My 5 month old Akita has started grabbing my hand and sometimes jumping up at me in the house, I take him out and very soon after he has a poop. Can he literally be trying to tell me he needs the toilet or ' am I imagining it ? '
Hello Philippa - how has Yoji been regarding house-training so far? It is, I think, a way of him telling you he needs to go out to poo - what about a pee? Does he ask to go out or give you any indication that he needs to go? All dogs are different and they all have their own way of telling you what they want. So it is a matter of learning what they are asking for, whether it is grabbing your hand and/or jumping up. As Erin @BlueJay has said, dogs are not stupid and if what Yoji does to attract your attention because he needs a poo or a pee, then it is better than cleaning up the house after him!
It is an endearing trait of the Akita they enjoy carrying things around in their mouth, including your wrist! They take you by the wrist to lead you to wherever the want to go. One of mine used to do it often, and it was mostly to the tit-bit tin.
House trading is all done, everything is done outside, thankfully. I thought I would ask the question because I thought I had read somewhere that they can actually get hold of your hand/arm to try and guide you to what they want. I wasn't sure if it was that or just his puppy jumping and mouthing, I suppose time will tell
As there seems to be a reliable and consistent connection to going outside to toilet, it certainly seems to be his way of signalling to you that he wants to go
Having never been owned by an Akita I did not know it might be a trait of theirs, but I am used to my mini-monster getting hold of my hand or wrist to take me and/or show me what/where she wants to go. But she also does it if her water dish needs refilling so I cannot say that she is asking to go out. Just that she wants something.
Yoji is a clever dog! Pepe the Standard Poodle comes and nudges me if he wants something. Chico the Chihuahua, very irritatingly, just yaps and yaps until we work out what it is he wants.
Actually I must admit that if Tikva wakes and wants a pee and/or poo before I have surfaced, she still eeps to wake me to let her out of her crate and then let her outside. She starts off quietly and gradually gets louder until I am up. And if it is too early for me she then goes back in her crate with a little bikkie so we both get a bit more sleep! These dogs of ours have their own way of telling us what they want and it frequently needs a qualification in Caninese to understand them!
My Pei, Georgina will stand by the front door and squeak when she wants to go out. It's a most peculiar sound just like a wheel that needs oiling! If I ignore her she'll come and stand in front of me and squeak a bit louder. Something she does which seems to be a Pei trait is when she's outside and she sees or hears something she's not sure about, she'll come and fetch me and won't be satisfied until I go with her to have a look! Gwylim my Schnauzer will pace backwards and forwards giving little woofs, snorts and howls to let me know he wants to go out. If I ignore him he'll plonk himself down by the front door and hoooowwwl! His favourite way of waking me up in the morning is to head butt me or shove his beard (usually wet) into my face. It's a very effective way of getting me out of bed!
Beagles can be noisy dogs, but neither of mine 'say' anything when they need to go out! You just notice that Merry has gone missing, and will then find her sitting patiently on the doormat. I think this has a lot to do with her growing up in kennels. Eddie will occasionally try to make eye contact and look towards the door, but is likely to just let himself out. We now have a, (much reduced), set of house training bells on the door, so the jingles give him away. A bit irritating but, as he has never learned to close the door, it is going to be very useful in Winter, as it will stop him letting all the heat out!
Noticed this too, mine will tug on the end of my sleeve with her little front teeth, or try to carry my hand in her mouth, pretty damn cute. They are stubborn dogs and will let you know in an obvious way when they want something. Luna will bring me 1 slipper at a time in trade for a treat, 2x slippers = 2x treats in her world.
