Jasper and the dog door

[Cataholic]

Jasper is my 1.5 year oldish mixed breed. He is a delight. Unusual in so many ways, we get comments/compliments all the time. He is also odd. LOL. Really, he is.

It took us forever to get him to do his business in the backyard. I could walk him on the street/sidewalk and he did what he was supposed to do. Backyard? Nothing. He would go stand on the patio. I would call him into the yard, and he would happily stand by my side. Oddly enough, he lived outside for 2 months, day time, while I was at work, and pottied all the time out there, then.


I introduced a dog door, and finally, the Friday after Thanksgiving, he decided to go through it, and do his business out back. Yee haw! No more walks on the sidewalk for me at night. He now 100% of the time goes outside that doggie door to do his business. So, what is the problem, right? He needs me to invite him inside to come back in!!! I see him sitting there, right on the other side of the doggie door, looking at the door. I can see him from a bedroom window, just sitting there, as polite as can be- waiting for me to invite him inside!!! ACK! He refuses to come in on his own.

He can hear us in the kitchen talking, but he just sits there. I want him to come in on his own. How do I make this happen? I have never scolded him for coming in, he comes in through the door, he goes out through the door, he won't go out without me asking him out...for instance, I don't leave the door access open to him all the time, I let him out.

Is that it? Cause I ask him out, rather than him going out on his own? If it were 60 degrees out, I would wait him out, LOL. Its just too cold to do that, though. AND, with these four stinking foster kittens here, I can't allow him free access during the day. That IS the plan once I rehome those guys. I will have Jasper wear his collar, and that activates the door.

ARGH. I love him, he is perfect, but what an odd duck. Any suggestions?

[lizbud]

Johanna, not sure what you are asking, (my brain is tired, but if you
taught him to exit the doggie door, maybe you will have to go outside a
few times & teach him to go back through to the inside again.

[Freedom]

Sorry lost me at the end as well.

Does he go out on his own? Or do you ask him? I get that he doesn't come IN on his own.

When he does come in, what happens? TREAT! PAWTY! CLAP AND DANCE! Do that a few times, and he may start coming in to see you act like a nut -- er, I mean to get his TREAT!

[Cataholic]

I take full responsibility for the confusion!! I was too wordy.

Jasper WILL go in and out the doggie door. But, he is always told to go out, and always invited to come in. So, my problem seems to be that he will do this only on instruction. I want him to do it on free will. LOL.

I don't go overboard anymore, as he has gone in and out a lot now. BUT, he always gets a cookie coming in, and expects one. Just won't come in unless I invite him in. He is kind of freakishly obedient.

Does this help?

[Freedom]

Sure does!

Now we can swap -- I'll take "freakishly obedient" Jasper and you can have Free Spirit Willy.

Deal?

[Grace]

Jasper WILL go in and out the doggie door. But, he is always told to go out, and always invited to come in. So, my problem seems to be that he will do this only on instruction. I want him to do it on free will. LOL.

I think you hit it right, here. Since he is told to go out, he wants to be polite and not come in until told/invited. I think, once those foster cats are gone, and he has totally free access, things will improve. but even then, it will take time for him to unlearn the current routine.

[Cataholic]

I knew it would sound like that!! I love Jasper, and his 'problem' is such a total non issue. I am thankful for his obedience, he is totally remarkable. I can walk him off leash, he responds to me 95% of the time, he knows all these hand signals, understands the word, "porch", moves off the bed on a snap, etc. I wish I had more ambition to train him, perfect him...I don't.

I just have these high hopes when the fosters are gone (I keep saying it hoping someone says, "Oh, I know someone that wants a kitten: ), that I can leave the door open and he can potty when he wants. I hate that he is inside from 8ish to 4ish...without a potty break. But, if he won't come in on his own, no way would I risk leaving him outside all day long in this cold.

Did I mention he is also a low producer? He is content to potty 2 times a day. I can let him out at 6 or so, and when I put him back out at 8 or 9? He hangs on the porch, staring inside. LOL. Not coming inside..just staring. He doesn't wake me to go out (in fact he never moves off the bed until I snap my fingers at him!).

He is a dream, I love him desparately, and am thankful for his problems. So, IF anyone can give me a pointer...point away!

Otherwise, I am happy to live with this problem.

[Cataholic]

Grace, I think you are right. I didn't see that until I typed it out the first time. It is so fitting with his personality.

[Cataholic]

No joke. Jasper just came back in through the dog door. The thing is, I didn't put him out, Jonah did. Jonah doesn't usually do that, I can't think of any time but 1 that he has. Odd. I will see how things go from here.

Thanks for simply allowing me to see my thought written out.

[lizbud]

No joke. Jasper just came back in through the dog door. The thing is, I didn't put him out, Jonah did. Jonah doesn't usually do that, I can't think of any time but 1 that he has. Odd. I will see how things go from here.

Thanks for simply allowing me to see my thought written out.

Sometimes that all that it takes to see a "problem" more clearly.

Sounds like a very smart pup. Just "thinks" differently than humans do.

ps. Have you shared a pic of Jasper before? If yes, I must have missed it.
I'd love to see him.

[Cataholic]

Well, Jasper didn't come in this morning! I think Jonah putting him out last night was the reason. I am the pack leader (LOL, or so I think!).

Liz- I can't figure out how to post a picture on here. BUT, if you are on Facebook? LOL...I can do it on there. :0

Jasper is a shep mix...has beagle markings, shep body style. Just adorable.

[lizbud]

Well, Jasper didn't come in this morning! I think Jonah putting him out last night was the reason. I am the pack leader (LOL, or so I think!).

Liz- I can't figure out how to post a picture on here. BUT, if you are on Facebook? LOL...I can do it on there. :0

Jasper is a shep mix...has beagle markings, shep body style. Just adorable.

Send me the pic in a pm & I will post it, ok?

[sasvermont]

As I recall, my dog's trainer wanted all the dogs to "ask" if they could/should do things, just like Jasper is doing. Of course, my dogs seldom asks, and barges before me up and down steps....I will admit she is good about coming inside, she does wait for her lead to be taken off.... I, too, would like to trade dogs. My trainer would have loved your dog.

I would wait until the kittens are re-homed, as you mentioned, and then try a new round of behavior changes with the pupster. He sounds so smart and easy to work with, that it seems a shame to have the leader worked up about the doggie door. I bet he'll do whatever you want, you just need to rework the steps in and out the door....my trainer always talked about "sweetening the deal" to get the dog to do whatever!

By the way, I know not what I talk about, so don't take this typing as instructions, just suggestions.

I, too, would like a photo of this perfect dog, Jasper!

[Cataholic]

I can take the gentle ribbing about my dog of perfection. It is just so amazing to witness, AND I have no trouble bragging about him- as it is absolutely nothing I did- its all him.

Jasper came to me, along with his two puppies (we presume, as they were similar in looks, actions, strange howling pattern, etc), in April of 2010. I had to drag him from the car into the garage. His two pups were worse, but they were little enough I could pick them up.

He blossomed with us. We are definetely his peeps. He still cowers, shows uncertainty with men sometimes. My mom (Lillycat) who is NOT a dog person, speaks glowingly of Jasper. I just love this dog so much, and Jonah does, too.

I will learn how to post pics somehow. Soon. Where is Kfamr when I need her?

[SWHouston]

Cataholic,

Adding Photos is actually pertty easy !
One can put their pictures here in an Album,
or use a Photo Housing site like Photobucket at...
http://photobucket.com/?link=topmenu
or
Image Shack at...
http://imageshack.us/

Both have very clear instructions on how to use the facilities.

TRY IT !

Have a good Day !
S.W.