October 2008

New puppy clients often ask:

How can we help our new puppy learn potty training? She seems so unpredictable!

 

 

                My usual response includes this information:

One of the most common difficulties new dog owners face is effectively housetraining their dog. It’s also one of the most common reasons people abandon their animals to shelters. Sadly, too many mistakes by the dog can really damage the human-dog bond causing frustration, confusion and sleepless nights.

Knowing a few important rules can go a long way to helping housetrain your puppy or adult dog.

Puppies are babies and are still developing. This includes their bladder and bowels. Puppies also don’t grow proportionately. This means that today, puppy might be growing brain, tomorrow it’s legs, the next fur and the next it might be skeleton. Body parts grow at different rates and times so when you think the puppy should be “old enough” to hold it for its age, those particular body parts might not have caught up to the rest of the body.

There are three things that always make puppies need to go to the bathroom; eating, sleeping and playing (E.S.P.).  After all meals (and drinks of water), after waking up from a nap or in the morning and after playing, puppy will need to go outside to eliminate. Without question. It’s guaranteed.

When she cannot be supervised, puppy should be in a safe, confined area or in her crate. She's not going to want to eliminate near her bedding area so she will try to hold it. There are limits, however.

A puppy can realistically be expected to “hold it” for as many months as she is old, plus one. For example, a 3 month old puppy can hold it for 3+1 = 4 hours maximum. Even then, you shouldn’t press your luck. Try to minimize mistakes and set her up for success! Take her out after any E.S.P. times and after she’s been holding it near her “age+1” time.

If puppy is being supervised, make a special effort to actively watch her and her behaviour. Signs that puppy might need to potty are:

	sniffing a lot in certain spots
	circling and pacing
	gong near the door
	whining or fussing
	disappearing into another room (this is why you're watching closely)

When you decide to take puppy outside, let her know what's going to happen by saying, "Outside!" Eventually she'll learn what the word means and will likely run to the door in anticipation.

In the beginning, go to the very same spot every time. Why? Because her scent will be there from last time “reminding” her of why this place is special and what she should be doing. No walking, fun or games until puppy makes potty. Bring a few cookies with you so you can reward her for a “job well done”. Praise her when she makes potty: she’s doing what you want and she needs to know how happy it makes you. Really pour it on! Then you can proceed to go for a walk, play or go back inside.

If she doesn't make potty within three minutes, go back inside and return her to her crate or confined area for another hour. Then try again. When she does make potty, make a huge fuss, laugh, dance and praise her to the hills! Your enthusiasm will get the message across very quickly.

If puppy happens to make a mess and YOU DID NOT CATCH HER MID-ACT, you lost the opportunity to teach her. Clean it up thoroughly, neutralize the spot, block it off from her accessing it again until it dries and vow to do better. It happens to all of us at some time. Nobody's perfect. Life goes on.

Punishment has no place in potty training. If a dog is making potty mistakes inside, it’s because the idea hasn’t been learned. We wouldn’t punish a four year old child for not knowing how to balance a cheque book.

A baby dog needs to learn housetraining through repetition and consistent coaching.

Praise every success and ignore the mistakes.

If you do catch puppy making potty inside, interrupt her suddenly by saying, “Outside!”, picking her up her up and whisking her outside immediately to her special area. If she finishes in the designated area, praise her and let her know she made you very happy. If possible, clean the “mistake” area in the house before you bring her back inside. If you can’t do that, confine her to her safe area while you clean it up.

When puppy is out and about in the house you need to supervise her every movement. You may wish to put a light leash on her and let her drag it around the house so you can get her outside quickly if you need to. Just be sure she doesn’t get tangled in furniture. Be careful and watch her closely. You can always close doors in the house where you don’t want her to roam. Baby gates work fantastically at blocking access to hidden areas. Be sure about this: if your dog disappears or is being “too quiet”, something is up. Go find out! At the first sign of sniffing, circling or “potty behaviour”, announce, “Outside!” and escort her out.

Some people have difficulty housetraining their dog because their dog eats at all times of the day and night (free feeding) with a bowl that’s never empty. When a dog is learning to be clean in the house, it’s essential that your dog eat on a regular schedule. Why? Well, people usually eat at the same times each day, right? We also eliminate at nearly the same times each day. It’s the same with dogs. Input time and output time can be scheduled. Knowing this fact can make the difference between success and failure when teaching a dog to be clean in the house. If you can predict the time for output, you can avoid the dog having accidents by bringing her outside to eliminate and you’ll have set her up to succeed.

As your dog grows up, you can allow her more and more freedom. This depends, of course, upon her mastering the concept of being clean in the house. If she has a relapse and makes a few mistakes, go back to an earlier period, supervise more and increase her outside visits. Sometimes, as with children, dogs make progress and then seem to go backwards and “forget”. There are hundreds of reasons for this: a visitor, new food, vacation, work schedule changes, weather changes, moving, new furniture, weekend routine is different from week routine, construction in the area, new dog in the neighbourhood, teething, etc. It goes on and on. Consider how seemingly small changes in your world might be affecting your dog. Whenever possible, try to keep a routine in your life. Nothing makes a dog happier than consistency.

If you have an adult dog that makes frequent accidents, treating her like a puppy and going back to basics can have an amazing effect on her progress. Some shelter dogs or long-time “outside” dogs can learn just as well as a puppy can. The process is exactly the same. Remember to check with your veterinarian to rule out any health problems which might affect the dog’s ability to be clean in the house.

There is nowhere on this earth your dog would rather be than with you. No amount of acreage or free space will make up for your companionship. If your dog needs to learn how to be clean in the house, follow these suggestions, show her what you want and praise her for her successes. She belongs inside with you.