House Training Your Dog
[Myths]
[Crates]
[Food & Water]
[Signs]
[Schedule]
[Elimination on Command]
[House Time]
[Involuntary Urination]
[Submissive Urination]
[Cleaning Up]
[Where to for More Information]
The most frustrating and challenging thing that a dog owner faces is house training. It is probably the number one reason that dogs get turned into the pound by owners who no longer want to clean up messes. I read book after book before and right after we got Piper trying to get all of the clues I could. Remember that for puppies, they are like babies. We don’t expect children to be potty trained until they are a couple of years old, so remember to be gentle and consistent with your puppy.
Myths
| Hitting the dog with a news paper will let the dog know that he is doing something wrong. |
Your dog may begin to fear you but will not understand that you want him to eliminate outside.If you catch the dog in the act, interrupt him by clapping your hands or slapping the wall and tell him, "Let’s go outside." Scoop him up and take him to the potty zone. Remember to praise him when he finishes outside - or the correct place. Be sure to be gentle with him or you may teach him to be hand shy or afraid of you. If this happens, he may start to sneak away and eliminate somewhere else in the house. |
| Dragging the dog over to a mess and pushing his nose in it will drive the point home that messing in the house is unacceptable. |
You will being doing something that will confuse your dog and that may lead him not to trust you, encourage feces consumption, and risk infecting the dog. You can casually wait for him to walk past the mess and acknowledge it himself, even with the slightest sniff. Then, growl at him: "Shame on you!" Then clean up the mess. |
| You can train your dog to go to the bathroom outside and on papers inside. |
In order for your dog to be really house trained, you need to be consistent. It is easiest if the dog knows that it is always OK to do his business outside but not inside. |
Crates
Almost everything you will read or hear is going to suggest using a crate to house train. It is probably the least painful method in terms of accidents and speed. Most people have to overcome their own feelings of guilt and distress of putting their precious puppy into a crate. If you are one of these people, check out the following articles: The crate: a modern den and Crating your dog.
The reason that crate training works so well in most cases is that the dog has a natural instinct to keep his den clean. If the dog is from a puppy mill or had a mother who didn’t keep the living area clean, this may not work.
We didn’t use a crate for Piper - he has one that he loves - because we were gone during the day for long periods. Even now, we close him in the kitchen with his crate (we removed the door) because we’re gone for at least 10 hours during the day. That is just too long for him to be confined to his crate.
Food and Water
I think one of the most important things to do is to feed your dog on a schedule. Feeding on a schedule will result in elimination on a schedule. Don’t leave the food down all day (free feeding). Puppies under 3 months need 4 meals a day. Puppies from 3-6 months need 3 meals a day. From 6-12 months, provide 2 meals a day. After 1 year old, you can provide 1 meal a day or split the meal and continue to put it down twice a day. Put down the food and give your dog about 15 minutes to eat. If the food is unfinished or untouched at the end of that time, pick it up and use what’s left for the next feeding.
Also, high quality, natural dog food will produce less stool because there is less bulk in the food for the dog to digest. A dry food is the best thing to use while trying to house train. Canned foods contain a lot of water and other foods aren’t as efficiently digested, thus producing stool that can be running and difficult for a puppy to hold.
Signs to go out
The most common signs that a puppy needs to go outside are nose grazing, obvious squatting, loitering around the door, and constant activity (crazy dog running through the house). We’ve also found that Piper can get mouthy when he wants to go out. If your dog stops what he’s doing and looks distracted or wanders to an area of previous accidents, get him outside.
You can train your dog to let you know when it is time. Try hanging a bell on the door that you use to take the dog outside. Every time you take him out, ring the bell. You can even start to help him to ring the bell by using his paw to hit it. Before you know it, your dog will be ringing the bell by himself. When he does, praise him and take him outside immediately. Once you have this behavior down, you can take your bell with you when you visit other homes. Then your dog can always let you know when he needs to go outside!
Bathroom Schedule
Puppies need to be taken outside immediately after every meal, nap, night’s sleep, play time, whenever you return home, and right before going to bed. Also, if you notice any signs that your dog wants to go outside (see above), then take him out. Remember, prevention and not correction speeds up the house training process. If you don’t have a fenced in area, use an 8- 10 foot leash, as some dogs need some distance from you.
Once you’ve had 3 weeks with no accidents, eliminate the after meals walks. As the dog gets older and matures, start to slowly shift the walks to later in the day. By 8 months, dogs usually are able to go with only 3 walks a day - morning, when you get home, and before bed. But, remember, all dogs - even of the same breed - mature at their own pace so let your dog be the guide.
Elimination on Command
Yes, you can teach your dog to potty on command. It is so nice to be able to signal your dog what you expect, especially on those mornings that you are running late. First, pick a phrase that you feel comfortable saying in public. We use "potty now" for Piper. Try to avoid picking a phrase that you may use frequently around the house with family or friends - you don’t want to signal for the dog to go in the house!
When the dog begins to go to the bathroom, say the command phrase and then moderately praise him until he is done. ("Good boy..") When he is finished, lavish him with praise and possibly give a small treat. In a few weeks, he’ll start to squat when you say your command phrase!
House Time
If he went to the bathroom while outside, don’t give him run of the house when you come in. Keep your eye on him in the room you’re in. If he didn’t go to the bathroom outside, either confine him or tether him to you immediately after coming back in. Then, take him back out in 15-20 minutes later.
Involuntary Urination
If your dog pees whenever you are someone else pets him this may be a sign of involuntary urination due to nervousness or excitement. You should ignore your dog for a few minutes immediately upon arriving home. Wait until he is no longer squirming around trying to get your attention. When you do give him attention, squat down and calmly and slowly pet him under the chin or on his chest. Take him outside to go to the bathroom. If he starts to pee while you are petting him, stop petting him without reprimanding him and ignore him until he calms down.
Submissive Urination
If your dog comes up to you and pees right in front of you, this is probably submission urination. Do not correct him for this! He is showing you that he respects you as the pack leader or more dominant member of his pack. Disciplining him will only cause this to get worse since you are displaying how powerful you are. Your dog is either very sensitive or lacks confidence. You need to provide gentle obedience training with lots of encouragement. This shows him that although you are his pack leader, you are a kind and gentle one that he shouldn’t fear. You can find more information in the behavior FAQ.
Cleaning up the mess
It is extremely important to thoroughly clean any mistakes so that your dog doesn’t continually go to the bathroom there. One way to get most of the moisture up before cleaning the spot is to put some paper towels on the spot and then put some newspaper down on top of that. Now, stand on the spot. The paper towel will prevent the newsprint from getting on your carpet while the newspaper absorbs most of the moisture. Don’t let your dog see you clean up the mess.
Don’t use products that are ammonia-based. These spell like urine to a puppy and may make the spot more attractive for a repeat offense. Make sure that you use a product that is designed for cleaning of a pet mess. These contain enzymes that break down the waste and neutralize the odor. You can also make a fairly efficient cleaner for fresh urine with water, white vinegar, and a gentle soap such as Ivory.
Where to go for more information
If you’d like more information, check out Good Owners, Great Dogs. It has sections specifically for house training in a 9-to-5 household and in the City.
Author: Vicki Herman
Comments to author: vherman@oocities.com
Last updated: 10/04/98
URL: http://www.oocities.org/Heartland/Hills/7649/
|
|