Dog advice

[Aeson]

At 50 I find myself a new dog dad. Like many new dads I could use some advice.
This guy doesn't seem to want to go outside when it's raining to do his business. So far he hasn't made a mess in the house. Is there anything I can do to get him to go outside? I don't want him holding it in.

He seems to bark, whine, and howl when my mom leaves during the day. Oddly, he doesn't do it when I leave at night. I don't want him in my room while I'm trying to sleep. Is there anything we can do to help him?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, it’s going to take him time to adjust & adapt to the new house, and for you to learn how he signals when he’s in real need of going out. Can’t rush that. While that process is ongoing, you might want to get some pee pads to put near the door.

Over the decades, our dogs have had a varied relationship with rain. None of them really liked it, but some were more resistant to going out in it than others. Some would go out alone begrudgingly, some needed a chaperone. All of them enjoyed a vigorous towel rubdown afterwards, though!

One thing that helped us was becoming more weather aware. If we know rain- especially severe weather- is coming, we try to ensure our dogs get out. Of course, that won’t help much if you’re having long-lasting rainstorms passing through slowly. But even so, monitoring the weather can help you ID relative lulls when the dog might be more amenable.

As for the separation anxiety, that’s something I’ve not had to deal with in an adult dog. Maybe a blanket with your mom’s favorite perfume or similar scent would help?

 

[Aeson]

I haven't thought of thunder until now. I know it bothers some dogs. When I was young we had border collies, they REALLY didn't like thunder. We haven't had thunder yet. It's been a light rain. I'm not sure how he'll react to thunder. It's going to be a wait and see thing.

 

[Morrus]

You'll need to actually take him outside, at least at first. One of the joys of training a dog is the fun of standing around in the cold waiting for them to get on with it.

None of my dogs have ever cared about rain or thunder. It's important not to react, or imply in any way that thunder is unusual or something to be concerned about, and don't coddle them if they show any fear. You don't want to teach the dog to fear thunder.

 

[Koloth]

Puppy or adult? If adult, he already has an established pattern for life. Up to you to figure it out and try to modify to fit your home and life style. If puppy, YOU are now mommy and have to teach him how to be a member of the pack.

2nd the idea that at least at first, you, or mom, will have to take him out to where in the yard you want him to go and have a treat and praise ready for when he gets it correct. One dog my mom had learned to ring a small bell she had hung off the back door knob. Not sure if the dog figured it out or mom taught her. I had moved out years before.

Separation anxiety is a thing with some dogs. Possible that your dog is now mom's dog in the dog's mind. What you want won't always be what the dog decides.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Like previous posters have intimated dogs do well with structure - treats and positive reinforcement like affection help coding this into their daily routine.
As for which person an animal chooses to bond with, that is on them.
In time he will accept that mom leaving is temporary and his anxiety levels will lessen.
Good luck!

 

[aco175]

My dog likes to scratch at the door when it sees the other neighbor's dog outside. If I get up to put on his leash he is going outside. Last week it was below 0 degrees and we had 2 feet of snow. It managed. I was more attentive to having the dog come back in though.

First thing we did with the dog was keep it crated at night. It came from a rescue from the south somewhere so it had never been out of a crate. I did not want it in my room at night or in my bed so we keep up with the crating and now it just goes in the crate sometime around 7pm.

The initial few accidents needed a collar drag over to the pile and stern talking to before dragging it to the door to make it go out. We also gave it a treat when it went out, but it learned to just go out and turn around to want to come back in at first.

I was going to post the one from Groucho Marx about outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read.

 

[Meech17]

Adorable pup.

If he's already house broken I would maybe not worry too much about it. My dog also hates the rain (But loves romping around in the snow for some reason) and will hesitate to go out when it's raining. But when he's gotta go, he's gotta go, and will get over his fear of rain pretty quickly.

Others have given some good advice already that I'll echo. Keep an eye on the weather and if you notice it's cloudy and gloomy, or you see rain in the forecast, try to get him out ahead of it.

 

[Sacrosanct]

If he's a new dog, he's got a lot of transitioning to do. Be patient. Be consistent. It can take a month or longer for a dog to start to feel comfortable in their new surrounding, depending on what their background is.

Re thunder, (and fireworks), my dog hates them. His anxiety shoots through the roof. I have to medicate him. And then seethe in anger as people keep setting off fireworks until 3am for a week straight (but I digress).

 

[Dioltach]

As a cat person, I'm astonished at the idea of teaching a pet to modify its behaviour. The only thing I've ever known a cat to learn is to be more demanding and self-absorbed.