house

Why do they urine mark?
Urine marking is a territorial, social and sexual behaviour in dogs. They use urine as a powerful. communication tool. From it, it is believed that dogs can determine important information such as species, gender, if a female dog is in season and much more.

Territorial marking is the main reason for urine marking in male dogs. We only have to look at our dog's wild ancestors to understand this behaviour. As pack members, wild dogs and wolves lived within a well-delineated territory. This territory provided all the resources required to sustain a pack, including food and mating opportunities. Nowadays urine marking is the means by which dogs mark the boundary of their territory. This makes it clear to strangers that they have crossed a territorial boundary and, to avoid conflict, it would be a good idea to turn back.

Female dogs are also prone to urine marking, but to a lesser degree than males and usually for a different reason. As well as small amounts of testosterone, female dogs also excrete their own urinary (and vaginal) pheromone, parahydroxybenzoic acid. This chemical signals to other dogs how receptive they are to mating and it is at its strongest during a heat cycle.

Why do they urine mark in the house?
Urine marking is usually a result of stress and anxiety to some factor- or factors- within their household. Here are some of the most typical ones:

Introduction of a new baby or unwelcome guest.

An imbalance in the hierarchical status within the pack (e.g. where a dog thinks it is a good time to improve its rank within the pack, marking objects to show his possession of them).

How can I stop urine marking in the house?
Treatment for urine marking can depend on the source of the problem causing this behaviour. Corrective programs can range from dominance control and acclimation to desensitisation. Since this can be wide and varied, it is wise to seek professional advice so that the right corrective program can be established for your dog.

Some dogs have been seen to stop or reduce urine marking if they are castrated, particularly if this is done early on in their life. Depending on your views on castration, you might want to consider chemical castration as a means of advance testing if actual castration would be successful. This is something you should talk to your vet about.

Alternatively, here are a few hints and tips to help tackle urine marking in the house:

Ensure any areas that your dog has urine marked are fully cleaned with an ammonia free cleaner (such as PetSafe Super Safe Disinfectant and sprayed with an odour eliminator. Attempting to mask urine smell with scents and air fresheners will not be effective.

Dogs will often 'urine mark' over the marks of other dogs. Gwen Bohnenkamp (well known author) suggests one way to encourage marking outside, rather than inside, is to soak a few cotton buds with the urine from other dogs. Pin these buds to a post in your garden and praise your dog when he marks over them. And how do you get the soaked cotton buds? well, I'll leave that one for you to resolve, but it really comes down to how serious the problem is and how keen you are to stop it !

Unlike house training mistakes or submissive urination, your dog should be disciplined for urine marking. But this can only be done if you catch them in the act of doing it, not a few seconds later. Just as they are about to urine mark, startle them with a loud "NO, OUTSIDE!" and chase them outside. Continue watching them and the minute they mark outside praise them warmly.

Housetraining a Urine Marking Male Dog
About the time you have your young male dog or older male pup housetrained, you realize he has started urinating in the house again. What’s wrong with him? Is he doing it because he’s mad that you go out and leave him at home?

You’re pregnant, you have a new baby, someone with a baby in diapers comes for a visit, you get a new cat or dog, a family member moves into or out of the house, you move to a new house, your schedule changes—and just when something major is going on in your life, the dog starts urinating in the house! Is he getting back at you because he wants attention?

Urine marking is a normal, instinctive dog behavior, mostly in males but also sometimes in females. Like a lot of other natural dog behaviors, we need to modify it as one of the fascinating ways that humans and dogs learn to cooperate for rewarding lives together.

We take the ability of dogs to adapt to our lifestyles for granted until a behavior like this one gets our attention. Some dogs are so talented and motivated to figure us humans out that we don’t even notice or give them credit for amazing things they do. If you have a male who doesn’t urine mark in your home, take a moment to thank him! If your male dog needs some help from you, as most of them will in life at least a time or two, read on for how to do it smoothly.

Why It Happens
Dogs do not consider elimination to be an insult. On the contrary, the dog who urine marks may well be stepping up to offer his life if necessary to protect his pack. Instead of saying “Get out of here, new baby,” he may be saying, “This small one, too, is under my protection.”

If you have a male and one or more female dogs, watch how he urinates along the fence, outside the marks of all the girls. Likely you’ll occasionally see him go over and urinate over the spot where she has just urinated—or, oops, hasn’t quite finished! Watch her reaction. She probably feels more secure as a result of this action of his. How confusing it must be for a dog whose owner flies into a hissy fit at the same action!

Dogs don’t actually “understand” housetraining. Dogs with what we consider normal instincts who have been raised properly for the formation of housetraining habits are following instincts when they start to toddle out of the sleeping, eating and playing area to eliminate.

A small dog’s concept of this area may not include the back bedroom or the formal living room. To him, that can seem to be outside the area needed for living space or as the pack’s den headquarters. A larger dog tends to prefer marking outside the house, given your help to get there on a good schedule.

Ironically, people often get small dogs because they want a cleaner house. If easy housetraining and minimal indoor elimination is a priority with you, a tiny male dog is not a good adoption choice.

Dogs get a lot of information from urine scent. Among dogs, it helps to keep the peace. We don’t even know all the things dogs can detect from urine scent, but they certainly can tell a male from a female, a neutered dog from an intact one, a female in heat or coming into heat, and whether the other dog is sick or well. Just as a human reacts to a sight according to past experiences with that sight, a dog’s reaction to a particular scent is heavily influenced by the dog’s experiences. For example, a male dog who has previously mated a female will be far more excited by the scent of a female in heat than a neutered male who never mated. Thus dogs react to a lot of scents we don’t even know are there.

Scents can be overwhelming to dog instincts. A male dog is highly likely to urine mark in the presence of a female dog in heat—possibly even quite a distance away. He’s also highly likely to urine mark where another dog has urinated inside your home, whether that dog is male or female. Two tiny male dogs living together are likely to appear to be in competition to see who can urinate in the house the most. Is this about fighting? Probably not. It may even be their way of presenting a united front in defending what they view as their pack.

Like most dog behavior, urine marking has to be taken in context to get some idea of the cause in any given situation. We never know everything about the cause. Dogs are complex, with some behaviors strongly instinctive and some learned. Like humans, they do things automatically at times, and at other times they have an intention. It’s not useful to think of a dog’s intentions as “spite” or “anger.” Fear, protectiveness, excitement, prey drive, bonding and other survival instincts are much more likely explanations.

In nature, urine marking provides boundary signs for a pack. When humans say that dogs are social animals, they may think dogs living in the wild would all happily play together. Dogs are pack animals. They form separate social groups to cooperate for survival, which includes hunting for food as well as rearing their young. A pack has a territory it defends from other canines, which helps spread the animals out over a wider range for a better chance that all of them will be able to find enough to eat.

Urine also helps males and females find one another at mating time, since a female dog is only fertile for a short time once (in the wild and some domesticated dogs) or twice a year. Only then is she receptive to mating. Male dogs are instinctively drawn to the scent, testosterone stimulates them to respond to it, and they also form beliefs about the scent from experience.

The male’s urine sends messages to her as well as to other dogs. The dog with the best chance of resisting the urge to mark in this situation is the neutered male who has never mated. The intact male, whether or not he has been mated, may have great difficulty refraining from urine marking in the house. He may be so disturbed that he can’t even eat.

Urine marking is not about us. Dogs are not trying to tell us things by urinating in the house, other than perhaps that they are sick, or that they are willing to give their lives to protect us. Some of our choices cause our dogs to have problems with urine marking, but they do not do it out of spite or anger toward their owners.

How to Handle It
Probably the single most effective thing you can do to help your dog resist urine marking inside your home is to have your veterinarian neuter him prior to his forming this habit. At least one study has shown that neutering a dog at any age will help, so it seems that the testosterone of being intact plays a role in urine marking.

Neutering does not eliminate the need for training and management, though, particularly if the habit of urine marking has become strongly formed prior to the surgery. No one can guarantee that neutering a dog is going to magically cure this problem. But if you do not neuter a tiny male dog, your chances of ever fully housetraining him are greatly reduced. They are reduced even more if you use him at stud. Larger male dogs have a better chance of making it outside to mark, with good management from you, even if they are used for breeding.

Besides the urine marking problem, neutered male dogs are often capable of tying with female dogs in heat. This should not be allowed to happen due to the risk of injury and even of sexually-transmitted diseases. The easiest arrangement for most people to live with is to spay the females and neuter the males. If you do keep an intact female, she and any male, intact or neutered, need to be separated whenever she is in heat and no adult human is closely supervising them. Another complication is that sometimes people don’t realize the female is in heat until it’s too late.

Consult your veterinarian for the best time to neuter your male. Try to avoid leaving the tiny male intact past the age of a year for the best chance at housetraining.

Multiple dogs of the same sex will often fight when kept together, especially if they are terriers, and males will stimulate each other to urine mark in the house. If the males are small and/or terriers, the risk of urine marking is increased. Fights among multiple female dogs in the same household tend to be worse than male fights, but the females are less likely to urine mark.

Larger male dogs are instinctively inhibited against hurting female dogs and against hurting smaller dogs, as well as being less tempted to urine mark than small males. When adding a second dog to a home with a small female dog, consider the advantages of making that second dog a larger male.

Keep in mind that medical problems in the male dog or in another dog he lives with can trigger urine marking. Especially if this represents a change in behavior for a mature dog, he needs to be medically checked, as does any other dog in the household who might be the trigger, such as a female dog with a urinary tract or uterine infection.

Don’t let anyone talk you into punishing a dog for housetraining problems, including urine marking. Dogs do not learn housetraining from punishment. Instead they learn to distrust you and possibly all humans. You can ruin a dog’s temperament and create aggression toward humans by punishing for housetraining accidents.

Dogs who are punished in housetraining learn to hide from people to eliminate, which makes training even harder. If you supervise properly, you may catch a dog having an accident. In that case, interrupt the dog with a calm “No—let’s go outside,” and RUSH out the door with the dog. If you are using an indoor spot at that time, give that a name, too, such as “No—use your box.”

When you get the dog to the spot, the goal is to get the dog to finish there. For success outside, give excited praise and sometimes a treat. For success inside, give quiet praise. The outside habit is the one you want really strong. The inside habit will likely be changed later to outside. A box of grass sod on a condo terrace can be helpful in building the outdoor habit and reducing the risk of indoor accidents.

If your timing is really perfect, you’ll get the dog outside before elimination even starts inside. This forms stronger habits more quickly. Applying yourself diligently to housetraining with positive methods pays off big time, and slacking off is a big mistake. People get rid of dogs more often for housetraining problems than for aggression! Good housetraining means keeps faith with your dog.

When It May Be Something Else
The male having accidents in the house could have a urinary tract infection, prostate enlargement or infection, mental confusion, heavy sleep, mobility problems that make it hard or painful for him to get outside in time or painful to do so, or other illness.

Sometimes we are mistaken about which dog is eliminating in the house, and people often miss some of the spots. A video camera can help you be sure. Another possible way to check is to confine one dog at a time to another area and rotate them so that you know only one dog had access to the target area at the time.

Separation anxietyis a major cause of housetraining accidents. Punishment when you come home and find this or anything else that displeases you will make it worse.

The difference between urine marking and the dog not being housetrained can be hard to determine, and it’s not really important to know, since both are handled the same way. The best housetraining results include the following factors:

1. The nest shared by mother dog and puppies is kept clean, and they all have space to get away from the nest for elimination.

2. The puppy is never kept confined in urine and feces at any age.

3. The puppy has at least some positive experiences eliminating outdoors starting in young puppyhood. That requires access to a safe place that will not expose a young puppy with an immature and unvaccinated immune system to contagious diseases.

4. Housetraining starts in your home the minute the puppy gets there. There is no postponing it and leaving the puppy loose to potty all over the house. Every accident in the house confuses the puppy’s habits. Housetraining starts as a positive practice and the owner diligently continues to help the puppy hit the target, be it inside or outside. The early experiences are critical.

Small dogs in particular become victims to people postponing housetraining. The messes are small and people figure they’ll stay small so it’s easier to just to clean it up. Eventually they realize odor and mess are unacceptable to them, but by this time they have made the task of housetraining that dog difficult to impossible.

All the scent must be removed from the house, too, using a bacterial enzyme odor eliminator product such as Nature’s Miracle. Lack of housetraining is the major reason people get rid of small dogs, so failing to housetrain a puppy right from the start is a huge disservice to the dog.

5. If an indoor elimination method (papers, pads, dog litter box) must be used because there is no clean outdoor place available or the owner has to leave longer than the puppy can hold it, this is not continued for longer than several weeks.

6. The puppy is taken out at least once per hour whenever the owner is home and awake until housetraining is complete. After that, the schedule that works well for that dog is used, with the owner making sure the dog has plenty of chances outside.

7. House freedom is increased gradually, and dialed back whenever it’s evident that the dog cannot handle that many rooms or that amount of space. When your dog is not confined in an area where the dog is reliable not to eliminate in your house, you need to be in the same room with the dog, supervising closely.

One supervision aid is to leash the dog to your waist for a half hour or so at a time. This also increases your dog’s bond with you, ability to settle calmly in the house, and your mutual skill at moving together with a leash.

8. All accidents are promptly deodorized from the dog’s nose, not just the much weaker human sense of smell. If used immediately, undiluted clear vinegar will work. It needs to go deeply into the carpet and then either allowed to air dry, or just blotted up by stepping on newspaper, fabric, towels, etc. that are placed over the spot.

It will smell of vinegar in the room until it dries, but that is necessary. You can avoid the vinegar odor by using a bacterial enzyme odor eliminator instead. If you do that, though, you lose the benefit of the vinegar scent in discouraging the dog from using the spot again. But if you miss the chance to treat the spot when it is still very fresh and wet, vinegar will not neutralize it and you will need the bacterial enzyme product.

Don’t scold the dog when you clean, and it doesn’t matter whether the dog sees you clean or not. Be careful never to get vinegar in a dog’s eyes, as it is an irritant to eyes. For that reason, don’t spray vinegar at a dog’s face—and lemon juice is even worse because it is more acidic.

9. The dog is praised, lifelong, for getting housetraining right. Housetraining is a lot of work, it is complicated, and it is easy to confuse your dog. Done right, it helps you get off to an excellent start with all training and helps you form a good bond.

Don’t get a dog until and unless you are ready and able to meet the dog’s elimination needs. You won’t be happy, and you can ruin the dog’s life. Often an adult dog already housetrained is a much better choice for a particular owner than a young puppy who will need a full housetraining course and won’t be able to wait long at all between outings.

Sometimes a cat is the perfect choice. Kittens don’t need much more help to adapt their elimination instincts to indoors than being encouraged in the litter box and you keeping the box clean and easily accessible. Cats don’t need to go outdoors at all, and are as therapeutic in many cases as dogs. They are the perfect condo companion animals.

Training or Management?
Some tiny males will never be able to handle the whole house. Baby gates, closed doors, and “playpen” arrangements such as exercise pens can be used as lifelong management tools if needed. Many do well with a gated bathroom or kitchen doorway. If the dog climbs or jumps one gate, you can stack another gate above it.

Belly bands or male dog pants with or without pad liners can help with management. The dog can’t wear these all the time, due to risks of infection and of him chewing and eating the absorbent materials. Occasionally people find these help interrupt a dog’s urine marking habit, but realistically they will probably only serve as a management tool.

You can sometimes help avoid some housetraining accidents by spending time in little-used rooms with your tiny male dog. If you feed and play with him there, it will seem to him more like part of the pack’s den area and less like “out in the boonies” where elimination feels natural.

Some breeds are not as naturally inclined to keep their areas clean as other breeds. Individual Beagles and Dachshunds can fall into this category, though certainly not all dogs of these breeds. This trait can mean a dog will eliminate in the dog bed and lay in it, even with access to other areas.

Dogs of any breed who have been confined in their own waste will do this, too. It’s a problem for commercially bred dogs and also for those who have been through the pet shop system.

It’s the reason that you need to stop crating a dog when you start to see a pattern of eliminating in the crate, too. If you continue to crate the dog, you will damage the dog’s cleanliness instincts, possibly cause medical problems, and put the dog at risk of separation anxiety. Some dogs also become unable to tolerate a crate lifelong. The dog needs to be confined in some other manner for long enough to restore cleanliness instincts.

Happily Ever After
Urine marking is a housetraining matter. In contrast, urinary incontinence, illness, and submissive urination are not housetraining issues, other than to make sure scent is properly removed so they won’t CAUSE housetraining problems.

Urine marking is simple to deal with in that you handle it by the same supervision, scent control, alertness to triggers, praise, checking for medical problems, and other basics you use to properly housetrain a dog in the first place. You partner with your dog to make sure he gets the help he needs from you. You realize his instincts are causing the behavior, not some willful intention to insult you. It’s not about you.

Even the most housetrained of large, neutered male dogs will urine mark under certain circumstances, and it doesn’t mean this will become a regular problem. He may urine mark one or two times when he moves to a new home, and then no more. You can help keep it from happening again by dousing the spot with clear, undiluted vinegar.

He is likely to urine mark when visiting inside someone else’s home, and you should keep him with you on leash to prevent this. He is also likely to urine mark anyplace you take him, unless you handle him in a way that prevents it.

A good way to minimize the risk of your dog marking indoors away from your home is to allow him to urinate only on your property except when you give him specific permission to use a specific spot at a specific time. Before leaving with him, take him to your yard (or the spot you normally use if you don’t have a yard) and cue him to eliminate, with your choice of words. “Go potty” is one option.

On your outing, even if you’re walking outdoors, interrupt him from lingering too long to check out scent that might trigger urination (you’ll get familiar with that body posture) by simply moving the walk along. If you’re out long enough that he will need to eliminate, find a polite spot to do that, and of course clean up after him. When you get home, immediately take him to his usual spot.

Take him to his spot before and after EVERY outing, so that he learns he can count on you to do this. It helps him wait, and it helps him realize that he does need to eliminate if he possibly can when offered that chance BEFORE the outing, too.

If he is not expecting to urine mark on a walk outside, you can see how much easier it’s going to be to keep him from doing it in someone’s house, in the building at a dog event, in a health care facility on a therapy dog visit, etc. It’s a simple and highly effective practice.

A lot of small male dogs will always present some degree of challenge with the urine marking, but you can (and should!) keep your home clean and free of urine odor with good management. Large males who are managed well may actually have fewer accidents indoors than females, because males are less prone to urinary incontinence.

Life with a male dog can be great. Housetraining does not have to cost dogs their homes. It’s something we need to educate ourselves about, preferably before getting a dog. When you bring a dog home for the first time and every time, take him immediately to the right place to eliminate—and to make his mark.

kathy Diamond Davis is the author of the book Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others. Should the training articles available here or elsewhere not be effective, contact your veterinarian. Veterinarians not specializing in behavior can eliminate medical causes of behavior problems. If no medical cause is found, your veterinarian can refer you to a colleague who specializes in behavior or a local behaviorist.

Date Published: 4/30/2006 5:33:00 PM
Copyright 2006 - 2007 by Kathy Diamond Davis. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
This work was originally published by Veterinary Information
Network, Inc. (VIN) and is republished with VIN's permission.

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House Training - The Modern Way

www.canineconcepts.co.uk

All dogs are pre-programmed to soil outside their nest, so in this respect puppies already have an instinct to move away from the nest at around 3 weeks of age to go to the toilet. With time, puppies will learn by themselves to be toilet trained. All we are doing is speeding up the process and adding a few helpful things along the way.

Housetraining is one of the first things you will teach your puppy and it is the start of your relationship with them. It is important that the puppy's first experience of his new family is a positive one.

I was told to punish my puppy when he soils inside
The old method of punishing the puppy in any way (including rubbing his nose in the mess!) is plainly cruel and will only delay the housetraining process, not to mention the mental damage you will be doing to your puppy. One of the effects of punishment is the loss of control of the sphincter and the bowels and thus the problem becomes aggravated.

But he always looks guilty when I get home
Some people incorrectly believe that their puppy knows it has done wrong, since the puppy seems too look guilty when they come in and see the mess. This is not true, as all the puppy is doing is responding to your body language and displaying submissive/appeasing language in the hope that he will not be punished. The puppy does not know why he is being punished when his owners come home. Human concepts of guilt, regret, spite, etc, or even knowing that the carpet is a covering for the house floor does not exist in dogs. The puppy just did the very natural act of eliminating when he had to.

What are the ground rules for housetraining?
The key to success in housetraining is to be alert and well prepared. Here are a few tips:

Keep your puppy confined to a small play area at first if you cannot keep an eye on him or when you are away from home. This could be the kitchen, utility room, bathroom or a section of the room with a cordoned area using a puppy pen. This area should have a floor that can be easily cleaned.

Ensure they have a comfortable bed, a bowl of fresh water, plenty of hollow chew toys. Puppies can get particles of toys stuck in their throats and can die, so the best chew toys are kongs and sterilised hollow bones stuffed with dog food. You will be teaching him to target his chewing at chew toys and nothing else. It is also a great idea to feed your puppy's dinner in Kongs.

Create a toilet area at the furthest point from his bed. Place polythene underneath to ensure that waste matter does not leak through. Alternatively, a cleaner and more efficient method is to use puppy training pads such as those by Simple Solution.

Make sure that he cannot get to other items in the room.

How often should they be let out to do their business?
Your young puppy should be allowed out once every hour to eliminate. Use a designated toilet area in your garden and let your puppy walk and sniff around the area. Keep it clean to ensure that he will not go somewhere else in the garden that is cleaner. By selecting a specific area, you are helping your puppy understand what you want from him when he is taken to that spot and it will be easier to keep clean. Products such as Swiftie House Training Aid and Simple Solution Potty Training Aid for Puppies are useful to help train your puppy to eliminate in a specific area. The pheromone treated Pee Post from Simply Solution can also help in attracting your puppy to a specific spot.

It is also a good idea to have a keyword for your puppy to let him know that you would like him to go to the toilet. It could be anything you want, for example 'busy'. This will come in handy as he gets older and you need him to relieve himself at an appropriate time and place. Make sure you stay with your puppy when you take him outside (on the lead, if needed), as this will prevent him from getting distracted or upset with the separation and thus forgetting about relieving himself. You only need to take him out for a few minutes. If he doesn't relieve himself in that time, then you can put him back in his play area or supervise him until next time. Don't forget he will be going back with a full bladder, so keep a good eye and try again in half an hour's time.

You should always try to take your puppy out at the following times:

Immediately after the puppy wakes up

First thing in the morning

Last thing at night

A few minutes after eating

After playing

After any excitement (e.g. after visitors greet your puppy).

Reward your puppy with calm, happy praise and with your chosen keyword as he is relieving himself (e.g. 'good boy, busy') and give him a couple of extra special treats after he has done his business (e.g. a small piece of dried liver or cheese). Do something very special after he has successfully used his designated toilet; like a game, lots of cuddles and maybe if he has had his vaccinations, take him out for a walk (the ultimate in dog rewards!). The benefit of taking him for a walk after his toileting means that your puppy will learn to be a fast eliminator and you will save yourself from having to clean after your puppy outside your home. By making toileting a happy experience, your puppy will soon get the message, have positive associations and learn quicker.

What signs should I look for?
If you see your puppy sniffing around the ground, crouching down about to go to the toilet or actually going to the toilet inside the house, quickly get his attention by clapping, calling him excitedly and running to the door so that he will follow you out. If he is actually going to the toilet you may need to shout something extravagant to get his attention and stop him in his tracks (e.g. something silly like 'sausages!!!' will help as it is not personal or aggressive). Make sure the shout does not scare him as this will make him nervous and more prone to toileting in the wrong place. The purpose of the shout is to alert him. By doing so, he will shut his bowels and hold it whilst you walk him outside. It is best that he makes his own way out the door rather than carrying him out, as this will help him learn that he actually needs to make his own way to the door when he needs to go to the toilet.

What if my puppy makes mistakes?
You will need to clean the area thoroughly to get rid of smells. Note that household cleaners do not get rid of all the proteins that we cannot smell. Do not use any cleaner with ammonia or bleach, as it will smell similar to the ammonia in urine and the puppy will identify it as a toilet area. Specialist cleaners such as PetSafe Super Safe Disinfectant is a safe ammonia-free solution specifically designed to help with housetraining.

Odour removers (such as PetHealth - Odour Free) are also good at removing all proteins traces that household cleaners do not remove.

How long should it take to housetrain my puppy?
Like all young animals, puppies do not have full control of their bodies. Depending on the individual puppy, the breed and how much effort you put in the training, it may take up to 8 months to have a completely housetrained dog. Accidents will probably happen at night since the puppy may not be able to hold it in for many hours at a time initially. However do not despair; as long as the puppy is consistently going outside during the day he will soon learn that toileting means going outside when he has better control of his body.

You can also have your puppy in his crate in your room initially so that you can listen for the signs. If your puppy cries during the night pay attention to him and take him outside immediately. Do not fuss him or play with him, just go outside with him for a few minutes until he eliminates, praise him and then calmly and quietly take him back to sleep in his crate. This way the puppy doesn't think that three o'clock in the morning is a good time to play.

AND FINALLY…..

Remember prevention is the key to successful housetraining. Take things slowly, have consistency and keep a routine. Be fair and kind to the young life endowed into your care. You will soon be enjoying happy, mess-free days with your best friend.

But my grown up dog is not yet house trained
If you have an adult dog that is still soiling in the house, then you will need to ensure that your veterinarian has not identified a medical condition. If the dog has not got a medical condition, then you will need to start housetraining from the beginning using an indoor crate. See our article Dog Crates and Crate Training for good advice about using crates. It is worth putting the effort in and ensuring you are constantly supervising your dog. If you do, then it should only take you a couple of weeks to re-train him. Follow the guidelines as with puppy housetraining. However adult dogs have more control of their bodies so they do not need to be taken out as often as puppies. Once the dog has gone outside, he can have the supervised run of the house; until you feel it's time to take him out again.

Getting Started and Housetraining Your Puppy

http://www.ahimsarescuefoundation.org

When you bring a newly adopted puppy into your home, there will be a period of adjustment. Your goals are to help your puppy to quickly bond to its new family, to minimize the stress associated with leaving the shelter environment and to start training and socializing immediately.

How do I prevent my puppy from doing damage or getting into mischief?
The rule of thumb for dog training is "set the dog up for success". Supervise the puppy at all times until it has learned what it is allowed to chew, and where it is supposed to eliminate. This may take up to 7 or 8 months for some individuals. Keeping the puppy on a 10-foot lightweight leash is an excellent way to keep it in sight and to train it not to wander off. This is particularly helpful with a highly investigative puppy or for a very busy household.

At any time that the puppy cannot be supervised, such as throughout the night or when you need to go out, house it in a secure area. An escape-proof crate or collapsible pen that are kept indoors is simple, highly effective, and most important, safe. The puppy could also be confined to a room that has been carefully dog proofed. When selecting your dog’s confinement area it is useful to consider a number of factors. The dog will adapt fastest to the new area if it is associated with rewards. Have the puppy enter the area for all its treats, toys, and perhaps food and water. The area should have some warm, dry, comfortable bedding, and should never be used for punishment (although it can, and should, be used to prevent problems).

Housing the puppy in isolated areas where there is minimal human contact, such as in a laundry room or basement or outdoors, should be avoided. In fact, often the best area is a kitchen (so that this can also be the dog’s feeding area) or a bedroom (so that it becomes the dog’s sleeping area). Each time the puppy needs to be confined, it should first be well exercised and given an opportunity to eliminate.

Another consideration in selecting the type of confinement area is how long you may need to leave the dog alone. Anytime the puppy will be left alone for longer than it can control its elimination; you must provide an area for elimination. A room or collapsible pen with a paper-covered area would be needed. A cage or crate could be used for owners that do not have to leave their puppies confined for longer than 2 or 3 hours.

What is the best way to punish my puppy for misbehavior?
Every effort should be made to avoid punishment for new puppies as it is generally unnecessary and can lead to avoidance of family members, at a time when bonding and attachment is critical. By preventing problems through confinement or supervision, providing for all of the puppy’s needs, and setting up the environment for success, little or no punishment should ever be required. If a reprimand is needed, a verbal "no" or a loud noise is usually sufficient to distract a puppy so that you can then redirect the puppy to the correct behavior.

How can I prevent problems?
Supervise the puppy at all times when it is not confined to ensure that the puppy does not get itself into mischief, or cause damage to itself or the home. Leaving a remote leash attached is all that is usually needed to prevent or interrupt inappropriate behavior such as garbage raiding, chewing on household items, house-soiling, or wandering off into rooms or areas that are out of bounds. If the leash is attached to a head halter you can quickly correct other problems that might arise, such as nipping, play biting, and jumping up. When the puppy cannot be supervised, confinement (discussed above) will be necessary.

Next, get the puppy into a positive oriented training class as soon as possible, certainly by 12 weeks of age and no later than 16 weeks. By training your puppy early, you will help prevent unwanted behavior problems from developing and you will learn how to develop clearer communication with your new family member. Call early and reserve a spot in classes now even though your puppy may now be only 8 weeks old. The better classes fill quickly so call ahead!

What must I do to provide for my puppy’s needs?
Chewing, play, exercise, exploration, feeding, socialization, training and elimination are basic requirements of all puppies. By providing appropriate outlets for each of these needs, few problems are likely to emerge. Puppies should be given chew toys that interest them and occupy their time, such as stuffed Kong toys, Nylabones or Buster cubes.

When supervised, the owner can allow the puppy to investigate and explore its new environment and can direct the puppy to the appropriate chew toys (and away from inappropriate areas). Play, exercise, grooming, training, and handling must all be part of the daily routine. New tasks, new routines, new people and new forms of handling can be associated with rewards, such as tasty food treats, to ensure success. And, of course, the puppy will need to be provided with an acceptable area for elimination, and will need guidance until it learns to use this area.

How do I house-train my puppy?
All it requires are a few basic rules to house-train puppies within a few weeks. This does not mean that the puppy will be able to be trusted to wander throughout the home without eliminating. What the puppy should quickly learn is where it should eliminate, and the consequences of eliminating indoors when the owner is supervising.

Puppies have a strong urge to eliminate after sleeping, playing, feeding and drinking. Prepare to take your puppy to its selected elimination area within 20 minutes of each of these activities. In addition, although some puppies can control themselves through the entire night, most puppies need to eliminate every 2 to 3 hours during the daytime. The general rule of thumb is that the puppy can hold off elimination during the day as many hours as he is in months of age. So if your puppy is three months old, he probably can hold off elimination for three hours during the day. If the puppy has been playing or chewing on a bone, this stimulates elimination so he will actually have to go more often than normal. With an increase of water consumption, such as after playing or a walk, your puppy will also have to go more often then his age in months. With each passing month, you can expect your puppy to control itself a little longer between elimination times.

The puppy should be taken to its elimination area, given a word or two of verbal encouragement (e.g. "Hurry up") and as soon as elimination is completed, lavishly praised and patted. A few tasty food treats can also be given the first few times the puppy eliminates in the right spot, and then intermittently thereafter. This teaches the puppy the proper place to eliminate, and that elimination in that location is associated with rewards. Some puppies may learn to eliminate when they hear the cue words ("Hurry up"). Always go outdoors with your puppy to ensure that it has eliminated and so that rewards can be given immediately upon completion, and not when the dog comes back indoors (too late!).

When indoors, the puppy must be supervised so that you can see when it needs to eliminate and immediately take it outdoors to its elimination area.
Should pre-elimination signs (circling, squatting, sneaking-off, heading to the door) occur, immediately take the dog to its elimination site, give the cue words, and reward the puppy for elimination. If the puppy begins to eliminate indoors, use a verbal reprimand such as "Outside!" and immediately take the puppy outdoors to its proper site, so that it can complete the act. Rather than using punishment, it is best to always supervise your puppy. One of the best techniques is to leave a remote lead attached.

When you are not available to supervise, the puppy should be confined to its confinement area. Be certain that your puppy has had a chance to eliminate, and has had sufficient play and exercise before any lengthy confinement. If the area is small enough, such as a pen or crate, many puppies will have sufficient control to keep this area clean. This means that when you come to release the puppy from confinement, it must be taken directly to its elimination area. If the area is too large for the puppy to keep clean, or the puppy is left alone too long for it to control itself, the entire area, except for the puppy’s bed and feeding spot, should be covered with paper for elimination. Once the puppy starts to limit its elimination to some selected areas, unused areas of the paper can be taken up. For owners that intend to continue to use paper for training, even when home, the puppy should be supervised when released from confinement, and then returned to this area when pre-elimination signs are seen.

Why does my puppy refuse to eliminate in my presence, even when outdoors?
Puppies that are not supervised and not rewarded for outdoor elimination, but are constantly being disciplined and punished for indoor elimination, may soon begin to fear to eliminate in all locations in your presence. These puppies do not associate the punishment with indoor elimination; they associate the punishment with the presence of the owners.

What do I do if I find some stool or urine in an inappropriate spot?
There is no point in punishing or even pointing out the problem to the puppy. In other words, do not spank the puppy, use a newspaper, rub his nose in it or yell at him. Only if the puppy is in the act of elimination will it understand the consequences (rewards or punishment). In fact, it is not the puppy that has erred; it is the owner who has erred by not properly supervising. Clean up the accident with an enzyme cleaner and resolve to watch the puppy more closely.

How can I teach my puppy to signal that it needs to go out to eliminate?
By regularly taking the dog outdoors, through the same door, to the same site, and providing rewards for proper elimination, the puppy should soon learn to head for the door each time it has to eliminate. If you recognize the signs of impending elimination and praise the puppy whenever it heads for the doorway, the behavior can be further encouraged. Puppies that have been interrupted or reprimanded on one or more occasions as they begin to eliminate indoors, may begin to try to sneak away, whine or show some form of anxiety, when they feel the urge to eliminate, but cannot escape from the owner’s sight. If you can pick up on these cues, and take the puppy directly to the outdoors for elimination and reward, the puppy may consistently begin to show these signals when he or she needs to eliminate, and may even begin to take you to the exit door.

When will I be able to trust my puppy to wander loose throughout the home?
Generally you will want your dog to have been error free around the house for about two months before you can begin to decrease your confinement and direct supervision. The first time you leave the puppy unsupervised should be just after taking the dog outdoors for elimination. (You remain in the house but just not directly supervising your puppy.) Gradually increase the length of time that your dog is allowed to roam through the home without direct supervision. If the dog has been able to go unsupervised for a couple of hours without an "accident", it might then be possible to begin going out for short periods of time. Of course, if the dog still investigates and chews, then confinement and direct supervision will still be necessary.

We do not recommend that you physically leave your home (go run an errand, go to work, etc.) with any dog left loose in your house until they are about a year to two years of age. This avoids the destructive juvenile period that all dogs go through anywhere from about 6 months to 18 months of age.

Copyright © Ahimsa Rescue Foundation 2003 - 2007
No reprints or copies without expressed, written permission
reprinted with kind permission from
Teresa L. Morton, Ahimsa Rescue Founder http://www.ahimsarescuefoundation.org

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Housetraining

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What is housebroken or housetrained?
That means that your dog can remain inside your house for a reasonable amount of time (such as eight hours) without eliminating in it. Your dog simply "holds it" until you let him outside to do his business. If your dog is physically healthy and physically mature (meaning he is at least eight to twelve months of age) but he has more than one accident every couple of months, then he is NOT housebroken.

How long will it take for me to housebreak my puppy?
To teach your dog WHERE to eliminate takes only a couple of weeks. But for a young dog or puppy to actually BE RELIABLE requires that the dog be mature enough physically to hold off eliminating until the appropriate time or until he can motor himself to the "outhouse." A dog can not be called reliable or housebroken until he is at least eight to twelve months of age, AND has not had any accidents in the house for at least six weeks running.

How long will it take me to housebreak my adult dog?
For an older dog with bad potty habits or one who has never been housebroken, you can expect to spend about six to eight weeks, following a strict housebreaking plan, before a new behavior pattern is established.

If you have an older dog who is starting to make mistakes in the house when he was fine for years before, either he has a physical problem that prevents him from holding it (please have your dog checked with your veterinarian first before going on a strict housebreaking program) or he did not fully understand that he is NEVER to eliminate in the house.

What is papertraining? I heard that it is the easiest way to train him.
Papertraining means that you teach your dog to eliminate on papers placed INSIDE your house. By papertraining a dog you teach him it is OK to number one, eliminate in the house, and number two, it is OK to go on objects in the house. That means the unread Sunday paper you left down on the floor is fair game, and the coat you haven’t hung up yet is also fair game. The idea of housebreaking is again, to teach your dog NEVER to eliminate in the house.

It is NOT the easiest way to train him. Papertraining a dog in the house and then trying to teach him to go outside only confuses him and takes him much longer to achieve reliability.

If you live in a condo or townhouse, you probably have a small porch or balcony. Teach your dog to eliminate in a large pan (like an oil drip pan used in garages; some pet stores actually carry large dog potty pans just for this purpose) that has cat litter in it, which is placed outside. That way you have provided him with a place to potty that is outside your house but is still very easy to clean up.

OK, since papertraining is out, what about teaching him to use a doggie door?
Allowing your puppy or unhousebroken dog the use of a doggie door does nothing except undermine your housetraining for several reasons.

Number one, you never really know if the dog did his business or not because you were not there to see it.

Number two; your dog will not eliminate in the target area on his own since you were not there to show him where it is.

Doggie doors are fine to use AFTER your dog is completely reliable. Please note that if you are having any type of aggression or destructive behavior, a doggie door is not recommended as it gives your dog too much freedom.

How do I clean up an accident?
To do this you will use the stand and blot method. Translated this means either use a wad of paper towels or newspapers placed over the spot, and stand on them for about 30 seconds. Then dispose of the soiled papers and apply your enzyme cleaner. Let the enzyme cleaner soak in for about five minutes or whatever the label recommends. Then use the stand and blot method to soak up the excess moisture. For those solid accidents, just pick up that offending article and thoroughly scrub the area with the cleaner.

I have heard that you can teach your dog to go when you tell him. How do I teach him this?
This is called teaching your dog an elimination command. First choose one word or short phrase that you will always use when you want him to go. Good choices are "BETTER GO," "HURRY," "DO YOUR BUSINESS," "DO YOUR DUTY," OR "DUTY TIME." Pick something you will be comfortable saying in public because you will want to have your dog eliminate on command when you are away from home!

Once you have chosen a command, each time you take your dog out to do his business, AS HE IS ELIMINATING, say his command such as "HURRY UP" and praise him for doing so. Say the command several times AS HE IS GOING. Remember to give him a treat when he is finished.

It will take him about six to eight weeks of consistent work from you before he will start to recognize the command and actually eliminate when you say it.

Can I teach my dog to use only one area of the yard?
YES! This is called training your dog to use a target area.

A target area is a small portion of your yard in which you want your dog to always eliminate. About a six foot by six foot area is plenty big enough for one dog. A target area saves on your landscaping and you do not have to perform the "seek" method when you clean the yard. Also, your kids will appreciate not having land mines all over the place!

First pick a command word or short phrase that you will always use when you take him out here. Good target area commands are "OUTSIDE," "OUTHOUSE," "YARD" or anything else you wish.

Next, say the word as you are walking your dog out to his target area. Just make sure you are always using the same word as you help your dog motor to the target area. Praise him as he is motoring out there.

After about six to eight weeks of training this word, you can start to use it to direct your dog to his target area. Should he make a mistake in the house or in another part of the yard, just give him his target area command. Remember to always praise your dog for using the correct area in your yard.

Reminder: When using target areas, please make sure you keep the area clean. Some dogs will refuse to use a target area if it is dirty. Pick up the area at least every other day, or daily if you have multiple dogs.

How long can a dog "hold it?"
It depends upon how old they are! For young dogs, a good rule of thumb to remember is that your dog is able to hold elimination for as many hours as he is in months of age. If your dog is two months old, he can hold it for up to two hours maximum during the day if he is not active. If your puppy is active, he will have to go out more often. At night, most dogs can generally go longer. Most puppies by the time they are twelve weeks of age can sleep the entire night through without having to go out.

For full-grown dogs with no physical or separation anxiety problems, they should be able to go an eight-hour day without a problem, once you have put them on a regular schedule. Remember that a full-grown dog is at least eight to twelve months old.

I can’t possibly watch my young puppy all day! I have to run errands and work part time!
If you have a very young dog who is not old enough to hold it during your work day or perhaps he is too young to sleep through the night, then you need to provide a safe area big enough so he can eliminate in one corner and sleep in another part of that same area. Examples would be a portion of the kitchen blocked off with his crate placed in one corner, or an exercise pen placed in a tiled room.

To help with clean up when you return, you may line the area with newspaper before you leave. But as soon as you come home, all the paper gets taken up and you try to get your puppy out before any accidents happen

A better way to deal with leaving a young dog for long periods of time is to ask a neighbor, a friend, or hire someone to come once, twice or even three times during the day to let your puppy out. To ask a puppy to stay in a very small area for a long period of time, without the opportunity to eliminate, is actually going to work against your housetraining. Your puppy will be forced to eliminate and then lay in it. He will then develop unclean habits and not care about keeping himself and your house clean.

If you have a puppy that is eliminating in his crate, make sure he is number one, empty when you put him in it and number two, take him out more often. For dogs that really insist on soiling in the crate, you should take away all bedding as well. Please read the crate training literature for more information.

Crate training is a wonderful thing you can do for your canine and you!

Crates come in a variety of materials and sizes. Buy one large enough to accommodate an adult animal even if you have a puppy and simply section off the crate with cardboard boxes.

The crate should be located indoors in the most used room in the household.

For nighttime, the crate can be moved to a bedroom

Is there anything special I need to get before I start housetraining my dog?
Yes. You need to arm yourself with the proper equipment, so you are ready to deal with all the possible situations that may happen. Accidents will happen, but your main goal is to prevent them as much as possible.

Obtain the following items:
ENZYME CLEANER is used to clean up accidents. It is available at any pet supply store. Just make sure you get one specifically designed for urine/feces odors and stains. Do not use vinegar, club soda or ammonia to clean up accidents. These only draw your dog back to his mistake. You will want to make sure you clean up after EVERY ACCIDENT and use the enzyme cleaner in direct proportion to how large the accident was. If Fido urinated about one cup on the carpet, you need to pour at least one cup on that spot AFTER you have soaked up as much urine as you can.

PAPER TOWELS OR NEWSPAPERS. It is best to have a generous supply. These will be used to blot up the mess and the cleaner after it has done its job.

CONFINEMENT. Technically can be any place where you do not care if your dog makes a mistake. It is preferably someplace that is safe (meaning he can’t get into trouble by chewing up things like the carpet or electrical wires), is inside your house, and is small enough so he tries to hold eliminating until you let him out.

Dogs have a natural instinct not to soil near them or in the place where they sleep. That’s why crate training is so successful as a housebreaking aid. Some examples of confinement are: a crate just big enough for him to lay down and turn around in, a blocked off portion of the kitchen or another room, again just big enough to turn around and lay down, or a small bathroom.

So How Do I Start?
FIRST PUT YOUR DOG ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE. That means his meals, water, play, walking, and training times stay the same, even on the weekends! Your dog does not have an internal calendar telling him it’s Saturday, time to sleep late. But he does have an internal clock that is accurate up to 30 seconds within a 24-hour period! All he knows is for the past five days you have been getting up at 6:00 AM to take care of him! See the sample schedules at the end of this section.

Once your dog is reliable, you can start to vary the scheduled times slightly until you are back on "your" time.

FEED DEFINITE MEALS. Feed only a high quality, dry kibble at regularly scheduled times. Do not leave food down constantly for him to pick at (this is also called free feeding). You need to know when he has last eaten and how much he has eaten so you can time your potty breaks accordingly.

Water can be also offered at regular intervals for young puppies as well, rather than leaving it down continually, or it can be measured out so your dog doesn't gulp huge amounts. It should be offered more frequently on hot days and after exercising.

Remember to confine your dog when you cannot watch him!

So How Do I know when the Dog has to go out?
Try to plan ahead by knowing your own dog’s potty habits. Most young puppies will need to go out about twenty minutes after drinking a moderate amount of water; either right after or within twenty minutes of eating; after playing for any length of time; after chewing on a bone for a time; immediately upon waking in the morning or after a nap during the day. Your job is to learn when he needs to go so you can get your dog out to the correct area to eliminate before he has a mistake in the house.

Your dog will also try to tell you by communicating through his body language. Your dog will communicate this to you by sniffing at the ground suddenly, and sometimes frantically, circling in place, or stopping play all of a sudden for no apparent reason. Older dogs will often stand by the door leading outside for a few moments before they decide they really need to go and you are not coming to let them out.

Each dog is a little different in their body language when trying to tell you "Gotta Go," so get to know your dog’s communications cues so you can get him out on time. Prevention, not correction speeds up housetraining!

What Do I do when My Dog gets it right and Goes in the Correct Place?
Praise him generously as he is doing his business and give him a small treat within five seconds of him finishing. Then take him back inside the house and play with him for three to four minutes. Then allow him fifteen to twenty minutes of supervised freedom in your house. When you cannot watch him any longer, then put him in his confinement with a few toys to occupy himself with.

Do not shove your dog out the door and expect him to do his business on his own! You need to go with him to show him where and to make sure he actually does his business. He needs your help to learn housebreaking correctly! Try to always get your dog out before he needs to go. Do not wait until you see him starting to go in the house. Anticipate when he will need to go and get him out beforehand!

What do I do If My Dog starts to eliminate right in front of me?
Quickly stop him in the act by clapping your hands and urgently saying "OUTSIDE" to him. Then run with him directly outside to where you want him to go. Even if you have a small dog, do not carry him out. Use a leash to steer him out to his elimination area.

Do not scare the wits out of your dog as you are trying to stop him from eliminating in the house. If you do scare him you will only teach him that eliminating in the house is bad! If he gets this idea in his head, then you will start to see such behaviors as your dog sneaking off behind the couch or another room to eliminate.

Remember your unhousebroken dog should not be left loose in your house with you directly watching him. If you cannot watch him, put him in his confinement area.

Leaving a lightweight leash on your dog while going through the housebreaking phase can be of a great help to you. You can use it to gently guide your dog toward the door as you urgently say "OUTSIDE" and use it to help guide your dog to the target area quickly.

Give your dog no more than five minutes to finish his business outside. If he does finish outside, make sure you give him quiet praise as he is doing the act and very enthusiastic praise just as he is finished. His reward for finishing outside is that he gets to come back inside the house, and you will play with him for at least two minutes (he gets your attention for doing the correct thing) in addition to the fifteen minutes of SUPERVISED freedom.

Now if he does not finish outside, he needs to be put in his safe confinement for fifteen minutes and then you will take him back outside to try again. Repeat this cycle of confinement and outside until he finally goes.

A word of caution here. If you know our dog needs to go soon, DO NOT ALLOW A "LOADED" DOG LOOSE IN YOUR HOUSE. Just like a loaded gun left lying around, sooner or later it will go off! Your dog will learn faster if accidents are kept to a minimum. If he does make a mistake, look at it as the perfect opportunity to tell your dog, "No in the house, but here out in the target area!"

When he does finally go, after this cycle of confinement and target area, make sure you are praising quietly as he is doing his act and give enthusiastic praise when he is finished. Again, he comes back in the house for at least two minutes of SUPERVISED freedom.

I Just found a mess in the house. What do I do?
Just clean it up out of sight of our dog with the proper cleaners. It is water under the bridge at this point, there is nothing you can do about it except promise yourself you will supervise your dog much closer when he is loose in the house. DO NOT RUB YOUR DOG’S FACE IN IT. TAKE HIM BACK TO IT AND POINT AT IT. OR SWAT HIM WITH A ROLLED UP NEWSPAPER because the things you will be teaching him is that you are to be feared! Your dog needs to be CAUGHT IN THE ACT and immediately but calmly shown where he should be going.

RECOMMENDED READING:

How to Housebreak Your Dog in Seven Days
by Shirlee Kalstone
Bantam Books

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Miscellaneous Problems With Housetraining

http://www.ahimsarescuefoundation.org

Some problems that appear to be associated with housetraining are instead rooted in some other type of behavior problem. You need to know how to deal differently with the following two problems.

My dog wets the floor every time I come home at night!
This is called excitement urination. That means that when your dog is too excited he wets the floor. This is not a housetraining problem. It is a confidence problem. Some breeds are more prone to this type of problem than others. Do not punish your dog for this; it will only make it worse.

Most young dogs will grow out of this behavior provided you work on actively socializing your dog so he gains confidence. If you know what kinds of situations incite this behavior in your dog, the best thing to do is to try to avoid them or keep them very low-keyed. If Fido only wets when you come home at night (excitement) then try ignoring him for fifteen minutes when you first get home so he learns to calm down before you greet him. When you are ready to greet Fido, do it where it can be cleaned up easily such as on the kitchen floor or outside.

Sometimes he wets the floor when I yell at him too.
This is called SUBMISSIVE WETTING, or he becomes so frightened that he wets the floor. Try keeping your voice lower and softer. Or better yet, you, the owner, should learn proper training techniques so Fido does not become frightened of you.

If Fido is very fearful of other dogs or certain situations, then try using a very happy voice in those fearful situations and actively work on socializing him to those situations.

My dog pees on anything new that comes into the house, and when I try to walk him we never get very far since he is busy peeing on every bush!

This is called LEG LIFTING OR MARKING TERRITORY. This is an instinctive, normal doggie behavior in the wild, but leg lifting in your house is an attitude problem! Leg lifting is most common among un-altered males, over the age of seven months, or in the males who were neutered late in life. It literally means that Fido lifts his leg, pees, and usually it is directed onto something (it is not uncommon for very dominant males to urinate on their owner’s leg!). The amount of urine is usually quite small in comparison to the real urge to eliminate. It is an act of dominance because urinating on things in the dog kingdom means, "this is mine." Some dogs have an exaggerated ego and believe everything in the house, and down the street, are theirs too!

To remedy this situation, first have your dog neutered. That will reduce the urge to mark by about 50%. Secondly, you need to treat him like he is unhousebroken, in the sense that you need to supervise him closely!

In correcting leg lifting, you do want to be very stern when you catch him in the act! It is most helpful to keep a leash on Fido, even in the house, until you get this behavior under control. When he tries to urinated uninvited, pop the leash firmly while you tell him "OFF". Do not feel badly that you seem to be correcting a natural urge; remember he did not have to "go" in the strict sense of the word, he just felt like putting his mark on something or someone! He has a bad attitude and needs to be corrected about whose territory this is!

Your dog should not be walking down the street, peeing at every other step on your neighbor’s bushes. Besides being most rude to your neighbor’s landscaping, your dog is exhibiting dominant behavior. That needs to stop. Simply pop the leash and tell your dog "Lets’ go!" every time he tries to urinate uninvited. Please give him an opportunity to relieve himself at the beginning of your walk, but only when you tell him his elimination command. From then on the water works must be shut off for the duration of your walk.

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Submissive Urination

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WHAT IS SUBMISSIVE WETTING?
Just like people, dogs have different personalities and traits. Some dogs are bold and confident while others are shy and tentative and unsure. Sometimes these types of dogs urinate when approached by people or other dogs, when picked up, pushed or scolded, stared at or when someone bends over it and pets it. The submissive wetting dog is not deliberately misbehaving but he is responding due to excitement, apprehension or even fear. The dog is reacting on an emotional level to something in the immediate situation that produces extreme feelings of submission. It is a confidence problem. Submissive wetting can also occur when the dog becomes very excited, when first greeting his owners after a period of separation or when first welcoming guests into the household.

HOW DO I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT JUST A HOUSE TRAINING PROBLEM?
The key here is that submissive urination occurs when you or someone else or another dog is interacting with your dog, (such as petting, scolding, picking up, etc.). If it were a house training problem the dog would be urinating whether you are interacting with him or not. Submissive urination is usually small amounts, little squirts or tiny puddles. House training is usually large amounts that may be done when you are not watching the dog. The exception to this may be an un-neutered male dog who is marking territory (lifting his leg in the house, depositing small amounts of urine to say this is mine and this and this; again it may be done when the dog is out of sight and not interacting with you).

WHAT CAUSES THIS PROBLEM?
Some breeds are genetically predisposed toward submissive urination, such as Cocker Spaniels. Others develop it when they were not socialized well as young puppies to all different types of experiences, people and other dogs. If not socialized well enough, dogs become fearful and unsure. Some dogs develop it because they were severely or inappropriately punished. Some develop it when the owner unintentionally reinforces it (e.g. owner stops doing something to the dog or comforts/reassures it in response to urination). Puppies often will urinate when excited, but they can grow out of it with proper positive handling and training.

HOW CAN I HELP MY DOG WITH THIS PROBLEM?
TAKE YOUR DOG TO YOUR VETERINARY DOCTOR FOR A FULL MEDICAL CHECK UP. Some types of infections can cause a dog to lose his bladder easily and thus deposit small amounts of urine about the house. It is always very wise to have your veterinary doctor do a full medical check up to make sure something physically isn't causing the problem.

DO NOT BECOME ANGRY OR PUNISH YOUR DOG FOR WETTING.
This will only erode your dog’s confidence and increase the frequency of wetting. Submissive wetting is not a punishable offense. Remember that it is an involuntary response to a situation, person or another dog. He is not doing it to "get even" with you or to annoy you. Be calm and do not yell. Simply ignore your dog for two or three minutes if he piddles; stop all petting, eye contact and verbal contact.

IDENTIFY ALL SITUATIONS THAT YOUR DOG WETS IN.
Is it when you first come home or when a guest comes into the household? Is it when you scold him for something, call him to you, or when you pick him up? Write down all situations in which he has submissively wetted so you know what you will have to work on.

SET UP SITUATIONS SO THAT YOU DOG HAS SUCCESS IN NOT WETTING.
For instance, if when you first come home at night and your dog is so excited, that he piddles on the floor, try ignoring your pet the first 20 minutes when you come home until he is calmer. When you go to greet him, keep it cool and low key. Try squatting down and petting under his chin (rather than the top of head) as you avoid eye contact with him. Have your guests do the same thing when they greet your dog, but only after they have been at your house for 20 minutes.

If your dog wets when you approach him, do not approach him. Instead crouch down and turn your side to the dog. Let your dog approach you. If the dog appears calm, pet him lightly under the chin. If petting produces wetting, then stop it but try it again in a few days.

Avoid talking to your dog in the situations that produce urination. As your dog’s confidence builds, you can begin to add words spoken in a gentle, soft tone. After a few days of this routine, ask the dog to sit using a food treat and then softly praise him for doing so. If this stimulates wetting, withhold it for a few days and then try it again.

Run through situational training at least several times a day. For instance, if your homecoming produces submissive urination, follow the above outline described, then go out and come in immediately again. Then do it again and again. This desensitization should help eliminate the behavior over a period of time. As your dog gains confidence, see if you can approach him in a standing position instead of a crouch. Let the dog’s reactions tell you how to behave. If you see the telltale squat start in the back, than back off a step and start over until you can again proceed.

Involve others in the program. Have family members or friends go through he same routine as described above. When several others have gone through it with your dog, it will greatly benefit the permanence of the correction. If backsliding occurs, just start over again at the beginning. Above all, be patient and understanding. Your dog can sense your mood and will react to it accordingly.

Another option is to teach your dog to come to you willingly with a food treat. When allowed to approach happily on their own, most dogs switch from fear to happiness thus avoiding the wetting. Your dog should never be punished for coming to you when called. This will only teach him to avoid doing the command, or he may start submissively wetting when completing the command as he thinks he may be punished for doing so.

While you are working on this problem, it makes sense to keep or greet your dog in the kitchen so you can clean up easily should he piddle. Don’t baby your dog should he wet. This will only reinforce it.

ABSOLUTELY NO PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT FOR ANY TYPE OF PROBLEM THE DOG MAY BE HAVING.

Punishment for this type of dog should be kept very low keyed (such as a single firm verbal "NO"). Management of your dog is of key importance so he does not get into trouble; so you do not have to punish or scold. Set the dog up for success, not failure.

GET YOUR DOG INTO A POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM.
This type of dog needs confidence building and a good training program will teach you to communicate effectively with your dog so he understands what is expected of him. A submissive dog needs a training program that uses lots of food, toys and praise to teach him. Stay away from any program that encourages you to strike, swat, push at or shake, throw things at or jerk him on the leash. These are all outdated, ineffective training methods that will continue to erode his confidence.

BE CONSISTENT.
Be consistent in your expectations for the dog. Always treat him fairly. Develop household rules that the whole family understands and enforces. This will help with the dog’s confidence as he will understand what is expected of him, since it stays the same day by day.

PUT HIM ON A SCHEDULE.
Submissive dogs are greatly comforted if decisions are made for them. Put him on a regular schedule of feeding, walking, exercising, playing and sleeping.

CRATE TRAIN YOUR DOG.
Crate training gives a dog his own special room in which he feels comfortable and safe. Crate training helps prevent many of the things that cause us to become angry. When crated, the dog can’t chew or mess the house, sleep on the furniture, etc.

House Training	Defacating in the House	Dogs Urinating in the Home	Tips for Housebreaking puppies
	Submissive Urination	Puppy Won't Poop Outside	How to Know when Your Puppy Has to Poop

House Training Your Dog

Why is my dog urine marking in the house?

House Training - The Modern Way

Getting Started and Housetraining Your Puppy

Housetraining

Miscellaneous Problems With Housetraining

Submissive Urination