As the weeks go by and we settle into a more steady routine, I can see Simba relaxing more and the trust between us growing. He is slowly learning how to be a civilized boy! However, there is a couple things that I can't seem to crack, and I'm just wondering if this is going to be something that we will have to be dealing with *forever*. 1) reluctance to go outside - unless he wants to go, you just can't get him outside. He will stand 10 feet away from the door, blinking at you. Even if I hold treats, or go outside WITH treats, he's not buying it. The only thing he will go outside for with no hesitation is his food bowl : 2) paws up on counters/tables, stealing things - we are very vigilant about not having food anywhere he can get it, so 99% of the time he is not getting a food item. And we're also vigilant about not having ANYTHING within reach, but sometimes I misjudge the distance, or I'm distracted by something, or whatever, and the next thing I know he's racing downstairs to his bed with purloined item (plastic bag, gloves, piece of paper, MY KNITTING , whatever). He is pretty good now about the "give", as long as I have a treat to trade. So is this behaviour ever going to change? I know the idea would be that he never gets reinforced for the bad behaviour, but honestly I just can't set up that scenario. Either he does it when I'm gone, and I'll come home to something on the floor (either destroyed or abandoned) or he's doing it while I'm home, in another room. For example, my knitting....I've been putting my bad up on the back of the couch, against the wall. Then he got up on the couch while I was in another room and stole it out of my bag. So I put it up on the small shelf that runs along the wall, a couple of feet over the couch. I didn't put it right over the couch, but in a corner. Yesterday I heard something and came out to see him on his bed, my ball of yarn in his mouth (attached to my current project, a lace shawl). Little begger!!! thankfully it had just happened so I was able to rescue it, but, STILL!! So do any of the rest of you who have rescue dogs which came with certain behaviours already have any success in eradicating these?? (Helen, I know what you're going to say....)
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? Hi Lisa I don't know about the problem of getting him to go out that might have something to do with him being a rescue dog and not wanting to leave his home just in case or then again he might think indoors is more fun especially if it's wet. The rescue dogs in my family don't have a problem going out, unless its raining then theyd rather not but all 3 of them have a thing about the car. If they go somewhere unfamiliar eg on holiday they keep an eye on the car making sure it doesn't go without them poor things. This is an individual behaviour they are owned by my 3 cousins they don't go all together. As for jumping up and pinching things having had 3 labs from pups I can say in my experience it does get better. My two now are improving and as a rule they only do it now when in a daft mood or if it's something too tempting so we are still careful to keep things out of reach. My old lab grew out of it not before we had to replace 3 remote controls however. ;D
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? Thanks for that, Jen! I'm sure the "not going outside" thing definitely comes from his first home, being turfed outside when they got fed up with him, or something. And that is usually not a problem except as it relates to #2 - I just can't leave him inside for any length if time, like a morning while I'm out. Mind you, even half an hour is too long....I would prefer to have him outside then, but sometimes I just don't have time for all the cajoling involved.... :
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? Obi is a re-homed boy too, as you know, and was previously an outside dog. It's only in the last month or so (about 9-10 months after we got him) that he's become happy to go outside to mooch about on his own. He still doesn't want to stay outside for a long time though - maybe 15 minutes and then he woofs to come back in. I think that, having discovered the luxury of indoor living, he's determined to keep a tight grip on it. But he is getting more relaxed about it. I'd say that Simba will slowly improve on this front too. As for the counter surfing, Simba may improve or he may not. My previous dog Nicolae, though an angel in every other respect, was a life-time sneaky, scheming, plotting, subversive, cloak-and-dagger, professional food thief.
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? Once a counter surfer always a counter surfer. Hattie is 6 years old and she will still steel a freshly baked cake off the side if I forget to move it : My youngest son Thomas (13 years old) has his own cake making business and lets just say some weeks the profit is non existent ;D Hattie is not at all worried about profit margins : Charlie will surf too given half a chance. Lets hope Simba grows out of it or you will just need OH to put up higher shelves ;D Helen x
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? [quote author=Oberon link=topic=2799.msg28847#msg28847 date=1381092966] My previous dog Nicolae, though an angel in every other respect, was a life-time sneaky, scheming, plotting, subversive, cloak-and-dagger, professional food thief. [/quote] A labrador then! ;D ;D ;D
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? [quote author=Oberon link=topic=2799.msg28847#msg28847 date=1381092966] My previous dog Nicolae, though an angel in every other respect, was a life-time sneaky, scheming, plotting, subversive, cloak-and-dagger, professional food thief. [/quote] what a picture you paint bless him
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? You will get programmed before Simba does Lisa.we haven't had a lot of counter surfing..I think that has a lot to do with living in a house with just 2 adults....we don't leave a lot of things out,it must be so much harder when there are children and more traffic in the house.the incidents we have had have been about my nephew and nieces drinks beakers and toys.....he doesn't jump up now because he was always told 'off'.He won't jump up but he strains on his tiptoes to reach what he wants and if he can reach he will nab it.I was watching george the other day while I was doing something on the counter in the kitchen,he took a sip of his drink and then automatically pushed it to the middle of the coffee table so dexter couldn't come along and sniff or nick it....so in our case,it wasn't prolific but it's stopped now. Can't help,about going outside but I guess that is probably to do with seeing it as a punishment from his old family :'( :'( makes me sad for him.i want to tell him'It's ok Simba,go out and have fun,they will let you come back in '...I bet you tell him that everyday.....aPart from when he nicks your knitting grrrrrggh!
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? Neither of my Labs will go outside unless I am going in the garden as well! The German Pointers were happy to lie in the garden in the sun. For counter surfing you can set up something which he triggers himself, so it appears to have nothing to do with you and can cure it. Get a flat metal tray or cooking tray, put on cuttlery and perhaps a morsel of food, have it slightly over the edge of the counter. He will attempt to get the food and in doing so will upset the tray which will land on the floor very noisily and make him jump, never to try again! You must be nowhere near or say anything. He learns that he made the unpleasant thing happen.
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? Have you tried putting his lead on to take him outside? It may break the 'holding back' behaviour. Mine will go in the garden to mooch about if I'm out there, or to say hello to the rabbit, but won't wee or poo out there. Wee's are held for the green at the front and a poo is kept for a walk (even if we only make it round the corner or 6ft from the car as he's so desperate) Funny things, labs!
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? Missy ,same here,Dexter won't soil his own property ;D before he started cocking his leg he would wee in a certain place in the garden....now he goes across the road on his lead to choose a tree or lampost and poos get done on a walk....I though he was just strange but now I like to think he is just particular
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? ;D I honestly think Charlie "saves up" for his walks - like he won't waste a poo, it's got to be left in a much better place than just the garden. I think you can train them out of this though - my mum had a "no poo, no walk" policy, as she hated picking up poo while out and about. Her dogs went before they left! I don't think I've got the patience to train that.
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? Julie that's what they do with guide dogs. They've to poo in a certain place before they go out, obviously the blind person can't be picking up poo on the high street. Great idea if you're strict enough to train it!
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? How about this...... Amy will only "go" if its me that takes her out to the garden! Another job hubby gets away with doing!
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? One time I had to go out in a hurry and just couldn't leave him inside and the crate was a no go at that point. Put a leash on him and pretty much had to drag him out. Poor thing, I felt so bad....Not doing that again...it is certainly a hold-over from the past, for sure... I've heard about trying that "set up" so that the dog scares himself....did this work for you, Stacia? Again, this counter surfing was well established when we got him....I have raised two dogs from pups and I never had this problem - they certainly tried it once or twice but a firm "no" basically solved it...but they were much younger than Simba...
Re: How long, O Lord.....?? I'd be too nervous to try a scare for counter surfing - the results might be unpredictable, and be a fear of trays and cutlery or whatever, rather than surfing? Have no idea what the answer is though! Tricky.
