Tie-Outs and Barking Dogs

A lot of you may not like what I have to say today, and that’s OK. In fact, I’m going to be very blunt. I’m done trying to be nice on this issue.

If your dog is outside barking at people that walk past your house, don’t complain to me about it. I will simply ask you why you let it happen. I can’t fix it. It’s NOT a TRAINING problem. It’s a people problem. Specifically, YOUR problem.

Here’s how you fix it:

No tie-outs.

No outside kennels.

No bark collars. No e-collars.

No choke chains. No prong collars.

No corrections of any kind.

Your dog will never, I mean NEVER, be outdoors without you, on a 6-foot leash (not a flexi.)

You will get dressed early on a Saturday morning and take him out to potty.

You will give him extra time to poop, too.

You will walk him around the block multiple times per day.

You will not use the tie out just while you are grilling, or eating, or chatting with friends.

You will not leave him out while you run inside for just a minute.

Period. End of story.

Your dog is barking for a reason. And it’s not because he likes getting zapped or sprayed or choked. 

“He’s being territorial.” “He’s protecting me.”

Bull. He’s not paying the mortgage. You are. Until he does, it’s your yard. And since you’re out with him, you can walk him to the other side until the neighbor dog passes.

“He’s just saying hi.” “He wants to play.” “He’s not vicious, he’s energetic.”

Woof & sniff is saying hi. BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK (growl) BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK is not “Good afternoon. How are you? Did you hear the gossip about Fifi?” And since you’re out with him, when a dog friend comes by, you can let them greet each other politely.

“He’s always been like that.” “He was abused as a puppy.” “His breed always barks.”

And if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.  Remember, you’re out there with him now.

“Oh, he’s usually fine.” “He only barks at _______.”

But sometimes he does bark, and sometimes _______ comes past. And it’s something you want to change. So you’re outside with him now.

“They feed off each other’s barking.”

So take them out one at a time. You are taking them out on leash and staying with them, right?

“He won’t pay attention to me.” “I can’t get him to stop.”

Why should he pay attention to you when you haven’t paid attention to him? But now, you do pay attention to him, because you’re out there with him. Building a relationship.

“He likes spending time outside.” “Dogs should be outside.”

Really? Then why is he barking? Let’s talk about your relationship. Which is improving because you’re outside with him. Right?

“I want him to bark, once. Then stop.” “He lets me know when someone comes.”

And since you are now outside with him, on leash, you can take care of the situation, visitor, or distraction. And if not, then you subconsciously want to own a reactive dog, and that’s a whole different ball game.

If you want to train your dog to pay attention to you, come when called, or follow your cues, by all means it’s a training issue.  Does he bark while you’re out on a walk? Want to figure out what your dog is telling you with his barking? Need help helping him overcome his fears? Would you like your dog to play with you? Wish your relationship were better? All these things can be addressed in training or behavior modification.  And in all these aspects, YOU are integral as your dog’s guardian, companion, owner, parent.

Housetraining Doesn’t Happen Overnight

Housetraining doesn’t happen overnight

The first order of business when someone gets a dog is to teach him or her where to go to the bathroom, and preferably not on the living room carpet. It doesn’t have to be an onerous task, but it does take some effort and commitment. And it’s not a fait accompli once taught. Housetraining can be a life-long issue if not addressed properly. Unfortunately, poor housetraining can also be a death sentence.

Many people have memories of their previous dog, who was a breeze to housetrain. Never any messes in the house, always asked politely to go outside, even eliminated when told to. Bring a new puppy into the house, and suddenly there are accidents everywhere.

Let me suggest that memories can be selective. You may remember the play, the great walks, and the companionship of the last 12 years while not remembering all the little piddles she made when she was 12 weeks old. Now you have a 12-week-old puppy who contradicts your memories of the past 12 years. This new life isn’t the same dog you lost, nor does she come with the memories of that previous best friend. That’s challenging, even threatening, whether you acknowledge it or not.

When puppies are born, they are not even able to go by themselves. Momma-dog has to stimulate them by licking – and that helps keep the puppies and the den or whelping box clean. Be grateful human babies don’t require that! A puppy’s bladder isn’t developed sufficiently to hold it for long. A general rule of thumb is one hour for each month in age the puppy is. Of course, that varies for each puppy a little. It would be unreasonable to expect a 12-week-old puppy to hold it more that 3 hours. If left alone for longer without opportunity to eliminate in an appropriate place, an accident is not her accident, it’s yours.

The rules of housetraining are simple.

Use a crate to help confine her when you can’t directly supervise.

Movement gets things moving! If puppy is up & about, take her out!

Eating stimulates her too.

And when she wakes up from a nap, everything wakes up… take her out.

Set a feeding schedule and she’ll be easier to predict.

Potty first, then play. Then potty again.

Reward her for doing it outside.

Train with the final substrate you want her to use – don’t use papers or potty pads first.

Take responsibility for accidents. It’s not her fault if you didn’t watch or get her out in time.

Clean, clean, clean.

Build a loving and trusting relationship without fear or avoidance.

We’re asking our dogs to live in a world of human making: a nice home, dangerous traffic, a dependable source of food, and often limited mental and physical stimulation. Understanding and patience go a long way in building a life together.