Health or Behavior Problem :confused:

[jys1011]

Having an issue with TOPAZ…do you have a B that does NOT bolt when the door opens??...does NOT want to go outside??...stiffens up at thought of walking???....I just don't get it

Our routine from Day 1 has been get up at 6am & out you go for potty & a hearty run/walk. Every day seven days a week.

When she sees me going for the leash she leans as far back as she can into her crate in the morning. At first I would reach in & try to pull her out. Now I throw treats outside her crate to make her come out & treats down the stairs to make her come down the stairs & finally treats outside the door to make her walk out the house. After a few feet of dragging she will eventually walk & SOMETIMES she's ok with for the rest of the walk. Sometimes its dead stop every few feet. Every night at about 11:30pm it's time for a final potty...every day seven days a week it's the same routine. And I do the whole treat thing again.

This has been going on for a couple of months now.

At first I thought maybe she's tired....but every day! Then I thought maybe it's too cold out...one day it was 60 degrees! Now I'm thinking maybe she's sick??

The last few weeks she's been having some pee accidents in her crate at night or during the day when we're not home. Never when we ar home. So I'm thinking maybe she's sick. I have an appt with the vet on Sat but I'd like to come in with some questions.

Any help?

[jessi76]

aww poor Topaz! you are so smart to start with a checkup at the vet, that's exactly what I'd do too.

I can tell you though, that my own dog will NOT budge from the warm bed until after 6:30am, and that's only because I make him. if he had it his way he'd sleep in everyday until 8am. my guy isn't too fond of going out into the cold to do his business in the morning either, but I boot him right out and believe me, he comes back REAL fast, runs straight to his fleece blanket and curls up in a ball, then he acts very dramatic and actually shivers and whines. like "poor me, those horrible people made me get out of bed!"

if all is clear at the vet, perhaps topaz got spooked by something outside, perhaps your body language is off, perhaps she's being coddled a bit too much about not going out (currently, she's getting rewarded for protesting). when my dog protests things, I get my "business" attitude on…. very matter of fact about things. I snap his leash on, say LET'S GO, and just start going. you could always snap on Topaz's leash BEFORE you even go downstairs. start your hearty walk in the house, and continue right out the door. Don't let her rule the walk either, if she stops, keep on walking. you lead, she follows. if my dog stops to smell the roses, I give the command LET'S GO! and keep moving.

I do hope everything checks out ok at the vet though - keep us posted!

[Quercus]

I would definitely start with a vet check. It does sound like she is under the weather. But if that is all fine (has she had her thyroid checked?), then it must be behavioral.

Can you pick her up, to take her outside? I know she has some *issues That way she isn't getting rewarded for dawdling.

I agree with what Jessi said, as my basenjis have gotten older (I can't remember how old Topaz is) they are more and more likely to want to sleep in. She is probably thinking 6am, are you CRAZY?? And they rarely want to go out for their last pee of the night around 11am…but I will often grab their collar (gently) and push them out the door (firmly)....doesn't get any easier with Querk and Ivy..they hate it every night. And as far as the walk goes...I would make sure we just keep moving, as Jessi said; I use "let's go" too.

I hope she is okay...she sounds so much like Ivy though Ivy DOES love to go on a good walk....but maybe not at 6am!

[lvoss]

Do you walk both your dogs together? or do they each get their own walks? If everything checks out with the vet one thing that may be going on is that she really doesn't want to go on a walk with the other dog. Nicky can be like that sometimes. Every so often he just digs and and says no way am I going if they are going too and sometimes it is who is doing the walking that makes the difference. If my husband has been walking him more he will occassionally refuses to walk with him to "hold out" for mom. When I take him he happily walks.

[jys1011]

Thanks for the suggestions guys…I'll definitely report back on the Vet visit. And after reading the other threads I know to ask for the "full panel just to compare over time" vs. just the "T4"...I hope I got that right

Most times I'll try to just drop treats along the path out the door. Kinda like Hansel & Gretel. I'd rather her come out on her own vs. me pulling her out or carrying her out. I don't want her to think that by carrying her out she's being coddled. But if the treats are not working I do sometimes have to resort to carrying her out & just set her outside for the walk.

Once outside there's no stopping except for the usual potty spots so she can do her business. She will make abrupt stops & just stare...sort of like "I've had enough let's go back" look on her face :eek: But I carry on because we have a time/distance goal that we need to get through. So I see "come on" & keep moving. Sometimes she'll be so stiff she'll actually topple over on her side :eek: :eek:

Andrea-you're right about her "issues" just this morning my husband tried to reach in her crate & pull her out & she got growly & air nipped him. He got pretty upset. I told him to take a deep breath & calm down. I know there's SOMETHING going on & we need to work around it until we figure it out. Once I see her resistance escalating I don't try to force her. I think that's why she's never growled or air nipped me. I try to incorporate happy talk & melodious "we're going out...we're going out..la la la la la" I put on her collar get up & start walking then we take it from there. A little tug otherwise treats till she gets out the door.

[jys1011]

Topaz is 2 years old..just little one

Ivoss-I do walk them both together. I don't know if this could be the case. There are times when she's NOT resistant. Like on the weekends when we're home & she's been following me around the house & I take them out for a midday potty…then she'll come out without a problem.

It could just be the time issue...I guess I need to put the clocks away LOL LOL I don't have much of a choice there. I need to be OUT the house by 7:30am & DH needs to be out by 8am SOOOOOO there's no negotiating the time in our house.

[Quercus]

Sometimes picking them up in a "there is no other choice" manner is less coddling than stringing them along with treats. Don't get me wrong, you know I love to use treats for training. But sometimes when you spend a whole lot of time and effort trying to coax the dog to cooperate, they are getting some reward out of that. A lot more reward than they would get if you just picked them up, and made them cooperate….(kinda like toddlers!)

But does sound like there might be more going on. I hope you find some answers. The reluctance to go out at 6 am (gads!) might get better as the weather warms up