Harley used to have this cute whimper when he had to go potty from his crate. so I'd let him out, he'd go potty, and then he'd go back to bed in his crate. well one night he figured out this whimper meant out of crate which = play time. So if he whinned I put him in his bathroom area (we grid train), walked away, and ignored him for 10 minutes, no toys, just the potty, most of hte time he ignored the potty, so in the crate he went and I ignored him... it felt terrible, but now he's good. He sleeps through the night, and has graduated to having his own room with his potty in there, so now I don't even get barked at to feed him in the mornings... he plays with his toys until I bring him breakfast, he's quiet unless he thinks I'm going to walk by his room without saying morning.
It sucks to ignore them, but in the end it develops good behavior from them, and it usually only takes a few times ignoring him for him to figure out that quiet gets the attention.... another thing I do, if you are letting them out, always make them get thier feet off the doors before opening, they'll figure out that quiet/down = getting out...
__________________ Kendra Harley, you were the light in my life, rest peacefully my love! |