eph94

Harley smashed his "I can't potty in the rain" record this morning.

This was the typical first-thing-in-the-morning potty break. As long as there is no rain, he is as regular as the tides. Three times in the past 9 months I had made the mistake of "feeling bad" and letting him back inside although he didn't make a scheduled bowel movement--and three times he thanked me with steaming piles in the house! Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me. Fool me THREE times? Gosh, then I'm a genuinely certified fool. Sooooo, I figured I'd wait him out this time despite my inner protestations of "the poor thing is just melting in that rain" etc. etc.

He paced non-stop for 1 1/2 hours before I couldn't take it anymore and "intervened" a bit. I brought out to him his morning meal, to which he gobbled down in the rain. It was the hope that this would prime the juices. Well, it worked, but it took another 1/2 hour of pacing before he finally went... and boy did he go. I'm surprised he was able to hold it in for that long, especially since his last bowel movement was at 8PM the night before and I fed him a little more than usual in his prior evening meal.

The instant he finished, I praised the heck out of him and we rushed inside. I hope it is a lesson learned, since I'm not always going to have 2 free hours in the morning to wait him out in the rain!

Lexus

LOL, your poor floors!

Lex hates the rain, and she looks totally miserable when I put her out in it... her ears are all drooped down and she holds her head down and blinks alot and walks really slow, like it is complete torture. My other two dogs could care less. I have to stand at the door, and keep telling Lexus "Go Potty", otherwise she would just stand under the overhang

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Riagogogo

Rudi has gotten much better. He would just stand on the front porch all cols and sad, then I caught him hiking his leg up against the house on the porch. Of course I yelled at him and hurt his feelings and after the second time he did it and I yelled at him......he now goes out to the yard, quick and to the point. If it is nice out.....he hunts and pecks for a good spot.

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Can I get on bed????

The most loyal thing in the world is your dog. Whether you come home from Congress or from jail, whether you have lost your fortune or made millions, whether you return dressed in fashion's height or in rags, whether you have been hailed a hero or condemned a criminal, your dog is waiting for you with a welcoming bark of delight, a wagging tail (or nub), and a heart that knows no guile.-Peninsula SPCA

Luvbirds59

Petey had a bit of a problem all night long, the runs...so he was out in it 4 times, and then this AM....was like What? I'm not going out in that! I'm planning on running him in it later on today....nice 1 hour hike in the rain, if I don't, my family will pay dearly with DEVIL DOG!

Carol

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~*LIVE~LOVE~LAUGH*~

~LET THE PEACE OF THE WILDERNESS BE WITH YOU~

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
Henry David Thoreau, From "Walden

LapDog

lol what? Duchess....rain? going potty in the rain??? whats that? lol. She has a doggy door that leads into a kennel with a cement floor and a roof overhead lol so she doesnt have to worry about that lol. But if I let coco out and he doesnt want to go...ill let duchess go with him...but she is not a good role model when she cringes arches her back and trots right back in after realizing its raining after the first couple drops that hit her lol

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lyngr

Oh, Nike will *play* out in the rain but potty? That's another story entirely.

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An eagle needs two wings to fly.. a left and a right

eph94

SHHHHHH! If Harley ever catches wind of such an arrangement, he just may stage a coup d'etat. Gosh, having one of those would make life so much easier. What a great setup!!

This I completely don't understand. If I picked up a ball in the middle of our potty "stand-off" in the rain, Harley definitely would have played as if the rain did not exist. In the past, I tried to desensitize Harley to the rain through play, but play time is play time and potty time is potty time in his mind. One goes just fine with rain and the other simply does not.

Dobes can be so funny sometimes.

A few months back I even went so far to buy him a full rain suit from Neopaws. You guessed it, it turns out that I bought the one thing that Harley hates more than rain. He won't even move unassisted when it is on. He just stands there like a statue.

brumwolf

From now on i am sending any new Dobes i have to you to housetrain,you must have the patience of a saint(2 hours !!!!!!!)

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My favourite quote "If it's not a Doberman,It's just a dog" Anon

Burns

Red used to refuse to go potty in the rain, but I'd stand out there with him with an umbrella, constantly repeating, "go potty, go potty, go potty" and not come in until he went.

He still won't go out willingly (sometimes I have to literally pick him up off the deck and place him in the grass), but he'll go because he's knows the sooner he goes, the sooner he can come in!

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Gorrmae's Fantasy Red XIII CGC TDI
DOB 2/17/07, red/rust, male neutered Doberman

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eph94

Seriously, though, what were my options? I was facing a Sophie's Choice.

Fifteen minutes passed in what seemed like a blink of an eye. I just couldn't believe how ridiculous it was for Harley to pace and pace and pace in the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry. Then by the thirty minute mark, I began to fail to see the humor of the situation. By one hour, I think I hit the point of no return. If it packed it in at that point, then I just wasted a miserable hour for nothing. At an hour and a half, desperation began set in, which is why I decided to go in and prepare his morning meal to prime the pump. Imagine if you will my surprise when as soon as he finished his food he started pacing all over again. I really, really wanted to give up at that point, but I looked at the facts staring coldly at me:

* This was a regularly scheduled potty break.
* He hadn't had a bowel movement since 8PM the prior night.
* Last night's meal was larger that usual.
* And to top it off, I just fed him again.

I was certainly courting disaster if I brought him in, even if I put him in his crate. Plus, what sort of message would I be sending him if I allowed him to *not* go potty after I said "go potty" over a hundred times? And finally, a huge teaching/learning opportunity awaited. If I could be there the moment he finished going potty then I could lavish him with perfectly timed "Good potty!" praise.

I know I could have left him out there for a couple of hours by himself, but then he would have just gone into his dog house and I would have no idea if he relieved himself or not when I let him back in.

Thank you guys and gals for letting me rant and get this off my chest! It definitely made me feel better.