Bratty adolescent.

[Jenniecc]

Hi

I have a 14 month old male border collie. He has recently started driving me CRAZY with wanting to go out/come inside. He gets plenty of exercise and generally 2-3 short training sessions per day. We also do agility so I think I am meeting his needs as far as exercise/mental stimulation go. He has done a great job of training us to constantly let him in/out. I need to put an end to this but I'm not sure the best way to go about it. Ignore the behavior? Put him in a time out? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Shetlander]

Oh, I love bratty adolecents (dogs), but they can be annoying at times. I would train a "settle" "go lie down" or "that will do" command which means it's over or whatever you are looking for, is not happening. Sometimes it is just using a very firm, no nonsense voice (not loud, just stern) and otherwise ignoring the dog. If he keeps getting in the way, you could do a brief time out to see if that helps him figure out that he really needs to settle and stop pestering you.

 

You might want to come up with a schedule that you expect him to follow as far as when he goes out (within reason, of course). For example, I always go out with my dogs so constant in and out would not work for me. Instead, we have a loose schedule that we follow for how often we go out. Sometimes Quinn can talk me into going out for an impromptu game or walk, but sometimes all we do is go out for him to have a quick potty break or I tell him to settle and he finds something else to do.

[Camden's Mom]

There was a thread recently that was along the same lines as this one (it had to do with potty breaks specifically, but addressed nagging at the door behaviors). I just wanted to link it so you can check out what some people had to say over there as well. There was some good advice given about ignoring the behavior as well as dealing with a possible escalation (I think it's called "extinction burst") that's likely to happen before things get better. Anyways, hope this helps!!! Good luck with your teen

 

http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=35908

[Jenniecc]

Thanks so much for the link....I did go back and read it and there are a lot of similarities! Scout too has been having little hissy fits when I don't immediately get up to let him out every time he asks. Of course like the toddler child who just keeps getting louder and louder with their demands until the parent gives in, he's started jumping at the door etc until I give in and let him out-only to be barking to be let in 3 min later! Im going to try to ignore the behavior- and just be a lot more patient that I have been. If only I could rid my backyard of the squirrels that love to jump from tree to tree......

[GentleLake]

Thanks for the link, Camden's Mom. I tried to find the thread but couldn't and was feeling too lazy to rewrite it.

[Camden's Mom]

... he's started jumping at the door etc until I give in and let him out-only to be barking to be let in 3 min later! Im going to try to ignore the behavior- and just be a lot more patient that I have been.

 

Ack!! Don't give in, be strong!

 

If he knows that acting obnoxious DOES work he will keep doing it. If you give in after he's acting a fool, for let's say 5 minutes, then he knows he needs to act like a fool for at least five minutes to get let out.

 

In fact, I would never let him out when he's being demanding (at the very least while you are working to curb this behavior). Let him out on *your* schedule and make sure he understands that acting like a fool at the door isn't gonna' get him anywhere.

 

Don't forget to be extremely patient... it might be a hard habit to break (especially since it's worked for him in the past) AND he's smack dab in the middle of being a bratty teenager. Good luck and stay strong!

[GentleLake]

In fact, I would never let him out when he's being demanding (at the very least while you are working to curb this behavior). Let him out on *your* schedule and make sure he understands that acting like a fool at the door isn't gonna' get him anywhere.

 

This! When Tansy was going through that phase I'd sometimes worry that maybe she really did have to go out to potty. But I'd wait until she finally tired of her tirade and settled down. Then I'd let her out, but I acted like going out was my idea.

 

I quickly figured out that she really didn't have to go, so as long as I knew she'd been out recently enough I just quit worrying and stopped doing even that.

[Kian's Mom]

Things are also better with Kian now that I don't jump every time she wants out. But now she has started whining on occasion. I just tell her to go lay down and in 5-10 min I will then get up and let her out. Thanks everyone.

[Gloria Atwater]

There's also crating. If every time he flips out over going outside, he instead got stuffed (quietly, calmly, no anger or raised voice) in a crate ... that might cool his jets.



~ Gloria