Quote:
Originally Posted by Sherpat
Hi Peggy! Well, a fence where I live is kinda out of the question for various reasons (my wife and I race motorcycles and use our yard to practice in, for one thing). We do have a doggie door that leads out to a rather enlarged pen, but for some reason the stupid dog doesn't want to soil that area with his poop. He just runs around in it, barking at leaves that dare to move, but then waits til I drag my butt off the recliner to take him into the woods for bathroom priveleges. And bears.
He has me very well trained.
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First your dog is not stupid. He's very smart. Why should he use the pen when he knows he can get you to turn him loose where he can mark his territory and have more fun? He doesn't know his life is in danger.
If it were my dog's life at stake I'd be finding a solution. Dogs should not run free unfenced anyway, and even more so if there's bears around.
I don't know about where you live but here in Utah dogs can be shot for "harrassing" (meaning chasing) wildlife.
Ok, your dog and even more so you can be retrained. You can take him out on a leash to do his business. If you do so on a regular basis he will learn when he should go. Put a word with it, I tell mine to "go potty", some use "hurry up" or "get busy". Praise him when he does what you've told him to do. Then put him in his pen where he's safe.
You can also put a post in his pen that he will want to mark on. Most male dogs will comply. For poop, either you put him in the pen and wait him out or you do the leash walking and when you know he will need to go you take him in the pen on leash. Put some toys and chewies in the pen so he has something to do when he's in there.
Or you fence of part of your yard (maybe the front yard) and only use part of it for the motorcycle practice. Part for the dog and part for you.
Or you let a bear kill your dog. Sooner or later he's going to come up against one that isn't going to run and is going to have a well aimed swat.
Peggy