Dog Community

kenny isn't going to win this one!

Posted : 2/3/2007 9:53:21 AM

a couple of months ago kenny decided that he wanted to eat first in the morning instead of going potty first. he would stand at the door and refuse to go potty until i let him in to eat first and then go outside afterwards.

well, i am not going to put up with it. today, everytime he scratched on the door he was sprayed with the water bottle. he is now outside doing his business BEFORE he is rewarded with his food.

anyone else have problems with this.

houndlove

Posted : 2/3/2007 9:59:39 AM

Why not just feed him first?

Chuffy

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:23:02 AM

By potty do you mean No 1 or No 2? It's pretty rare for a dog to refuse to go No 1 first thing in the morning, but not No 2.... loads of dogs don't feel the need to go No 2 until they've eaten something. In any case I expect most people don't have a problem with feeding the dog first. If he doesn't have to go he doesn't have to go, theres not a lot you can do to change that. Just feed him somewhere confined and let him out straight away.... or feed his breakfast outside and let him go when he needs to. Where's the problem?

jenhuedepohl

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:27:18 AM

We sometimes have to *force* our Dal to pee before he eats. He's nearly 13 and can't always hold it long enough to make it back outside in time. Then we have to go out again to poop. Now that it's a routine, he does fine, but he resisted the change at first.

houndlove

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:34:08 AM

I just let mine decide what they want more--if they go to the door, they need out, if they lay down by their dishes, it's food. Usually it's food. Why turn it into a big fight if there's no incontinence isues to contend with? If they want food and I kick them outside, they'll just stand there on the porch looking in the window at me.

I say, pick your battles.

glenmar

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:35:57 AM

I guess I don't understand why this would even be an issue? My dogs always have breakfast before the go outside. Once in a blue moon someone will ASK to go out before breakfast and I let them out, but, heck, for the most part mine would rather eat first, pee/poop later.

I'm thinking that this is one of those "pick your battle" things......not one I'd personally choose to fight.

kennys_mom

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:38:20 AM

i just send him outside and make him go both. he usually does do both. for us, we established the routine early of potty first, eat after.

houndlove

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:39:39 AM

Well, clearly that routine isn't really meeting his needs at this point. So why not change it?

Lynn

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:41:59 AM

My dogs certainly won't poop before breakfast unless I take them on a walk in order to get their system moving, and even then, only one dog might poop.

They are more likely to pee before breakfast, but that depends on how long it's been since they went the night before. Because of medications, I can't feed them first thing. But, if my dog could hold the pee, and I didn't have to give meds on an empty stomach, then I wouldn't have a problem with feeding and then letting them outside to pee and potty. It depends on the dog. Only if he peed on the kitchen floor a couple of times would I determine he needed out before hand. If he could eat and hold the pee before going outside, then that's what I would do. I would of course let him out absolutely immediately after eating, tho. No waiting in this case.

NicoleS

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:49:50 AM

I take Sammy out then feed him and DH takes him out like 60-90 mintues later. Best of both worlds!

But, I used to feed Sammy first then take him out.... now that its cold out, we go out first cuz I would shower when he ate and then I have to go out with a head of wet hair... brrrrrr!

Thalie

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:56:35 AM

I agree with Glenmar and Houndlove and do not see exactly why this needs to be a battle. I mean, it is not like he wanted you to play ball for 30 minutes before pooping. I do not see this as a behavior problem but as a basic functions change. If there is no medical reason, why force the issue of

ooping first ?

At my place, the natural order in the morning has always been pee, eat, poop but I really would not mind if they changed it as long as everything is done before I have to leave (for their comfort later on and my peace of mind). My Lab will sometimes skip the pooping part but... my reasoning is if you do not have to go, you do not have to go !

Chuffy

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:56:53 AM

ORIGINAL: glenmar

I guess I don't understand why this would even be an issue? My dogs always have breakfast before the go outside. Once in a blue moon someone will ASK to go out before breakfast and I let them out, but, heck, for the most part mine would rather eat first, pee/poop later.

I'm thinking that this is one of those "pick your battle" things......not one I'd personally choose to fight.

Because you're not even "battling" with the dog. Your battling with his internal organs and bodily functions. If he doesn't need to go he doesn't need to go. Any battle against that sounds like salmon uspstream to me..... and what a waste of effort when it doesn't really matter and there's ways round it? But if you really want him to "do his business" before breakfast, take him out for a walk and play a few round of fetch. The exercise should stimulate him to want to go and exercising after breakfast isn't the wisest move anyway, unless you leave it a good while.

snownose

Posted : 2/3/2007 10:59:58 AM

It's all about routine at my house.

I let them out first thing, that only applies to the 2 youngest ones that are crated, the other dogs have access to outside all night via doggie door.

glenmar

Posted : 2/3/2007 11:07:40 AM

Because most of my dogs sleep in their crates, not latched, and because I do want them to EAT in their crates, I find it easier to just put the food bowl in and latch the door and then let them out. The two who don't sleep in crates (and the ones who do are by their own choice) once in a blue moon will ask to potty first...but that's usually on lazy weekends when no one gets moving real early. Now and then one of the "big boys" will meander upstairs and ask to go out, but that's really, really rare. And to me, it just is NOT an issue whether they eat or pee/poop first.

espencer

Posted : 2/3/2007 12:16:57 PM

Oooooor just take the plate out and everybody wins (the problem is that not every day is a sunny day [

])