I haven't really taught my girl, Lady, any special signal if she wants to go into the garden. The nearest she used to get to it was to stand in front of me and make really solid unflinching eye contact until I twigged that she wanted something and stood up. She'd then go and stand at the back door. Well she's now worked out a better strategy for herself related to playing tug with me. She pops off and brings back a tugger toy of one sort or another and stands in front of me wagging her tail. I stand up to play. She trots to the patio door. I open it. She drops the toy and ambles outside usually to do a spot of sunbathing on the lawn. I think in many ways she's smarter than me!
Have had my rescue lab for almost 7 months and he never asks to go out, and he won't use his garden for pee or poo. So I walk him 3 times a day when he will happily do what he needs to. Have tried everything to teach him the garden is ok to use, but his previous owners must have really ingrained that its a no no.
Hehe, I had a similar thing happen when I was working for ski school one week last Feb. I was just doing a three hour lesson in the morning, so would be back at lunchtime. I'd immediately let the dogs outside to have a wee, then I'd give them their lunch. For weeks afterwards, Willow would ask to go out (by standing at the door, sometimes a little whine, or a scratch at the frame) and, once she was there, not do anything but stare at me like, "This is what I do before lunch. It must be lunchtime.". They are smart, our monsters.
My Loki (14 weeks) sits by the back door when he wants to go out. In the evening when he's allowed in the living room with us he sometimes goes sniffing about when he needs to go, in which case we swiftly direct him outside
Rory does a Labrador drive by. If I don't notice him standing by a door he walks passed and gently touches his nose to the back of my hand. If I'm asleep he licks my nose. Moo does her death ray stare and foot stamp. If i turn my face away She will move into my line of sight and state and stamp. It's got to be a game over the years I hide my face or turn she stamps and in the end she squeels and runs up and licks my face. She likes being teased and Will often tease back. She just a funny little dog. The blow on your nose game I'd also another favourite of hers
Tatze doesn't at all, but she can hold her wee the clock round. Bruce goes to the door and looks and me meaningfully. Gypsy used to whine. Twiglet used to bark. Kara would go to the door and sit looking at it.
Buster paws the back door, which is a pain as most of the time he just likes to sit at the back door now it's getting colder it's not much fun.
Coco stands up an generally loiters. If the door into the kitchen is open, he'll go an lie by the back door in silence.
Charlie has an all purpose 'I want something' signal. He wags his tail, wiggles his body, dances about, and gazes up at a human with soft, melting eyes and an open, soft mouth. He could want attention, a walk, a kiss, a tummy rub, his dinner..or he could just be doing it because that's what Charlie does *melt* *love my dog*. It's up to you to work out what he wants. He is usually happy with any one of those things. In the extremely rare event that he needs to go outside in an emergency, he'll trot to the back door and whine and then trot back and look anxious. This is very unusual, and we know immediately he needs a poo and quickly. It happens no more than once a year though. He never, ever does this unless he really, really, really needs to go to the loo urgently.
Ella gives you "the stare". If you don't respond, she'll take a step closer and repeat. If it becomes serious, she'll give you a quick nudge with her nose. However, if the above process occurs after 8pm, it usually indicates that she wants you to open the bedroom door so that she can go and sleep on our bed
Our living room backs onto the garden so Harley will sit by the door staring outside and will look at me every now an then incase I haven't seen her!
When he was a youngster (he's a year old now, lol) Zeke would sit at the door at stare at wifey or me. But if we weren't looking he'd wander off and pee in the house. I taught Zeke to use these bells. Every time he would sit at the door I'd raise his paw and swipe at the bells, give him a good boy and take him out, once he did his thing, another good boy and a treat. It's a mixed blessing now, he's learned a few things, if he needs to go out he hits the bells, if he wants to go out he hit's the bells and he knows somehow treats are associated with the bells.
If Xena wanders off to the laundry (where the back door is) then I know she needs to go out. When I go to open the door she'll be sitting, leaning against the door, looking at me. I love your Lady stories, she sounds like a real character.
Ours waits by the back door, and will start whining if no one notices him sitting there. I've been thinking about getting one of these to let me know when he goes to the back door, since I work upstairs most of the time and might not hear him. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00WG2VVV2/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza
Willow had a poorly tummy last night (see, it's not just puppies!) and she stood at the top of the stairs, looking down forlornly and gave a single whine, which was enough to wake me up to take her down and let her out. Multiple times. Poor girl.
