How do I tell him I'm not happy

Some good responses here. Thanks. Caro, what you said makes sense.

I know that I can't reprimand unless I can catch him during the act, but I thought that maybe I could make him see that I'm unhappy about all that toilet paper in the middle of the living room. (BYW, it was only a one-time lapse, when I didn't put the tp out of Sheltie reach.)

I have resorted to giving a treat as a redirect when he's barking during a phone conversation, but I think that's rewarding bad behavior. Next time it happens, I'll close myself in my bedroom and see what happens. I can only imagine that he'll find that as a perfect time to look for some other kind of trouble to get into. He won't come near his crate when he knows I want him to, although other times he happily will go in when I'm about to leave the house.
 
Caro said:
So if you see unravelled toilet paper be angry about it, growl and grumble at the toilet paper. Don't focus on the dog at all, as it may confuse things, focus solely on the toilet paper. The idea is to show him that toilet paper in that state is wrong or bad so if he goes to do it again he may think - when the toilet paper looks like this it makes mum unhappy.
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LOL Caro, I had never thought of this approach...like it. :) But maybe best not to try on the one day you happen to have "non-doggie" people visiting if you want to keep a reputation for being totally sane.

Trini
 
windy said:
Some good responses here. Thanks. Caro, what you said makes sense.

I know that I can't reprimand unless I can catch him during the act, but I thought that maybe I could make him see that I'm unhappy about all that toilet paper in the middle of the living room. (BYW, it was only a one-time lapse, when I didn't put the tp out of Sheltie reach.)

I have resorted to giving a treat as a redirect when he's barking during a phone conversation, but I think that's rewarding bad behavior. Next time it happens, I'll close myself in my bedroom and see what happens. I can only imagine that he'll find that as a perfect time to look for some other kind of trouble to get into. He won't come near his crate when he knows I want him to, although other times he happily will go in when I'm about to leave the house.
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Toilet paper is firmly out of reach in this house, your puppy is not only one that figured this trick:lol: however my puppies do make me laugh when I forget:lol:
Do not worry about ¨rewarding¨ barking, it is a bit more complex,
Pavlov sitting on your shoulder and all that, you are pairing stressor trigger with food coming. You can play with pretend calls from helper and pairing sound with food, pretty soon you will see dog looking at you expectantly when he hears the sound of the phone.
 
My dog is really bad when the phone rings. I keep changing my cell phone ringtone, but that usually lasts a few days and then she realizes it's the sound of my phone and barks again. If anyone comes over my house and has a ringtone I've used in the past or if she hears one on TV, she goes nuts as well.

I basically gave up on training and tell the caller to hold on a second. She usually stops barking a few seconds after I answer the phone. Thankfully, she does not bark when I make the call or am just talking. I think in my case it's me rushing to answer my phone that sets her off.
 
I would try setting him up to get caught in the act. Put the toilet paper in obvious location and wait for him to go for it then tell him no with an upset tone. Treat it the same as teaching him something that he is supposed to do. I think that just putting the THING (in your case toilet paper) there and letting him know it is not to be touched is the same as teaching him to fetch or go get an object. "When this object is here do this action." I like the mine field idea with the underwear!

The same concept can be applied to the phone calls. Set him up to be trained. Have a friend call with the understanding that you are training and not talking to them. If you don't want to pay for the phone call (which could end up being quite long depending on how fast he learns to not bark) just have them call till you pick up then hang up and you can pretend to still be talking, your dog doesn't know that they hung up on the other end... What does he do if you just pick up the phone when it is not ringing? Maybe it is the ringing that sets him off and not actually talking on the phone.
 
BarbV said:
As was said, after the fact is too late.. You have to catch them in the act.

Indy likes to eat poo....so actively try to catch him in the act whenever I can....unfortunately its not often enough because he still loves its....particularly now that it is frozen.....(at least he no longer is dripping down his ruff.....eeeeww!):ick
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That being said....I think he knows my disapproval with the "poo" word. If I ask him....Did you eat poo? He kinda tucks his tail and skulks inside. I think you can train them "after the fact" with key words. Shelties ARE smart. And personally I think Indy is a genius in the Sheltie category. He know my every movement and what it means. I can't move from my chair and he has already figured out what it coming next. If I'm just getting to go pee, he chills. If I'm getting up to open the front door to check the mail, he is on instant alert.....OK, maybe he is idiot savant!!! :lol:
 
About the worst thing that Dickens does is dig an occasional hole in the back yard, which annoys me no end. But all I have to do is say, in a slightly quizzing tone-of-voice, "have you been digging holes?" and he puts his ears back and looks ashamed. If I do this in the house he runs to the door and rings his bells to be let out.
 
Gee, I sure wish I could get Blithe Spirit to look ashamed sometime. He just never is - it's all a game to him. I'll have to consider an entrapment set-up for him with the toilet paper.

It's not the ringing of the phone that sets him off, it's that I'm talking on the phone. There is no one else in the house except me, so I wonder what he thinks I'm doing if I'm not talking to him, but into this 'thing'. So you think if I give him a chew stick while I'm on the phone and he's barking it would be okay? That I wouldn't be rewarding him for bad behavior?
 
Shelby also never shows any remorse for anything. She sounds just like your pup, everything is a game to her. When she was young and really bad she would give us this look like "yes I was just chewing the chair big deal, now get over it and let's play". It is very frustrating at times b/c our previous pup was the complete opposite. So I am sorry that I have no suggestions as to relay that you are not happy. I am very glad that Shelby is a very happy go lucky girl but it does make training a little difficult at times.

As for the barking I would give her a bone to chew on. Shelby goes crazy barking when the neighbor kids play basketball in the street in front of our house (I hate it too but nothing we can do). I have tried desensitizing her to no avail. So I just gave up and now she gets her favorite bully stick to chew. Keeps her quiet and me less stressed about it. That too is the only reason she is still crated when we are at work. I hate to think they are out there all day and she is in the house all worked up and barking at them.
 
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