Callie does not want to go out

pfunksbn · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:21 am Post subject: Callie does not want to go out

We just got Callie this weekend. She is a Weim/Hound mix and she is 20(ish) weeks old. She is a rescue and we love her to pieces already! I have a bunch of questions, but I will post them separately, because they are long. Smile

When it's time to go for potty breaks in the yard, Callie only willingly goes maybe 5 out of 10 times. The other 5 times, she will literally dig in her heels 5 feet from the door and I have to drag her across the threshold to get her out. And often, she will pee/poop and then start heading for the stairs to go back inside, with no real interest in staying in the yard and playing or investigating. I'm not trying to encourage her to linger at night, just in the day, obviously. But even last night, she woke up and I went to take her out and she would not budge. I had her leash on her and everything, and she nestled herself deeper into her dog bed and refused to budge. So I didn't make her go, and she held it fine until the am (about 3 hours later). At which point, I still had to MAKE her go outside, but she let me do it, if you know what I mean. Still some resistance, but less of it.

My DH made a joke about her being agoraphobic, but we are not sure how to encourage her when she just doesn't want to cooperate. When she DOES want to go out, of course it's easy! We had a great walk in the park yesterday and was totally fine with the people and other dogs we saw, etc. So she is not *really* afraid of the outdoors, she just has to be in the mood, I guess. So is that normal?

Callie starts "school" on Thursday, so I am hoping that we will learn how to manage some of her behavior better. Dog training does not come instinctively to me--I'm the type that has to read all the library books and surf all the info online in order to 'get it.' So thanks in advance!

harpbonefran · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:41 pm Post subject:

Is she too big to pick up? Does she get a treat after she goes (once she's back inside)?

My Gracie doesn't like to linger outside either, which is strange to me after my old dog who loved to just hang out in the yard. Gracie would just rather be inside! And she won't go out now if she doesn't have to do something. But usually she will go out when I ask her to, and she always gets a cookie as soon as she comes inside. But not if she hasn't done her business! As long as Callie isn't having accidents in the house, maybe she just doesn't need to go that often. Do you use a trigger word or phrase with her? Gracie knows what "go out" means and sometimes she just stays where she is or goes into her crate when she doesn't need to go out. When we do go out, I tell her to "hurry up" and she knows that means to pee. You can get them to associate potty with a phrase like that by just repeating it as they are going. I find it very helpful, as I can ask Gracie to "hurry up" right before I leave the house or put her in the car for a trip and she'll squeeze out something even if she doesn't have to do much. I do have to tell her to "hurry up and poop" though, which is embarrassing when the neighbors are around!

oregonweim · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:06 pm Post subject:

all doors or certain doors?

pfunksbn · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:52 am Post subject:

I have been using the word "potty" as she goes (with both pee/poop) and I have tried saying it while still in the house, to give her an idea that I want to take her out. So far, when I have said it in the house, I get no spark of recognition. I know it will come, but it's slow going.

We have two main doors to the outside, and we mainly take her out the back door. The only time I took her out the front door was yesterday, when she was acting stubborn and my DH came home at the same time. He opened the front door, she ran to him to greet him and I took the opportunity to shove her out the door and I walked her around back.

sptddog · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 9:26 pm Post subject:

Could it be cold, wet, raining? I noticed you're in MA.

My pup won't go out willingly either unless he either *really* has to go or it's 70 degrees and sunny. Laughing

Seriously though, he's a wimp, and if it's cold he's a total pain. If it's raining I practically have to carry him off the deck into the yard. He'd go so far as to go all the way out, run back in and pee on the floor. Evil or Very Mad

Fortunately that passed, but he still hates it if it's not nice out. Obviously he needs to live in Florida.

I'd carry her out if you can, or just put one hand under her chest and sort of push her out. She'll get better and used to it.

pfunksbn · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 9:33 pm Post subject:

It was definitely cold and rainy today, but yesterday and Sunday were relatively warm and dry. Not Florida weather, of course, though. Smile

PamK · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 10:39 pm Post subject:

Derek doesn't like going out into the back yard but loves the front. Unfortunately for me the front isn't fenced. I've never shut him in the back yard so I don't know why he hates it. He just does.

pfunksbn · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:58 pm Post subject:

To update...I've started luring Callie out the door with treats. One treat for making it across the threshold, and one for making it down the stairs off the deck. It's snowed again, and she seems to actually like playing in the snow. It was just the rain she hated. I got her a cute coat, too, which seems to help. My husband won't put it on her, though.

Sometimes she will just pee and then turn around and lead me right back to the door, but now and then she's willing to play a bit more. I just want to make sure she's getting enough exercise and stimulation. She tends to just laze around when she is in the house. Unless she REALLY has to go potty, she often resists going out at all. She sometimes runs away when she sees me coming with the leash! Once, she grabbed it off the floor and took off without looking and bonked her head on the kitchen cupboards. (It was kind of funny, she shook it off fine).

LucyLU · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:24 pm Post subject:

Does she ever go potty in the house? If not, maybe she just doesn't need/want to go? I read the whole post awhile ago but cant remember if she was having accidents... if she is.. sorry I didn't re read Smile

Maybe she just likes it inside Smile

pfunksbn · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:22 pm Post subject:

We have had a handful of accidents. A couple were pretty much our fault, but at least a couple of poop accidents were right after we'd been outside. I try to keep her outside for several minutes to see if she'll poop, but she pulls and pulls and pulls towards the door.

I do think that it's the cold weather that is the problem. She really does not want to be outside.

oregonweim · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:25 pm Post subject:

well if she is crate trained, in the morning at least, when you take her out of the crate and out back, if you don't see her potty and or go out back then return her to the crate. Don't let her roam free until she has done her doggy business.

LucyLU · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:52 pm Post subject:

My dog is pretty much potty trained and when it rains (southern cali and it doesnt rain often) she refuses to go in the grass... so she pees and poos on our patio!! Shocked

At least it isn't the carpet though.

I think Oregon's idea about the crate seems like a good one... at least it will save your floors some... and maybe shell learn she has to go potty to get out of the crate and be in the house?