My puppy is trying to extort treats from me!

1752 Views 11 Replies 6 Participants Last post by DaySleepers, Dec 8, 2020

Spaniels

Discussion Starter · Dec 2, 2020

My Colonial Cocker Spaniel puppy is just over 4 months old and not doing too badly with learning the rules about toileting. Although hardly a day goes by where there isn't an accident inside. I think it's usually caused by excitement (or sometimes anxiety). She gets very excited when I return home and usually springs a leak then as well.

The method I used for toilet training was to take her ever hour to the designated toilet spot, say "go-toilet" and praise and treat is she was successful. She's now started going to the door when she wants to pee which I thought was a great sign. Recently, however, she has started going to the door and when I let her out she pretends to wee! She will squat for a few seconds, leave nothing by dry paving and then look at me as if to say "where's my treat?". I don't give her treats for pretending.

It's only a problem because I don't know if she's serious about needing to pee and I don't want to be letting her out every ten minutes for phantom peeing in an attempt to get a treat.

Are puppies normally this cunning? Do you think she will stop in time when she realises she doesn't get paid for phantom pee?

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DaySleepers

· #3 · Dec 2, 2020

Agree with petpeeve! And I'll add in that this is very, very common. Many dogs try to experiment with how much they actually have to do to get that treat at some point, and I've known a lot who go through phases of pretending to pee.

If you suspect she really does have to pee - for example, if she's been napping for a couple hours and this is her first trip out - and she only fakes it, you can try bringing her back in for a couple minutes, putting her in a crate (if crate trained), pen, or just have her tethered to you so you can watch her super closely, and try again in 3-5 minutes. Basically, she doesn't get freedom until you're positive she's actually emptied herself, so she can't go off and potty on a rug while you're not looking.

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DaySleepers

· #7 · Dec 8, 2020

Oh! And I wanted to add that it might help to think of it differently. Dogs don't really do 'extortion' in a malicious sense, their brains don't work that way. When I see stuff like fake peeing to see if that earns them a treat, I take that as the dog is learning how to learn via training, and how to creatively problem solve ("is it the whole behavior that earns the treat, or can I find a single part of it that's what my human wants?"). Super useful skill!

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DaySleepers

· #9 · Dec 8, 2020

Yes, dogs are smart, but they aren't making complex plans to get revenge on you by being destructive when you leave or getting diarrhea. The destructive behavior sounds like perfectly normal ways dogs respond to stress and frustration, and can be addressed by ensuring he's getting enough mental and physical stimulation, then finding training techniques that help him manage stress in more appropriate and healthy ways. Dogs having emotional responses to things isn't deliberate manipulation, it's just natural animal behavior.

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DaySleepers

· #11 · Dec 8, 2020

I don't see emotionally driven behaviors as manipulation. That's kind of like saying a scared kid is manipulating you into comforting him by crying. The dog is having a natural response to stress, which does cause you to react a certain way, but that doesn't mean the dog's behavior was a calculated action to get that behavior. It'd likely happen regardless of your response, because he doesn't know alternative ways to manage his stress or anxiety. Just like a scared kid will cry even if no one's there to comfort him.

I've seen a dog get up and bark as if there's someone at the door, setting the other dogs off into barking and running to check the windows. The first dog then went around and took the other dogs' chews. That's something I'd be more inclined to call manipulation, though I still think it'd be a stretch to say it's malicious. It's a very deliberate behavior not driven by intense emotion, that the dog did because she's a problem solver and it works to get her extra goodies.

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DaySleepers

· #12 · Dec 8, 2020

Let me clarify my original point. I don't like using words like 'extort' with dogs because it implies a degree of malice and forethought that they're just not capable of. I agree that you can use a word like 'manipulation' with certain, non-emotionally-driven dog behaviors, but 'manipulation' also has negative connotations. If we frame a behavior as manipulation in our minds, we're more likely to be frustrated, angry, or annoyed by the dog.

What I meant to suggest was that it's good to try to reframe this in our minds, and try to see these behaviors as problem solving, where the dog is trying to figure out what works best to get them the result they want. When we see it this way, it's easier to see solutions to training problems, because we're primed to be looking for what the dog is trying to achieve with their behavior. What's more, a dog who's clever at problem solving is an awesome thing! These dogs are often a ton of fun to train and work with, if you can find the right motivation for them.

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