Hi everyone!
Sorry for bothering all of you with yet another long rant about Tommy. It's just that we really need you!
I have been tying Tommy to a clothesline whenever he wants to go outside. After a week of trying, things aren't going so well. Tommy will pace around the back door to go out but will start to run as soon as he sees me coming as though he suddenly remembers he's going to be tied to that rope. I have to catch him and basically drag him outside. Once out, he will stand frozen like a statue until I let him back in. I've left him out as long as 30 minutes but he refuses to move. As soon as he is back in the house, he starts frantically pacing at the back door again. He sees me come, starts to run, I have to catch him, hook him on the clothesline, drag him back outside, and he stands frozen again until I let him back in. This process repeats itself several times until finally Tommy can't hold things anymore and he is forced to do his business outside. Of course, he still won't move. He just does his thing wherever he happens to stop after I've pulled him out the door.
I can't let Tommy stand outside any longer that 30 minutes because it has been so cold here. Some days our high temperature is only 10 degrees. I thought I would try not letting him out right away when he starts pacing. I figured if I waited long enough, he'd be unable to be so stubborn about going outside and would do his business on the first trip out. Well, he peed on my kitchen floor. ;(
Over the weekend I thought I would try letting him outside again without the clothesline. I figured I'd try coaxing him in with a treat. Well, apparently, Tommy has found a treat outside that he likes better than anything I could possibly offer him - frozen dog poop. Yep, that's right. Tommy has decided that eating his newfound popsicles is the best thing ever. He runs out into the yard, digs through the snow until he finds a nice pile and then proceeds to eat it. I tried shaking his food bowl filled with food, rattling cheese wrappers and showing him handfuls of dog biscuits but Tommy will not come in until he finishes his outdoor treat.
Of course, I had to try my new approach a couple of times just to make sure it wasn't a onetime thing and soon discovered it wasn't. He did it every single time I let him out. Just to make sure I was thoroughly punished for my stupidity, Tommy started throwing up off and on thanks, I'm sure, to the bad effects dog poo must have had on his already sensitive system.
So, now we are back to the clothesline.
I am getting really desperate with this dog. I feel like everything I do is wrong. I am playing with him. I make sure I give him a treat every time he comes in (even when I help him in using the clothesline). I feed him Canidae dog food to make sure he gets a healthy diet. I am home full time and I pet him every time I walk past. No matter what I do, though, this dog just seems to be digging his heals in further and further and I just don't know what to do.
I know things take time, but I feel like I'm making no forward progress with Tommy. He does seem to be doing better in the house but, when he's outside, all bets are still off. I can't play with him or train him outside yet because the weather has been far too cold. I think (hope) things will get better once I can. Any suggestions on what else I can try in the meantime? Also, is it possible for a dog simply to not like someone? Could it be that there is something about me that Tommy just doesn't care for?
Thanks a million!
Sunny
Sorry for bothering all of you with yet another long rant about Tommy. It's just that we really need you!
I have been tying Tommy to a clothesline whenever he wants to go outside. After a week of trying, things aren't going so well. Tommy will pace around the back door to go out but will start to run as soon as he sees me coming as though he suddenly remembers he's going to be tied to that rope. I have to catch him and basically drag him outside. Once out, he will stand frozen like a statue until I let him back in. I've left him out as long as 30 minutes but he refuses to move. As soon as he is back in the house, he starts frantically pacing at the back door again. He sees me come, starts to run, I have to catch him, hook him on the clothesline, drag him back outside, and he stands frozen again until I let him back in. This process repeats itself several times until finally Tommy can't hold things anymore and he is forced to do his business outside. Of course, he still won't move. He just does his thing wherever he happens to stop after I've pulled him out the door.
I can't let Tommy stand outside any longer that 30 minutes because it has been so cold here. Some days our high temperature is only 10 degrees. I thought I would try not letting him out right away when he starts pacing. I figured if I waited long enough, he'd be unable to be so stubborn about going outside and would do his business on the first trip out. Well, he peed on my kitchen floor. ;(
Over the weekend I thought I would try letting him outside again without the clothesline. I figured I'd try coaxing him in with a treat. Well, apparently, Tommy has found a treat outside that he likes better than anything I could possibly offer him - frozen dog poop. Yep, that's right. Tommy has decided that eating his newfound popsicles is the best thing ever. He runs out into the yard, digs through the snow until he finds a nice pile and then proceeds to eat it. I tried shaking his food bowl filled with food, rattling cheese wrappers and showing him handfuls of dog biscuits but Tommy will not come in until he finishes his outdoor treat.
Of course, I had to try my new approach a couple of times just to make sure it wasn't a onetime thing and soon discovered it wasn't. He did it every single time I let him out. Just to make sure I was thoroughly punished for my stupidity, Tommy started throwing up off and on thanks, I'm sure, to the bad effects dog poo must have had on his already sensitive system.
So, now we are back to the clothesline.
I am getting really desperate with this dog. I feel like everything I do is wrong. I am playing with him. I make sure I give him a treat every time he comes in (even when I help him in using the clothesline). I feed him Canidae dog food to make sure he gets a healthy diet. I am home full time and I pet him every time I walk past. No matter what I do, though, this dog just seems to be digging his heals in further and further and I just don't know what to do.
I know things take time, but I feel like I'm making no forward progress with Tommy. He does seem to be doing better in the house but, when he's outside, all bets are still off. I can't play with him or train him outside yet because the weather has been far too cold. I think (hope) things will get better once I can. Any suggestions on what else I can try in the meantime? Also, is it possible for a dog simply to not like someone? Could it be that there is something about me that Tommy just doesn't care for?
Thanks a million!
Sunny
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