Sticks1977 Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I know even before starting this post that this is possibly a stage that most dogs will go through - especially labradors. Fraser (currently 8 months of age) has just started to discover that he can take washing off the line and it has got to a stage where I am wondering about solutions or if there is any training or obedience I can enforce to stop this behavior. Last week I tied some water bomb balloons up onto the clothesline with fishing line - I let him out so I could observe and he thought it was wonderful, jumping up and nudging the balloons with his nose and them popping them and getting water all over his face - didn't seem to bother him so I think that plan has not worked! The obvious answer would be to purchase some of those portable clotheslines for indoors but considering I do a full load of washing more often than not - you can't fit it all onto the one clothesline - where as the one out the back - super! Are there any solutions or "old wives tales" that can assist me with stopping Fraser pulling the washing off the line? It is not to a stage (yet!) of him pulling everything off the line, he will pull off about 2 or 3 items and then mainly want to play with the plastic pegs that come off at the same time. He has plenty of toys to play with and are rotated on a daily basis so he has something new each day. I realise that he is a puppy and this is probably a game to him at the moment. The temptation of seeing clothes moving in the wind (and with our smells on them) is probably too tempting! Any help would be welcome before he begins to put holes in clothes both new and old... Regards, Shaun (Sticks1977) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulp Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Don't mean to be facetious but I would have thought after owning a lab for 8 months you would realise that water in any form is a treat rather than a deterrent . I have had the good fortune for my lab never to discover this trick but I've read of people hanging tea towels doused in nasty tasting stuff on the line during the day. Personally I think the dog is probably smart enough to see through this trick but worth a try? Another trick that I was told about at obedience school but again have not tried myself is that if you find a piece of clothing pulled off the washing line (or a chewed plant or a hole dug) get a stick and proceed to beat the stuffing out of the offending item (not the dog) and abuse it and carry on like an idiot. The theory is that the dog will think that the thing it has attacked is bad (hence the reason it is being beaten) and probably not to be interfered with in future. The more passionate you are in your abuse of the subject the better it will work on the dog and the crazier your nieghbours will think you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebbles Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Sorry, I've got no solutions at all and fortunately only ever had one dog which was a clothes line maniac - when Mickey, Miniature Pinscher was a bub he would leap up and swing on a towel on the line if it was windy then hang on and get blown around in circles. I wish I'd got some pics of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suezija Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Another trick that I was told about at obedience school but again have not tried myself is that if you find a piece of clothing pulled off the washing line (or a chewed plant or a hole dug) get a stick and proceed to beat the stuffing out of the offending item (not the dog) and abuse it and carry on like an idiot. The theory is that the dog will think that the thing it has attacked is bad (hence the reason it is being beaten) and probably not to be interfered with in future. The more passionate you are in your abuse of the subject the better it will work on the dog and the crazier your nieghbours will think you are. Yeah, right!! Sorry but I've just spurted coffee all over my keyboard. Can't stop laughing. The beating of the offending item will surely get you a ride to the funny farm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pug Hugger Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 LOuie could never reach the line. BBUt in my obedience class there are some labs who do. The instructor suggested filling the clothes with balloons. at way when he jumps up and they pop he will get a fright. I don't know if it works but it sounds good in principle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Errrrrrrrrrrr, Why not put the dog in his kennel yard while the washing is on the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I like to keep things simple......my lad is NEVER allowed anywhere need the washing line or any other temptation without supervision. Then I can correct and praise as necessary. It prevents him learning how much fun these things really are! Unsupervised, Zig is a walking garbage disposal/shredder/mischief maker Supervised, he is an absolute delight Oh, and he's 14 months old, gets exercise appropriate for his age and plenty of mental stimulation.....he's just a curious, busy, fun-loving Dally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 My only suggestion is to have washing hanging ONLY when you can supervise/contain the yellow peril!! You can correct him for a week..then one day he will succeed..and it is ,for him, FANTASTIC!! You need to compltely remove him from temptation,sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBella Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 My only suggestion is to have washing hanging ONLY when you can supervise/contain the yellow peril!! You can correct him for a week..then one day he will succeed..and it is ,for him, FANTASTIC!! You need to compltely remove him from temptation,sorry. Ditto. I did not allow either of my dogs access to the washing line till they were 18mths. They have never interfered with my washing. I have a dog pen that I put them in while the washing is out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moggy Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 We had a German Shepherd who used to do this. After a few tries to deter him we found the following the one that succeeded. Peg an old towel or scrap of material to the line. Wait until he starts jumping up trying to pull it off, then go out and chastise him severely. Take the rag off the line and tie it round his neck securely and leave it there for a couple of days, he will hate it and do everything trying to remove it. It worked a treat for us. He never touched anything on the clothes line again. Moggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sticks1977 Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Thanks to those who have replied... It might be an idea for me to visit "the man store" (Bunnings Warehouse) and purchase a few stakes and perhaps some orange mesh (similar to what is used at construction sites) or some wire puppy fence/chicken wire - that'll keep him out and away from the washing! In some ways it does not eliminate the problem of him taking washing off the line, but it does limit his access to that area of the backyard. To those who have mentioned to keep him in his kennel/yard/dog pen - the entire backyard is his to roam around of a day when we are at work. He used to have access to the garage when he was a small puppy but now his access is blocked to that area courtesy of the rear roller door. He now spends his time in the backyard and laundry (while we are at work) as I installed a doggy door a few weeks ago. If I manage to remember I may post pictures of any design/barricade that I have setup beneath the clothesline... thanks to all for the replies and if you have an idea that has not been mentioned - lemme know about it! Sticks1977 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I love dribbly dogs Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I hung washing on the line thinking my Bassets short.. she won't reach it My OH caught her pulling his work pants off the line.. picked them up and shook them and verbally corrected her. Did it again with a work shirt the next time we had washing on the line. She hasn't pulled anything off since. I guess we're lucky she's afraid of getting yelled at :D I found my gardening glove in the middle of the lawn the other day, picked it up and said "what is this?" Loudly.. turned around to see Ruffles curled in a little ball squinting at me with her head down... She knew she was naughty.. She looked so funny I couldn't even attempt to correct her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBella Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Take the rag off the line and tie it round his neck securely and leave it there for a couple of days, he will hate it and do everything trying to remove it. IMO tying a rag around the dogs neck can be dangerous - they could injure themselves very easily. Remember that dogs do not think like people. They don't know that clothes are valuable and that taking them off the line is bad. You have to think like a dog to fix dog behaviour. Correcting a dog after the fact does not help. They will not understand what you are correcting them for. You need to catch them in the act or keep them away from the area if you're not there :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidoney Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Thanks to those who have replied...It might be an idea for me to visit "the man store" (Bunnings Warehouse) and purchase a few stakes and perhaps some orange mesh (similar to what is used at construction sites) or some wire puppy fence/chicken wire - that'll keep him out and away from the washing! This was going to be my suggestion. Modify the environment. Dog mesh is not expensive. In some ways it does not eliminate the problem of him taking washing off the line, but it does limit his access to that area of the backyard. While you are not there to supervise, preventing unwanted behaviour. When you are there you could make a training session of redirecting his attention onto acceptable toys. Teach him the difference between acceptable and not acceptable. If he loves to pull at hanging things you might want to consider getting him one of the Aussie Dog Home Alone dog toys and setting it up AWAY from the clothesline! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidoney Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 (edited) I found my gardening glove in the middle of the lawn the other day, picked it up and said "what is this?" Loudly.. turned around to see Ruffles curled in a little ball squinting at me with her head down... She knew she was naughty.. She looked so funny I couldn't even attempt to correct her This is a common misconception. The dog was responding to your tone of voice and body language. They are unable to connect an object with behaviour that has occurred some time before. Edited February 5, 2008 by sidoney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulp Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I try not to limit the freedom of my dogs in the yard if I'm there to supervise. IMO it is better to teach the dog not to behave in a certain way than to avoid the issue by keeping them away from what they want to get into. Of course if you're not there then you can't teach so when you're away there is not much choice but to restrict them. If you're going to use a staked barrier to keep your dog out of somewhere he really wants to be I'd use star pickets (with plastic tops) rather than hardwood stakes. I set up a sand screen around my dogs sand pit to keep the sand in (rather than all over the fence, gardens and yard) and Ebon first snapped the hardwood stakes in version1 and then even managed to pull a star picket out of the ground with version2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 and purchase a few stakes and perhaps some orange mesh (similar to what is used at construction sites) or some wire puppy fence/chicken wire - that'll keep him out and away from the washing sorry, I honestly think it will only provide him with MORE entertainment..dogs enjoy digging up stakes, and the orange mesh can be fun to chew &drag!! For your sake, I hope it works! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidoney Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 We use dog mesh and star posts when we make dog barriers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Peg an old towel or scrap of material to the line. Wait until he starts jumping up trying to pull it off, then go out and chastise him severely. Take the rag off the line and tie it round his neck securely and leave it there for a couple of days, he will hate it and do everything trying to remove it. Glad it worked for you, but I don't think it is one to recommend . On a dog home alone, trying to remove the rag could well lead to a nasty accident Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I love dribbly dogs Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I don't leave anything on my woofies necks when they are unattended.. Ruffles has a tendency to get her head into things and I don't want her to hurt herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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