Won't lift leg while urinating
#92727 - 12/19/2005 05:11 PM |
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I just "rescued" a GSD Saturday from a guy who knows even less than me about raising a well-behaved dog. While I'm already working a little with him on his leash and overall manners, I really need to figure out how to get him to lift a leg when he urinates. I end up washing both of his front legs after every trip outside.
Thank you all for any help you can provide!
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Re: Won't lift leg while urinating
[Re: greg thomas NC ]
#92728 - 12/19/2005 05:20 PM |
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I was just about to ask why you care, when I got to the part about washing his legs- <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />fun! How old is the dog? Some lines mature very slowly, and it can take a while. Is he neutered? We need more info! My dog was slow to mature and didn't reliably lift his leg until he was nearly 2. I didn't worry about it. Of course, he didn't pee on his own legs, either... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
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Re: Won't lift leg while urinating
[Re: greg thomas NC ]
#92729 - 12/19/2005 05:39 PM |
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....I really need to figure out how to get him to lift a leg when he urinates. I end up washing both of his front legs after every trip outside.
I actually have had this challenge! (I also have had a female who DID lift her leg -- I guess she had gender issues <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> -- and frequently would pee down onto the other leg as she tried to "aim" at a tree.)
The rescue I have now didn't lift his leg at first. So first I taught him to pee as soon as we went out each time, using "outside" and "good outside" from a potty-training article of Ed Frawley's as reference, and then I just physically lifted one of his back legs near an aiming place (a bush or something) until he caught on.
I used the "hurry up" and "good outside" thing first because I had to be able to predict when it was time to lift his leg. I praised him extravagantly, of course, when he accidentally let go while his leg was up -- and he caught on that this was a good thing to do.
It sounds silly, I know. It worked, though, and took only about a week.
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Re: Won't lift leg while urinating
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#92730 - 12/19/2005 05:42 PM |
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My dog used to pee on his front right paw and not lift his leg, then he got older n better at missing his front paw, but still not lifting his leg, then he got even older and decided that he's only gonna lift his leg when marking a tree, but when he's relieving himself he's not gonna lift, instead he's gonna stretch out his back legs really far so he can't reach his front paw.
Now at 19 months he doesn't lift when relieving himself, but he still stretches himself out so he doesn't pee on himself.
Just walk the dog in wet grass n it'll be fine <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> He'll hopefully learn eventually, unless he's set in his ways, in which case you've got a problem n I dunno if there's a way to communicate leg lifting to the dog if he doesn't do it naturally... perhaps put a plastic shield on his front paws, or lift his leg for him <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
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Re: Won't lift leg while urinating
[Re: Jenni Williams ]
#92731 - 12/19/2005 05:43 PM |
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I was just about to say the same thing Jenni !!! My adult dog was about 2 years old aswell- he's 4 now and still squats if there's nothing appealing to lift his leg against. Either that or he's a lazy so and so <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
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Re: Won't lift leg while urinating
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#92732 - 12/19/2005 06:40 PM |
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I was just about to ask why you care, when I got to the part about washing his legs- <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />fun! How old is the dog? Some lines mature very slowly, and it can take a while. Is he neutered? We need more info! My dog was slow to mature and didn't reliably lift his leg until he was nearly 2. I didn't worry about it. Of course, he didn't pee on his own legs, either... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Jenni - He's about a year old and still intact. The last time I took him out, I tried the whole "me lift his leg" trick, but all that did was distract him and delay the inevitable. If it was just a little bit here and there, I could live with it. But he soaked his front left leg from the elbow down <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />
....I really need to figure out how to get him to lift a leg when he urinates. I end up washing both of his front legs after every trip outside.
I actually have had this challenge! (I also have had a female who DID lift her leg -- I guess she had gender issues <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> -- and frequently would pee down onto the other leg as she tried to "aim" at a tree.)
The rescue I have now didn't lift his leg at first. So first I taught him to pee as soon as we went out each time, using "outside" and "good outside" from a potty-training article of Ed Frawley's as reference, and then I just physically lifted one of his back legs near an aiming place (a bush or something) until he caught on.
I used the "hurry up" and "good outside" thing first because I had to be able to predict when it was time to lift his leg. I praised him extravagantly, of course, when he accidentally let go while his leg was up -- and he caught on that this was a good thing to do.
It sounds silly, I know. It worked, though, and took only about a week.
Connie - thank you for the tip on using "hurry up" and "good outside" ... I've used similar things on puppies, but to tell you the truth, I've raised nothing but bitches until I got Damien.
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Re: Won't lift leg while urinating
[Re: greg thomas NC ]
#92733 - 12/19/2005 07:26 PM |
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...... thank you for the tip on using "hurry up" and "good outside" ... I've used similar things on puppies, but to tell you the truth, I've raised nothing but bitches until I got Damien.
Yes.........I wanted to be able to catch him just as I knew he would be ready to let loose so I could lift his leg at the right moment. The first success was pure luck, of course, like lots of wanted behaviors -- then the praise reinforced it.
He was 100% housebroken, so it seemed weird to be going to square one, but I figured that I had to, in order to be able to predict the right moment. There's just so long I'm willing to stand there holding a dog's leg in the air beside a hydrant! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
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Re: Won't lift leg while urinating
[Re: greg thomas NC ]
#92734 - 12/19/2005 07:28 PM |
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If I understand it correctly, male dogs only lift their leg to "mark" territory. If no other male dogs are urinating in the area, the reflex may never kick in. The best theory is that they lift their leg to get the urine higher on whatever object they are claiming, trying to be perceived as a larger and more dangerous dog.
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Re: Won't lift leg while urinating
[Re: Matthew Fleury ]
#92735 - 12/19/2005 07:36 PM |
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I think people worry too much about this. They should be concerned with training.
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Re: Won't lift leg while urinating
[Re: Ed Frawley ]
#92736 - 12/19/2005 08:03 PM |
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I think people worry too much about this. They should be concerned with training.
Yes, of course there's no reason to care how the dog wants to pee, and I never did care --- until the one who was soaking his fur every day. I'm happy that he's not doing that now. Otherwise, as Jenni said, why would anyone care?
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