Bored puppy

Raksha

I think there's some confusion here between 'treats' and 'rewards' - treats are given randomly because the owner feels like it. Rewards can be food or toys, given because they have been earned (and they can be removed - this is a negative reward).

lostinrates

Raksha wrote: »

I think there's some confusion here between 'treats' and 'rewards' - treats are given randomly because the owner feels like it. Rewards can be food or toys

unless in the case of toys, surely the different is semantic. For example, when training myself to train clicker, my thought process was ''click and treat''. Doesn't make much difference tothe animal whether in my head I call it trick/reward.

although I do agree with the sentiment and necessity for accuracy in training discussion.

Londonwriter

lostinrates wrote: »

Its going t get more expensive too I imagine, sorry! new experience/toys until maturity: then they settle down and cost less. You might counter with ''other people don't'' to which I'd reply your lifestyle is that you need your guy quietly stimualted away from you, which many other people don't!

Thanks! At least I know it isn't me.

Writing about this has highlighted another problem - he's got into a habit of trying to poo/wee in the living room. He is always taken outside to poo/wee, rewarded and given effusive praise, and I clean up any accidents and use odour remover in the living room, so I don't understand it.

Just now, he was with me in the kitchen with the kitchen door shut, suddenly became desperate to get into the living room and pooed on the kitchen floor. He's never pooed there before, but he will often try to run into the living room to poo. He had pooed 15 minutes before outside - before I let him into the kitchen. It's like he saves it for the living room.

I think that's why I've become so dissuaded from letting him into the living room unless I'm standing over him. He will always go in the living room, even if he's been taken out and done a poo/wee before being let in there.

I do everything right - taken out every hour, effusive praise when he does something and a treat, use of a command to denote what I want him to do...

Fire_Fox

Are you using a product that removes the odour from your point of view or the puppy's point of view? Are you using a command each time he perform outside or every time you venture outside or both?

UKTigerlily

I agree he's a pet, but there's plenty of working breeds in rescue if for some reason he had to be a working dog. Anyway, he may prefer the living room if the floor is softer? Can you distract him when he's about to go toilet in there & get him out? (Not by carrying him out). Use biological washing powder to clean up after him. What did his breeder suggest?

Londonwriter

UKTigerlily wrote: »

I agree he's a pet, but there's plenty of working breeds in rescue if for some reason he had to be a working dog. Anyway, he may prefer the living room if the floor is softer? Can you distract him when he's about to go toilet in there & get him out? (Not by carrying him out). Use biological washing powder to clean up after him. What did his breeder suggest?

I'm using Dettol AND a special pet odour removal/stain removal product that contains the same chemical as biological washing powder. He never goes where he previously went in the room so I doubt he can smell the poo/pee.

I've taken all the advice I've been given and just tried giving him fewer toys and having him in the kitchen for the last hour in case he was lonely. I chatted to him and petted him occasionally.

Result - he ignored me, sat outside the living room door, and adopted a 'hang dog' posture and 'puppy dog' eyes. I ignored him - he began to scratch on the door and whine. I ignored him. He plonked himself directly in front of me and whined, running to and from the door. I told him off. He tried scratching under the door and then lay in front of it. I ignored him. He grabbed my skirt and tried dragging me towards the door. I ignored him.

I gave him attention when he was next to the kitchen units, sniffing near the fridge and near the playpen gate. So it wasn't he was feeling neglected.

I think he's got a 'thing' about the living room, including peeing in it and pretending he's being tortured/dying of boredom unless I let him in there. So I need to train him out the 'thing' somehow. Thanks for helping me ID the problem!

I probably should mention my husband wanted a puppy not an adult dog. He's really broody and treats the puppy like a baby (not good). I was cool with an adult dog but, as I say, we love cockers and it was hard to find a working cocker in rescue that wasn't being retired at 12+. Border collies were just too big, as are springers. So, yes, we thought about rescue but it's not suitable for everyone.

UKTigerlily

Ah I love Spaniels! He'll be ok when working lol just this stage to get thru, what age will you begin to work him? Cocker Spaniel Rescue have tons, obviously but as to working ones who knows! lol @ being tortured/dying of boredom. The only thing I can think of is if the floor is softer in there he may prefer it, others will have more ideas i'm sure. We need pics tho!

Londonwriter

Here he is. We're not using puppy pads now. I'm going to do some gundog training at about six months so he only hunts on request, and then do agility. He's a bit 'soft' to be a good gundog, but he's great at jumping up/problem-solving so should make a good agility dog.

UKTigerlily

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! He's so sweet, i'm sure he'd never wee anywhere he shouldn't lol

Raksha

Londonwriter wrote: »

I'm using Dettol AND a special pet odour removal/stain removal product that contains the same chemical as biological washing powder. He never goes where he previously went in the room so I doubt he can smell the poo/pee.

Stop using Dettol - anything that goes white in water contains ammonia which is very similar chemically to urine.

I've taken all the advice I've been given and just tried giving him fewer toys and having him in the kitchen for the last hour in case he was lonely. I chatted to him and petted him occasionally.

Result - he ignored me, sat outside the living room door, and adopted a 'hang dog' posture and 'puppy dog' eyes. I ignored him - he began to scratch on the door and whine. I ignored him. He plonked himself directly in front of me and whined, running to and from the door. I told him off. He tried scratching under the door and then lay in front of it. I ignored him. He grabbed my skirt and tried dragging me towards the door. I ignored him.

You told him off, he wasn't being ignored.