House training (aka: potty training)
The house training of a new puppy or dog is a top priority for most people. A variety of factors can influence how easy or difficult this process is, how quickly or slowly results are achieved, and how reliable a dog’s training ultimately is. When I was a child, we had a family dog that was never really reliable in the house. There were several factors that contributed to his problem, not the least of which was that he was never neutered (male dogs do feel a compulsion to “mark” with urine.) But the most important factor that I’ve been able to identify was that he was never properly house trained to begin with. My family simply didn’t know how to effectively do the job. I’m sure my parents practiced all the “wisdom” of that time period, such as punishing him when he went potty in the house and simply expecting him to understand where he should be going. I’m sure they got angry and thought he was being naughty, stubborn or stupid when he relieved himself in the house. For his entire life, he had to be locked onto the service porch at night or when we left the house because he would relieve himself in the house if we weren’t there to watch him; this was in spite of the fact that our house had a doggie door. My parents remember him as a “bad dog.” I look back and feel sorry for how we failed him. Ironically, his habit of sneaking off and relieving himself when nobody was looking was actually created by us. Since he was punished when he relieved himself (in the house) front of people, he drew the logical conclusion that it was okay to go if nobody was looking. WE assumed that knew we he wasn’t supposed to go in the house because we punished him for the act when we saw him. But truthfully, what he learned from our actions was determined by HIS view of the world, not ours. We expected him to share our view of the world, in spite of the fact that he was a dog, not a person. I now know that it was the combination of our lack of understanding, our unrealistic expectations, and our use of punishment that caused him to be unreliable. We could have gotten the job done right if we’d focused on teaching him what we wanted him to do, by using a system of rewards for his right choices, as well as carefully supervising and managing him until he was truly reliable. Instead, we set him up to fail and then blamed him for his failings.
There are many things that make housetraining a challenge. Sometimes dogs have been unintentionally taught (as my dog was,) to sneak away and go potty when they think no one is looking. Some very tiny dogs make such small messes that people are unaware that they have a problem until the dog has been urinating in the house for quite some time. Male dogs can be inclined to mark things, even after they’ve been neutered. Even dogs with good elimination habits can be hesitant to go outside to relieve themselves when the weather is inclimate or if there is something unusual happening (like construction work or gardeners using loud equipment) which scares or intimidates them. Often they will hold it as long as they can and then relieve finally relieve themselves in the house when they can hold it no longer. And some dogs seem to really prefer to go on carpet. Why they do this is up for debate, but the absorbent properties of carpet probably partially account for why they find this desirable.
The bottom line is, for most dogs there is no natural or intrinsic desire to wait until they go outside to go potty, and our desire to have this happen is completely foreign to them. They simply have different set of sensibilities to our own. Most of us live in rather large homes (certainly from a dog’s point of view) and as long the dog is able to eliminate some distance from his eating and sleeping area, he will usually satisfied with the arrangement. As such, when we teach them not to eliminate in the house, we’re actually teaching them to adapt their behavior patterns to suit our sensibilities and ideals. When you understand this, you learn to appreciate just how wonderful it is that they can be housetrained, and you recognize that they when they don’t get it right it’s not because they are naughty or stupid or stubborn, but rather it's because they haven’t yet been properly taught; they don't yet truly understand how to "get it right."
There are several options to explore when house training a dog. Dogs can be taught to eliminate on command, they can be taught to use a pee-pad or a potty box, or they can be taught to ring a bell to alert you that they need to go outside. Crate training can be helpful when house training a dog, as can the use of an exercise pen. Certainly some type of management strategy is necessary until the dog is thoroughly trained. Dogs can be taught to use a doggie door, although it’s important to note that just knowing that they have access to the outside doesn’t mean a dog will use that option if they haven't been properly trained.
No matter which option you choose, the key to success will always lie in your willingness to stay diligent and consistent, and in remembering that the responsibility for teaching your dog what he needs to know resides with you. If your dog is struggling with the concept don’t get angry and blame him; realize that he is trying to grasp an idea which is foreign to him, and re-evaluate what you are doing to help him understand. Stay patient and positive. Perhaps most of all, remember that house training a dog (actually, teaching a dog anything,) is best achieved when you have a clear, solid plan; using positive, reward-based methods that make your dog feel good about learning. And if you need help, call the dog trainer!
Copyright © 2011 Kim Rinehardt. Ain't Misbehavin' K9
