Housetraining Basics
By Kathy Diamond DavisAuthor and Trainer
1) Keep the dog in a "safe place" when you are not home or are asleep. A crate just large enough that he can lie down and stand fully erect is usually ideal for this. A small room with a baby-gate rather than a closed door will also work, provided this "safe place" is a place where the particular dog will not use the bathroom. You are trying to help the dog develop control.
2) When you are able to watch the pup, keep pup always in the same room with you. If you see pup start to have an accident, say "No, Outside" at the very same time you scoop up the puppy and run outside. For a dog you cannot carry, use a leash. No punishment, EVER. That doesn't work for housetraining, and can cause nasty complications.
3) When you are outside in the right place for pup to relieve, use a cue phrase, such as "Go Potty." This is only used at the time and the place where you want pup to do it now. Never say it before you take the puppy outside. While you're still in the house, only use the word "Outside."
4) When pup relieves outside, praise sincerely. If pup likes a treat, you might have some hidden on your person, and whip one out to give at that moment. If pup likes to play outside, allow a little playtime after pup relieves. If your puppy wants to get right back inside, reward the pup by going right back inside.
5) Every time pup has an accident in the house, it confuses the puppy. Therefore, you need to supervise or confine your pup 100% of the time. If necessary to keep you watching the puppy, sometimes you can fasten yourself to the puppy with a leash at your waist.
6) If you find an accident the puppy has had in the house that you did not see happen, that is more your mistake than the puppy's! Whatever you do, never punish your dog for this.
7) Before using any other cleaning agents, treat the spot deeply and thoroughly with a bacterial enzyme odor eliminator product such as Nature's Miracle. Nothing else has been proven to really work on getting rid of the scent. If you don't get rid of the scent, it will draw the dog's instincts to use the spot again. Other cleaning products used before the bacterial enzyme product can cause it to be unable to work. They can literally kill the little bacteria before they have a chance to deal with the odor.
8) Make sure your puppy is on a top-quality dog food, and is free of intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, coccidia, giardia. Any of these things can sabotage housetraining efforts. If the puppy ever seems to be urinating abnormally often, take a urine specimen to the veterinarian for analysis.
9) Schedule food and water. Give water whenever you can, but not in the crate, and not right before the dog is going to have to wait in the crate for some time. Modify this, of course, if the vet recommends it for your puppy or your situation. Feed at least twice a day, the best dog food you can get (cheap dog foods cause housetraining problems, as well as many other problems), and keep the food to a careful schedule. Scheduled food going IN leads to scheduled poop coming OUT, and that is very important for housetraining.
10) When you are at home and awake, take the pup outside about once per hour. As time goes by, you will be able to tell just how often your dog needs to go. During housetraining, you must go with the puppy, not put your puppy outside without you. That way you are there to praise, and you also know when the puppy relieved, and when the puppy did not relieve.
11) Puppies generally are not mature enough for full bladder and bowel control until at least 16 weeks of age.
12) With a small dog, you also have the problem that the dog sees the house as very large. Relieving off in a corner of a quiet room can seem to the small dog's instincts to be far enough away from the pack. A larger dog will more naturally prefer to go outside. That's one reason this process can take longer with small dogs. Small male dogs may be stimulated by instincts to mark territory in your house, while larger male dogs would rather mark a larger territory, outside the house. It can be helpful to expand your small dog's freedom in the house more slowly. Remember, any mistakes that you do not see and correct by taking the dog outside right then will confuse your dog, and make housetraining take longer.
13) One thing that frequently confuses people is that the dog can hold it for 8 hours during the night or when they are away at work. That makes them think 8 hours is reasonable to ask of the dog at other times, too. However, during sleep, the body quiets the bladder and bowels, to allow this longer period of time. When you're gone, the dog likely sleeps a lot, too, since dogs sleep about 14 hours a day. When the body has had to hold it like this, then it has to catch up. That makes going out every hour even more important. Take your puppy out at least twice in the morning before you leave for work, too.
14) Some spayed female dogs will develop a problem as they age with bladder incontinence. This is not a housetraining problem, and will normally be noticed as loss of urine where the dog is resting--the dog may not even be aware when it happens. This problem is easily controlled with inexpensive medication from your veterinarian. The medication may need a bit of adjustment, and there is more than one type of medication that works, so be sure to keep working with the vet until the right medication at the right dosage is found. Then, no more accidents!
15) Most every dog can be housetrained, if you do it right. However, some take longer than others. If you are minimizing the accidents by providing the proper supervision, and if you are treating any accident spots correctly, having a dog who takes longer to housetrain will not result in your having a smelly house or a ruined carpet.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1089&S=1&SourceID=47POTTY TRAINING BASICS
or, Pees and Poos happen!
Common Questions...
"What about paper-training?"
The old method of paper training can still be effective, however it adds unnecessary time and mess to the whole picture. Owners will have MUCH more cleanup and mess and smell with papers and they will STILL have to use the papers to transition puppy to the outside.
"My puppy goes outside, then comes in and poops on the floor...!"
You, as the owner/trainer, are at fault here. You are missing the two BIG keys in successful potty training: 1. You MUST accompany your puppy outside WITH a leash on to supervise elimination and 2. Freedom in the house is only earned by appropriate elimination outside. No pees or poos - NO FREEDOM, and puppy goes back in his crate. Next, the owner checks again in a time frame of 20 minutes to an hour and takes puppy outside on the LEASH for another opportunity to eliminate appropriately and earn freedom.
"I stand at the door and watch while my puppy goes potty outside. When he is finished and comes back in, he gets a treat. Why do I have to go out with my puppy?"
Your puppy is getting his treat for coming back into the house, NOT for appropriate elimination. Praise MUST happen DURING elimination to make the connection in puppy's mind. Some dogs will run outside and run back in without eliminating because they know they'll get a treat. This can also encourage frequent demands to go out - just so they can get a treat when they come in!
"I leave my puppy outside to play for an hour or more, then I bring him in and he eliminates. Why couldn't he just do it while he was outside?"
Well, he probably DID eliminate when he first went out, but he didn't have to go later, and he certainly doesn't have the human capacity to think "Well, my owner is probably going to take me inside soon, so I'd better get my business done while I'm outside!" YOU need to remind a puppy who has been outside for a while to "Go Potty!".
"When will I know if my dog is housebroken?"
Appropriate elimination FIRST happens primarily because we, as owners, control it. We are working, when we potty train, to establish a HABIT, and that will usually take two to three months, depending on how consistent and persistent you are as the owner/trainer. Here are some indications your dog/puppy understands the program: 1. "Accidents" in the house and/or crate have decreased during the training period to none or almost none. 2. When you use your commands for elimination, your puppy responds by eliminating. 3. Your puppy starts to "ask" to go outside by barking, running to the door, staring at you, or in some other way. 4. The freedom you give your puppy is mostly "accident" free.
"My puppy wakes me up at 3AM EVERY NIGHT! I take him out, he pees and then wants to play. I play with him for a while and put him back in his crate where he cries for some time before he settles down. How do I break him of this?"
Nighttime needs should diminish quickly as the puppy gets older. At first, you may need to get up 2-3 times nightly for a 7-week-old pup. That frequency should quickly reduce to once a night for a 9-week-old pup. When a puppy cries in the night, you DO have to check on him - it's the only way he has to tell you there is a problem. YOU will soon learn which cries are "fussing" and which indicate a real need. Remember when I said you are working to establish a HABIT when potty training? Well, if you get up during the night to take puppy out and then play with him, you are establishing a nighttime play routine habit! Any nighttime trips outside should be all "business only": outside then back in the crate - PERIOD! Temporarily removing access to water by 7 or 8 p.m. will also help.
Special problems...
Dogs or puppies purchased from a pet shop or other place where they were always kept in a small cage.
These dogs never had a choice and HAD to eliminate where they lived. Owners must devote extra time to take such dogs outside more frequently in order to get elimination outside rather than in the crate. Elaborate praise when they "go" is essential so they learn that life is better all around when they eliminate outside. Elimination in the crate should be ignored and just cleaned up at first - with no correction or harsh words. Later, as the dog starts to understand "going outside" a little better, the same corrections used when your dog has an accident on the floor (see "Accidents" above) can be used for crate soiling. Training these dogs takes a lot of patience and time.
About small breeds and "Sneaking"
Some people say that small breeds can be difficult, if not impossible to potty train. This is NOT because they are stupid - actually they are rather smart; smart enough to sneak to out of the way places to make their deposits instead of asking to go outside. This just requires MORE vigilance on the owner's part, and LESS freedom for the dog. If necessary, the owner needs to attach the other end of the leash the dog is dragging to their belt loop to keep closer track of the sneak!
Submissive Urination
"When I come home from work and let my dog out of her crate, she urinates all over when I'm greeting her. I yell at her and she pees more! Why does she DO that?"
What you dog is doing is called submissive urination. It is NOT a housebreaking problem. She is telling you that she recognizes that you are the leader. When you yell at her, she pees more to say "Yes, I KNOW that you are alpha!" Usually submissive urination resolved by 2 years of age, but Bailey, my Golden Retriever, sometimes still does it at 9 years.
Things you can do to deter submissive urination:
1. DO NOT bend over the top of the dog, especially when greeting. That is a dominant position. 2. For some reason, sweet, happy talk makes dogs urinate - so happy greetings with a lot of conversation should be avoided. 3. DO NOT pet your dog to greet her - the best thing to do when greeting a submissive urinator is to fold your arms across your chest, turn and ignore, but encourage your dog to go outside right away. Praise when she urinates outside, and then you should be able to greet.4. When visitors come over, have them greet your dog (on leash) outside on the porch or grass to avoid messes in the house. 5. DO NOT yell at your dog for being "bad" - this isn't being "bad" at all! It is actually dog language affirming your leadership.
Spitefulness?"When I leave the house, my dog frequently leaves me "presents" of stool and/or urine. I know he hates me to leave, and I'm sure he's doing it out of spite."
Dogs by nature are not spiteful animals. That is too much of a human emotion and too much reasoning: "If she leaves, then I'm going to poop on the floor because I know she HATES that! That'll teach her to leave me here alone!"
Usually, if there is an "accident" when the owner is gone these are usually the real reasons.
· I forgot to do my business outside (this is where my own dogs fit in!)
· I'm really not reliably potty trained and I don't completely understand the concept.
· I waited by the door to go outside but I couldn't get out and I just couldn't wait any longer!
· You left me all alone in this house! This is a BIG job, and we usually watch over the house together as a pack. This is too stressful for me. I'm so stressed I have to poop!
· I have too much freedom - and too soon - without supervision.
If you come home to "accidents", you need to consider these steps:
1. Backtrack on potty training - no matter what your dog's age. (We just had a brain glitch and need a refresher course) 2. Reduce the space of freedom - either with a crate, baby gates or a room. 3. Back to outside supervised potty breaks - with leash on so praise can be used at the right time. 4. Make sure there is no physical cause for the problem (intestinal parasites, urinary tract infection, etc.)
Questions to ask yourself if you are having problems...
· Am I taking the dog out enough?
· Do I know every time he goes?
· Does he have too much freedom in the house?
· Am I watching him carefully when he is free in the house?
· Is there any physical reason (intestinal parasites, urinary tract infection, etc.)?
· Am I trying to move things along faster than this dog is able to learn - therefore skipping steps so the entire picture is unclear to my dog?
· Am I consistently praising for appropriate behavior so he gets the idea?
Pam Young, LVT
http://www.ddc.com/petplace/dogtraining/potty.htmlIt is an undeniable fact that puppies need to eliminate. The frustrating part is the communication barrier as well as the lack of understanding about where and when it is appropriate to eliminate. Puppies come to us with the simple motto: "If I have to, then I'll do it." This pertains to eating, sleeping (ever see a pup fall over asleep in mid-play?), activity, exploration AND elimination! Puppies do not understand anything more than that. It is up to us to establish a bridge of understanding if they are to live with us harmoniously. We are the ones with all the requirements, not them! They'd be just as happy to take care of their needs the way they already know.
The most successful potty training methods consist of four key elements:
1. Confinement 2. Training 3. Timing 4. Praise
This article will discuss them all and also answer common housebreaking questions and address some special cases.
Confinement
Puppies (or dogs who don't yet understand where it is appropriate to eliminate) need to be confined in order to facilitate the easiest potty training. The BEST and most effective place to confine is in a crate or cage (more about crates in an upcoming article). At this point (new introduction to potty training) don't leave anything on the bottom of the crate (blanket, newspaper, etc.). Puppy will make a project out of destroying it. Most dogs do NOT want to eliminate where they live, therefore the crate needs to be just large enough for puppy to turn around and lay down. Anything larger will encourage a puppy to eliminate at one end and sleep in the other. For those puppies who will grow quite a bit larger, use a crate that is sized for an adult and partition it to a smaller size using a homemade insert or a crate insert made by the crate company to fit your crate.
Training and Praise
When I teach a new dog (or puppy) where to eliminate, I ALWAYS use a leash. Leashes keep your dog close to you, where you can supervise and control everything that happens. Puppies, especially, are easily distracted. A blowing leaf, new flower, stick, another animal - all can take a puppy's mind off the matter at hand. If you are near the puppy (or dog) with the leash in hand, a gentle tug will redirect away from the curiosity. Leashes are also good to help teach an AREA to eliminate (behind the garage, etc.). With a leash, you just take the dog there every time.
I also teach words for elimination. This way, when the puppy understands what the words mean, he will understand WHAT I want as well as WHEN I want it to happen. My words are "go potty" for urination and "go poop" for defecation. Your choice can be ANY word or phrase you want to use consistently (such as, "hurry up", "do your business", "get busy", "let's go", "tinkles", etc.). Remember when you choose your word or phrase that you will be repeating it A LOT!
As I take my dog outside on a leash, I start to teach him the word "OUTSIDE". "Let's go OUTSIDE!". "Do you have to go "OUTSIDE"? "OUTSIDE! OUTSIDE!" In time, the dog will learn that the word OUTSIDE is associated with elimination. Eventually you will be able to ask the dog "do you have to go OUTSIDE?" and get a response like barking, running to the door or tail wagging.
Using the Leash & Words to Teach
A slip-type leash is quick and easy to slip on the puppy to take him outside. If the puppy isn't used to the leash yet, slip the leash on and carry the puppy from his crate to outside, saying the entire time "Do you want to go outside? Let's go outside! Outside! Outside! Yay! Outside!". Your emphasis should be on the word "OUTSIDE". Once outside, set puppy down and change your mantra to your word/phrase "Go Potty! Go Potty! Let's Go Potty!". Let puppy sniff and move around a little, but keep him in a general area. Each time he gets distracted (leaf, squirrel, etc.) give the leash a tug and repeat "Go Potty!". The command is generally not said in a firm or angry way and not in a soft or pleading way either - it is usually said in an encouraging tone. When elimination occurs, use a happy tone and repeat "GOOD Go Potty! Yay! Go Potty!". I prefer to use WORDS ONLY to reinforce elimination, because petting or treats can interrupt the act. Verbal praise needs to happen DURING the act, not after! Usually dogs will urinate first, then defecate. You need to become familiar with your dog's habits so you can wait for defecation and use a command for it (i.e.; "more potty", "go poop", etc.).
Did you know?? Contrary to popular belief, winter is usually the EASIEST time to potty train. Nobody wants to spend much time outside, especially puppy, and distractions are at a minimum.
More on word training and tone of voice More about puppy's first collar and leashTiming
Puppies (and dogs) earn freedom by eliminating appropriately. The best time for a puppy to be out of his crate is AFTER eliminating appropriately outside. This free time will still need to be strictly supervised, so any inclination toward inappropriate elimination can be immediately addressed. Baby gates are great for limiting a puppy's area of freedom. A short, inexpensive leash (4ft or so) attached to the puppy's collar (ALWAYS SUPERVISED, of course) works well and enables the owner to catch a quick puppy without grabbing for him (which, ultimately, can create a fearful dog). This works well when he needs to be corrected for inappropriate behaviors like chewing, eating things, digging or eliminating indoors.
The BEST rule of thumb is to ANTICIPATE the need!
As a general rule, the length of time a puppy can be left confined in his create without going outside is roughly equal to his age in months: 2 months old = 2 hours of confinement without a potty break 3 months old = 3 hours of confinement without a potty break 4 months old = 4 hours of confinement without a potty break etc. - up to about 6 - 8 months of age.
ANY time there is a change in activity, such as after waking, playing, or eating, puppy MUST be taken outside!
Your puppy will also give certain indications each time he needs to eliminate: abrupt stop of play, circling, sniffing, running out of the room, a "look" on his face. You will eventually become familiar with these "warning signs".
Accidents
All is not lost if puppy eliminates in the house or in his crate! If you catch him in the act, make an abrupt noise (clap hands, say
Angh Angh) and use a
firm low voice to illustrate your displeasure. "Bad dog! Bad! Outside to do this!" (voice starts to get friendlier now) "Let's go OUTSIDE! Outside!" (now in normal
command voice) "Go Potty. GOOD DOG go potty!" Use a lot of
cheerful praise if he finishes outside.
Remember, you MUST catch puppy IN THE ACT of inappropriate elimination to facilitate an effective lesson. Rubbing his nose in "it" afterward (even by just a few moments) only teaches him that "doo doo" in the house gets him in trouble. "Oh no", you say, "my dog KNOWS!". Well, not really. A behaviorist once told me he illustrated this to a skeptical client by sending the client out of the house while he collected stool from the backyard and set it in the middle of the living room. The client was invited back into the house and the dog ran and hid! Here's another example of how dogs think: Puppy poops where he shouldn't and wanders into another room to quietly chew a bone. The owner finds the poop, locates the puppy and drags him to the mess and stuffs his nose in it. Puppy wonders, "I was off chewing my bone and now I'm getting my nose shoved into this mess! I just don't get it! I get punished for chewing my bone?"
TIMING...of catching the puppy in the act in order to correct and teach...of PRAISE for appropriate elimination...is everything and CONSISTENCY is the key! Proper behavior must be praised EVERY TIME you give a command and it is followed. I still do it for Bailey, and she is 9 years old!
One last thought to ponder while dealing with the frustrations of potty training: a puppy that has NEVER eliminated in the house and been CAUGHT and CORRECTED has not yet learned that it is wrong. There MUST be "accidents" in order for REAL learning to take place!
Common Questions...
"What about paper-training?"
The old method of paper training can still be effective, however it adds unnecessary time and mess to the whole picture. Owners will have MUCH more cleanup and mess and smell with papers and they will STILL have to use the papers to transition puppy to the outside.
"My puppy goes outside, then comes in and poops on the floor...!"
You, as the owner/trainer, are at fault here. You are missing the two BIG keys in successful potty training: 1. You MUST accompany your puppy outside WITH a leash on to supervise elimination and 2. Freedom in the house is only earned by appropriate elimination outside. No pees or poos - NO FREEDOM, and puppy goes back in his crate. Next, the owner checks again in a time frame of 20 minutes to an hour and takes puppy outside on the LEASH for another opportunity to eliminate appropriately and earn freedom.
"I stand at the door and watch while my puppy goes potty outside. When he is finished and comes back in, he gets a treat. Why do I have to go out with my puppy?"
Your puppy is getting his treat for coming back into the house, NOT for appropriate elimination. Praise MUST happen DURING elimination to make the connection in puppy's mind. Some dogs will run outside and run back in without eliminating because they know they'll get a treat. This can also encourage frequent demands to go out - just so they can get a treat when they come in!
"I leave my puppy outside to play for an hour or more, then I bring him in and he eliminates. Why couldn't he just do it while he was outside?"
Well, he probably DID eliminate when he first went out, but he didn't have to go later, and he certainly doesn't have the human capacity to think "Well, my owner is probably going to take me inside soon, so I'd better get my business done while I'm outside!" YOU need to remind a puppy who has been outside for a while to "Go Potty!".
"When will I know if my dog is housebroken?"
Appropriate elimination FIRST happens primarily because we, as owners, control it. We are working, when we potty train, to establish a HABIT, and that will usually take two to three months, depending on how consistent and persistent you are as the owner/trainer. Here are some indications your dog/puppy understands the program: 1. "Accidents" in the house and/or crate have decreased during the training period to none or almost none. 2. When you use your commands for elimination, your puppy responds by eliminating. 3. Your puppy starts to "ask" to go outside by barking, running to the door, staring at you, or in some other way. 4. The freedom you give your puppy is mostly "accident" free.
"My puppy wakes me up at 3AM EVERY NIGHT! I take him out, he pees and then wants to play. I play with him for a while and put him back in his crate where he cries for some time before he settles down. How do I break him of this?"
Nighttime needs should diminish quickly as the puppy gets older. At first, you may need to get up 2-3 times nightly for a 7-week-old pup. That frequency should quickly reduce to once a night for a 9-week-old pup. When a puppy cries in the night, you DO have to check on him - it's the only way he has to tell you there is a problem. YOU will soon learn which cries are "fussing" and which indicate a real need. Remember when I said you are working to establish a HABIT when potty training? Well, if you get up during the night to take puppy out and then play with him, you are establishing a nighttime play routine habit! Any nighttime trips outside should be all "business only": outside then back in the crate - PERIOD! Temporarily removing access to water by 7 or 8 p.m. will also help.
Special problems...
Dogs or puppies purchased from a pet shop or other place where they were always kept in a small cage.
These dogs never had a choice and HAD to eliminate where they lived. Owners must devote extra time to take such dogs outside more frequently in order to get elimination outside rather than in the crate. Elaborate praise when they "go" is essential so they learn that life is better all around when they eliminate outside. Elimination in the crate should be ignored and just cleaned up at first - with no correction or harsh words. Later, as the dog starts to understand "going outside" a little better, the same corrections used when your dog has an accident on the floor (see "Accidents" above) can be used for crate soiling. Training these dogs takes a lot of patience and time.
About small breeds and "Sneaking"
Some people say that small breeds can be difficult, if not impossible to potty train. This is NOT because they are stupid - actually they are rather smart; smart enough to sneak to out of the way places to make their deposits instead of asking to go outside. This just requires MORE vigilance on the owner's part, and LESS freedom for the dog. If necessary, the owner needs to attach the other end of the leash the dog is dragging to their belt loop to keep closer track of the sneak!
Submissive Urination
"When I come home from work and let my dog out of her crate, she urinates all over when I'm greeting her. I yell at her and she pees more! Why does she DO that?"
What you dog is doing is called submissive urination. It is NOT a housebreaking problem. She is telling you that she recognizes that you are the leader. When you yell at her, she pees more to say "Yes, I KNOW that you are alpha!" Usually submissive urination resolved by 2 years of age, but Bailey, my Golden Retriever, sometimes still does it at 9 years.
Things you can do to deter submissive urination:
1. DO NOT bend over the top of the dog, especially when greeting. That is a dominant position. 2. For some reason, sweet, happy talk makes dogs urinate - so happy greetings with a lot of conversation should be avoided. 3. DO NOT pet your dog to greet her - the best thing to do when greeting a submissive urinator is to fold your arms across your chest, turn and ignore, but encourage your dog to go outside right away. Praise when she urinates outside, and then you should be able to greet.4. When visitors come over, have them greet your dog (on leash) outside on the porch or grass to avoid messes in the house. 5. DO NOT yell at your dog for being "bad" - this isn't being "bad" at all! It is actually dog language affirming your leadership.
Spitefulness?"When I leave the house, my dog frequently leaves me "presents" of stool and/or urine. I know he hates me to leave, and I'm sure he's doing it out of spite."
Dogs by nature are not spiteful animals. That is too much of a human emotion and too much reasoning: "If she leaves, then I'm going to poop on the floor because I know she HATES that! That'll teach her to leave me here alone!"
Usually, if there is an "accident" when the owner is gone these are usually the real reasons.
· I forgot to do my business outside (this is where my own dogs fit in!)
· I'm really not reliably potty trained and I don't completely understand the concept.
· I waited by the door to go outside but I couldn't get out and I just couldn't wait any longer!
· You left me all alone in this house! This is a BIG job, and we usually watch over the house together as a pack. This is too stressful for me. I'm so stressed I have to poop!
· I have too much freedom - and too soon - without supervision.
If you come home to "accidents", you need to consider these steps:
1. Backtrack on potty training - no matter what your dog's age. (We just had a brain glitch and need a refresher course) 2. Reduce the space of freedom - either with a crate, baby gates or a room. 3. Back to outside supervised potty breaks - with leash on so praise can be used at the right time. 4. Make sure there is no physical cause for the problem (intestinal parasites, urinary tract infection, etc.)
Questions to ask yourself if you are having problems...
· Am I taking the dog out enough?
· Do I know every time he goes?
· Does he have too much freedom in the house?
· Am I watching him carefully when he is free in the house?
· Is there any physical reason (intestinal parasites, urinary tract infection, etc.)?
· Am I trying to move things along faster than this dog is able to learn - therefore skipping steps so the entire picture is unclear to my dog?
· Am I consistently praising for appropriate behavior so he gets the idea?
Pam Young, LVT
http://www.ddc.com/petplace/dogtraining/potty.htmlFive Easy P's of Puppy Potty TrainingPrediction: Learn to look for the signs... walking around with nose to the floor, just finished eating, just woke up, just finished playing, any other pattern you might notice.Place: Pick a place where you want puppy to go and always take him/her therePersistence: Do it regularly, without fail. Yes it might be too hot, too cold, too windy, too wet, too early, too late... these are all LAME EXCUSES!Patience: Wait until puppy has done her/his stuff... it may take a while. Relax, breathe some fresh air... it'll do you some good. Praise: When puppy has done her/his stuff, let puppy know s/he is the best puppy that ever lived... go a little crazy! Puppy won't laugh at you for acting foolish, and it'll really help puppy understand what you want. And remember, puppy's great goal in life is to make you happy!That's it! 5 easy P's! Prediction, place, persistence, patience and praise.Nosenuzzles ~'o'~((()))~~~ ( woof-woof)Scarlett(Mrs Dee) and her Maine-Agerie Our shih-tzu4u group:shihtzu4u@yahoogroups.com-=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- "I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once." ~*~"You enter into a certain amount of madness when you marry aperson with pets." --Nora Ephron ~*~ When faced with a mountain I will not quit. I will keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or turn the mountain into a gold mine with God's help." ~*~"Lord , Keep Your Arm Around my Shoulder and Your Hand Over My Mouth" ~*~ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º
Crate Training in Brief
Training your puppy to use a crate is not cruel and unusual punishment! Quite the contrary. When puppy is crate trained properly before long he or she will consider the crate as a "den" and go their automatically when they are tired or just want to be alone.
A few basic rules of thumb:
A crate should never be used as punishment.
A puppy should never be confined to a crate for longer than 2 or 3 hours when you are not home.
If you purchase a large crate that will fit your puppy when it is full grown, then you should partition off part of it so that puppy doesn't have too much room. If the crate is too large, puppy will use it to go potty.
Move the crate from room to room with you and allow puppy to sleep in it's crate in your bedroom at night. This gives them a sense of security and they will settle down much more quickly knowing you are right there.
A key ingredient in crate training is to make it fun for the puppy. Do this by putting some treats in the crate and letting puppy find them. Toss the treat into the crate and when puppy goes in to get it, praise GOOD DOG....GOOD PUPPY! Once in a while when puppy goes into crate to retrieve the treat, close the door for a few minutes. If puppy is nice and quiet say GOOD PUPPY. However, if puppy is making a ruckus - IGNORE. When puppy settles down, say GOOD PUPPY and then open the crate door.
Remember...make this fun. It should never be a form of punishment!
Crate training is a wonderful way to help you housebreak your puppy. Puppies will avoid using their "den" as a place to go potty. Immediately upon taking puppy out of the crate bring it outside to relieve itself.....DO NOT stop to play with it first! Once puppy has relieved itself outside give lots of praise! Praise so much that your neighbors will think you have lost your mind!!! As soon as you feel confident that puppy is "empty" you can then return to the house and have some play time or whatever.
Remember....puppies have next to no bladder or bowel control. What goes in one end very quickly comes out the other. So when you feed them, immediately take them out to go potty and when they go LOTS OF PRAISE. When you take them out to potty use the same phrase each time. Something like "potty" or "hurry" works well.
As I mentioned above, you cannot restrict a puppy to a crate for more than 2 or 3 hours at a time when you are not with them. If you work away from home all day (as most people do) you could try to enlist a neighbor to come and take puppy out several times a day. There are also pet walkers you could hire to do this.
Working people should consider using an X-Pen in addition to a crate for during the day. The X-Pen can be set up in say the kitchen with the crate (with door open) in one corner of the pen. If no one will be taking puppy out during the day you will have to "paper train" in part of the X-Pen. Puppy then will have a larger area to exercise in and can still use his/her crate for taking naps.
Puppies should not be trusted to have free run of your home. There are too many things they can get into -- things that can hurt them and destroy your property at the same time. When you are busy you can either crate the puppy or tether it's leash to you so that you are constantly aware of what puppy is doing. Use constant commands and phrases such as "settle down" or "easy" when puppy is acting too wild.
If you are busy and decided to crate puppy, try putting the crate in the same room with you. That way puppy doesn't feel like it's being punished and can keep an eye on you at the same time.
At bedtime put puppy's crate in the bedroom with you. Puppies that are allowed to sleep with their humans tend to settle down much more quickly. Plus...when puppy needs to go potty in the middle of the night you will be able to hear their call.
Crate training has many additional benefits. If you plan on taking your puppy/dog with you on vacations being able to tell a hotel/motel innkeeper that your dog will be in it's crate when you are not in the room is a big plus!
http://www.golden-retriever.com/crate.htmlPOTTY TRAINING BASICS
or, Pees and Poos happen!
Common Questions...
"What about paper-training?"
The old method of paper training can still be effective, however it adds unnecessary time and mess to the whole picture. Owners will have MUCH more cleanup and mess and smell with papers and they will STILL have to use the papers to transition puppy to the outside.
"My puppy goes outside, then comes in and poops on the floor...!"
You, as the owner/trainer, are at fault here. You are missing the two BIG keys in successful potty training: 1. You MUST accompany your puppy outside WITH a leash on to supervise elimination and 2. Freedom in the house is only earned by appropriate elimination outside. No pees or poos - NO FREEDOM, and puppy goes back in his crate. Next, the owner checks again in a time frame of 20 minutes to an hour and takes puppy outside on the LEASH for another opportunity to eliminate appropriately and earn freedom.
"I stand at the door and watch while my puppy goes potty outside. When he is finished and comes back in, he gets a treat. Why do I have to go out with my puppy?"
Your puppy is getting his treat for coming back into the house, NOT for appropriate elimination. Praise MUST happen DURING elimination to make the connection in puppy's mind. Some dogs will run outside and run back in without eliminating because they know they'll get a treat. This can also encourage frequent demands to go out - just so they can get a treat when they come in!
"I leave my puppy outside to play for an hour or more, then I bring him in and he eliminates. Why couldn't he just do it while he was outside?"
Well, he probably DID eliminate when he first went out, but he didn't have to go later, and he certainly doesn't have the human capacity to think "Well, my owner is probably going to take me inside soon, so I'd better get my business done while I'm outside!" YOU need to remind a puppy who has been outside for a while to "Go Potty!".
"When will I know if my dog is housebroken?"
Appropriate elimination FIRST happens primarily because we, as owners, control it. We are working, when we potty train, to establish a HABIT, and that will usually take two to three months, depending on how consistent and persistent you are as the owner/trainer. Here are some indications your dog/puppy understands the program: 1. "Accidents" in the house and/or crate have decreased during the training period to none or almost none. 2. When you use your commands for elimination, your puppy responds by eliminating. 3. Your puppy starts to "ask" to go outside by barking, running to the door, staring at you, or in some other way. 4. The freedom you give your puppy is mostly "accident" free.
"My puppy wakes me up at 3AM EVERY NIGHT! I take him out, he pees and then wants to play. I play with him for a while and put him back in his crate where he cries for some time before he settles down. How do I break him of this?"
Nighttime needs should diminish quickly as the puppy gets older. At first, you may need to get up 2-3 times nightly for a 7-week-old pup. That frequency should quickly reduce to once a night for a 9-week-old pup. When a puppy cries in the night, you DO have to check on him - it's the only way he has to tell you there is a problem. YOU will soon learn which cries are "fussing" and which indicate a real need. Remember when I said you are working to establish a HABIT when potty training? Well, if you get up during the night to take puppy out and then play with him, you are establishing a nighttime play routine habit! Any nighttime trips outside should be all "business only": outside then back in the crate - PERIOD! Temporarily removing access to water by 7 or 8 p.m. will also help.
Special problems...
Dogs or puppies purchased from a pet shop or other place where they were always kept in a small cage.
These dogs never had a choice and HAD to eliminate where they lived. Owners must devote extra time to take such dogs outside more frequently in order to get elimination outside rather than in the crate. Elaborate praise when they "go" is essential so they learn that life is better all around when they eliminate outside. Elimination in the crate should be ignored and just cleaned up at first - with no correction or harsh words. Later, as the dog starts to understand "going outside" a little better, the same corrections used when your dog has an accident on the floor (see "Accidents" above) can be used for crate soiling. Training these dogs takes a lot of patience and time.
About small breeds and "Sneaking"
Some people say that small breeds can be difficult, if not impossible to potty train. This is NOT because they are stupid - actually they are rather smart; smart enough to sneak to out of the way places to make their deposits instead of asking to go outside. This just requires MORE vigilance on the owner's part, and LESS freedom for the dog. If necessary, the owner needs to attach the other end of the leash the dog is dragging to their belt loop to keep closer track of the sneak!
Submissive Urination
"When I come home from work and let my dog out of her crate, she urinates all over when I'm greeting her. I yell at her and she pees more! Why does she DO that?"
What you dog is doing is called submissive urination. It is NOT a housebreaking problem. She is telling you that she recognizes that you are the leader. When you yell at her, she pees more to say "Yes, I KNOW that you are alpha!" Usually submissive urination resolved by 2 years of age, but Bailey, my Golden Retriever, sometimes still does it at 9 years.
Things you can do to deter submissive urination:
1. DO NOT bend over the top of the dog, especially when greeting. That is a dominant position. 2. For some reason, sweet, happy talk makes dogs urinate - so happy greetings with a lot of conversation should be avoided. 3. DO NOT pet your dog to greet her - the best thing to do when greeting a submissive urinator is to fold your arms across your chest, turn and ignore, but encourage your dog to go outside right away. Praise when she urinates outside, and then you should be able to greet.4. When visitors come over, have them greet your dog (on leash) outside on the porch or grass to avoid messes in the house. 5. DO NOT yell at your dog for being "bad" - this isn't being "bad" at all! It is actually dog language affirming your leadership.
Spitefulness?"When I leave the house, my dog frequently leaves me "presents" of stool and/or urine. I know he hates me to leave, and I'm sure he's doing it out of spite."
Dogs by nature are not spiteful animals. That is too much of a human emotion and too much reasoning: "If she leaves, then I'm going to poop on the floor because I know she HATES that! That'll teach her to leave me here alone!"
Usually, if there is an "accident" when the owner is gone these are usually the real reasons.
· I forgot to do my business outside (this is where my own dogs fit in!)
· I'm really not reliably potty trained and I don't completely understand the concept.
· I waited by the door to go outside but I couldn't get out and I just couldn't wait any longer!
· You left me all alone in this house! This is a BIG job, and we usually watch over the house together as a pack. This is too stressful for me. I'm so stressed I have to poop!
· I have too much freedom - and too soon - without supervision.
If you come home to "accidents", you need to consider these steps:
1. Backtrack on potty training - no matter what your dog's age. (We just had a brain glitch and need a refresher course) 2. Reduce the space of freedom - either with a crate, baby gates or a room. 3. Back to outside supervised potty breaks - with leash on so praise can be used at the right time. 4. Make sure there is no physical cause for the problem (intestinal parasites, urinary tract infection, etc.)
Questions to ask yourself if you are having problems...
· Am I taking the dog out enough?
· Do I know every time he goes?
· Does he have too much freedom in the house?
· Am I watching him carefully when he is free in the house?
· Is there any physical reason (intestinal parasites, urinary tract infection, etc.)?
· Am I trying to move things along faster than this dog is able to learn - therefore skipping steps so the entire picture is unclear to my dog?
· Am I consistently praising for appropriate behavior so he gets the idea?
Pam Young, LVT
http://www.ddc.com/petplace/dogtraining/potty.html
