I could use some help.
I am presently petsitting for my parents' 2 dogs for 2 weeks while they are away.
1 dog (Rocco) is a good dog. Old but a good dog.
The other, Belle, is about 3 years old. And. Is. Not. Trained! She's a good really sweet dog, but does NOT listen. She's Unmotivated. She's extremely cat-like.
Here's the trouble:
Scene: She loves to be outside. Generally not a problem- however, she does not come in when called. She'll go hide in the thick holly bushes where I cannot reach her to get her in. My parents never trained her on the "Come" or "Here" command (or if my dad did, he overused the command and she ignores it now).
Note: first few days took me over 2 hours on and off to finally get her in. Monday when it was 98º took me 4 hours to get her in (on and off- about half an hour apart as not to hound her continuously)
Problem: I work every day. I cannot wait or fight to get her in. Weather's too hot, I cannot leave her outside for 10 hours while I work. Plus landscapers come unexpectedly and I cannot have her outside (don't want her to escape or get injured).
I tried: Bribing with treats and people food. Playing (and using playful voices and sounds). Bribing with toys. I tried bribing with promises of "park" and "walk" As she knows those words. Leashes does not get her to me. She's very unmotivated- food and toys does not motivate. Nothing excites her like normal dogs.
I also tried ringing doorbells, opening garage door, turning car on. I tried asking a neighbor to come in hopes a new voice would excite her. Nope, she still hides.
Alternative choice with new issue: I tried putting her on a leash to take her outside to make sure I can get her in before I go to work. Excellent solution, right? Wrong. SHE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO PEE ON A LEASH!!!!
This should have been the FIRST thing my dad to teach her. Nope. I'd walk her around her usual pee area. She'll stare at me for a half an hour and will not pee.
So my choices are: Leave her outside all day/night while I am not home. Or keep her inside and let her bust.
I chose to let her bust- since I cannot just keep her outside while I am at work. With this choice, she had not peed since yesterday morning. Eventually she'll pee either in the house or outside- and I'd rather have an accident in the house than to fight every day to get her in (the more I try to encourage her, the less she wants to come in).
Any suggestions?
I am presently petsitting for my parents' 2 dogs for 2 weeks while they are away.
1 dog (Rocco) is a good dog. Old but a good dog.
The other, Belle, is about 3 years old. And. Is. Not. Trained! She's a good really sweet dog, but does NOT listen. She's Unmotivated. She's extremely cat-like.
Here's the trouble:
Scene: She loves to be outside. Generally not a problem- however, she does not come in when called. She'll go hide in the thick holly bushes where I cannot reach her to get her in. My parents never trained her on the "Come" or "Here" command (or if my dad did, he overused the command and she ignores it now).
Note: first few days took me over 2 hours on and off to finally get her in. Monday when it was 98º took me 4 hours to get her in (on and off- about half an hour apart as not to hound her continuously)
Problem: I work every day. I cannot wait or fight to get her in. Weather's too hot, I cannot leave her outside for 10 hours while I work. Plus landscapers come unexpectedly and I cannot have her outside (don't want her to escape or get injured).
I tried: Bribing with treats and people food. Playing (and using playful voices and sounds). Bribing with toys. I tried bribing with promises of "park" and "walk" As she knows those words. Leashes does not get her to me. She's very unmotivated- food and toys does not motivate. Nothing excites her like normal dogs.
I also tried ringing doorbells, opening garage door, turning car on. I tried asking a neighbor to come in hopes a new voice would excite her. Nope, she still hides.
Alternative choice with new issue: I tried putting her on a leash to take her outside to make sure I can get her in before I go to work. Excellent solution, right? Wrong. SHE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO PEE ON A LEASH!!!!
This should have been the FIRST thing my dad to teach her. Nope. I'd walk her around her usual pee area. She'll stare at me for a half an hour and will not pee.
So my choices are: Leave her outside all day/night while I am not home. Or keep her inside and let her bust.
I chose to let her bust- since I cannot just keep her outside while I am at work. With this choice, she had not peed since yesterday morning. Eventually she'll pee either in the house or outside- and I'd rather have an accident in the house than to fight every day to get her in (the more I try to encourage her, the less she wants to come in).
Any suggestions?
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