Housetraining problems

Are you having problems with housetraining or is your dog trained but having accidents? Follow our simple steps to get back on track again. 1. Clean up Clean all areas where your dog has soiled inside the home, using odour and stain-removing products that contain enzymes to remove all traces of the smell. This will discourage them from using the same spot again. 2 Take her outside Once an hour during the day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night, take your dog outside to an area of the garden you’ve set aside for toileting and let her run up and down and sniff the area. Even better, put down some of her faeces or soiled newspaper so she gets the scent and starts to associate the area with toileting. Wait at least five minutes for her to go and use a verbal command such as ‘wees and poos’ so that she starts to connect the act with the command. if she goes outside, praise her enthusiastically, offering a small treat if necessary. 3 Confine her when unsupervised When you can’t supervise her, you need to go out somewhere or during the night, confine her to bed in a small area, for example, by using a cage (if she’s never been in one, you’ll need to get her used to it first, by building up the amount of time she spends in it). Dogs rarely soil their own beds so it will prevent her from ‘going’ in the house when you can’t be there to take her out frequently. But don’t confine her for long periods during the day if at all possible. 4 If she starts to go Specific signals that a dog is about to urinate or poo include running to the door, whining, restlessness, circling or sniffing the floor. Take her outside immediately to the chosen place and praise her with a treat or favourite toy. Wait until she’s done her business and praise her again. 5 Dealing with mess Scolding your dog after the incident won’t mean anything to her. Essentially, any accidents are your fault as it means you weren’t supervising closely enough. You need to keep this close supervision up for about two weeks, when you can gradually lengthen the amount of time between toilet breaks. If you catch your dog in the act, say ‘No’ sharply and put her outside quickly, again, praising her if she finishes off her business outside. BOX When to expect lapses… • When another pet arrives • Change of primary carer • Sudden household activity eg party • Reaching sexual maturity (six-18 months, depending on breed) • Emotional upset in the family • If she develops a medical problem eg urinary infection (see the vet if none of the above apply) 6 Coping at night  Put your dog’s bed near your bedroom so you can hear if she becomes restless or whines to go out. Then you can put her outside, avoiding the possibility that she might mess in her bed (not a good habit to start!). Remember, you should only need to do this for a couple of weeks! 7 Leaving her on her own Don’t confine your dog to her bed if you’re going out for more than two hours as it’s unfair to make her wait that long for the loo and she could end up soiling her bed, a habit not to be encouraged. Instead, put training pads and/or newspaper down in one area for her to use if necessary and don’t scold her if she does then use them! Glossary Training pad – an absorbent, waterproof-backed sheet that can be laid on the floor for your dog to wee on and thrown away after use. Available through pet stores and some vets. Cage – a self-contained pet cage with a wipe-clean base that can be used as a safe sleeping area for your puppy. Available through pet stores in various sizes to suit different size breeds. Can also be used to transport dogs safely in cars when travelling.