# Over excited squealing



## Qarza (Feb 23, 2013)

I will try and explain how this all started, and how now I would dearly love to stop it. 
Our house is two storied with our main living area on the upper floor and a main stairway/foyer in the centre. Our bedroom and the front door are on the lower floor.
About 18 months ago a stray cat found its way into the house via the cat door. It was downstairs and Bridget saw it. She got excited, started a high pitched squealing and chased it. I ran downstairs opened the front door and let the cat out and was not quick enough to stop two dogs from following it, by this time both frantically squealing. The cat got away, but Bridget has never been the same since. 
Every night now, this is what happens. We have been watching TV upstairs on our electric recliner chairs. The chairs make a whirrrr when we push the button to sit upright or recline. Bridget knows the difference between up and down and knows when it is me and not DH that is getting up. As soon as I push the button to get out of my chair to end the evening, she starts to squeal and runs downstairs. She squeals and squeals until I get to the door. She is like a lunatic. Once I am at the door, as she has been taught she sits and waits for me to go outside first, then she goes to to do her business.
This squealing never happens at our holiday house. It only happens at night.
Any suggestions?


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## Meo'smom (Jan 3, 2013)

Reading this made me smile at the site of her being cutely annoying! :act-up:Maybe she could do her business before you sit and relax...throw her off a bit, change the routine.


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## PammiPoodle (Jul 16, 2011)

What did she used to do when you got up for the evening? Go to the door, but without the whining? Or did she just stay with you and go to the door when you did? Deciding what you'd like her to do will make it easier to break this habit, as you can steer her toward the desired behavior. : ) 

But still, without the answer to that question there's a lot you can do right off to break the habit! For one, see what happens if you recline on the chair, presumably for the evening, but then sit upright a few seconds later. Likely nothing, since she won't expect the night is over. Give her a (very small) treat for being calm. : ) Do it again a few seconds later, treat, and repeat! Extend the interval gradually, but still toss in some short ones, too, so that you don't become predictable. Every day you can do less and less of these until she's relearned that there's no need to get over excited. That may be enough to "reset" her and break the pattern, but if she then starts her frantic run only when you actually get up or take a few steps (or if the above method doesn't work and she still takes off when you press the button), you may have to start doing this on leash, preferably with a harness for her safety. If she tries to rush off, just ignore her until she looks back at you or at least stops trying to pull. Give her a cookie and a few moments to relax, then begin again. If she gets overly excited or frustrated by this, be sure to do this practice early in the day so she's not as convinced she should be running to the door as her evening ritual dictates. Also, make sure she doesn't have a full bladder, otherwise it's nearly torture! : P Make it easy for her. I suppose you could also do this off leash and just stop following her the moment she starts screaming and let her come back to you. Eventually she'll learn that it's actually slowing you down when she screams, but I don't like to see my dog get upset when I know I can prevent it. She will calm down much more quickly from a low level of excitement (simply reaching the end of the leash and not getting any further), than a high level of excitement (such as running all the way to the door and screaming and wondering why you're not there), so you'll be able to make faster progress. If you leash her, it's best to do it before you sit and wait a bit before starting the getting up process. Otherwise she'll see you reaching toward her with the leash and know that means you're about to get up, so she'll just save you the trouble and run to the front door! Dogs are so obliging. : P

Lastly, can she go potty out the back door, perhaps on leash if there's no fence? This way when/if she does rush to the door and screech in the evening, when you know she needs her potty break, you can leash her and lead her out the back door. You can even walk around to the front of the house if she prefers to potty there. This will ensure that you don't perpetuate the habit any longer. Yes, she's getting to go potty after squealing, but by taking her out a different door (and maybe the scenic route around the coffee table) it may disrupt the connection. You might even see her leading you to the back door after she catches on, and, hopefully, she doesn't bring the singing to that door! You can continue the front door training until she's quietly waiting to be let out again, then you can stop using the back door, altogether. : )


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## Qarza (Feb 23, 2013)

PammiPoodle said:


> What did she used to do when you got up for the evening? Go to the door, but without the whining? Or did she just stay with you and go to the door when you did? Deciding what you'd like her to do will make it easier to break this habit, as you can steer her toward the desired behavior. : )


Gosh, I can't remember what she used to do. I will start changing my routine. Ie. pushing the button and sitting up but not getting out of the chair. She will run mad squealing but eventually come back to me. I will give her a treat. Once I can push the button without her running downstairs squealing I may have trained her. It is worth a try. I think if every time she squeals, I sit down, it may stop her. 
I realise a lot of her training issues have been my fault. I suffered from depression for so long during her first year with us and it is only now I am feeling on top of things enough to take more control of situations.


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## PammiPoodle (Jul 16, 2011)

Qarza said:


> I realise a lot of her training issues have been my fault. I suffered from depression for so long during her first year with us and it is only now I am feeling on top of things enough to take more control of situations.


Aw, Quarza, I think I know how you feel! I was very emotionally unstable when Lumi was a pup. We sometimes spent *days* just sitting on a chair in my living room, shades drawn, no talking, basically craziness. The only things I always tended to were her feeding and her potty training. She mostly had to play by herself, because I just wasn't able. Even my good days certainly weren't good enough to socialize a puppy, since I still wasn't well enough to leave the house. Anyway, I hope you don't let guilt slow you down or effect your relationship. You're still perfect in Bridget's eyes. She doesn't compare us with who we "should" be, as we do. ("I 'should' have been a better Mom." or "I 'should' walk her more.") She's happy and *lucky* to have you! I bet you've learned more from "mistakes" with her than you would have learned if you raised her without the obstacles you had. I know I did over here! Now we both get to try our hand at solving nuisance behaviors. Yay, us!! : P


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