Each time Bob goes outside to toilet, he gets 3 treats one after the other when he gets back in. Now this I think is the clever bit on his part. He will go out for a wee first... then come back in. 3 treats. Then about 5 mins later he'll go out again for a poop.. and come back in. 3 more treats. He's worked out every time he goes he gets treats so he staggers his toileting behaviour to get more. It doesn't bother me, I think it's quite clever really. Do any of your pups do this as well? On another note, Bob will be 1 year old next month. Should we stop treating him altogether for going outside now? Lou x
I have only ever delivered treats in the garden - Bob probably thinks he gets the treats for coming back in unless it takes him less than 3 seconds from poo to treat. Charlie is 2.5 and still gets treats for weeing and pooing on cue in the garden. It's a life saver when I need him to perform on cue so I can get to work....
Interesting, we always gave Bob his treat when he did the deed and then came back inside after. When he was a lot younger he had a small area cordoned off just outside the back door so we could monitor exactly when he went and then let him back in for a treat straight away. It worked with toilet training, but now he has access to the whole garden and isn't monitored as closely I guess he could have lost the association as he can spend quite a bit of time outside before actually 'going'. We don't have accidents inside anymore so I guess whatever we've done has worked. Maybe Bob has just worked out that if he carries on going outside and coming in, he'll get a treat. Clever boy! Can't knock him for that I guess LOL! We also trained a cue for toileting and agree it's a very useful one to have!
Juno sometimes gets a treat for a wee in the garden when asked but not always. She usually looks to me while she is weeing to see if there's a chance of a treat but she doesn't seem unduly put out if there isn't a treat.
Clever Bob! JulieT is right - he's getting rewarded for coming through the door. He may not have made any association with what he was doing outside. The reward needs to be immediate for them to make the connection. You have no problem with housetraining though!
I never treated for doing the business but Chepi learnt that if she stole something (my glasses for example) I would trade her for a treat. So, she pinches things, runs into the garden and looks at me; if I ignore her she runs inside with it and flounces it in front of me and runs out again. I always blame myself for leaving stuff within reach but usually I have to get the stuff back asap, so she gets a treat. She is doing it less now, thank goodness, I must be getting tidier
He could be chaining the two events together - a toilet activity followed by returning results in a treat. My two still get treats for going in the great outdoors. When they were small, this would always be right by my side, and they got the treats immediately. Nowadays, they may be a little farther afield, so they have to trot back to me to get their treats after going. If Lou did the same when Bob was little, he could very well be associating the treat with the wee/poo, and just knows he has to go to her to collect, especially if there is/has been some sort of event marker, such as a "good boy!" when he's going. My two have learnt that, when the other one goes to the loo, treats come out, so they watch each other for any activity in the downstairs department
I think you may have something there Fiona. We've been very consistent with treating Bob when he gets back in the house after he's toileted outside. The only change is that he now has the run of the garden before going, whereas before he used to go right by the back door and get his treat almost immediately afterwards as we'd open the door once we'd seen him go. So there is a few minutes gap now between when he goes and when he gets his treat. We have reigned back on the number of times we treat him now. But to be honest I don't mind treating him when he comes back in if I know he's been, he's a good boy and we don't have accidents in the house at all anymore.
Very interesting! Cooper used to be treated for going but have stopped doing that now. He HAS to go in the morning so I figured why treat him when HE is the one that has to go.....it's not at my request, so to speak. I know I have to go first thing in the morning so am sure he does too. BUT and it's a bit but.....he does not always go when I say "wee wee" or "potty".....a wee is more often at my request but potty.....not so much. I find he potties or poos less than he used to....once first in the morning, then on a walk and sometimes at night. He does go to day care a lot so maybe it is different over there. I had to laugh about Bob going out once to pee and once to poop so he gets six treats....so funny....they are so smart, aren't they???? I will work on him going on command....you are all right......when you are in a hurry and need them to go....you certainly want to have a specific word and have them go right away.
Or, in Willow's case, the fact that she holds on until we're at that optimum distance from bins that means I have to carry the bag for the longest time... They will both wee on cue if they need to go, but we haven't got the cue for solids sorted yet.
When Pongo was toilet training he got a treat every time he went. He very soon developed incredible bladder control, so that he could let out a bit of wee, stop and get a treat, then take a few steps and let out a little more, stop and get a treat, a few more steps and squeeze a few more drops, stop and get a treat..... I am absolutely sure it was on purpose! At the top of his game he managed to get seven treats out of me in the course of five minutes. He still gets a treat when I take him out for his last-thing-at-night walk round the garden - mainly because by then I really, really want him to get it over and done with as soon as possible so I can go to bed....
It almost never works for solids. We humans can usually wee when we want to, but we can't poo any old time --> same for dogs. I do know one GD pup who can squeeze a bit of poo out on command (!) but she's only one in the 70 odd I've met.
Rosie, you made me laugh......squeezing seven wees in 5 minutes. I tell you....they are so darn smart and catch on so quickly. Sometimes I just have to chuckle at things that mine does. He gives me the signal (by standing by the door) that he wants to go out and as soon as I get to the door he runs behind me and snatches a napkin, or a dishtowel or whatever he has had his eye on.....Darn.....and I fall for it every time. So the wee thing is incredible....I also think it is so clever of Bob.
I do the same, but Coco have learned to go to the toilet loads of times while on a walk because he knows he will get a treat. So I have to determine if it was a genuine wee or if hes tricking me, normally can tell by how long hes weeing for. But it have helped in the house, he dont dirty indoor at all now. and he will wait during the night until i am awake to take him out.
