Quote Originally Posted by Weedhound
Get a fence or plan on spending the next three weeks sitting outside with him like glue.

And dont' bother blaming the neighbors for your wandering dog young lady.

You sound like an owner who hasn't heard the dollar theory so I offer it now. Dogs live and die by the dollar theory so its something you need to strongly consider in training.

The key to training is consistency No excuses...no being "too busy" no blaming others......every single time you want a certain response from the dog you had better be prepared to make that response happen. THATS dog training.

There are three scenarios to the dollar theory.

1. I ask to borrow a dollar from you. You loan me one. Next time I need a dollar I will CERTAINLY come to you and ask again.

2. I ask to borrow a dollar. You say no. I try several times but always get the same answer....no. Afer a few tries I stop asking you because I'm not getting what I want.

3. I ask to borrow a dollar. You loan me one.....SOMETIMES. (you know.....extenuating circumstances like play doh and such......). If sometimes you loan me one and sometimes you don't.......am I or am I NOT going to repeat the same behavior and see if I can get what I want. What do YOU think??

And along that same line.......once certain behavior is learned it a LOT HARDER to untrain so every single time you vary your response in training you are STILL teaching your dog something whether you think you are or not.

In other words.....take the time to do it right the first four or five times rather than spending countless HOURS undoing bad habits. Two or three times is ALL IT TAKES for a smart dog or pup to figure out something that works for them and to remember it for future use.

Everything here makes sense and is not new to me. I understand and practise consistancy about 95% of the time and make sure every one else does too. If you tell him to do something you better be prepared to follow through and make him do what you want(my husband hates this rule).

I know at this point I am justifying my excuse for my wandering dog but these are the only neighbors of all 4 sides all sides that I have this issue with. He knows his lines on every other side including the road, and knows he is not to cross them and always looks to us to retrieve what he is wanting(depending on what it is he may get it, the ball I threw too far, yes. The cat that is allowed to leave the yard, no. And the cat goes to the other naeighbors not this ones so she is not the bad influence.). Even the neighbors across the street who walk their dog by everyday. They came into the yard if they want to say hello then when they leave Tucker sits about 20 feet from the road on our driveway and dances as they leave but never follows.(I watch him every morning at this time like clockwork).

He's finally made the connection that when he whines he goes outside and and that is where he is supposed to go, not on the floor. But I have made the connection that he is a puppy with a small bladder, and if I don't let him out I get a nice steamy present that he is trying to hold in, but even as he runs it just leaves a trail of turds.

But you are right I shouldn't be making excuses.
So how do I fix this now before it developes more?