Dear Dog Mum, What is the most effective way to toilet train my new puppy?
Answer: The most effective way to toilet train a new puppy involves patience, consistency, repetition, timing, and neutral correction. Patience is essential for nurturing the physical and emotional development of your dog. Do not compare your puppy's progress with other dogs you have known or heard about, as this process is not a competition. Every dog is an individual who will progress at his own rate.
Young pups do not have the physical bladder/bowel control that older dogs do, but at about eight weeks of age you can start teaching your pup what you want. Later, when his ability to control himself physically has developed, you will have already introduced the words required to guide him. Be consistent in your methods so your puppy can predict your response and get used to the routine.
Your puppy's learning curve will accelerate as you persist, so do not be discouraged if he seems to start slowly at first. The longer it takes, the more reliable the results will be, so be patient. Repetition is an important factor in forming the habits that you desire from your dog. Simply do the same thing over and over in the same way and your dog will begin to anticipate and accommodate you.
Timing is key in teaching your dog what you want. Your response to an incorrect behavior must be at the very instant the behavior occurs. A response that is delivered even minutes afterward will serve only to confuse the dog, as he lacks the intellectual capacity to connect the delayed response to the original action. This is especially true for puppies.
Finally, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of neutral corrections for any unwanted behavior. Your neutral correction can simply be the word "No" in a matter-of-fact tone-no anger or shaming or shouting. Imagine someone has just asked if it is raining outside: Say "No" in a clear, normal tone of voice. You want your correction word to convey the message to your dog without creating an anxiety or fear reaction. a
During the day, contain your puppy in a room with a smooth-surfaced floor (no carpets) and spread newspaper all over the floor. Each day, remove a few papers from the floor, starting with the papers furthest away from the door. As you progress, you can place papers outdoors where you eventually want your pup to go. If you are present as your pup goes pee or pooh, verbally praise him ("Good pee!" "Good pooh!"). Pay attention to your pup's natural time to go. You will learn to anticipate his needs. Then simply take him outside where you want him to go, and as soon as he does, verbally praise him and give him a cuddle.
Keep in mind that new pups will usually need to pee about every two hours and move their bowels as many times as they are fed. The timing of the latter will vary until he matures. As you walk your pup in the yard or around the block, watch for him to do his business and as soon as he does, verbally praise him and give him a cuddle.
Some people have been successful in teaching their dog to eliminate in one particular spot outside. This involves leading him to that spot on leash and calmly standing there until the job is done. You can use a verbal cue like "Rover, pee!" or "Rover, pooh!" When he completes the task, praise him. At night, you can contain your pup in a crate where he is unlikely to eliminate as long as you have given him the opportunity to do his business before he goes to bed. Then let him out first thing in the morning before you put the kettle on! If he does make a mistake in his crate, do not scold ; just take him outside and start the process all over again. Scolding a new pup for making a mistake is as unproductive and damaging as scolding a human child for messing his diaper. And do not rub your pup's nose in his feces or urine and expect anything other than a possible bacterial infection! Scolding and humiliation will cause fear and anxiety and create unpredictable, fear-based toilet habits.
I do not recommend the use of food to reward a dog for housetraining or any other basic task, as the dog will eventually teach
you that he won't perform unless a cookie is involved. You will get more reliable and longer-term results by engaging your dog's brain (internal motivation) rather than his stomach (external motivation).
I have never met a dog I couldn't train without food, only people who didn't know how . In my forty year career in the behavioral sciences, I have learned that the best positive reinforcement for dogs (and our human children) is verbal praise and a cuddle.
Dear Dog Mum,
Our two-year-old spayed female Lab cross, Cindy, has started peeing in the house again even though we've had her since she was a pup and she's been successfully house trained since she was three months old. Can you please tell me what to do? My carpets and floors are suffering-along with me trying to keep them clean!
From Janet T.
Dear Janet,
Inappropriate urination can be caused either by a medical condition or through fear and anxiety, as with our human children. The first thing you must do is determine if Cindy has a physical problem. A visit to your vet should provide a diagnosis and a remedy in this case. Meanwhile, make sure that Cindy has frequent access to the outdoors to eliminate, and be sure to provide her with plenty of fresh, clean water to drink.
While you are ruling out a physical problem, you may want to determine if there have been any changes to Cindy's daily routine within the "family pack" to help you understand if and why she may be anxious. You did not mention if Cindy urinates when she is around people or only when she is alone; and if it happens when she's with people, if it's people in general or just certain individuals. Some dogs will pee submissively while greeting more dominant pack members (human or canine). On the other hand, if she does it only while alone, it is more likely a sign of separation anxiety. It is important to understand that she is not trying to annoy or "get back at you," and that controlling your own reaction is an important part of the process.
If you observe Cindy in the act of urinating in the house, simply say the word "no" in a neutral tone and lead her outside saying, "Cindy pee." Wait with her for a few minutes to see if she'll go again. If she does, give her lots of verbal praise and a cuddle. If you observe that she pees in response to being with a particular individual, have that person tone down their interaction with her, even to the point of ignoring her if necessary, especially during greetings, so that she feels less intimidated (or excited) and more able to control herself when she is near that person.
If you discover the pee inside the house after she's done it, do not call your dog and scold her. Say "No pee" in a neutral tone. Then go and get your cleaning material, and as you wipe it up, repeat "no pee" in the same tone. (It doesn't matter if "Cindy" is present or not; just get into the habit of the neutral correction). As anybody who's used a can opener will know, dogs can hear many times louder than humans and she can hear you even if she's in another room! Take Cindy outside and wait until she eliminates, then give her lots of verbal praise and a cuddle. During your walks with Cindy, watch for her to go and when she does...you guessed it...lots of verbal praise and a cuddle.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of neutral correction. The more anxious she is about things, the less Cindy will be able to control her reactions. If you yell, act angry or shame her, she will only develope bad associations around her urination (or your discovery of it), and this will just increase her stress and anxiety, adding to the problem.
This process may look like a big chore, but if you are consistent with your neutral correction for mistakes and with your praise when she gets it right, you will eventually be successful, ending your bigger chore of cleaning up her mistakes when she is once again successfully toilet trained.
Dear Dog Mum,
My 10 month old border collie is intensely friendly and affectionate and continues to jump up on us and anyone he meets which was cute when he was a little puppy but has now become annoying and sometimes dangerous as he knocks down my two year old daughter. Can you help?
Joanne B.
Dear Joanne,
Jumping up on people is a socially unacceptable behavior and as you have discovered can be potentially dangerous. This problem can be solved if you practice the following with a dog of any size or age. As your dog approaches you, keep your hands out of the way and quickly lift your knee in front of you with your foot parallel to the ground and say "no" in a neutral tone. As he jumps up again repeat this exercise with the other knee. Each time he gets off you and has all feet on the ground , give him verbal praise but keep your hands out of the way as your hands may encourage him to jump up again until he gets the message.
You are NOT kicking your dog but you are allowed to protect your body. This stance is actually the "crane position " in martial arts which is a defensive maneuver. Teach this exercise to all the adult size people in your family pack and be consistent. For the smaller size people and upon greeting people on your walk have your dog on a leash and neck collar of your choice (one that is comfortable for your dog to wear and for you to handle) and just as your dog goes to jump up, pull the dog back on the leash and say the word "no" in a NEUTRAL tone. You Could then have your dog sit but if he's a "wiggly" dog he can greet on all fours but watch carefully and correct him quickly before he lands on the person. Repetition, consistency and anticipating your dog's behavior are your best friends along with a NEUTRAL correction system.
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