Hello and welcome to House Training, a plan for success.
In this video, you will learn how to properly house train your dog.
This program was written by renowned animal behaviorist Dr. Suzanne Hetz.
Let's meet Dr. Hetz and introduce you to a few pet owners with similar house training
problems.
Hello, I'm Dr. Suzanne Hetz and for over 20 years I've been helping dog owners with house
soiling and other behavior problems.
Whether your dog has had a soiling problem for a while or you have a new puppy or adult
dog and need to know how to house train him, this program is for you.
Most dogs have house soiling issues at some point in their lives, so you and your dog
have lots of company.
If your dog has had a house soiling problem, you know how annoying these behaviors can
be.
I just got fed up with the behavior.
I know she wanted to be inside with us, but I just got tired of having to clean up after
her.
She kept having accidents in the house.
I was really worried about my kids playing on the spots where my dog had relieved himself.
I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to clean it up.
The smell was so unpleasant.
Many of these issues can be avoided because the good news is that virtually all house
soiling problems can be resolved.
You can house train your dog.
It takes some time, some detective work, likely some changes in your dog's environment and
routines and most importantly, consistency on your part.
You'll receive expert behavioral advice in this program, starting with understanding
why your dog is soiling.
Some of you may be thinking that some sort of mean-spiritedness motivates your dog's
soiling behavior.
My trainer convinced me that my dog was not trying to demean me by soiling in the house,
so once I got over being angry at her, then I was much more willing to try to find a solution
to her problem.
You can be sure your dog is not trying to make a statement, is not being rebellious,
vindictive or spiteful and is not acting out with his soiling behavior.
Dogs' brains just aren't wired that way.
It may be difficult for you to give up these beliefs, but they will not help you solve
your dog's soiling problem.
The good news is now you are ready to learn what is causing your dog's house soiling
and what you can do about it.
Even if you feel you've tried everything, don't despair.
Chances are you probably haven't tried the right thing.
Because there are several reasons why dogs relieve themselves in the house, there is
no one-size-fits-all solution.
What works for your friend, neighbor or relative might not work for you because your dog is
different.
Before doing anything else, you must take your dog to your veterinarian for a thorough
checkup.
Your dog may have a medical problem that is causing him to soil, even if he doesn't act
sick.
She acts like she feels fine, but she's still having accidents from time to time.
Well, I think you did the right thing in bringing Katie in to see us.
There's really no way we'll know if there's any medical problems associated with this
unless we ran those tests.
We got the results back on the urine and the stool and they check out great.
I really think the problem is predominantly a house training issue.
What that tells us is that we really need to begin some basic house training procedures.
And if in a few weeks we're not seeing some improvement, we'll probably suggest seeing
an animal behaviorist.
Well, Dr. Grant, this is my first dog and I'm afraid I don't know how to properly house
train her.
That's okay.
We'll coach you through the basics of house training.
Let's now take a closer look at some basic house training techniques.
We will use the term house training, not house breaking.
The distinction is an important one.
You are not trying to break your dog of a bad habit, but instead trying to teach him
the good habit of relieving himself where you teach him.
Let thoughts of how can I teach him the right behavior guide your thinking rather than how
can I get him to stop soiling the house.
Follow these house training procedures if you have a new puppy or if you've acquired
a new adult dog who needs training.
It is the first step in resolving an existing house soiling problem.
Even if you've had your dog quite a while, if you can't think back to a time where your
dog went for months without soiling in the house, then he probably hasn't ever been fully
house trained.
House training is not rocket science, but it does require attention to detail.
You may want to write down the five basic steps that we'll explain in depth.
Be consistent with your dog's feeding schedule, potty breaks, and words to cue him to relieve
himself.
Always reward good behavior.
Provide a comfortable location for your dog to relieve himself.
Don't give your dog the chance to have an accident.
Discipline, scolding, or punishment are not necessary and should not be used.
Let's examine these steps in more detail.
The first step is being consistent with your dog.
Sometimes I'd let her out and she wouldn't do anything.
And then later I'd find a mess inside the house.
The first step to house training is to be consistent.
Like children, dogs benefit from a regular feeding schedule.
By eating at predictable times, it will be easier to know when your dog will need to
relieve himself.
You can check with your own veterinarian, but in the meantime, let's go back to Dr.
Grant for recommendations on how often to feed your dog based on his age.
Puppies up to four months of age should be fed three times a day.
But by the time they reach four months of age, you can really go to twice a day feedings
depending on your schedule, age, breed activity levels.
What you want to do is at meal time, you want to put your dog's food down for about 15 minutes.
At that time, we're going to pick up any uneaten food that we can offer at the next meal time.
How much?
Remember, it is extremely important to be consistent with your dog's feeding times.
Being consistent also means using consistent cue words or phrases to let your dog know
it is time for his potty break.
As soon as your dog finishes eating, tell him, let's go outside or something similar.
All family members must use the same exact phrase, so choose one you can all agree on.
Don't just let your dog out by himself and assume he'll do the right thing.
You must go out with him or take him on a potty walk if you don't have an enclosed
area for him.
Take your dog to the same area of the yard or walk him to the same place each time.
A retractable leash might be best because some dogs are uncomfortable about relieving
themselves if you are too close.
As you follow your dog around, use a potty phrase such as, go potty in a pleasant tone
of voice.
It is also important to be consistent when you give your dog potty breaks.
If you're training a puppy, he will need to go outside after he wakes up from a nap, after
an energetic play bout, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
Puppies 6 to about 10 weeks old will need a break every hour or two.
Between 10 weeks and 4 months, every 2 to 3 hours.
From 4 months to adulthood, every 4 to 5 hours.
Because puppies are individuals, yours may require more frequent breaks or may be able
to go longer.
At night, until your puppy is 10 to 12 weeks old, you may have to get up with him once
during the night.
Certainly, by 5 months, he should be sleeping through the night.
Some adult dogs are able to last for an entire work day without a break, but don't count
on it.
Even if your dog can last that long, he may become uncomfortable after 6 or 8 hours and
would probably like a chance to relieve himself.
Remember, it's important to always be consistent with your dog's potty break opportunities.
The next step in house training your dog is to always reward good behavior.
When your dog begins to show signs he's getting ready to relieve himself, sniffing the ground,
or circling, quietly say, good, good.
As he's doing the deed, praise him some more, good boy.
When he's done, don't call him to you to reward him, or he will think you're rewarding him
for coming when called.
You want to reward him for relieving himself in the appropriate spot, so walk over to him
and give him his treat.
If your dog likes to be outside, don't bring him in or end the walk after he's done his
business.
He might begin to delay relieving himself so he can stay outside longer.
Remember, rewarding your dog's good behavior will encourage your dog to relieve himself
in appropriate places.
The third step in successfully house training your dog is making sure you have provided
a comfortable location for your dog to relieve himself.
We let Sugar back in after being outside, and just a few minutes later, we find a puddle
in the kitchen.
We just couldn't understand it.
Why didn't she go outside when she had the chance?
Getting your dog outside often enough is one part of meeting your dog's behavioral needs.
Another part is making his outdoor potty area appealing.
Most dogs prefer grass or dirt to rough, uneven, or hard surfaces such as gravel or cement.
This is especially important if your dog is soiling carpets and rugs, and he doesn't have
a soft area outside.
You have a small or fragile breed.
As a puppy, your dog wasn't acclimated to accept surfaces other than grass.
If your dog is particularly sensitive to weather extremes, try to compensate for them in his
outside area.
Shovel a path in the snow.
Install an awning to keep off the rain.
Make sure your grassy area has some shade.
Dogs who are in their comforts quickly figure out that it's much more pleasant to sneak
off into a private part of the house and relieve themselves in heated or air-conditioned comfort
rather than braving the elements outside.
Once I started watching her, I found that when it was chilly outside, she wouldn't even
get off the porch.
So I started going outside with her and watching her, and if she wouldn't go, and she came
back in the house, I would put her in the crate for a little while, then I would take
her back outside again.
But I wouldn't let her have her freedom in the house until she'd gone outside and done
her business.
Let's now cover the fourth step in house training your dog, preventing accidents.
A big part of house training is managing your dog's environment so consistently he never
has the chance to have an accident.
An accident represents a breakdown in your supervision.
The more accidents your dog has, the greater chance they will become habits, creating a
dog who prefers carpet to grass or the dining room to the outdoors.
My dog always had accidents in the same spots around the house.
Those spots got stained and had foul odors.
Areas that are soiled repeatedly likely hold odors that draw your dog back to the same
spot over and over.
Getting rid of odors is an important part of discouraging a soiling habit.
Use products specifically formulated to break down waste products with either enzymes or
specially formulated bacteria.
Two that we recommend are Simple Solutions or Nature's Miracle.
Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully for best results.
Vinegar and water and regular carpet cleaners are not effective odor neutralizers.
Do not use products with ammonia because they smell like urine and could actually attract
your dog back to the spot.
Since neither you nor your dog is perfect, a few accidents are bound to happen.
But during house training, try as hard as you can to know where your dog is every second.
You don't want to give him the opportunity to get out of sight and relieve himself.
You can provide constant supervision using a combination of methods.
Close doors to other rooms to keep your dog in sight.
Or use baby gates to prevent your dog from leaving the room.
Supervision does not mean that your dog is confined away from you most of the time when
you are home.
This is especially not appropriate for puppies who need to spend lots of time with people
for socialization purposes.
When you leave the house or are busy and can't keep an eye on your dog, confine him in a
puppy pen, one room such as a laundry room, mud room or kitchen or a crate.
Puppies and adult dogs who are soiling overnight will need to be confined overnight until they
are trained.
Before using a crate for confinement, you must train your dog to accept it so he will
be comfortable there.
Our video program, Crate Training the Right Way, is a great companion to this program
and gives you all the information you need to use a crate properly and avoid problems.
You must be careful not to confine your dog for longer than he can control his bladder
or bowels.
You must still provide potty breaks on the schedule we talked about before.
If you don't, your dog may soil when left alone for long periods.
If this happens, often this will make your house training much more difficult.
Consider hiring a pet sitter or neighbor to let him out.
You can also give your dog an indoor potty area.
If getting him outside is not an option, this might be a corner of the kitchen, laundry
room or a puppy playpen.
Cover his potty area with either puppy pads or a litter pan.
Do not use newspaper to cover his potty area.
Although it may be inexpensive and easy to come by, it is difficult to pick up when wet
or soiled.
It will not protect carpets or floors from leaks, stains and odors.
May actually cause stains from smudged ink.
Puppy pads, on the other hand, have a leak-resistant side to prevent this from occurring.
Adult males have acquired the leg-lifting posture, which the pads can't help with,
so indoor elimination is not always your best option.
Putting my puppy in the kitchen seemed to be the best choice when I was gone during
the day.
I didn't have any trouble learning to use the puppy training pads.
One of the most critical steps that all pet owners should learn is that discipline isn't
necessary and won't work.
I would sometimes catch my dog swallowing my carpet and I would discipline him by yelling
at him.
Once I discovered that that didn't work, I didn't know what to do.
You may be asking what you should do if you catch your dog relieving himself in the house
or if you just find his mess later.
In either case, do not punish or discipline your dog.
If you see your dog soiling, startle him by clapping your hands or saying, no!
Startle him just enough so hopefully he'll quit peeing or pooping, but not so much that
you frighten him.
The last thing you want is for your dog to be afraid to relieve himself in your presence.
You just want to interrupt the event and show your dog the right location.
Quickly, but pleasantly, use your cue words.
Go outside, go potty, and hurry your dog outside.
If you must, pick your puppy or small dog up, but be prepared to get dirty.
Some dogs will just continue doing their thing.
If your dog finishes his business outside, reward him as usual.
Trying to discipline your dog after the fact is pointless.
Your dog cannot make the link between his mess and his past behavior from even a few
minutes ago that put it there.
Don't be tempted to think he looks guilty or knows better.
He doesn't.
He's not looking guilty.
Be scared and submissive because he feels threatened by your reaction.
Never ever get physical with your dog or rub his nose in his mess.
I found out I was doing all the wrong things.
My dog knew that when I came home and found a mess on the floor that bad things would
happen to him, but he couldn't connect it to his own behavior from hours earlier.
Trying to punish him hadn't changed his behavior.
I should have realized that a long time ago.
Let's take this time and review the five basic steps in successfully house training your
dog.
Be consistent with your dog's feeding schedule, potty breaks, and words to cue him to relieve
himself.
Always reward good behavior.
Provide a comfortable location for your dog to relieve himself.
Don't give your dog the chance to have an accident.
Discipline, scolding, or punishment are not necessary and should not be used.
Now that you've learned the five basic steps in house training your dog, let's take a little
closer look at how your dog lets you know when he needs to relieve himself.
Closely supervising your dog also gives you the chance to observe him and, from his behavior,
learn to predict when he needs to relieve himself.
At first, don't expect your dog to go to the door and bark.
It will take your puppy a while to put all the pieces together and be able to do this.
He may be soiling because the two of you are miscommunicating.
You think he isn't signaling you and he thinks you aren't paying attention to his signals.
Some dogs will just come to you, sit, and stare.
If you're distracted, you might not even know he's there.
Dogs will naturally circle, sniff, and restlessly move around when they need to relieve themselves.
Be on the lookout for these behaviors and, when you see them, use the Q-words you've
chosen.
Let's go outside and go potty and head for the door.
This helps your dog put the pieces together to go to the door when he needs to relieve
himself.
He'll start to pee and then I take him outside.
So that's what he learned.
Pee and then go outside.
Once I learned what signals to look for, I could tell when he was getting ready to go,
so I would take him out.
Then eventually he was able to learn what I wanted, which was to go to the door to let
me know he was ready to go out.
If your dog makes a mess, think about why the accident might have happened.
Was your dog off schedule?
Did you forget to let him out?
Is the weather bad outside?
Perhaps his soiling is due to something other than a lack of house training.
So now you have a better understanding of how you and your dog can best communicate
with one another.
By practicing the five steps we discussed earlier and with your new understanding of
communication between the two of you, you are well on your way to successfully house
training your dog.
However, there may be some other reasons why your dog is house soiling.
These include submissive or excitement urination, urine marking, and separation anxiety.
Let's take a closer look at each one of these problems.
Not all house soiling problems stem from problems with house training.
Your dog might urinate when he is excited or intimidated.
Young dogs are particularly susceptible to this problem.
It's easy to see that this behavior is unrelated to house training because of when it happens.
If your dog gets overly excited and loses control when you or others greet him or when
you try to correct him for something, you can help him by changing your behavior.
The key to these problems is keeping your dog calm rather than contributing to his excitement.
When you or your guests first arrive, ignore your dog.
Don't say anything to him, walk toward him, or reach for him.
This includes not looking at him.
Eye contact will produce an emotional response that can then trigger the peeing.
Just pretend he isn't there.
After a few minutes of being ignored, your dog should calm down.
When your dog has calmed down enough to be petted, you must be very careful how you do
so to prevent triggering his urination again.
Here's the procedure you should follow.
Let him come over to you rather than you going towards him.
Either sit down on the floor with your dog or bend at the knees.
Don't lean over your dog.
Look at the floor or off to the side, but avoid making eye contact with your dog.
Hold your hand at your side and scratch him under the chin.
Don't reach over his head.
Keep the petting time brief.
If he rolls over, stop petting him.
Peeing may shortly follow rolling over.
If he pees, stop petting him and try again in a few minutes.
Under no circumstances should you raise your voice or try to scold or discipline your dog
for this behavior.
You will only make it worse.
Puppies usually outgrow this before they are a year old.
If your adult dog is continuing to have problems with submissive behavior and the procedures
we've given here don't help, ask your veterinarian to refer you to a certified animal behaviorist.
Urine marking is another reason, unrelated to house training, why your dog might be peeing
in the house.
Periodically, I'd find a puddle of pee by the front window and I couldn't figure out
why Max was having these accidents.
Dogs urine mark when they think something is threatening their territory.
Dogs who are sensitive to territorial issues might have a list of potential territorial
threats including the addition of a new family member, visitors to the home, odors family
members bring in, people or other dogs and animals just passing by, conflicts between
dogs in the family, living in a new home that does not have the dog's familiar odors.
All of the items on this list can cause dogs to become more territorial and therefore
urine mark their turf.
Although male dogs who are not neutered are most likely to urine mark, this behavior can
occur in neutered males and females as well.
To help avoid this annoying behavior, try changing your dog's environment so he doesn't
come in contact with the things that are triggering the marking.
Close the drapes or blinds or block him out of the room so he can't watch people or other
animals passing by.
Pick up your shoes, clothing or other items your dog is marking rather than leave them
lying around on the floor.
If you can't protect your dog from the triggers, try changing his reaction to them.
When he sees someone outside, have him sit quietly and return for a treat.
Don't allow him to bark and become upset which will lead to marking.
If your dogs don't like each other and need help getting along better, ask your veterinarian
to refer you to a certified applied or veterinary behaviorist.
Use the supervision and confinement procedures we've already told you about so your dog
doesn't have opportunities to mark.
Because most dogs pick just a few areas or objects they like to mark, help your dog associate
these things with other behaviors.
Repeatedly leave a few treats around the corner of the chair your dog is marking.
If you have other dogs or a crawling baby, this won't be a good option for you.
In that case, make the marked areas less pleasant.
Booby trap them with a snappy trainer or a motion detector.
All of these products are available online at PetSmart.com.
The potential downside to this approach is that unless the motivation for the marking
is identified and changed, your dog may pick new areas to mark.
Some short term medication may also help.
Talk with your veterinarian about this possibility.
I finally figured it out.
I would hear Max bark and carry on is because the neighbor was walking their dog past our
house.
I'd walk into the room and see a pee stain on the curtain.
It was because he was marking his territory in response to the other dog.
All I had to do was just close the curtain and it stopped it.
Another reason for home alone soiling is separation anxiety.
Dogs with this problem panic when their owners leave.
We all know that fear loosens the bladder and bowels causing these dogs to soil shortly
after owners leave the house.
Severe destructive behavior, often targeting doors and windows, and prolonged barking,
whining or howling often accompany the house soiling.
Not all home alone soiling problems are due to separation anxiety.
Other reasons may indicate that your dog is left alone for longer than he can control
himself.
He is not completely house trained.
He is urine marking.
Or he is being frightened by something else such as thunder, cars backfiring, construction
noises or fireworks.
Signs that your dog has a separation anxiety problem are, he follows you from room to room
when you are home.
He shows signs of distress when you are preparing to leave.
The soiling generally happens within 30 minutes after you leave.
Your dog never soils when you are home.
Your dog panics when confined in a crate or other small area when alone.
To stop the soiling problem, your dog must learn not to be so afraid when he is left
alone.
This requires a counter conditioning and desensitization process, and possibly medication as well.
If you have a dog with separation anxiety, you should seek professional help from both
your veterinarian and a certified animal behaviorist.
House soiling is one of the more common behavior problems in older dogs.
The possibility of a medical cause of soiling increases as your dog ages.
Your older dog's kidneys and other organs are more prone to problems.
Regular checkups are necessary more often, probably every 6 months if your dog is 7 years
of age or older.
If your veterinarian has decided your older dog is healthy, it may be time to change his
routine a bit to accommodate his advancing age.
He just may not be able to hold it as long as he could when he was younger.
He may need more frequent potty breaks.
Your dog's aging brain may not be as sharp as it once was.
Older dogs can develop a mental condition that veterinarians believe is similar to Alzheimer's
disease in people.
He may forget he needs to go until it's too late, or he may even be confused about where
he should go or how to get to that place.
You can help by going back to basic house training procedures you used when he was a
puppy.
Watch him more closely and give him more reminders to go outside to relieve himself.
Just talk with your veterinarian about how to determine whether your dog has this condition.
Your veterinarian may want to prescribe a special medication that may improve his mental
functioning or recommend a change in diet.
By recognizing the special needs of your older dog, you will be better prepared to resolve
the house soiling issues should they arise.
Well we started this program by talking about house training for new puppies and new adult
dogs.
Now we've come full circle by going back to the same procedures in the last years of
our dog's lives.
We've packed a lot of information into this program.
You'll probably want to view it more than once to be sure you haven't missed anything.
We discuss the most common reasons for house soiling problems and things that you can do
to solve this problem.
It is important to remember that some dogs soil for more than one reason.
Your dog might not be fully house trained.
He may be urine marking or he may have separation anxiety.
For complex problems like this, you'll probably need the help of a professionally certified
applied or veterinary behaviorist.
Your veterinarian can help you find one.
You've learned that house training can be easy with consistency, patience and an understanding
of your dog's behavior and of his needs.
Successful house training allows your dog to remain a cherished part of your family
and that's what it's all about.