# Does your dog ever "fake" pottying



## garrettsmom (May 15, 2006)

Winnie hasn't been the most consistent pottier (is that a word?), ie, she's had more than her share of "accidents" even though shes nearly two yrs old......So, my husband and I decided to really start playing up the praise again (both verbal and with a tiny low-fat treat) everytime she goes on the Wiz-dog. She seems to really enjoy the spectacle we put on with our high pitched voices of praise whenever she goes in the right spot. Her routine will be to potty, then "dig" a little on the carpet, then do a little dancing spin, then sit in a happy expectant position facing us until we react. All was going well until we noticed the other day that she's attempted to feign going potty (goes to wiz dog, lingers a short while, rubs her paws on ground, does her jig, then sits in front of us), but lo and behold....NO evidence of potty!! I was pretty amazed that she did this. I'm wondering if she's just clever enough to do this in order to get a treat, or she's just associating the post potty jig with getting rewarded. Are Malts really that smart? Needless to say we don't reward her for no potty proof, and she's still pretty accident free.....but I'm curious and (slightly) amused by the whole thing. Anyone else ever experience this?


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

LMAO ~ My Daisy would do that ALL the time. She didn't fake for a treat, though. She faked, because once she finished 
her poos, we would take it to the garbage, then continue our walk. So the old gal would actually get in the "poop" position,
act like she pooped, when she didn't. Now with Daisy, it was such a bust, as while she squatted, I would quickly slide a 
paper towel under her butt, so I wouldn't have to dig the poop out of the grass. She thought she was being tricky, yet
the paper towel was clean. 

So yep, I would pick up the clean paper towel, and Crazy Daisy would start running to the garbage, so we could throw out
her fake poop, and continue our walk. She never knew I caught on. :HistericalSmiley: 

They are definately smart little buggers. That's cute Winnie does that. Smart girl. B)


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## mimi2 (Mar 29, 2005)

QUOTE (Garrettsmom @ Dec 16 2008, 11:36 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=690745


> Winnie hasn't been the most consistent pottier (is that a word?), ie, she's had more than her share of "accidents" even though shes nearly two yrs old......So, my husband and I decided to really start playing up the praise again (both verbal and with a tiny low-fat treat) everytime she goes on the Wiz-dog. She seems to really enjoy the spectacle we put on with our high pitched voices of praise whenever she goes in the right spot. Her routine will be to potty, then "dig" a little on the carpet, then do a little dancing spin, then sit in a happy expectant position facing us until we react. All was going well until we noticed the other day that she's attempted to feign going potty (goes to wiz dog, lingers a short while, rubs her paws on ground, does her jig, then sits in front of us), but lo and behold....NO evidence of potty!! I was pretty amazed that she did this. I'm wondering if she's just clever enough to do this in order to get a treat, or she's just associating the post potty jig with getting rewarded. Are Malts really that smart? Needless to say we don't reward her for no potty proof, and she's still pretty accident free.....but I'm curious and (slightly) amused by the whole thing. Anyone else ever experience this?[/B]




Yep, yep and yep! :HistericalSmiley: Willie our Shih Tzu will squeeze out either a pee or poop to get a treat....he will also fake pee if he sees that you're looking in his direction. Ruby doesn't fake....and Olive tends to be half on the pad....makes me crazy! They are smart little boogers!


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

QUOTE (mimi2 @ Dec 17 2008, 02:03 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=690751


> QUOTE (Garrettsmom @ Dec 16 2008, 11:36 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=690745





> Winnie hasn't been the most consistent pottier (is that a word?), ie, she's had more than her share of "accidents" even though shes nearly two yrs old......So, my husband and I decided to really start playing up the praise again (both verbal and with a tiny low-fat treat) everytime she goes on the Wiz-dog. She seems to really enjoy the spectacle we put on with our high pitched voices of praise whenever she goes in the right spot. Her routine will be to potty, then "dig" a little on the carpet, then do a little dancing spin, then sit in a happy expectant position facing us until we react. All was going well until we noticed the other day that she's attempted to feign going potty (goes to wiz dog, lingers a short while, rubs her paws on ground, does her jig, then sits in front of us), but lo and behold....NO evidence of potty!! I was pretty amazed that she did this. I'm wondering if she's just clever enough to do this in order to get a treat, or she's just associating the post potty jig with getting rewarded. Are Malts really that smart? Needless to say we don't reward her for no potty proof, and she's still pretty accident free.....but I'm curious and (slightly) amused by the whole thing. Anyone else ever experience this?[/B]




Yep, yep and yep! :HistericalSmiley: Willie our Shih Tzu will squeeze out either a pee or poop to get a treat...
[/B][/QUOTE]


:smrofl: ROFLMAO


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

Boo fakes it. He'll want out, then he will stand around outside for a few seconds & turn around & come back in & walk to the fridge for his greenbean.If I'm on to him & don't give him one, he stares at me until I tell him to quit lying to me.Then he just turns & walks away.


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

QUOTE (momtoboo @ Dec 17 2008, 02:17 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=690755


> Boo fakes it. He'll want out, then he will stand around outside for a few seconds & turn around & come back in & walk to the fridge for his greenbean.[/B]


OMG!! These stories are crackin' me up. "walk to the fridge for his greenbean".... :smrofl:


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

If Sophie wants a treat for whatever reason and I ignore her pleading she'll sit down right in front of me and start doing figure eight butt drags on the floor in a little circle right at my feet, while looking up at me so pitifully. She never ever drags her butt on the floor unless she wants a treat and mommy isn't being accommodating. Like, "come on, I just went to the bathroom, don't you believe meeeee!!!?!?!?!?!?!?! I wouldn't be rubbing my butt on your carpet if I hadn't.....please?!?!?!?! Give. Me. A. Treat!!!!" I just tell her "stop that" and she looks at me with a sad face, turns her nose up in the air to the right (I swear she's telling me okay I can ignore you, too) and then she practically storms off. At least she hadn't learned how to slam the bedroom door after she runs to her room - oh, wait she doesn't have a room. Sophie can be so dramatic - she'd put on a whole broadway show just to get a treat.

Linda


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

my irish setter used to "go out" for a treat. she would go out the door, do a circle on the porch and come back through the door and get all excited and "sit" for a treat. she didn't do it all the time, just every once in a while...when she felt the need for a treat.

now massimo....he never fake pottied....he just used to do a random trick and run to the treat jar and look at it, then back at me, then back at it, then back at me....lol. i finally had to put it INSIDE the cupboard. out of sight, out of mind. lol.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Archie does it all the time.....he'll come bounding into the house full speed all proud of himself and take a flying leap onto an area rug to wait for a treat!

When he was in potty "training" I'd walk him out to our "pee pee land" (an area of landscaping stones) sometimes he'd go and if he didn't have to....he'd get into position...and fake it...just so he could get that over with and come back inside.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Yup, Miss Lady does. :biggrin: 

I had to train her to use pee pads after my car accident and did it with the happy dance and treats. I created a monster. She will go to her pads and circle, do nothing, then bark for a treat. I also have to pick up a wet pad immediately or she will keep going back to it and barking for a treat.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

LOL They sure are that smart. 

If it is a fake, give just verbal praise ("Nice try! Good girl!"). Reserve the real excitement and food for when she goes for real. The reason is we don't want to shut her down. We want to tell her she is on the right track. The verbal praise alone is a good way to do that.


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## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

I love these stories! Before this post I thought I had a crazy dog on my hands! 

Hunter only gets a treat when he goes #2 or when he pees quite a bit (he likes to go out and not empty his bladder so we end up going outside too many times; so no full pee - no treat). Anyways, I noticed that this summer he would run out into the areas in which he poos (we have 4 areas) and he would squat his little butt, do some turns, wait and come back to me all happy. Upon investigating I would notice no poo. He was doing it for the treat! He even got so bold as to follow me to where the poo was supposed to be and when I said "Hunter, there's no poo here" he would look up at me as if to say "well, I can't control what happened to it AFTER it left my body"!!!

I think malts are incredibly smart animals - he has learned so much in a year; things I never thought possible!


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## Kutsmail1 (Dec 26, 2007)

Yep, Zippy is a potty faker! She does it for treats and praise lol.


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## Kara (Apr 29, 2007)

Oh Murphy does it alot, cause he knows he gets a treat when he's back inside, so he will squat and sometimes I have to feel if he has been or not, cause he also still has the odd 'accident' (not for a little while...touch wood) and he will squat and still be dry and expecting a treat.


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

QUOTE (Kara @ Dec 30 2008, 09:19 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=695535


> Oh Murphy does it alot, cause he knows he gets a treat when he's back inside, so he will squat and sometimes I have to feel if he has been or not, cause he also still has the odd 'accident' (not for a little while...touch wood) and he will squat and still be dry and expecting a treat.[/B]



I stay outside with mine most of the time, but there is the odd time, I will come back inside (to answer the phone, or take something off the stove or something) ... and when Dakota comes back inside ... I also do the quick 'feel' test to make sure she actually did go! LOL

I have never given a food reward, but Harley is 4.5 yrs old, and I still throw a party for him verbally when he 'does his business' LOL


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