Housebreaking isn't rocket science, but it does take time, patience and diligence. Housebreaking is most often a puppy thing which makes it difficult because puppies are excitable and have small bladders. Sometimes it's an adult dog thing, perhaps your recent adoption has never been inside a house before or a major change in your household has your adult dog regressing. Regardless of the situation, the methods are pretty much the same and results are just as reliable. You can expect your dog to get the idea within the first week and to be reasonably trustworthy by the end of the first month.
Is it medical? If your previously housebroken dog has begun making inappropriate messes, take him to the vet first to make sure there isn't an infection or another medical issue that could be causing his uncharacteristic behavior.
The Right Tools for the Job
As with any job, there are a few tools of the trade that make housebreaking easier. Have these on hand from day one and housebreaking your dog will be a breeze.
1. A crate will keep your dog confined when you can't watch him. Because dogs instinctively avoid soiling their nesting area, most dogs can be relied upon not to have accidents in their crates. Please see my article about crate training your dog. If you do not want to use a crate, you should still have a small spot to confine your dog in, even if you use a tether.
2. A 6 foot leash is required for obvious reasons. During the training period you should leave the leash on your dog whenever he isn't confined so you can get him to his potty area quickly. You will have to go out with him for the first week or two.
3. Choose a relief station for your dog. If you are training your dog to use a potty pad then this will be his relief station. Otherwise, select an area of the yard about 10 x 10 feet for your dog to use as his relief station. You may want to mark this area with stones or other edging or cover it with mulch or pea gravel to distinguish it from the rest of the yard. Your dog should only have one relief station. If you are training your dog to a potty pad you cannot also train him to the yard and vice versa because it will just confuse him. If you want your dog to go outside once he's trained to the potty pad, bring a pad with you when you go out.
4. A jar of treats should be kept at the relief station so you can give your dog a treat the minute he goes potty. Don't wait till after you get back inside to give him a treat because at that point you don't know what your dog is thinking about and you can't be sure what he thinks he's being rewarded for.
5. A regular feeding schedule is important to housebreaking. Your dog should receive his food at the same time every day according to the schedule recommended by your veterinarian and he should have access to his food dish for only 15 minutes to a half hour. Free feeding is not recommended during housebreaking. You can anticipate when your dog may need to defecate based on the 8-10 hours it takes for his food to digest. Keep in mind that meals may get things moving too. Water should be offered more often and you can figure he will need to urinate about a half hour after he drinks.
6. Keep a notebook near the door so that you can keep a journal of each time your dog goes potty, inside or outside. This will help you learn his schedule and anticipate when he will need to go outside.
With these things in place, you are now ready to housebreak your dog.
Watch and Confine
Watch and confine is a simple concept that makes housebreaking easy. Your dog should be watched at all times during this period in a situation that allows you to quickly get ahold of him and take him outside to go potty. If you can't watch him, he needs to be confined to a small area, preferably a crate.
Every time your dog goes potty in the house he learns that it is okay to do so. You must catch your dog in the act in order to break this habit. You cannot punish him if the mess is discovered later because his mind has moved to something else and you cannot determine exactly what he thinks you're punishing him for at that time. If you point to a pile of poo and smack him, he may simply learn to hide the poo better next time.
When your dog squats to do his business in the house, say "No" loudly and firmly and grab his leash quickly. This should startle him into aborting the mission (though it doesn't always). Then quickly rush him to his relief station, point to it and say "Go potty" then wait. It could be awhile until he calms down enough to try again. When he does, praise him and give him a treat from the jar you have there at his relief station.
Watch for signals from your dog (circling, sniffing) but don't wait for them. Take your dog to his relief station when he first wakes up in the morning, before and after every meal and any time he has been confined for any length of time. Point to the spot, say "Go potty" and give him a treat when he does.
If your dog absolutely refuses to go potty at his relief station no matter how long you wait, consult your vet about stimulating bowel movements. She may supply you with a suppository. Make sure you ask her to explain how to use it and ask any questions you may have.
Remember that constancy is key in housebreaking and all training is consistency. You must catch your dog every time he goes indoors and at first, reward him every time he goes in his relief station. Soon you can begin phasing out rewards. You should be able to trust your dog a little more after about a week, but still keep a close eye on him and if he has any accidents go back to square one.
If you have any problems, you can consult a trainer or leave me a comment and I'll follow up.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Legacy of Puppy Mills
What is a Puppy Mill?
A puppy mill is a business where dogs are kept and bred in large quantities specifically for the pet trade. These animals are not pets. They are often kept in cages and bred until they die. Most of their offspring are sold to pet stores, though a few may be kept for further breeding. Those that have obvious deformities or don't sell for other reasons are often destroyed or may be dumped at an animal shelter. Breeding matches are often made for appearance, if that much consideration is given and potential parents are rarely assessed with regard to health or temperament.
What is the Difference Between a Puppy Mill and a Reputable Breeder?
In contrast, most reputable breeders keep their dogs as pets, working dogs, athletes or show dogs, providing for their health and comfort, training them and giving them lots of attention. The personal attention these dogs gets allows the breeder to select for temperament, intelligence and health. Reputable breeders keep careful records and should be able to tell you not only who a puppy's mother and father are, but who their grandparents and even great grandparents are. Because of this, a breeder can identify which health issues might be a problem for the puppy in the future, if any. Reputable breeders often have their puppies tested for any possible heriditary problems. Those puppies that don't meet standards of health, appearance and temperment are usually neutered and sold at a lower cost while those who do meet these standards are sold for more and often are not neutered so that you have the option to breed them.
Because these breeders have an emotional investment in their animals, they will often make you sign a contract promising to bring your puppy back to them if you need to give him up for any reason. Reputable breeders charge more because they spend more money on preventative medicine than puppy mill breeders do. They also have fewer litters and so fewer puppies to sell because they are more concerned about the health of the mother.
Buying From Puppy Mills Hurts Millions of Dogs
Some people want to buy puppy mill puppies to save them. But in so doing they are supporting an industry thatcauses endless suffering.
* By breeding unhealthy animals, they create more unhealthy animals that may need to be put to sleep in the future by owners who have already come to love them.
* By breeding huge quantities of dogs without taking responsibility for finding them homes, they are adding to the growing problem of homeless pets. Animal shelters are already over capacity all over the country and puppy mills just add to the problem.
* Puppymill breeding methods are harmful to the health of the mother dogs, some of whom are forced to give birth three or more times a year until they die while often getting inadequate food and exercise.
While it may be heartbreaking to turn away from that puppy who needs you, there are many more in animal shelters who need you just as badly. Simple economics says that if everyone refused to buy puppy mill puppies, the industry would crumble. Faced with dozens of unwanted and unsaleable puppies, puppy mill operators would soon be seeking another line of work and those puppies would most likely end up in the shelter for you to adopt anyway.
Puppy Mill Puppies Often Have Serious Health and Behavior Problems
As a trainer, I have learned to identify puppy mill puppies by the behavioral challenges they present. Many puppies bred in puppy mills display psychological issues related to their early upbringing and because these are often beyond the scope of normal puppy behavior, they can be a challenge to address.
One of the most common issues is "dirty dog" syndrome. This is a dog that has not developed the natural inclination to keep his den clean. If a puppy is born in a cage and kept in a cage through his early development, he, his mother, and his litter mates are all forced to soil their den and soon get used to it. It becomes a normal behavior. Later when this puppy goes home with his new owner, housebreaking can be very difficult because most housebreaking methods depend on the natural desire that all dogs have for a nice, clean den. Once this has been essentially beaten out of a dog, it's very hard to get back.
Because a puppy mill breeder's main interest is producing and selling lots of puppies, their puppies may be taken away from their mother too soon. If a puppy is taken from his mother and siblings before he is at least 8 weeks old, he does not learn important skills of doggy etiquette. These dogs often do not have bite inhibition- an important skill that his mother would have taught him if she had the chance. This means that the puppy will not have the sense that his bite can hurt people by accident. Puppies often use their mouths during play. Dogs who never learned bite inhibition can seriously hurt other dogs and people without meaning to. The law prohibits the transport of puppies for sale at less than 56 days of age, but the sooner a mother is relieved of her puppies, the sooner she will be ready to breed again.
Because puppy mill breeders keep their dogs in cages they often must share with several other dogs. This can lead to competition for food and space causing puppies to develop resource aggression later in life and to be fearful of other dogs. They can also be fearful of humans since they have limited contact with their human caretakers at important developmental stages.
Puppy mill breeders sell their puppies to pet stores through dealers and health histories of their puppies and their parents are often unavailable. Those who show obvious problems are destroyed or surrendered and the people who buy their siblings are not warned about possible issues. Often breeder females are repeatedly bred even after they have shown signs of illness and this can have an effect on the physical and mental development of their pups.
How Can I be Sure I Don't Buy from a Puppy Mill?
Never buy from a pet store, flea market or webstore. Most pet stores obtain their puppies from puppy mills because it's cheaper and because most reputable breeders will not sell their puppies through a pet store- they want to meet the people they are selling to. Some pet stores feature dogs from animal shelters and this is a great opportunity to adopt a homeless animal. (If they make this claim, they should be able to tell you what shelter they are representing and they should provide you with that shelter's adoption application form. If in doubt, call the shelter to verify what the pet store is telling you.) If you want to be absolutely sure that your purchase isn't supporting puppy mills, go to your local animal shelter. If you are looking for a specific breed, they can refer you to a breed-specific rescue organization.
Ask to see your puppy's parents. If available, ask to examine their pedigrees. Handle the dogs to get an idea if they are used to human handling and that they appear healthy. Dogs who are not used to human handling may have been purchased just for breeding purposes.
Ask to see the area where your puppy and his parents live. If it is dirty, outdoors or separate from the rest of the family, use great caution. Puppies who are used to living in dirty conditions or outdoors can have housebreaking issues.
If the breeder claims that the puppies have had shots or have seen a veterinarian, ask for verification on paper. Everyone makes this claim. You want proof. Your vet will want to add this to your puppy's medical record. If you are in any doubt at all, call the veterinarian to verify the validity of the documents you are provided.
Visit The Humane Society's Puppy Buyer's Guide for more information.
What if I Have Already Bought a Puppy Mill Dog?
What's done is done and shouldn't reflect on your dog's future life. Make sure to have your pet thoroughly examined by a veterinarian and consult an experienced trainer if you need help addressing any puppy mill related behaviors such as crate soiling, poor socialization or resource guarding. You can find such a trainer at http://www.betterdog.com
Take Action Against Puppy Mills
Join the Humane Society of the United States in fighting puppy mills by visiting http://www.stoppuppymills.org/ to find out how you can get involved.
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A puppy mill is a business where dogs are kept and bred in large quantities specifically for the pet trade. These animals are not pets. They are often kept in cages and bred until they die. Most of their offspring are sold to pet stores, though a few may be kept for further breeding. Those that have obvious deformities or don't sell for other reasons are often destroyed or may be dumped at an animal shelter. Breeding matches are often made for appearance, if that much consideration is given and potential parents are rarely assessed with regard to health or temperament.
What is the Difference Between a Puppy Mill and a Reputable Breeder?
In contrast, most reputable breeders keep their dogs as pets, working dogs, athletes or show dogs, providing for their health and comfort, training them and giving them lots of attention. The personal attention these dogs gets allows the breeder to select for temperament, intelligence and health. Reputable breeders keep careful records and should be able to tell you not only who a puppy's mother and father are, but who their grandparents and even great grandparents are. Because of this, a breeder can identify which health issues might be a problem for the puppy in the future, if any. Reputable breeders often have their puppies tested for any possible heriditary problems. Those puppies that don't meet standards of health, appearance and temperment are usually neutered and sold at a lower cost while those who do meet these standards are sold for more and often are not neutered so that you have the option to breed them.
Because these breeders have an emotional investment in their animals, they will often make you sign a contract promising to bring your puppy back to them if you need to give him up for any reason. Reputable breeders charge more because they spend more money on preventative medicine than puppy mill breeders do. They also have fewer litters and so fewer puppies to sell because they are more concerned about the health of the mother.
Buying From Puppy Mills Hurts Millions of Dogs
Some people want to buy puppy mill puppies to save them. But in so doing they are supporting an industry thatcauses endless suffering.
* By breeding unhealthy animals, they create more unhealthy animals that may need to be put to sleep in the future by owners who have already come to love them.
* By breeding huge quantities of dogs without taking responsibility for finding them homes, they are adding to the growing problem of homeless pets. Animal shelters are already over capacity all over the country and puppy mills just add to the problem.
* Puppymill breeding methods are harmful to the health of the mother dogs, some of whom are forced to give birth three or more times a year until they die while often getting inadequate food and exercise.
While it may be heartbreaking to turn away from that puppy who needs you, there are many more in animal shelters who need you just as badly. Simple economics says that if everyone refused to buy puppy mill puppies, the industry would crumble. Faced with dozens of unwanted and unsaleable puppies, puppy mill operators would soon be seeking another line of work and those puppies would most likely end up in the shelter for you to adopt anyway.
Puppy Mill Puppies Often Have Serious Health and Behavior Problems
As a trainer, I have learned to identify puppy mill puppies by the behavioral challenges they present. Many puppies bred in puppy mills display psychological issues related to their early upbringing and because these are often beyond the scope of normal puppy behavior, they can be a challenge to address.
One of the most common issues is "dirty dog" syndrome. This is a dog that has not developed the natural inclination to keep his den clean. If a puppy is born in a cage and kept in a cage through his early development, he, his mother, and his litter mates are all forced to soil their den and soon get used to it. It becomes a normal behavior. Later when this puppy goes home with his new owner, housebreaking can be very difficult because most housebreaking methods depend on the natural desire that all dogs have for a nice, clean den. Once this has been essentially beaten out of a dog, it's very hard to get back.
Because a puppy mill breeder's main interest is producing and selling lots of puppies, their puppies may be taken away from their mother too soon. If a puppy is taken from his mother and siblings before he is at least 8 weeks old, he does not learn important skills of doggy etiquette. These dogs often do not have bite inhibition- an important skill that his mother would have taught him if she had the chance. This means that the puppy will not have the sense that his bite can hurt people by accident. Puppies often use their mouths during play. Dogs who never learned bite inhibition can seriously hurt other dogs and people without meaning to. The law prohibits the transport of puppies for sale at less than 56 days of age, but the sooner a mother is relieved of her puppies, the sooner she will be ready to breed again.
Because puppy mill breeders keep their dogs in cages they often must share with several other dogs. This can lead to competition for food and space causing puppies to develop resource aggression later in life and to be fearful of other dogs. They can also be fearful of humans since they have limited contact with their human caretakers at important developmental stages.
Puppy mill breeders sell their puppies to pet stores through dealers and health histories of their puppies and their parents are often unavailable. Those who show obvious problems are destroyed or surrendered and the people who buy their siblings are not warned about possible issues. Often breeder females are repeatedly bred even after they have shown signs of illness and this can have an effect on the physical and mental development of their pups.
How Can I be Sure I Don't Buy from a Puppy Mill?
Never buy from a pet store, flea market or webstore. Most pet stores obtain their puppies from puppy mills because it's cheaper and because most reputable breeders will not sell their puppies through a pet store- they want to meet the people they are selling to. Some pet stores feature dogs from animal shelters and this is a great opportunity to adopt a homeless animal. (If they make this claim, they should be able to tell you what shelter they are representing and they should provide you with that shelter's adoption application form. If in doubt, call the shelter to verify what the pet store is telling you.) If you want to be absolutely sure that your purchase isn't supporting puppy mills, go to your local animal shelter. If you are looking for a specific breed, they can refer you to a breed-specific rescue organization.
Ask to see your puppy's parents. If available, ask to examine their pedigrees. Handle the dogs to get an idea if they are used to human handling and that they appear healthy. Dogs who are not used to human handling may have been purchased just for breeding purposes.
Ask to see the area where your puppy and his parents live. If it is dirty, outdoors or separate from the rest of the family, use great caution. Puppies who are used to living in dirty conditions or outdoors can have housebreaking issues.
If the breeder claims that the puppies have had shots or have seen a veterinarian, ask for verification on paper. Everyone makes this claim. You want proof. Your vet will want to add this to your puppy's medical record. If you are in any doubt at all, call the veterinarian to verify the validity of the documents you are provided.
Visit The Humane Society's Puppy Buyer's Guide for more information.
What if I Have Already Bought a Puppy Mill Dog?
What's done is done and shouldn't reflect on your dog's future life. Make sure to have your pet thoroughly examined by a veterinarian and consult an experienced trainer if you need help addressing any puppy mill related behaviors such as crate soiling, poor socialization or resource guarding. You can find such a trainer at http://www.betterdog.com
Take Action Against Puppy Mills
Join the Humane Society of the United States in fighting puppy mills by visiting http://www.stoppuppymills.org/ to find out how you can get involved.
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