Be careful what you wish for !

[MisterMom 11]

I have long wished that the fluffs would go to the back door and ring the bell or bark to go outside.

Last year after 8 years, Angel got the gist of it. All was fine. She barked, we went to potty and came in for a treat.

So now, she goes to the back door, barks, looks at me over her shoulder to see if I am coming. If not, she will wait a few minutes and do it again, looking over her shoulder to see if I am getting up yet. Now if I am too slow or not paying attention, she will growl at the door and look over her shoulder to see if I am up yet. Usually by the third or fourth time I figure she is serious about it.

Usually when she goes out, they all go out.

They all know that when you go outside & potty, you get a treat when you come in. So Angel figured out bark at the door, go outside, sniff around the yard, come in and look for a treat. They all come in the door looking at the treat containers.

Further, she likes to go to bed about 8:30 and knows if she doesn't go potty I will take her out when I go to bed and she doesn't like being distrubed. I know folks say dogs can't tell time, but at 8:30 she will go to the door and bark to go out and usually not do anything but sniff around. The rest go out and may or may not potty. BUT they all come in looking for their special nighttime treat, cheese flavor pupcorns.

So now I have been trained to dispense treats on command :bdaycake:

[loewenthal.anna 4]

That's hilarious! Such smart babies!

Lolly has a similarly quirky habit, she will (regardless of who's house she's in) bark incessantly at the kitchen sink/water dispenser when she's thirsty. It's a great party trick when we're traveling and she marches her butt right into the strange kitchen and immediately barks for water, my friends love it! I however, have grown tired of the charade since she's taken to barking for "fresher" water at home. The bowl could be half full but "old" and she won't let up until I stop what I'm doing and get her some NEW water to drink.

I don't know about knowing the time, but the CERTAINLY seem to know they were bred for royalty! ;)

[Carolina Girl 2]

Well, it sounds like little Angel has trained her person quite nicely!

[Wicket's mom 1]

Ditto to both of you MisterMom & Anna. I think most furbabies will pull a scam for a treat like that...all 3 of mine will ask to go out, not do anything then look for their treat. When pottytraining where I took treats outside to reward outside pottying, Wicket would actually lift his leg up or squat and "pretend" to pee (I actually could see nothing was coming out) then come looking for his treat!

And yes, if his water has been out for over 24 hrs he immediately knows and goes and barks at the sink or tub (I don't think I've ever filled up their bottle or bowl at the tub, but I guess he knows there's water there) I thought Wicket was the only dog in the world that did that lol.

[tzuhouse 4]

Oh, don't all our babes have certificates in training.....Training the Human that is....

Yep, mine do the bell, over and over and over and over, til I get up. They don't even get a treat EVERY time they come in, so they play the game thinking if they keep going out and then IN, eventually the treat will come.

[mileysmom 2]

Yep Miley is the same way! She wants FRESH water. But With the whole barking thing, she doesnt tell me when she has to potty, i just have to guess about when she does. Usually she just starts getting antsy.

I tried the bell thing, and it didnt work, maybe she was too young, i might try that again.

[CrazyTzuLady 16]

:hug: that is funny. It is amazing how well trained we all are! :tapfingers5rg:

[mom2Gizmo 24]

I have a 55 lb. shepherd type mutt that does something similar. She has always gotten treats when she comes in since she was a pup. she is almost 9 years old now. So what she does is she follows me around the house staring at me until I follow her towards the door. I let her out and I watch her out the kitchen window. She runs in the backyard and immediately makes a U turn to come back in and then expects her treat. lol They are funny, aren't they?

[Shih Tzus Mama 2]

That is just too funny. You must feel crazy some days.

That Treat training is a good thing but it does get reversed. After reading your posts, I had to stop and think about it. You're all right I think I am trained real well to dispense treats to their demanding. I wonder when that happened in the process during training.

Also, mine have taken over the kitchen chairs. When you go to sit down to eat, you have to chase a Tzu off the chairs. I don't feed them at the table but they keep hoping they will be invited to eat there or they feel they can see the treats better.

I don't have a problem with water but they want ice cubes all the time and beg at the refrigerator.

[debo 1]

I think Oliver can tell time! I come home briefly every morning at 10:15, just to check in, then back to work by 10:30. One day I couldn't come home, but my daughter was here. She said Oliver laid down close to the door around 10:30 and waited. When I didn't come he started barking and crying at the door! She took him in the den for a cuddle, then he was ok. I felt so bad! Now I'm always worried if I'm running late or my schedule is off!

Oliver uses his doggie door, but before we go to bed I go out with him. He knows we're getting ready to go 'night night' and that he's supposed to potty. We come in and he gets a 'night night' cookie. Sometimes he just goes out and sits down in the grass for a moment, then jumps up and runs in for his cookie. At first I wouldn't give him one if he didn't potty, but time taught me that if he doesn't go, he doesn't need to, so he gets the cookie anyway! It makes him sooo happy and I can tell he thinks it's a great way to end the day!