jdthomas 0 #1 May 31, 2006 So I was in the bathroom high upon my throne and my loyal subject opend the door to see what was going on. My girlfriend has trained our dog to open doors now! Little did I know this and what a suprise to me. Twice this has happend today.. ahh the joys of having a girlfriend that is doing a dog training class! Joewww.greenboxphotography.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #2 May 31, 2006 how did she teach this... I would love to teach Karma to let herself out... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdthomas 0 #3 May 31, 2006 Quotehow did she teach this... I would love to teach Karma to let herself out... Well if you have the push down handle on your door you can teach your dog these "tricks" ! Joewww.greenboxphotography.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #4 May 31, 2006 nope... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bloody_trauma 2 #5 May 31, 2006 its easy to train a dog to do things like that you jsut have to give the canine the right motivation through positive reinforcment, i see from the pic you have a lab? choclate i think? which is a terribly smart dog that was bred for hunting, any ways, what you need to do is associate opening the door with a positive notion, what ever it is your dog enjoys the most usually works the best, a favorite toy, her favorite treat, her favorite game you play, some words of praise and soe pets all suffice well. so, that said, you need to look at what type of door knob you have, in my home I own a German Shepard Dog (GSD) and shes a whip, but in my home the door knobs arent rounds knobs, we have latches, and she get along with those well,if you have a round knob, the best way is to tie something around the knob so she can pull it so that it turns, but if you have latches you just get her to hop up there and open then dor, when she does it Immediately give lots of praise and pets and a treat tell the dog how smart she is, and then do it again, generally those who are serious about training thier dogs spend about 15-30 minutes aday working with thier canine friends, you can get your friend to do just about anything you desire through positive reinforcement, and break bad hanits with negative reinforcement, you just have to balance it out so your dog isnt just going through the motions just to get a treat, they think very logically, me+ door + lick guy on toilet + treat and love makes sense right?Fly it like you stole it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bloody_trauma 2 #6 May 31, 2006 if you dont have latches and only round knobs i wouldnt reomend teaching it just yet, as your dog wil prolly scratch the crap out of your walls in the processFly it like you stole it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #7 May 31, 2006 Actually I've thought this through before... and I have round handles... but I imagine they sell or I can make something that would allow Karma to open the door... I could probably also teach her to do it... the real trick would be to get her to close it behind her... btw: she's more black then brown (though she has some brown on her legs) and she's only half lab the other half is catahoula leopard hound and yep she's pretty bright... this evening she told me that she wanted to chase her tennis ball outside but whining and looking up at the fridge which is where I keep her Chuck-it... ScottLivin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydemon2 0 #8 May 31, 2006 you keep her chuck-it in the fridge? Doesnt the coldness take out the flexibility? Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone! I like to start my day off with a little Ray of Soulshine™!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #9 May 31, 2006 Quoteyou keep her chuck-it in the fridge? Doesnt the coldness take out the flexibility? no... but it is on top of the fridge... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bloody_trauma 2 #10 May 31, 2006 my GSD was a mess when i got to her, i was deploy when my wife got her, so when i got home we had it out and still do but ive taught her kinds of stuff, potty trained her, sit, stay, fetch, speak, rollover, come, heel, laydown, shake, high five, sit pretty, and then i taught her how to open the fridge and get me a beerFly it like you stole it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bloody_trauma 2 #11 May 31, 2006 my dog not my wifeFly it like you stole it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bloody_trauma 2 #12 May 31, 2006 oh and another problem with a tick like this is that, mischievous dogs tend to get in themselves in trouble, IE the start drinking from the toilet, or getting on the balcony and barking at stuff, or they get out of the house and then go where they want get hooked on drugs, and then get pregnant and wanna come back home to mom and dadFly it like you stole it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #13 May 31, 2006 I've had Karma for a while... well... since she was 7.5 weeks old... there are a few first night home photos on my web page... she's fairly well behaved... she comes when she's called, she know's how to sit and stay... she loves to retrieve (and we're working on patience in her retrieving i.e. I throw the ball and she has to wait until I give the command "Go Get it" before she's allowed to leave... ) She does bark a lot when we play fetch and its a real effort in my patience to get her to calm down... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #14 May 31, 2006 oh... Karma's fixed... and I have a fenced in yard... although she does get into the trash on occasion. Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bloody_trauma 2 #15 May 31, 2006 another thing that comes into play with dogs like ours is thier built in genetics for hunting and working, they are hardwired to hunt no joke, they get into whats called prey drive and the way it happens is, through scent or a quick movement, or a noise that interests them, at home i have a tin can with some beans in it and taped on the botom, when ever she gets distracted i make a loud noise with the can and get her to focus and then i reward her shes calmed down alot but you cant take it out completely it in thier genesFly it like you stole it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #16 May 31, 2006 don't I know it... today I opened the back door and noticed a rabbit outside... I suggested it leave before I let Karma out... and walked it over to the fence... I was told by a fellow dz.commer that playing fetch is very helpful in alevating Karma's Prey drive... and when we're playing fetch she is very focused on the task at hand... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ntrprnr 0 #17 May 31, 2006 Quote Well if you have the push down handle on your door you can teach your dog these "tricks" ! Joe With a push down handle, your dog can also get out of the apartment, push the elevator button, get in the elevator, get out into the lobby, and walk towards the front door, all on his own, before fortunately being tackled by an alert doorman, who holds him until you come home. Yes. Seriously. Stupid (er... smart, I suppose...) dog._______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #18 May 31, 2006 QuoteYes. Seriously. Stupid (er... smart, I suppose...) dog.Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdthomas 0 #19 May 31, 2006 If you have round handles for your doors you can go to what i call te old folks gift shop and get a door handle helper. these shops carry stuff that make old people like little kids and make it easy for them to live without supervision.. you know arm rest on toliets so they can pull themselves up off the thing and those large pill containers.. all that stuff.. medical supply store! Anyway they have round knob helpers and you can put those on what ever door you want karma to be trained at and she should only use the doors that have knob helpers and stay away from other doors. Because Natasha now visits the bathroom we keep the lids down at all times when not in use! Joewww.greenboxphotography.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scrublink 0 #20 May 31, 2006 If you go to the local hardware store you will find a bunch of door knobs that are ADA compliant. These are the ones for differently abled people. Levers on either side. You can also get some that lock on one side so Karma wouldn't be totally free range. Dogs (and cats) will learn this pretty quickly (maybe cause they are curious). The knobs aren't that expensive. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #21 May 31, 2006 Do NOT teach your pet to flush the toilet. Sure, it sounds fun and pretty handy, too. But it carries one hell of a risk. What? I can hear you say that now. "Michele, you are out of your mind. What risk can there be?" Ah, well. Not to the pet, per se, but to YOU. Simon, the genius devil spawn from darkest hell cat, apparently learned how to flush my potty. Not that he used it, no...but he could flush it. At about 2 am one dark, cold night, I discovered this. I woke to the sound of the toilet flushing...laying there, in the dark and cold, woken from a sound sleep by water swishing, it can get really interesting in your head. I was on my feet quietly but quickly, before I had processed the likelihood of a burglar, rapist or murderer using my potty before he got to work on his dastardly deed...I crept down the hall, and peered around the slightly opened door of the bathroom...and there was Simon, both paws on the flusher thing, looking at me with great innocence and fun. See, the risk isn't to the pet; rather, it's to you, of having a massive heart attack at 2 am. As for visitors, there is no private peeing in my house. There is always at least one cat in the potty with me...'cause they know I'm somewhat captive at that point, and have to pet them. Well, except for Simon; he just likes to flush the toilet. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tmaricle55 0 #22 May 31, 2006 I could not stop laughing... With furry ones (two small dogs) of my own I can say they are rather sneaky!! Bathroom time is never alone and forget closing the door.... good thing I live alone! Muff Brother # 3883, SCR # 14796 ICD # 1 - Pres. Yeah, I noticed and I think it's funny! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spdoat 0 #23 June 1, 2006 That is too cute! I would be the exact same way in thinking someone was there to get me! Joe and I got our puppy for company when he works 24h shifts at the hospital and occassionally she will be off in the other end of the house and scare the crap out of me! Pets are a wonderful addition in life. We are starting to collect a herd though with 2 dogs and 4 horses but I love them all... I'm just glad I'm going in the animal field for my career. (Dog obedience trainer and starting Vet Technician program in August).I love my husband! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
