Toilet train your puppy
Toilet training a puppy seems to present all sorts of problems to dog owners. Here are some points to be aware of before you start:
Young pups are not physically developed to go for long periods without toileting.
Dogs are creatures of habit - they tend to “perform” in the same place over and over again.
Paper training is ineffective since you teach your dog that it is acceptable to go in the house (on the paper) and then try to change this behaviour at a later date.
Punishment does not work. If you punish a young pup for going in the wrong place, you may teach it to fear you. This could result in a dog that simply will not “go” when you are close by, but will happily “perform” on the best carpet when left alone.
If you scold or punish, he soon learns it is not safe to “go” in your presence - this leaves you with a pup that will happily toilet behind the couch, under the dining room table, in the spare room - anywhere but in your presence!
An effective programme
The key features of this programme are: 1. Consistency
2. Patience
3. Reinforcement and reward 4. Observation
The programme requires you to take your pup out to where you want him to perform:
1. When he wakes up
2. When he starts to move about after resting
3. After he drinks or eats
4. After play or exercise
5. If he sniffs the ground and/ or circles 6. If he becomes excited, e.g. when visitors call
7. AND every half hour.
This means that you will be taking the pup out many times during each day. If he “performs”, you must reward him with treats, play and praise. On those occasions when he does not “perform”, let him return quietly indoors. This is not a waste of time, simply a way of making sure that he is in the right place when he needs to be.
The pup will soon start to move towards the door when he needs to toilet - so watch carefully and be sure to reward him well for “telling” you.
You can encourage the pup to perform by tossing a few pieces of food near the place you want him to use as a toilet. Sniffing for the food will often trigger him to go. You may think this is a lot of work, but you will reap the benefits very quickly. As your pup becomes more predictable in its behaviour, you should give him a signal (e.g. “busy”, “let’s go pee pee”, “hurry up”, or “be quick”) that can be used as a cue to perform when he is older and has more physical control.
If you are feeding your pup regularly, you will soon pick up on his toilet pattern. So observe your pup carefully and adjust your programme accordingly. Under no circumstances should you ever punish or scold your pup.
Cleaning away the accidents
Do not use any cleaning agent that contains ammonia or bleach, as this will not remove the smell of uric acid. In fact, it will add to it. This will attract the puppy back to the same spot, and the smell will stimulate a dog. There are specific products available from your vet or pet store, or you can use biological soap powder or warm water with vinegar.
For more information, contact George van Huyssteen via e-mail at George@ rehabdogworks.com or visit his Facebook page “rehabdogworks”. Van Huyssteen is a qualified animal behaviour consultant.