Potty Training Problems & My Other Dog Follows Me Everywhere!

QUESTION:

We purchased “Secrets to Training the Perfect Dog” I am working with potty training my father in law’s mix lab – she’s a female and I own her brother. I have him potty trained but he doesn’t cry wanting to go potty – he just comes up to me and stares till I let him out.

My father in law’s dog is harder to break. I take her out and if she doesn’t potty I put her back in her kennel for an hour and continue doing this till she will potty outside, but when I bring her in she will potty in my house. Please help…

Also, my male lab (he’s 6 months) follows me around the house all the time like a kid attached to my hip! Why is he doing this and what can I do?

Thanks so much. Love your Command Collar and videos.

ANSWER:

Hi Jessica:

a) Staring at you until you let him out is fine. You could always install a doggie door and teach all of the dogs to use this to go in and out of their own accord when they need to go to the bathroom.

b) The one who will potty in the house after going to the bathroom outside: You need to correct her for this using the “Scruff Reprimand” correction, and keep increasing the level of correction each time until she decides it’s no longer worth continuing the bad behavior – this is the “Golden Rule” for all aspects of my training.

c) Your male lab that follows you: He is doing this because he is wanting to be near you as his pack leader. Get him a nice, comfy dog bed/mat and make him stay on that somewhere in the house for periods of time each day. Use the “Chest Bump” correction for whenever he gets off of the mat. (Don’t tell him “Down” on the mat; just tell him to stay.)

Still allow him some time with you around the house each day, but teach him that he can also cope with being apart from you for long periods while hanging out on his mat. Make sure you put some of his favorite toys on the mat – and even a good quality, safe chew bone – to help keep him occupied and feeling “at home” on his special bed.

All of this will be sure to help. Thanks for the positive comments about my system!

– Don Sullivan