Doxie News Dachshund Blog

Yesterday I spent a lot of time going around to various other dachshund blogs answering questions. It’s sad but true that many dachshund owners and most dog owners don’t know much about training their dog. Training isn’t for “obedience”, it’s so you can get through life with your dog without crisis and in some comfort.

So I thought I would tell you what going outside is like with Kody. We do this 3 to 5 times a day, and it doesn’t vary much.

1. First Kody goes and sits near the door to let me know he wants to go out. He will sit there quietly for a while then let out some quiet barks.
2. When I notice I say, “Do you need to go outside?” this is less of a question and more to let him know I’m on it.
3. When I walk over near the door, Kody runs about 10 feet away, turns toward me, and lays down. It’s a little weird, I think it’s so he can watch what I’m doing.
4. I latch his treat pouch to my belt. All the walking stuff is always kept right by the door.
5. I get myself ready to go outside, then I grab the collar and leash and Kody will run over to me or I say, “Kody, come ‘ere!” Either way, I say “Good come ‘ere!” I say, “Kody, sit” He sits. I say “Good sit!” Praise is free so I give him more while I get his collar ready. “Yes, that’s a very good puppy.”
6. I clip on his collar and leash. Then take a treat from the pouch. These are the small training treats, a little bigger than a kernel of corn. I give him the treat while at the same time say one final, “Good sit!”
7. Then I say, “ok”, to release him from the sit. Sometimes he gets up a bit early, I judge whether or not I need to be more strict about it next time.
8. We walk to the door. “Kody, sit.” He sits. “Good sit! Kody, wait.” And he waits. “Good wait!” I use wait when I’m going to be moving but I don’t want him to move. Some people say stay.
9. I open the door and go outside. “Good wait!” to remind him what he’s doing. It’s ok to praise multiple times. I give him a treat and say “Good wait!” Then “ok” to release him from the wait.
10. We have outside stairs leading to our front door and Kody can go down them much faster than I can. I say, “Kody, wait.” at the top of the stairs.
11. When I get down about five stairs I say, “ok” and release him. He still gets down to the bottom before me. If he goes early I will be more attentive next time. Then we just go for a walk.
12. When starts to pee, he gets a lot of praise, “Good peepee! That’s so good, what a good puppy dog!”
13. When he starts to poo, he gets a some praise, “Good poopoo, very good!” But I want to let him concentrate.
14. When we’re done and at the bottom of the stairs I say, “Kody, wait.” He waits. “Good wait.” Not usually a treat here unless we’re reinforcing. After I get up a few steps I say, “ok” to release him.
15. We do the wait process again to go through the front door.
16. Then inside he sits to get his collar off.
17. Sometimes he just runs off as soon as I unsnap his collar. Purist would say this is bad, but it’s fine with me. But he’s just as like to stay seated, because he knows if he stays seated he will get a treat.

A lot of writing, but it’s no work at all. All that commanding and praising is how we talk to each other and live with each other. It is now second nature. Remember I’m actually moving and accomplishing a task while all this is happening. It’s all going on at the same time.

The thing is this whole process is calm and easy. Is yours? If not, look into attending a weekly training program for you and your dog. It’s easy.

Also, please don’t try to duplicate this process without going to a training class. I’m telling you this to let you know how easy and calm our walks are. But we did work to get here, and I didn’t even mention that. That’s what the class taught us.