Definition:

Teaching Your Dog “Down”

“Lie Down.” (We recommend using the cue word “off” rather than “down” for “Get off of me” or for “Get off the bed.”)

Practical uses:

Down is the best, most comfortable position for your dog to stay in for any length of time. Down (and especially down-stay) is a wonderful calming maneuver and can also help teach your dog to be more independent.

How to teach:
Different dogs will do better with different methods of teaching this behavior. Here are three ways of teaching the behavior. You may want to experiment to find the best method for you and your dog.

1. Snapshot training: In this method, you simply wait for the dog to lie down – something he does naturally multiple times a day. You must be ready with your clicker and treat at all times in order to “capture” this behavior and mark it. You may be able to speed up this process by trying on of the following techniques:
   • Start in a small room with no toys or distractions (like a bathroom) with your dog. Have his bed or something he likes to lie on nearby. Don’t interact with him and just wait until he lies down, then click/ treat (C/T). Throw the treat so that he must get up to get it, then ignore him again until he lies down – C/T.
   • If your dog enjoys chewing on an object, use his favorite chewy and give it to him. Most dogs will lie down to chew, so when he lies down, click and throw the treat, so he gets up to get the treat.
2. Shaping: Get your clicker out and ask your dog for a few of the behaviors he knows how to do. Then wait for him to offer a new behavior – any behavior (if you’re lucky, it might be a down!). C/T for any new behavior he offers about three times. Then stop C/Ting that behavior and wait for him to again offer a new behavior, but this time, C/T only for a down. He may offer several behaviors before he gets to down, but since down is a fairly natural position, you shouldn’t have to wait long. Don’t let him get too frustrated though. If he doesn’t offer a down in a minute or so, C/T a behavior he is offering a few times and then end the game and try again later.
3. Luring: With the dog sitting, hold the treat right in front of his nose. Bring the treat straight down between the dog’s legs to the floor. The dog’s head should follow the treat down to the floor. Pull the treat forward along the floor, and the rest of his body should follow naturally. If pulling the treat forward makes him stand up to reach the treat, try pulling it back toward his chest. As soon as his elbows touch the floor, C/T. When using the lure method, make sure you fade out the lure quickly; otherwise your dog will only learn to follow your hand.

Adding the cue:

When the dog is offering the behavior (lying down and looking to you in anticipation of the C/T), begin saying the cue word, “down” as she lies down, so the dog associates the behavior with the word. Do this about 20 times over two different training sessions.

In your next training session, say the cue word before the dog lies down. If she lies down then she understands the cue, if not go back to saying the cue word as she lies down for a few more repetitions.

Moving On:

1. Gradually increase the length of time your dog is in the down position before you click. Work up to about one minute before clicking. Increase the time gradually, just a couple seconds at a time, over multiple sessions. If your dog gets up before you C/T, ask for the “down” again, but make it shorter so the dog succeeds. Make sure the dog has at least five successes before you try a longer duration again. This is the beginning of the “down stay.”
2. Once your dog is responding to the cue, start giving the cue sometimes when the dog is standing and sometimes when the dog is sitting.
3. Variable Schedule of Reinforcement – you have been using a “continuous schedule of reinforcement” which means the dog gets a treat every time she performs the behavior. Now you’re ready to move to a variable schedule of reinforcement, meaning she only gets a treat sometimes. Only C/T every third, sixth, second, fourth, or tenth time she performs the behavior.
4. Once your dog is performing the behavior reliably on cue (i.e., he will do the behavior at least 90% of the time when you give the verbal cue) on a variable schedule of reinforcement, you don’t really need the clicker any more for this behavior. You should still reward your dog often and variably with praise or a food treat, but you don’t need the clicker any more for this behavior.

Tips:

• If she lies down only part w ay the first time, you m ay shape this behavior by rewarding her for a partial down the first few times, then not rewarding her until she moves successively closer to a full down.
• When you C/T, throw the treat so the dog must get up to eat it. That w ay she can offer the down again.
• Once you have moved to a variable schedule of reinforcement you m ay start to use it to shape a “better” behavior. For example, if you w ant the dog to respond more quickly to your cue, then C/T only for the quicker responses.

©2014 Dumb Friends League

Definition:

“Come to me.”

Practical uses:

Teaching your dog to “Come”

Coming when called is one of the most important and useful commands you can teach your dog. In an emergency, a reliable “come” or recall can save your dog’s life, but most of the time it’s just convenient to be able to get your dog to come when called. Because it is such an important behavior, use your best treats and most enthusiastic praise for successful recalls.

How to teach:

Make sure your dog understands the clicker game (see handout “Getting Started with the Clicker”).

Start training in a quiet place with few distractions. Be 100 percent sure he will come to you. With the dog a short distance from you and on leash, say his name. When he looks or turns in your direction, click and say your recall cue word (choose a word that does not already have an association for your dog). He will come the rest of the way to you because he knows that click means a treat is coming. When he reaches you, take his collar in one hand, and with the other hand provide a steady delivery of high-value treats (something he doesn’t get every day, but really loves) and praise, petting, play or other rewards he really likes for at least 20-30 seconds (time yourself; this will feel like a long time). This is called an “extended- duration” reward, and you want to do this EVERY time you are practicing the come. We want the dog to understand that come means come all the way to me, and we want to desensitize him to having his collar grabbed. We also want him to know that coming when called always results in the most wonderful things. Gradually increase the distance between you and the dog when you give the cue to about six feet or the length of your leash.

Practice one recall like this two or three times a day (remember to do your extended duration reward every time), every day for one week before moving on. Within a few days, your dog should be coming enthusiastically every time. Be sure you only say your recall cue word once each time you practice.

Moving on:

• ·  During the second week of practicing two to three recalls a day, start increasing the distance from which you call your dog. You should use a long line to keep control of the dog. If you call and the dog does not come, do not repeat the command. Wait a few seconds and then call your dog’s name. If he looks at you, click and call him to you. He should come all the way to you for his 20 — 30 seconds of high-value rewards. You many need to temporarily decrease the distance in order to give the dog several successes before asking for more distance again.
• ·  After two weeks of practicing this type of recall, your dog should be coming every time you call. If not, go back to a distance where your dog does come reliably and practice from there for several days before increasing the distance again. You may also want to think about whether your rewards are rewarding enough from the dog’s point of view.
• ·  Now you can reduce your practice recalls to once daily, while you increase distance and distractions (see below). If at any point your dog is having trouble with distractions and/or distance, go back to practicing two to three times daily where you are 100 percent sure your dog will come. Be sure to ask for a recall at least several times a week for the first three months, always rewarding with the extended-duration reward.

Game 1: One-upmanship Comes

Come Games

Working with two people, have one person hold the dog. The second person should be around ten feet away (you can make it further as your dog gets better at this game) and should call the dog. Person #2 praises and treats generously when the dog comes. Person #1 now calls the dog back and tries to “outdo” person #1’s praise. Continue calling the dog back and forth, competing with each other for who can give the best rewards. Make sure the dog is enjoying the rewards and is not frightened by effusive praise.

Game 2: Come and Fetch the Treat

Use a food treat that is large enough so that your dog can see it when it is tossed on the ground, such as cheese puff balls. Roll the treat. As soon as she gets the treat, call her back to you. When she gets to you, click and roll a treat in the other direction. Repeat. Occasionally have your dog come all the way to you, click and do your collar grab as you give her an extended-duration reward (20 seconds or more of praise and treats).

Game 3: Come While Out on a Walk

While out walking your dog on a leash, in a happy voice say “Duffy, COME,” while you quickly back away — your movement will entice him to come toward you. When he reaches you, stop, click and touch his collar as you deliver an extended-duration reward. You can do this several times when you are out on a walk. Gradually progress to giving the command when he is distracted by something else (such as another dog walking by or a squirrel).

Game 4: Hide and Seek

Have someone hold your dog in one room while you hide out of sight behind a piece of furniture or around a corner. Call your dog to find you. Make it easy at first, so she’ll easily find you, then gradually make it harder. Use your extended-duration reward and/or play a favorite game when she finds you.

Written by the Dumb Friends League Animal Behavior Department, revised April 2010. Copyright owned by the Dumb Friends League

Has your pet urinated or defecated in your house, leaving “scent marks” on your floor or furniture? To keep your pet from continuing to eliminate in these areas of your house, you will need to thoroughly clean the soiled areas.

• Find all soiled areas using your nose and eyes. A black-light bulb is a helpful tool that will usually show even old urine stains, due to the fact that the urine contains fluorescent molecules that glow. To use a black-light bulb simply turn out all lights in the room and scan all areas of the room. Once you have identified the soiled areas, lightly outline them with chalk.
• Once located, clean the soiled areas appropriately to remove the odors (see below).

  Methods to Avoid

  You should avoid using steam cleaners to clean urine odors from carpet or upholstery. The heat will set the odor and stain in by bonding the proteins into any man-made fibers. You should also avoid using cleaning chemicals, especially those with strong odors, such as ammonia or vinegar. From your pet’s perspective, these don’t effectively eliminate or cover the urine odor and may actually encourage your pet to urinate in the area again.

  To Clean Washable Items

• Soak the item in an enzymatic cleaner, found at your local pet supply stores. Read and follow the instructions carefully, testing a small area for staining first.
• Machine wash as usual. If possible, it’s best to air dry these items.
• If you can still see the stain, use a stain remover and then wash again.
• Once washed, keep the items away from your pet. If you can’t move an item, like the couch for instance, then a good way to discourage your pet from soiling on it is to cover the piece of furniture with a vinyl, flannel-backed tablecloth. They’re machine washable, inexpensive, and unattractive to your pet.

  To Clean Carpeted Areas and Upholstery

• Soak up as much of the urine as possible with a combination of newspaper and paper towels. The more fresh urine you can remove before it dries, especially from carpet, the simpler it will be to remove the odor. Place a thick layer of paper towels on the wet spot and cover that with a thick layer of newspaper. Stand on this padding for about a minute. Remove the padding and repeat until the area is barely damp.
• Rinse the “accident zone” thoroughly with clean, cool water. After rinsing, remove as much of the water as possible by blotting or by using a “wet-vac,” “shop-vac,” or “extractor”.
• Once the area is really clean, you should then use a high-quality enzymatic cleaner available at pet supply stores. Read and follow the instructions carefully, testing the affected area for staining first.
• However, if you’ve previously used a non-enzymatic cleaner, a steamer, or chemicals of any kind on the area, then enzymatic cleaners won’t be effective. Even if you haven’t used chemicals recently, any trace of a non-protein-based substance will weaken the effect of the enzymatic cleaner. The cleaner will use up its “energy” on the old cleaners instead of on the protein stains you want removed. In order to effectively clean these areas you will want to clean them again, using an oxidizing cleaner, also found at pet supply stores, which will break up any residue left behind by the old cleaners or chemicals used.

• To verify that you effectively cleaned the soiled area, scan the area with a black-light bulb.
• If the area no longer glows, but still looks stained after it’s completely dry from extracting and neutralizing, try any good carpet stain remover.
• If urine has soaked down into the padding underneath your carpet, your job will be more difficult. You may need to remove and replace that portion of the carpet and padding.
• Using the suggestions in our aversives, positive reinforcement, and house soiling handouts, make the “accident zone” unattractive, the appropriate “bathroom area” attractive, and teach your pet where you want him to eliminate instead. Remember, it took time to build the bad habit, and it will take time to replace that habit with a new, more acceptable behavior. Be patient and give your pet a lot of encouragement!

  To Clean Floors and Walls

  If the wood on your furniture, walls, baseboard, or floor is discolored, then the varnish or paint has been affected by the acid in the urine. You may need to remove and replace the layer of varnish or paint. Employees at your local hardware or building supply store can help you identify and match your needs with appropriate removers and replacements. Washable enamel paints and some washable wallpapers, may respond favorable to enzymatic cleaners. Read the instructions carefully before using products and test in an invisible area.

©2014 Dumb Friends League

The arrival of your new family member will bring changes for everyone. Handling your pet’s curiosity, anxiety, and increased insistence for attention may seem like an overwhelming task. In addition to preparing yourself and your household for the baby’s arrival, but you can help your pet adjust to the big changes ahead by making gradual adjustments before the baby arrives.

Sounds and Smells

The baby’s arrival will add some new and different smells and sounds to those your pet is accustomed to, so it’s important to introduce them gradually and in a calm and pleasant atmosphere.

Each time you introduce something new to your pet, make the experience positive. Pet him, give him treats, and praise him for his good behavior when he’s faced with a new sound or smell.

Think about the normal sounds of your household. Is your home quiet, with little background noise? If so, how does your pet react to noises like a vacuum cleaner, a ringing telephone, or a whistling teakettle? If your home is normally noisy, your pet may simply ignore the usual sounds, but how does he react when something unusual occurs? The more strongly your pet reacts to unexpected sounds, the more important it is for you to help him adjust to the baby sounds that will become a regular part of your home environment.

You can buy a CD of baby sounds. Start out with the volume turned down fairly low. If your pet doesn’t react strongly to the sounds, gradually increase the volume to a normal level. As you play the recording, praise your pet and offer tasty treats. Repeat these sessions daily until the baby’s arrival.

Borrow some baby smells. Handle a friend’s baby and absorb some of the smells of baby lotion, powder, and food. Go directly home and spend some positive, relaxed time with your pet. Give him a massage or play with him while the baby smells mingle with your own. After a week or so, add the actual sources of the smells with the supplies you’ll be using for your own baby. Borrow a dirty diaper and let your pet become accustomed to that smell, too.

Borrow a baby! After a few weeks, combine baby sounds and smells (which should be familiar to your pet by now) with the bustle and attention of a visiting baby. Be sure to keep your pet on his leash and carefully supervise all interactions. This is an excellent dress rehearsal for the extra visitors and attention you and your baby will receive during the first few weeks after delivery.

When the baby finally arrives, have Dad bring home something the baby has worn in the hospital. You can place the item near your pet’s food bowl, or just feed your pet some yummy treats while he sniffs the item.

Environment

If you’ll be redecorating or rearranging your home, do it long before the baby arrives. Let your pet explore any off-limit areas, and then exclude him from these areas before the baby arrives. Screen doorsare excellent, inexpensive barriers for off-limit areas like the baby’s room. Your pet can still see, smell, and hear all the action and so can you. If an off-limit room has been a favorite area for your pet, this will be a major change for him. Move his favorite things from that room into another area, if possible in the same arrangement.

After Baby Arrives

After you bring your baby home, be aware of the ways you use your voice. Do you only speak to your pet with negative tones when the baby is in the room (“no,” “off,” “don’t,” “stop”)? If so, he will certainly connect unhappy feelings with the baby’s presence. While you hold your baby, smile at your pet and use his name. Make the time with the baby a pleasant time for your pet as well.

Insist on good manners from the beginning. Don’t respond to whining, barking, or other attention- getting behavior. Give your pet plenty of time and attention whenever you can but not when he’s demanding it. Plan short periods of play time, treat time and snuggle time— with and without your baby in the room.

Encourage a positive relationship between your baby and your pet by involving them in activities you can all enjoy. Settle into your favorite chair by a sunny window, with your baby in your lap and your cat on a table beside you, so you can stroke them both at the same time. Walk with your baby in a stroller and your dog on a leash.

©2014 Dumb Friends League

come to you again. If she totally ignores you, take a break and try again in a less-distracting area (the smells on the ground may be more interesting than you!). Next time, work with her before her regular feeding time (when she’s hungry), and let her know you’ve got a delicious treat.

Method 3: Magneting

With your dog on leash, show her that you’ve got a great treat. As she approaches, walk backward, making sure you’re in a safe area where you won’t trip over furniture, and use your “happy” voice to coax her to follow. She’ll most likely follow you; C/T every couple of steps at first. If she walks away from you and reaches the end of the leash, stop and use your voice or slap your thigh to coax her to follow you again. Continue walking backward with your dog following you until she stays with you reliably, then turn around so you are facing the same direction as your dog. Walk forward with your dog walking beside you, C/Ting frequently at first. Gradually require more steps with you before she gets a C/T.

Method 4: Walking towards a goal

Place a treat or toy that your dog really likes on the floor. Stand 15-20 feet from the goodie with your dog on leash, sitting at your side. Begin walking toward the goodie. If the leash remains loose, continue walking. If your dog lunges toward the goodie, stop. When the dog releases tension on the leash, continue walking forward. Repeat until your dog is able to walk to the goodie without pulling on the leash. The treat or toy is your dog’s reward – click as she gets it. If your dog is very treat motivated and continues to lunge, try a lower value treat, such as a dog biscuit, and try it when she’s not hungry. If you don’t want to encourage your dog to pick up food off the floor, use a different temptation, such as a toy, a person or an open door to the fenced backyard.

Tips:

• ·  When you walk your dog, change directions frequently. This makes you more interesting to your dog and encourages her to pay attention. Give your cue word before you change direction and avoid yanking on the leash.
• ·  Remember to start in a place with few distractions and gradually work up to locations where there are lots of distractions.
• ·  Loose leash walking is a more relaxed behavior than a formal “heel.” Heeling requires that the dog be intensely focused on you. This is very tiring for the dog and doesn’t allow him the freedom to sniff and explore which is important for his mental and emotional well being. If you would like to teach a heel command, use it only when you need extra control – when crossing the street or walking in a crowd.
• ·  With a puppy, these methods will work fairly quickly (if you are consistent). If you are working with an adult dog that has been “successfully” pulling for months or even years, this is going to take longer. Be patient.

  Walking Tools

  These tools may prevent your dog from pulling as hard (though some dogs do learn to pull even while wearing these tools), but they will NOT teach your dog to walk on a loose leash. Use them while you are working on loose leash walking to prevent setbacks in your training resulting from successful pulling. You may have to experiment with several tools to find the one that works the best for you and your dog. You may also need help getting the tool properly fitted.

• ·  Head Halters: Head halters are a collar with a strap that goes around the dog’s nose and the leash is attached under his chin. When the dog pulls, the head halter causes his nose to be turned back toward you, making it physically difficult for him to pull. There are several different brands of head halters (Gentle LeaderTM, HaltiTM, Canny CollarTM and Snoot LoopTM, to name a few). Head halters must be properly fitted, introduced gradually, and used appropriately. See our handout, “How to Use a Head Halter.”
• ·  Front-hook Harnesses: As with head halters, the leash on a front-hook harness fastens in front of the dog’s chest, so that when he pulls, he is turned back toward you. There are a few different brands of front-hook harnesses, including the Sensation/SensibleTM harness and the Easy WalkTM harness.
• ·  No-pull Harness: These harnesses are designed to create pressure behind the dog’s front legs, or around his chest when he pulls, making pulling uncomfortable for him. There are several brands of no pull harnesses including SpornTM and HoltTM.

Written by the Dumb Friends League Animal Behavior Department, revised April 2010. Copyright owned by the Dumb Friends League

We recommend that you keep your dog indoors, unless you’re present to supervise his time outside. Dogs are social creatures and need to socialize with you and the world around them. By walking your dog regularly (at least twice a day), you can provide him with the exercise and mental stimulation he needs.

If you must leave your dog outside, keep him in a securely-fenced yard to prevent him from straying. You may also consider providing him with a covered dog “run” or pen with a doghouse inside. This is a good alternative if you’re unable to fence your dog, or if your dog is apt to escape from your yard by jumping the fence.

Colorado law requires you to feed your dog, provide clean water at all times, and make sure your dog has access to appropriate shelter. So within the safe confines of your yard, provide access to adequate shelter from rain, snow, severe winds, and other inclement weather and access to water.

When outside, it’s best to provide your dog with a tip-proof water bowl or place the bowl in an area where it won’t get knocked over. To keep a water bowl from getting knocked over, you can also dig a hole and place the bowl at ground level, which will not only keep it from being knocked over, but will keep the water cool as well. It is also recommended to provide your dog with safe toys that are appropriate for his size to keep him from getting bored and into trouble (see our handout: “Dog Toys and How to Use Them”).

If your dog does like to wander, we don’t recommend that you chain or tie your dog to prevent him from wandering off. A chained or tied up dog is likely to become frustrated, which could lead to destructive and/or aggressive behavior. He could also become entangled in his chain, rope, or leash and, as a result, severely injure himself.

However, if you feel you must chain or tie up your dog, use a “dog trolley”. You can construct one by sliding a ring onto heavy wire or rope and fasten the ends between two post or tress. Then, connect your dog’s lead to the ring. Make sure the lead is short enough to avoid tangling, yet long enough to allow your dog to lie down. The trolley may either be overhead or on the ground. Provide at least 15 feet of clear space for your dog to move around in and be sure to remove any objects or debris that could cause him to become entangled or injured. Don’t secure the dog trolley near stairways, fences, decks or porches, and make sure it’s a safe distance from all possible “escape routes”. When using a dog trolley, don’t ever use a choke chain collar, instead use a leather or nylon harness. However, even when on a “dog trolley” it is recommended to not leave your dog chained outside for extended periods of time.

©2014 Dumb Friends League

Animals that live in groups, like dogs, establish relationships, through which the individuals involved interact and live together. The roles that the individuals play within the relationship can change with each new day or situation. These relationships also take time to build, so proper introductions are important to help the dogs adjust to one another and start to build on their relationship.

Introduction Techniques

Choose a Neutral Location: Introduce the dogs in a neutral location so that your resident dog is less likely to view the newcomer as an intruder. Each dog should be handled by a separate person. With both dogs on a leash, take them to an area with which neither is familiar, such as a park or neighbor’s yard, or you can go for a walk together. If adopting a new dog from a shelter, we recommend bringing your resident dog with you to the shelter and introducing the dogs before adopting.

If you have more than one resident dog in your household, it is best to introduce the resident dogs to the new dog one at a time. Two or more resident dogs may have a tendency to “gang up” on the newcomer.

Use Positive Reinforcement: From the first meeting, you want both dogs to expect “good things” to happen when they’re in each other’s presence. While keeping the leashes loose, let them sniff each other, which is a normal canine greeting behavior. As they do, talk to them in a happy, friendly tone of voice – never use a threatening tone of voice. After a short time, get both dogs’ attention, and give each dog a treat in return for obeying a simple command, such as “sit” or “stay.” Take the dogs for a walk and let them sniff and investigate each other at intervals. Continue with the “happy talk,” food rewards, and simple commands.

Be Aware of Body Postures: One body posture that indicates things are going well is a “play-bow.” One dog will crouch with her front legs on the ground and her hind end in the air. This is an invitation to play that usually elicits friendly behavior from the other dog. Watch carefully for body postures that indicate an escalation in response, including hair standing up on the other dog’s back, teeth-baring, deep growls, a stiff legged gait, or a prolonged stare. If you see such postures, interrupt the interaction immediately by calmly and positively getting each dog interested in something else. For example, both handlers can call their dogs to them, have them sit or lie down, and reward each with a treat. The dogs will become interested in the treats which will prevent the situation from escalating into aggression. Try letting the dogs interact again, but this time for a shorter time period and/or at a greater distance from each other.

Taking the Dogs Home: When the dogs seem to be tolerating each other without fearful or aggressive responses and the investigative greeting behaviors have tapered off, you can take them home. Whether you choose to take them in the same or different vehicles will depend on a few things; like their size, how well they ride in the car, how trouble-free the initial introduction has been and how many dogs are involved.

Once home: Do not leave the dogs alone, until you are confident they are getting along.

Introducing Puppies to Adult Dogs

Puppies usually pester adult dogs unmercifully. Before the age of four months, puppies may not recognize subtle body postures from adult dogs signaling that they’ve had enough. Well-socialized adult dogs with good temperaments may set limits with puppies with a growl or snarl. These behaviors are normal and should be allowed. Adult dogs that aren’t well socialized, or that have a history of fighting with other dogs, may attempt to set limits with more aggressive behaviors, such as biting, which could harm the puppy. For this reason, a puppy shouldn’t be left alone with an adult dog until you’re confident the puppy isn’t in any danger. Be sure to give the adult dog some quiet time away from the puppy, and perhaps some individual attention.

When to Get Help

If the introduction of a new dog to a household doesn’t go smoothly, contact a professional animal behaviorist immediately. Dogs can be severely injured in fights, and the longer the problem continues, the harder it can be to resolve. Conflicts between dogs in the same family can often be resolved with professional help. Punishment won’t work and could make things worse.

See Our Handouts (also on this website)

“Canine Rivalry”
“Understanding Aggressive Behavior in Dogs”

©2014 Dumb Friends League

Housetraining a puppy requires time, vigilance, patience and commitment. By following the procedures outlined below, you can minimize house soiling incidents, but virtually every puppy will have an accident in the house (more likely several). This is part of raising a puppy and should be expected. The more consistent you are in following the basic housetraining procedures, the faster your puppy will learn acceptable behavior. It may take several weeks to housetrain your puppy and with some of the smaller breeds it might take longer. A puppy can usually be considered reliably housetrained when it has not had any accidents for two to three months.

Establish a Routine

• Your puppy will do best if he is taken outside on a consistent and frequent schedule. He should have the opportunity to eliminate after waking up from a nap, after playing, and after eating.
• Choose a location not too far from the door to be the bathroom spot. Always take your puppy, on a leash, directly to the bathroom spot. Taking him for a walk or playing with him directly after he has eliminated will help him to associate good things with elimination. If you clean up an accident in the house, take the soiled rags or paper towels and leave them in the bathroom spot. The smell will help your puppy recognize the area as the place he is supposed to eliminate. While your puppy is eliminating, use a word or phrase, like “go potty”, that you can eventually use before he eliminates to remind him what he’s supposed to be doing.
• Praise your puppy lavishly every time he eliminates outdoors. You can even give him a treat. You must praise him or treat him immediately after he’s finished eliminating, not after he comes back inside the house. This step is vital; because rewarding your puppy for eliminating outdoors is the only way he’ll know that this is an appropriate behavior.
• If possible, put your puppy on a regular feeding schedule. Depending on their age, puppies usually need to be fed three or four times a day. Feeding your puppy at the same times each day will make it more likely that he’ll eliminate at consistent times as well. This makes housetraining easier, for both of you.

  Supervise, Supervise, Supervise

  Don’t give your puppy an opportunity to soil in the house. He should be watched at all times when he is indoors. You can tether him to you with a leash or use baby gates to keep him in your view. Watch for signs that he needs to eliminate, like sniffing around or circling. When you see these signs, immediately take him outside, on a leash, to his bathroom spot. If he eliminates, praise him lavishly and reward him with a treat.

  Confinement

  When you’re unable to watch your puppy closely, he should be confined to an area small enough that he won’t want to eliminate there. It should be just big enough for him to comfortably stand, lie down, and turn around. This area could be a portion of a bathroom or laundry room, blocked off with boxes or baby gates. Or you may want to crate train your puppy and use the crate to confine him (see our handout: “Crate Training Your Dog”). If your puppy has spent several hours in confinement, make sure to take him out directly to his bathroom spot before doing anything else.

• Urine-Marking: Dogs sometimes deposit urine or feces, usually in small amounts, to scent-mark. Both male and female dogs do this, and it most often occurs when there is instability in their relationships (see our handout: “Marking Behavior in Dogs”).
• Separation Anxiety: Dogs that become anxious when they’re left alone may house soil as a result. Usually, there are other symptoms, such as destructive behavior or vocalization (see out handout: “Separation Anxiety”).
• Fears or Phobias: When animals become frightened, they may lose control of their bladder and/or bowels. If your puppy is afraid of loud noises, such as thunderstorms or fireworks, he may house soil when he’s exposed to these sounds (see our handout: “Helping Your Dog Overcome the Fear of Thunder and Other Starling Noises”).

©2014 Dumb Friends League