WATCH,
WATCH, WATCH!
The
key to successful house training is supervision. Watch your
dog constantly. Your first duty is to identify what your dog
does right before it eliminates. Does your dog sniff?
circle? hold his ears in a certain position? Some dogs
provide signals that are easy to spot, while others are more
difficult. Watch carefully.
PRAISE,
PRAISE, PRAISE!
When
you see the signs of an impending puddle, react! Quickly
-before he has the chance to squat- ask him in an excited
voice, "Do you have to go OUTSIDE?" Lead the way, continuing
to praise all the way. Once outside, stay with him until you
witness the desired results and praise him as he goes.
"Good, go potty outside!" Make him feel that he is the most
special dog in the whole world.
CONFINE
WHEN YOU CAN'T WATCH
By
confining him to a small place, like an airline kennel, you
will teach him to wait to be let out. He will be more
reluctant to soil his crate, because if he does he will be
forced to sit and look at it and smell it until you return.
When you do let him out, take him directly to his assigned
toilet area and praise for quick results.
KEEP
A REGULAR SCHEDULE
Take
him out first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and
many times in between. Feed and exercise on a regular
schedule. Remember, what goes in regularly, will come out
regularly. How soon after he eats does he need to go out?
Keep track. Free-choice feeding may hamper your house
training efforts - what trickles in will trickle out
unpredictably! Your dog will probably need to go out soon
after eating, after napping, and after exercising. If you
can anticipate when he needs to go and hustle him to the
appropriate spot at the first sign, you'll avoid accidents.
DON'T
JUST PUT HIM OUT - STAY WITH HIM
If
you don't stay, you'll miss the chance to praise and you'll
also miss the chance to name the behavior. "Outside" is
where he needs to go, "Go potty", "Find a tree", or, "Do
your business" (call it what you like) is what he needs to
do when he gets there. If you stay with him, you'll also
know for a fact that both duties were accomplished before he
comes back in. (You'll also be glad that your dog is
comfortable eliminating in your presence when you're
standing in the rain at that rest stop while vacationing
with your pet!)
HE
COMES RIGHT BACK IN AND MAKES A MESS
If
you leave him out alone, you won't know if he completed his
assigned tasks or was distracted by a butterfly. Many young
puppies are distraught about being separated from their
owners. They may spend the entire time while outside just
sitting on the porch. It's unlikely that your pup will want
to ask to go outside if it is a negative experience to be
separated from the security of its human family. "He was out
for two hours and came in immediately made a mess." He may
have spent most of the past two hours napping, awoke to the
sound of the door and came running. Now he's finally back
inside - is he apt to want to ask to be left out
again?
NO
PUNISHMENT
If
he has an accident, swat yourself with the rolled up
newspaper, not the dog. It was your fault for not watching
him closely enough! Rubbing his nose in it (yuck!), scolding
or hitting will only teach him to avoid you when he feels
the need, rather than come find you. Correcting before the
dog learns how to ask only teaches the dog to sneak off down
the hall where you won't see him.
TEACH
HIM HOW TO ASK
If you have been a good cheerleader, your dog has probably
made the association between the feeling of a full bladder
and your excitement at the prospect of going outside. You
may notice that he circles and then looks to you like,
"Well? I'm feeling it - are you going to get excited?" Now
is the time to start playing "stupid". "What? What do you
want? Show me!" The more stupid you appear, the more
explicit he will be when trying to communicate his needs.
Before you know it, he will be asking.
ACCIDENTS
HAPPEN
Upsets in schedule, changes in food, or illness may
contribute to temporary lapses in housetraining. See your
veterinarian if it persists. Outside stresses, changes in
weather, a new pet or baby in the family, may also upset
your dog's toilet habits. Punishing long after the fact will
only add to his stress. Back up, give him more structure;
confine & supervise. Help him be good!
