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Housetraining The “In’s and Outside’s”   The number one reason thousands of dogs are given up and sometimes are even “put to sleep” is because of housetraining problems.  Virtually all dogs can be trained to relieve themselves in an appropriate area.  The only exceptions would be dogs with severe health problems.  It all boils down to consistency, clear communication, and allowing the dog to succeed.   The theory behind housetraining or housebreaking is four pronged.  Whenever a dog is having continued problems, going back to the four steps will allow you to see where you may have gone off-tract.   The First Step What goes in…   Be sure to feed your dog a high quality dry kibble.  Lesser quality dog foods cause more waste to be passed and therefore more trips outside.  Canned food can be a treat for your dog, but not until he is housetrained.  The high water content in canned food also causes more potty breaks.  Speaking of treats, remember, what goes in must come out!  Too many treats between mealtimes will throw your pup’s schedule off.  Generally, puppies need three meals a day and adult dogs should be fed two meals a day.  Free feeding will throw everything off-tract.  Leave the food down for 15 minutes or so and then take up what’s left over. Don’t offer food again until the next mealtime.  Of course, it is always best to follow the advice of your veterinarian.   During housetraining your dog should not have free access to water.  A puppy will need to urinate within 15 minutes of taking a drink of water.  If he is sipping all day, he’s peeing all day.  Offer your dog a drink and then remove the water.  Know that within 15 minutes, he’s going to need to go out.  Let him have water at meals, when he wakes from a nap, after playing, etc.  Never limit when he needs water, but offer it rather than having it down for him.   The Second Step SUPERVISE, SUPERVISE, SUPERVISE! Your puppy is just like a toddler.  He needs to be supervised at all times.  When he is not with you supervised he should be in his crate.  (Please talk with your trainer about properly introducing your dog to a crate.)  MOST dogs won’t soil their crates and will learn how to “hold it” when inside.  Your dog can stay in his crate one hour for each month of age he is, up to six hours.  It is not recommended to leave your dog in a crate for longer than six hours.  A dog walker or day care provider is your best option if you need to leave your dog for extended periods of time.  Supervision is a big key to housetraining.  We don’t want your dog to wander off to find a spot to relieve himself.  If he needs to go, it is your job to see that he goes in the right place.  You can’t do this if you are in the shower and he is in the kitchen, unsupervised.  Put him in his crate if you can’t keep a very close eye on him.   The Third Step Right and Wrong EVERY time your dog does his business you need to be there.  That is the time to either praise him for going in the right spot or correct him if he goes in the wrong spot.  Many people and dogs have the luxury of a fenced yard.  A fenced yard is a terrific place to exercise your pet.  However, when housetraining you need to be out there with your dog.  He needs to know that you approve of what he is doing and where.  If the only time you see your dog relieve himself is in the house and you correct him, he will very quickly catch on that he should never relieve himself in front of you.  The same holds true if you correct your dog after the fact.  Rubbing his nose in it, hitting him with a newspaper, all the old theories don’t work.  Your dog thinks, “The mess is there; Mom is upset. Better not make a mess in front of Mom!”  To properly praise your dog, walk him outside on a leash to the appropriate area.  Bringing your pup to the same spot will help stimulate him to go.  Stand still.  Just as he is starting to squat, in a calm voice give the command “Hurry Up”.  Continue with “Hurry Up” over and over as your dog is getting closer and closer.  As he starts to go, switch from “Hurry Up” to a calm, quiet, soothing praise.  Don’t get too excited at this point as you may distract him.  The time for animated praise is after he finishes.  Saying “Hurry Up” AS he is starting to go marks the exact moment when his muscles open.  Soon, (usually 50 repetitions of marking AS he starts to go) your command will actually CAUSE him to go.  An excited “Good Dog” and a short play session is a great reward for your puppy after he has finished. If you catch your dog in the act in the house, clap your hands, make some noise, say “NO!”.  You are trying to startle him to help the muscles seize up.  Then take your dog outside to the appropriate spot. Never correct after the fact.  If you find a mess, pick it up and scold yourself for not supervising your dog!   Fourth and Final Step Clean Up! Accidents are going to happen.  But they will be fewer and fewer if you are consistent and fair with your dog.  To clean them you will need to use an enzyme-activated solution.  Dogs have an incredible sense of smell.  Experts estimate that they can smell over 200 times better than humans!  That means that they can smell through water, Pine Sol, and Resolve.  An enzyme solution such as Nature’s Miracle, Simple Solution, or Nil Odor will digest the odor, therefore preventing your dog from being drawn back to the same spot.  Make sure to read the directions on the package.  Each product is used differently and with different amounts. As your puppy matures he will learn to hold it for longer and longer periods of time.  Take him out immediately upon waking, leaving his crate, after eating, within fifteen minutes of drinking, and after playing.  Do not offer him water within 2 hours of bedtime.  As you progress you will learn what his particular schedule is and be able to be a step ahead.  Each dog is an individual. By taking him out and commanding him to go even before he asks, you are teaching him to hold it until you are able to take him.  This strengthens the loving leadership relationship you are developing with your dog.   Housetraining an adult dog takes structure and consistency.  It can sometimes be more work and take more time to break bad habits rather than preventing them from the beginning.  The training will most likely be harder on you than on your dog.  But persevere.  A happy owner makes a much happier pet.     Problem Solving   “My dog seems to need to urinate a lot.  She only goes a small amount or sometimes she squats and looks like she’s going to pee, but nothing is there when she’s done.”  It sounds like your dog may have a urinary tract infection.  This can be caused by bacteria or from expecting her to hold it too long.  It’s best to check with your vet and have her tested.  Good luck getting her to pee in a Dixie Cup!  “I have a male dog who is constantly lifting his leg on my couch.  He even got on my bed once and peed.  I think he’s being spiteful because I go to work all day and leave him alone.”  Well, probably not spiteful, but it sure sounds like you have a dominant boy on your hands.  He could be marking his territory because of another dog that’s been in the house or it’s time to re-evaluate your leadership relationship with him.  Talk with your trainer about the canine dominance hierarchy and how you can pull a role reversal on your pup.  “My puppy pees whenever she gets excited or greets new people.  Should I punish her for this?”  NO, do not punish your dog for peeing when she greets people.  The behavior your dog is displaying is called submissive urination.  In dog language she is doing everything she can to show respect.  I know, I know, what a way to respect you, huh?  But, if you punish her she will only think she didn’t do a good enough job and pee even more!  Ignore her when she does this for now.  Have her greet people outside and talk with your trainer about confidence building exercises and obedience to help her overcome her lack of self-confidence.  “I let my dog out to go to the bathroom and he doesn’t seem to have to go, he just plays outside.  Two minutes after coming back in he has an accident.  What’s wrong with him?”  Nothing.  Remember, it’s a big, wide world out there for a dog, especially a young pup.  There are birds, bugs, cars, clouds....he’s distracted.  He comes back in the house and realizes, “Boy, maybe I should have taken care of this outside.  Oh well, I’ll just go here.” You need to go out with your dog on a leash.  Give him the command.  Praise him when he goes.  If he is doing too much dilly-dallying, bring him back in the house and put him  back into his crate.  Wait 10 minutes and then try again.  It’s important that he learns that his free time to explore is ONLY if he relieves himself outside. “My dog always seems to sneak off to the formal dining room to have an accident.  Why there?” Well, first of all….SUPERVISE YOUR DOG!  That said, often times dogs will use a room or area that’s not really used by the family very often; a formal dining room, guest room, music room, etc.  He figures, “Heck, nobody ever comes in here.  Why not just use it for a bathroom?”  One way to cure this is to actually spend some time with the dog in that room.  Do some obedience in there, read the paper and have him hang out with you.  Play a game.  Tell your pup that yes, this is a part of the house and is not to be considered fair game.  Oh, and by the way, make sure that no scent is left from any previous accidents to continue to entice him. Written and Offered by Lisa M. Flynn The Cultured Canine, Inc. www.CulturedCanine.com 1-800-470-3043                  The Cultured Canine, Inc. offers obedience training and       behavior problem solving for dogs and their owners in South       Eastern Massachusetts, the South Shore, Cape Cod, and the       Metro Boston area.  Many of our clients also share their lives       with their dogs in New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode          Island.