finding a mess

[Mheato]

How do you respond when you find a big old mess your boxer puppy has made. I feel pretty good that I know how not to respond do you bother to say no or do you just clean it up if your not catching them in the act? Since they are puppies being puppies I wasnt sure how to correct when I find something after the fact other than puppy proffing/preventative behavior.

 

[Jan]

You should never correct after the fact. They don't understand what you are correcting them for. If you catch them in the act, just a sharp, Ah Ah. It will hopefully stop them in the tracks and you can rush them outside to finish the job outside.

 

[Kisaq]

Granted, I don't have a puppy - but when I see Kisaq has done something he shouldn't and I wasn't there to catch him in the act - I will give a slight disapproving frown and say, "what is all this?" and then I'll mutter to myself, "My goodness, what a mess" (more for show than anything) while I clean it up. Nothing is directed at the dog - only the mess. Like the fault lies in the mess.

LOL. Maybe I'm wasting my time, but I don't think so. Dogs can feel when you are happy even if you don't say anything. I think they can feel when you are disappointed too. When I direct my disappointment toward the item, rather than the dog, it shows something to him. I believe he puts two and two together that I didn't like what he did or at least that I didn't like the results.

I do the same thing when I catch him picking up something he shouldn't (like a piece of trash, or a toy he shouldn't have), and then I'll trade it out for something else and praise when he releases the "wrong" object, and takes the "correct" one instead. I still try to direct my disappointment/disapproval toward the object - not the dog.

 

[LILYLARUE]

I totally would do the same - treat the mess as if it were the culprit of doom! Lily would stand back and watch me mumble as I cleaned up the mess. Now as an adult, she walks gently around a mess, made by one of the other dogs, and huffs under her breath. Its too funny! It's like she's mumbling under her breath at the culprit of doom! She often will come to me when she finds a mess now and woo-woo at me, I will ask her "what's wrong Lil", and she will guide me right to it, stand back and mumble right along with me as I clean it up. Yep, always nice to have a wing man when cleaning it up! Of course, she's the ONLY ONE who gives a crap though.

 

[Kisaq]

I totally would do the same - treat the mess as if it were the culprit of doom! Lily would stand back and watch me mumble as I cleaned up the mess. Now as an adult, she walks gently around a mess, made by one of the other dogs, and huffs under her breath. Its too funny! It's like she's mumbling under her breath at the culprit of doom! She often will come to me when she finds a mess now and woo-woo at me, I will ask her "what's wrong Lil", and she will guide me right to it, stand back and mumble right along with me as I clean it up. Yep, always nice to have a wing man when cleaning it up! Of course, she's the ONLY ONE who gives a crap though.

That's GREAT!! :D

We used to have a "show me" command for one of our other boxers. He would come to us with some "problem" or other. We'd ask him to "show me" and he'd lead us right there. More than once there was a problem with fire (chimney fire, or an over active wood-stove with the door left open).

Kisaq could care less. But he does step around the "mess" and "help" to "clean it up." LOL
I've yet to hear him join in the grumble though. That would be funny. hahaha!