Tuesday, January 3, 2012

It’s Our Fault

Housetraining is said to be the most frustrating skill to teach a new puppy. Of course puppies are capable of learning this skill. Dogs all over the world are telling their owners right this second they need to be let outside to do their business. So why is it so frustrating? And more importantly why is Bella struggling with it?

Dave and I have read books and scoured the web in search for how to properly teach her and now for how to troubleshoot the problems we are having. What have we learned?

It’s our fault, not hers.

What? How is that possible? We are doing exactly what our research says to do. We take her outside to her “potty area” on a leash and walk her back and forth. We will do that for ten minutes. But she will just sit down or play with leafs. So we go back inside and she pees right when she gets inside. It is like she just waited to go inside so can pee right at our feet. But why?

Is she doing it on purpose? Is she laughing at us? It feels like she is.

It is here in my rant is when my Dad would start his anthropomorphism speech. I have heard it before. In short, as a human with human feelings and thoughts we sometimes think our animals have human thoughts and feeling too. They don’t.

Which means she didn’t do it on purpose and she is not laughing at us. We just are missing what she is trying to tell us.

Which also means….Yes, it is our fault.

I think I have figured it out. I am not sure I can put it into words but I spent a lot of time with her over the Holidays and we have come to an understanding. She has not had an accident, when she has been under my care, for several days. (The accidents have occurred under Dave’s care. Maybe should have named this post Dave’s Fault…j/k). I know when she needs to pee and if she doesn’t do it outside, I will wait. Maybe we will go for a quick walk. Or I will ignore her and will not look at her. But she will finally pee. And if she doesn’t poo I know she needs a lil exercise to get the pipes flowing.

I think is it all the one on one time we have spent together. With the holidays and Dave being sick, I have been able to pick up on her tells. I am sure she will have an accident again on my watch but I think I understand what she needs even if she doesn’t.

And in case anyone wants to keep track….I have added the Accident Free Days tally to the blog. (see the top right)

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