Since I've gotten her, she's peed on my carpet four times, that I am aware of, and crapped on it twice. Not bad for a new mutt in the house and she has been very good at going outside since then. Being that they took her out of her crate, at the rescue, every morning at about 1:30am to let her answer the call of nature and then fed her breakfast that early and dinner well before 3PM, I think she has adapted to my schedule, if you can call my day scheduled, pretty well.
In the morning, we have gone out for a walk of about 2 to 2.5 miles every day so far (but next time it pours here in the morning, like it did two nights ago, I may just let her pee on the carpet again). Anyway, so far, in the mornings she has just wet the grass. Later in the day I take her for a shorter afternoon walk just to see if she needs to go. I have also taken her to local dog parks at least three days this week. We take other short walks in the afternoons and evenings as they seem needed and a late night walk of at least 1.5 miles each night - usually right before I feel I have to pass out (I was staying up as late as I could t get her out late enough to make it to the next morning without an accident - now she has adapted and we go out at 10 - 11 or so at the latest and she is keeping my carpet dry. I am getting some much needed exercise and since I have been dieting by eating a lower carb diet, this fat man may just lose some weight over the next few to several months with all these walks helping nicely in that regard. That would be nice.
Skye, does not go to the door (yet) or whine (yet) when she needs to go out but has come over to me a few times acting all antsy and starts licking my hands like crazy. Seems to be my cue to get the leash and get my arse out of the chair I am sitting in and go for a walk. We went out tonight last at about 845 when she started in like that and the mission was a success. I am training her to "make" on that command. Worked with our dogs in NY so I see no reason it will not work with her. I also leave the patio door open for much of the day when we are home, that way she can go out to use the facilities so to speak and she has done so twice avoiding a stinky mess inside!Speaking of commands, she is not the greatest at responding to them nor to her name. I wonder if they called her by her name often or hardly ever at the rescue. She does come when called or when I make kissing noises - most of the time. She sits on command sometimes. She has not been taught to heel but I will start on that and on the stay command in earnest within a week or three; I want her more accustomed to me before I really start in with training her like that and as we all know - I am The great procrastinator - so it may take years! All kidding aside, I really am holding off until she is more settled in and she is good enough on the leash for me not to feel the need to start sooner.
She understands go downstairs, go upstairs, go inside and go outside, get in the car (more or less - where by the way she is cool as a cucumber). Another thing, on the few occasions she has barked, she quiets down after one or two commands of "quiet". She was chewing on some things in the house she should not have chewed and still does a bit now and again, but I have given her Nylabones, balls, rope, rawhide, beef rib bones and Dentstix and she seems to have almost stopped mouthing things she should not. She is learning more each day and as far as I am concerned learning that she is not supposed to pee or crap in the house was the most important.
I'll get around to posting some better pics of her and also to posting some about gun stuff sooner or later, probably on Sunday. Have a few new acquisitions (well they should be in transit directly to me soon because I have a new C&R). Tomorrow I am going to get together with Brendan and maybe we can get in some shooting.
Living the dream.
All the best,
Glenn B
3 comments:
I had a rescue dog that I almost took back because he wouldn’t toilet train. The secret was to put him in a crate - and he got the idea right away. He likes the crate too.
Yep, crate training works like a charm especially if the crate is just large enough to allow the dog in it but not large enough to allow the dog to sit fully upright or stand fully upright. Once the dog has been house broken by using the small sized crate, a larger crate is fine for its sleeping arrangements. Regardless of the fact that many non-informed dog owners believe crating a dog is cruel, the fact is almost all dogs I have ever known loved their crates and feel at home in them just as they would feel at home in a den in the wild.
I should add, I have one on order but it has not arrived yet. Luckily, Skye seems housebroken for the most part already.
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