# Problems Dog won't look at you and marking



## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

How do you get an older dog, raised without much attention to look at you? 

Once you can get his attention, the next problem is marking inside the house. Is there a way to stop this? He is in show coat and that makes the bellyband a problem. 

He is not mine but a friend's 2 year old intact show dog. She is desperate and I told her this forum with all its experience, might be able to lead her in the right direction.

thank you!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> How do you get an older dog, raised without much attention to look at you?
> 
> Once you can get his attention, the next problem is marking inside the house. Is there a way to stop this? He is in show coat and that makes the bellyband a problem.
> 
> ...


Clicker training will solve the problem of teaching the dog to look at her... look through some of the posts Tammie and I exchanged on clicker training. I think the title of the first thread was "Is it too late". Can't help with the marking, but I do know that people with dogs in full coat DO use belly bands... you just have to tuck the hair up on the sides, out of the way.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

Thank you Karen. I know so many dogs are not adopted, or put into shelters due to the marking problems...it is sad, but surely there is a solution after using the belly bands..I hope so..thanks again, I will research the clicker solution thread


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> Thank you Karen. I know so many dogs are not adopted, or put into shelters due to the marking problems...it is sad, but surely there is a solution after using the belly bands..I hope so..thanks again, I will research the clicker solution thread


 I remember in my puppy class we walked with a leash and would call their name when the dog looked we clicked. We also had the dog come to us for the treat. If they don't look keep walking . Try saying the name again hopefully he will respond. You can also click and treat every time he looks at you. Like if you are just sitting watching TV or something. I hope the marking can be salved how is he doing in the show ring?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> Thank you Karen. I know so many dogs are not adopted, or put into shelters due to the marking problems...it is sad, but surely there is a solution after using the belly bands..I hope so..thanks again, I will research the clicker solution thread


If you are still in touch with her, I'd ask Amanda. I seem to remember that she had a foster that was a marker, and managed to get it sorted out.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

He got his championship..and shows beautifully...thanks Suzi! Karen, thank you also, I will get in touch with Amanda...I think there has to be a way...I am too optimistic for my own good sometimes.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> He got his championship..and shows beautifully...thanks Suzi! Karen, thank you also, I will get in touch with Amanda...I think there has to be a way...I am too optimistic for my own good sometimes.


 Its hard having a show dog I was told at least for conformation its not good when they look at you while walking the ring.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah Flynn, what's the history of this dog. Is this a new owner.?


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

davetgabby said:


> yeah Flynn, what's the history of this dog. Is this a new owner.?


Yes Dave, this is a situation where the show dog was turned back to the co owner at about 2 and 1/2 years of age. He has been shown, finished his championship. I believe he was kept outside most of the time by the former owner due to marking..not sure if it was a kennel run, or fenced yard.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> Yes Dave, this is a situation where the show dog was turned back to the co owner at about 2 and 1/2 years of age. He has been shown, finished his championship. I believe he was kept outside most of the time by the former owner due to marking..not sure if it was a kennel run, or fenced yard.


 More going on here than meets the eye I think. This is not necessarily marking but just not housetrained. The lack of eye contact is troubling. I would get a professional in for an opinion. This is where showing gets a bad name. And rightly so.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

davetgabby said:


> More going on here than meets the eye I think. This is not necessarily marking but just not housetrained. The lack of eye contact is troubling. I would get a professional in for an opinion. This is where showing gets a bad name. And rightly so.


I agree!!!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> Yes Dave, this is a situation where the show dog was turned back to the co owner at about 2 and 1/2 years of age. He has been shown, finished his championship. I believe he was kept outside most of the time by the former owner due to marking..not sure if it was a kennel run, or fenced yard.


How sad! I wish the same were done to the person!


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

krandall said:


> How sad! I wish the same were done to the person!


The sad thing is so mannnny dogs are unadoptable or returned due to marking!!


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

davetgabby said:


> More going on here than meets the eye I think. This is not necessarily marking but just not housetrained. The lack of eye contact is troubling. I would get a professional in for an opinion. This is where showing gets a bad name. And rightly so.


I only saw the dog once and he appeared quite normal during the show, very happy actually..I am not sure really what she means by "won't look at me"...but will find out.
Actually Amanda said she only had one foster who marked once and she attached his leash to her for a few days, etc., and started back on the basics and he turned out fine.
As I said I hope someone will be able to help with the marking problem..


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> I only saw the dog once and he appeared quite normal during the show, very happy actually..I am not sure really what she means by "won't look at me"...but will find out.
> Actually Amanda said she only had one foster who marked once and she attached his leash to her for a few days, etc., and started back on the basics and he turned out fine.
> As I said I hope someone will be able to help with the marking problem..


 You say marking , I'm not so sure. I still strongly recommend a trainer. But with marking, many trainers treat it the same as housetraining problems. It is a case of starting at square one. Here's one method I like to recommend .

Get an 
ex-pen and set it up on a tarpaulin, in a location where you spend lots 
of time in your home. In the ex-pen, put a crate with a comfy bed in 
it, and if possible, put the crate up so that it is a few inches off the 
floor. Also make a bed for him that is a few inches off the floor. You 
are putting beds higher because dogs often like to sleep higher than 
their surroundings and with dogs who are not housebroken as adults they 
will sometimes take the height as a salient criteria for not soiling a 
bed. Then on the floor, cover 100% with pee pads. When you cannot 
directly handle him, that is where he should be. Don't worry about 
urination and defecation in the ex-pen cause the whole thing is covered 
and on a protected surface. When he has been on this successfully for 
three weeks, take away a pee pad. If he is successful on this surface 
for three weeks, take away another pee pad. Continue in this way until 
he is choose pee pads. I tell people that in dogs who missed the 
critical period for learning to eliminate outdoors, it takes between 8 
and ten months to retrain, but it can be done.
Once you get the dog pee pad trained and wish to transition to outdoors , here's an article on this. http://dogpottyexpert.com/transitioning-to-outdoor-potty-training


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

This may work fine for dogs without the shredding gene, but my boy will shred pee pads in a moment. :frusty:


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

davetgabby said:


> You say marking , I'm not so sure. I still strongly recommend a trainer. But with marking, many trainers treat it the same as housetraining problems. It is a case of starting at square one. Here's one method I like to recommend .
> 
> Get an
> ex-pen and set it up on a tarpaulin, in a location where you spend lots
> ...


Wow, thank you so much Dave...
I am getting all my information second hand, so I don't know the answers to lots of questions, but will pass along the information you gave..I do appreciate it, maybe it will help someone else too. I understand this "marking" is the number one reason for pets turned over to the shelters...Not housebroken..a sad thing..


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yep, no. one killer of dogs.


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