Yellow Lab/ Sharpai mix..Training problems.

[Adrianna]

I have a 3 month old Lab/Sharpai mix, cutest thing you've ever seen. I finally got her to not leave land mines in my house, now I just can't seem to get her to stop peeing in the house. Even if she just comes inside she will urinate anywhere she can hide. How do I stop this? Also, does anyone know the best way to train her to bark at the door or get our attention somehow so we know she has to go outside? HELP PLEASE!

[k9Karen]

I know you'll think I'm nuts, but I trained my dogs to bark at the door by barking. I began by using the word "outside", "let's go outside", "do you want to go outside?", etc., until I was sure the dog know the meaning of the word "outside" (didn't take long, since it was associated with something good). Usually, the question, "do you want to go outside" elicited some type of excitement - barking, tail wagging, etc. As soon as I got the "positive" response I was looking for, I took the dog out. After a couple of days of doing this, I would do the same, then pick the pup up and put her/him by the door and ask the question again. If he/she barked, we went out. If there was no bark, I barked (question: "Want to go out" - no bark - BARK from me). I would do that a few times, and eventually the pup would bark, sometimes just because it was frustrated from not being able to go out, but as soon as I got the "Bark" response, I'd open the door. With all of my dogs (except Allie, who's deaf) it worked well.

[Amandasmom]

Can't help much with the training but I would love to see a picture of a Lab/sharpai mix. I have heard of people putting bells on the door knob, like the christmas bells that hang on a wide ribbon. Then they teach the dog to touch the bells to go out. Amanda brings me a shoe when she wants to go out. Don't know where she learned that.

[k9Karen]

Amanda brings me a shoe when she wants to go out. Don't know where she learned that.

It probably worked, so she taught herself. Allie just comes up to you and stares - a nonblinking, determined stare. It works. She does bark to come in, just not to go out.

[momPaws]

Honey is like Allie- she "gets in your face" and stares you down...then when I ask "do,do?" ...she jumps up and down and leads me to the door. Doesn't is kinda sound like SHE trained ME

But, seriously, A...I think Karen is right..positive reinforcement..whatever the word or action - it just has to be something you and your dog understand. And I think when I first trained Honey...we took her out often even before she had to tinkle.