Thanks - I will look in to the clicker method too. I was considering the "bell method" since she is good at communicating her other needs and wants, however this would not help us at night when we are all asleep and she is locked in the laundry room so I went with pottybox instead. Kelly
--- In [email protected], Jan <barefootjan@...> wrote: > > Hi, > I'm new here (just joined) I've never had a Chi before, but I've had other > dogs and what you describe sounds like a dog who is more towards the > submissive side (AFAIK, peeing when greeting isn't fear it's a sign of > submission). Scolding is probably not the best approach with a submissive dog. > If you can make the time commitment I'm willing to bet you can turn this > around over time, it sounds like you have a real sweet dog who is actually > quite eager to please. > Have you ever tried clicker training? If not, you could look into that, it's > a very positive way to modify and shape your dog's behavior. You can buy > clickers online or in pet stores, there are slightly different designs so > just find one you like the feel of and that you can easily carry around with > you. > There are also a couple of different ways to do it, some better than others, > so it's best if you google it to find a better explanation than I'm about to > give. ;-) > The method I've used is a step by step process that starts by offering the > dog a treat and clicking immediately when they eat it. Do this a couple of > times, and then progress to doing it at random times throughout the day. > After a short while you can put the food down and click when they find it & > eat it. > This cements the association between the sound of the click and the reward of > the treats. (I may have the exact timing of treating vs clicking a little off > so again, please verify it on a clicker training website or book. This is > just to give you a general idea & so you'll see how easy - and cheap, LOL- it > is) > Next, wait for the dog to do the desired behavior. In this case, peeing in > the right place. Without saying a word, click WHILE she's peeing, & treat > when she's done. No fanfare needed. The click "marks" the behavior you are > trying to encourage. > Meanwhile try to avoid as much as possible allowing her to pee where you > don't want. I know what you're thinking: that's impossible. Just do the VERY > best that you can. Never scold her. Continue to click & treat when she does > what you want. > In fact now that I think of it, you'd be better off using the clicker method > for a different behavior just so you can see how well it works. This will > give both you and her a feeling of success and help alleviate some of your > built-up frustration. > Then once you and the dog have the hang of it, and are feelign good about > yourselves, progress to using it for the more difficult behaviors like her > peeing in bed. > This website has some additional ideas: > http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dogs-701/Chihuahua-peeing-bed.htm > Good luck! I really hope it works out, she sounds like a very sweet dog. > Jan > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
