It all happened so suddenly. Hershey was nosing around like she does 90% of the day, but something about her nosing looked urgent. I looked at her and grabbed the leash. “Do you need to go out?”
And then the heavens parted and the angels sang and Hershey sat by the door and looked up at me. We went outside, and sure enough she went. Finally, after a few weeks of sitting on the potty training plateau, we had some progress! I wasn’t totally sure if it was a fluke or not, though. Hershey has learned that the kitchen door also leads to the holy grail in the garage—her bag of food. As a result, when anyone goes near the door, she’s interested. So, I didn’t know if she was after food, or really needed to go out. I watched Hershey closely, hoping to stay one step ahead of her.
But I didn’t have to. She went over to the door on her own, sat down and looked up at the handle several more times without my prompting. I happily led her outside. She only had one accident inside that day! I was happy enough to cry. You would have thought I won some great door prize, or something.
And then the same thing happened the next day. One accident, but half a dozen sit-by-the-door moments. I’d smugly let her outside, so pleased with myself. “I potty trained my dog. I’m so glad that’s over.”
Feel free to laugh for a moment or two or ten. I really thought it was like riding a bike; that once it clicked for her, she’d always go outside, unless we didn’t get home for her in time after a long day. I should have known it wasn’t that easy. Turns out, I definitely counted my chickens too soon.
The next day my mother came over to babysit while I was out and my husband was working. Either she didn’t pick up on Hershey’s cues, or Hershey didn’t think they’d work on my mother, so she didn’t try. But, it was a pee fest inside.
And then it seemed all progress we made was forgotten. Hershey wasn’t sitting by the door anymore. I wanted to cry. My sister-in-law stopped over to check on the rapidly-growing Hershey and I told her my tale of woe.
“She looks like she’s trying to go right now,” she said, as Hershey sniffed around and then sat in front of me. “I think she’s trying to get your attention.”
“But she’s not sitting in front of the door. That’s what she did before. She just wants me to pick her up or something.”
And sure enough, after a few moments, Hershey trotted off and peed on the carpet.
Huh.
So now, Hershey’s been sitting right in front of me. Which either means she wants me to pick her up, or she wants me to feed her, or she wants me to let her out. Maybe since we’d missed her cues by sitting at the door, she decided she had to bring her message to us, and sit right in front of us. What a learning experience this is.
For both of us, apparently. She definitely is spreading out the goods outside to maximize her treats. But I draw the line at just a drop or two—no snack for that. And trust me, I can see what she leaves behind in the snow.
With the coldest part of the winter behind us, her potty trips have turned into backyard adventures. She’s determined to check out every nook, cranny and shrub in our yard. And I’m reluctant to stop her, since she might be looking for the perfect poop spot.
She pretty much does her business in a new spot outside every time. (Which is different from what she does inside, where she re-waters her favorite naughty spots.) So, what is the deal with needing a new spot outside each time? Has anyone thought about making a little outdoor potty pit where the dog does his business each time? Just cover it up with a big tarp, no pooper scooper needed.
Which raises another point. We haven’t exactly been picking up her messes in the yard. At first they weren’t solid at all, and it seemed like a good idea to let them freeze, first. And of course we never went back for them. Now they’ve been snowed under and I’m sort of hoping they’ll just succumb to mother nature and decompose into the ground. Fertilizer for the grass! But more likely, we’re going to be left with one heck of a cleanup mess in the spring. (Why did you think we waited until we had children to get a dog?)
But going on poop patrol outside is a lot better than the alternative—doing the same thing inside. So onward and upward. We’re making progress. She will be potty trained soon. She will be potty trained soon. (My new mantra.) And then maybe one of these days I can teach her to stop jumping up. And to sit. And to stop chewing the chair. And my hair. Oh, we do have our work ahead of us. But its been a month since we first got her and it’s hard to remember she wasn’t always here.
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Have you missed any of the articles in this series?
If so, you can find them at:
The Bringing Up Puppy Series page.
Related posts:
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Hello Stranger
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – The Worst Lab
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Who is the Boss?
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Instincts
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Potty Trained?
