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onesojourner

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Maybe a different analogy would work for those who want to really nail things down: perhaps house training is more of a probability function than a step function. :P

HAHA! I like that analogy a lot!!!! Although I wonder if the probability of success will ever ever approach unity at this point....it seems as though we're in a holding pattern with a good chance of an accident a month with no improvements at this point.

Currey was FRAPing last night and on about his 8th lap around the apartment, he paused in the bedroom closet. I went to check on him, and he was emptying his bladder in the corner, hidden behind a box. That was the first on-floor potty accident in about 9 months (he's 18 months now, and has still had problems with a nasty habit of going on furniture when he's in a FRAP frenzy). It seems almost as though he suffers "temporary insanity" - I'd guess he was in such a wild frenzy that his mind just slipped, although I do find it interesting that he apparently chose to HIDE to do it - makes me wonder if he knew better? It seems as though 90% of his accidents since housebreaking have been in the midst of a wild playing or sprinting spree.

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i think you've got it, if he didn't know it was wrong (or, that YOU consider it wrong) he wouldn't have done it stealthily. i think he probably got himself worked up during play, that's when most accidens happen. he knew it was coming on and he had to act fast. pretty clever, huh? those cairns, they can always figure out something...

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Cairns inspire the darndest analogies! Yep, probability rather than step (this is painfully close to the college algebra class I am taking on line this summer) (very :offtopic, I know! ) -- Love this thread. Cairns = not predictable. Including mine. :P

Pam

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We had a partial break through last night. I have been pretty good at watching for that nose to go down and the random wandering to start. So messes in the house are starting to be fewer between. The real news is last night he went to the door that we let him out of for the first time and immediately took care of business!, of coarse a few hours later while my wife was watching he took a pee in my office but it still seems like there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.

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Yeah, that light at the end of the tunnel sometimes goes dark, then light, then dark.....depending on their mood. Ruby knows full well where she's supposed to go and for weeks and weeks we will have no problems. Then, for some reason, she'll have an accident every day for a week. And every time she does, we realize that she came to us and tried to get our attention. The problem is, we can't seem to distinguish when she wants to play from when she's telling us to take her out. And since she gets a little treat every time we come back, we are sure she's just asking so that she can get a treat. If they could only talk! On wait, maybe that's not such a good thing either!

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arggggh. I just had a long post to you and lost it. At any rate welcome to the family. You'll love it here.

For the heeby, jeebies at night, I would suggest a big flashlight. Logan was terrified of the dark when he was a little guy. We would illuminate his way and he felt much safer which helped. I also would tie his lead to either your belt loop or your wife's belt loop so that Dex is with you at all times. This way he can hear all of the inflections of your voice at different situations and you can notice his little potty cues. We did this for a month and Logan was a superstar in no time. Now at 3.5 years if there are any accidents he does them at the back door and we know it is because he doesn't feel well and he never, ever gets scolded for it. We have a potty or a throw up maybe once or twice a year now. Also, do the bell training. You and the wife will be trained to jump at the sound of that bell in no time. After each successful answer of the bell, you can reward one another with a glass of wine :lol: You'll need it. Dexter is going to be the best exercise equipment that you'll ever get.

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We have been doing the flashlight thing and that helps a lot. he is also getting more secure in the back yard. he started whining a bit this morning and he went out and did both so he might be starting to figure this thing out. The bell is on the list and so is that pill to keep him from eating the stuff that comes out of the other end...

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Dexter went to the lake for the second time yesterday. I think he is still a little intimadaited by the massive amounts of water and the boat wakes but I think he still had a good time.

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dscn4138ea6.jpg

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Is't that the truth.....they seem to always want the big guy to go first, then if it seems safe they want in. After they get in.....then it seems forever to get them out. Anyway, he looks as though he loves being there and with you and his friend, life looks good.

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well rusty (the lab) was in the lake all day. Dexter would not follow though. we took him out a few times while rusty floated on a life jacket and we would let Dex sit on a mat. He would sit there for a while then we would entice him to jump in a swim back on his own.

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