that than scratching up the paint on my door!
Get one their awesome!
Good Luck!