asking to go outside

[Frzframe]

So I'm reading Cesar's book and am finding it very interesting but I do have a question or two.

We all wish, hope and pray our pups will ask to go outside to potty but if I'm understanding this right we are teaching them to be dominate over us by doing this. Because we do as they are telling us to tell them outside, right? So should we just set up a schedule and tell them its time to go out to do their business. Any thoughts on this?

I'm also trying to work on a walking schedule as right now it's hit and miss because it's over 100 outside most days and I am sooooooooo not a morning person.

[Michelle]

Heidi and Princess are kind of on a loose schedule, when we are at home with them, I just let them out whenever I think enough time has passed and they should probably go out and potty, I try to make sure that every hour I am letting them outside, but with the summer now here, they end up spending lots of time outside simply because it is nice out and they are begging to go out and chase the squirrels.

I also make sure that right before we go to bed and they go in their crate that they go outside for one last potty.

I think it is good if a dog will go and scratch at the door or bark or whatever to let you know they have to potty, I would much rather have that than an accident that could have been prevented.

It seems that the girls have kind of set up some form of letting me know, when I see them going to the french doors and looking outside and then coming back to sit and stare at me, I get the feeling they are telling me they want to go outside.

Princess is quite comical when she wants to go outside, she will go to the french doors and start looking outside, jump up and put her front paws on the window, then will come trotting over to me and just sit there and stare at me until I say "What" then she lets out this little whine/bark and then roll over on her back, get back up and sit there and stare at me again until I say "what" again to her. It is a little game I am playing with her and I know she wants to go out, but I end up egging her along to see how many times she is going to "talk" to me about it,,

[Otto'sMom]

Otto is the only one who vocalizes the need to go out. What gets me is that he'll tell me he needs to go out, pees and poops and if I ignore him a little bit once we come back in, he'll leave me a spite pee on the carpet. Just a dime size yellow spot on the floor.:scratch: Drives me batty. Grrrt's been bad too, take her outside and she climbs up the one 6 inch step back into the house to pee on the blue carpet, or she pees on the welcome mat the second she steps out the door. Moved her and she waddles over to the matt to pee. Austin just goes whenever the mood hits him, and fortunately, lately, the mood only hits him outside. Pooping is another story. Been having lots of luck lately though, taking them on walks in the evening has really helped. Dolly peed on the floor the other morning and hid behind the loveseat, I felt so bad for her :(
I think she got excited and forgot to go outside.

[Jen]

Since we're in an apt its more of a big deal to go outside...harness up, onto landing, carry dog down stairs, go out two sets of doors, down stairs...you get the idea.

So Miss Tasha has a schedule..as soon as we get up, as soon as we get home from work, and around 8 pm. Same on weekends but the 2nd one is before supper. She's never asked to go out....:scratch: AND she doesn't have accidents either. :shocked:

[Rafi]

Pogo & Pixel have two seperate signals.

If they are barking at the door, it usualy means a bird or squirrel.

But if they sit there quietly and stare in our direction that usualy means potty time.

[Frzframe]

But are we having them be dominate over us by have THEM tell us what they want us to do which is to let them outside?? :scratch:

[Irminsul]

I think it would be ok for them to tell you they have to go, as long as it doesn't escalate into an excited frenzy and you go through the door first.

After all, Cesar's dogs can go whenever they want to.

[Otto'sMom]

Not if WE trained them to tell us....I think:scratch: If they're doing something that we've taught them to do to communicate with us, sounds like we're the boss in that situation, or I'm just living in a happy delusion.

[Dijon04]

yeah i agree about the apartment thing....i'm on the 3rd floor and the potty thing is a chore.

{{funny but gross story}}

so mikey is telling me he has to go out (give a sort of whiney bark and glances at his leash hanging on the wall) by the time i get my shoes on he REALLY has to go. the banisters or whatever the floor thing is on the stairs is deck-like (wood planks with spaces between) well he squats on the 3rd floor and it leaks loudly all the way down to the ground floor....luckily nobody was standing there but if they were they would have been showered.

[Frzframe]

I'm wondering because in his book when he takes them on their daily hike he let's them out of the morning, feeds them, then loads them up and takes them off. They walk, jog or whatever and he decides when they stop to go potty they don't.

He also states that if your dog wakes you up during the night or in the am to go outside then he's being your pack leader. I'm just confused by this and want to make sure I'm doing everything in my power to establish that I am the pack leader over Boomer. :confused:

[Laurie' s Dachshunds]

I have mine on a regular schedule and try my best to stick to it.

[areese]

I'm wondering because in his book when he takes them on their daily hike he let's them out of the morning, feeds them, then loads them up and takes them off. They walk, jog or whatever and he decides when they stop to go potty they don't.

He also states that if your dog wakes you up during the night or in the am to go outside then he's being your pack leader. I'm just confused by this and want to make sure I'm doing everything in my power to establish that I am the pack leader over Boomer. :confused:

But what if your dog has an upset tummy and NEEDS to go out in the middle of the night???

[Frzframe]

I dunno. Like I said I'm :scratch:

[Alex's Mom]

Like Cat is so fond of saying, I don't think any one trainer has it completely right for every dog, or every living situation! Alex is on a potty schedule (more or less), but with her tummy issues and incontinence, frankly, I can't see any problem with her asking to go out. Seems to me that by asking instead of just going in the house, she's still showing subordination. I also think that while a lot of what Cesar says has merit, some of it goes to extremes (like this!). It works in his situation, but I would hardly call his situation the norm...how many people can spend that many hours a day exercising their dogs? Just my 2 cents! :)

[Tex]

I'm reading Cesar's book too (I haven't gotten too far..) but I agree that as long as your dog is showing signals that they are ASKING to go out and not going to the extreme and TELLING you they want to go out, then there is still some form of acknowledgement that you are the pack leader. We live in an apartment too (finally on the first floor :cheer2: ) and we keep to a fairly consistent schedule. Unless someone is having tummy issues......we go first thing in the morning, when I get home for lunch, when I or John (whomever gets there first) get home from work, and right before bed time at night. The only accidents we get are out of spite if we go off-schedule or when it's pouring down rain (that's a whole different story). I think it's ok for a doggie to tell you that they need to go out, as long as they aren't obnoxious about it.

[areese]

I had an idea. Since it really does seem to be a little over the top to not let your dog out if he/she asks to go,and you are really concerned with dominance issues, what if you go to the door with them, then have them perform a task for you, like sitting or doing a down and staying until you then release them to go out?? Then it seems like the control is back to you???

[Frzframe]

Maybe. All I know is I'm so glad my foster boys that woke me up at 4 am to go outside have been adopted by wonderful loving understand care parents. Frankie and Flash woke me every signal day no matter what I did to go outside at 4 am!! I about died. :rotfl:

[Patt]

I'm reading Cesar's book too (I haven't gotten too far..) but I agree that as long as your dog is showing signals that they are ASKING to go out and not going to the extreme and TELLING you they want to go out, then there is still some form of acknowledgement that you are the pack leader. We live in an apartment too (finally on the first floor :cheer2: ) and we keep to a fairly consistent schedule. Unless someone is having tummy issues......we go first thing in the morning, when I get home for lunch, when I or John (whomever gets there first) get home from work, and right before bed time at night. The only accidents we get are out of spite if we go off-schedule or when it's pouring down rain (that's a whole different story). I think it's ok for a doggie to tell you that they need to go out, as long as they aren't obnoxious about it.ITA! Routine is everything, oh and make sure you go out the door first. :)

[catstamm]

I'm falling asleep but, I have to get in on this one....tomorrow :hearts: