Spring is here and so are puppies. By early summer the phone will ring off the hook with distraught puppy owners concerned about their defective puppy who insists upon pooping in the house. (I have met puppies who have cleverly matched their poop with the color of the carpet and always strategically located.)
According to studies done by shelters and pounds the #1 reason why owners surrender their dogs is due to house soiling problems. But this need not be!

Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not normally prefer carpeting to the great out doors. They simply don't care. To the dog elimination is a reward unto it's self. So what difference does it make where it "goes". It is a matter of convenience. If on the other hand a reward is presented each time the dog eliminates in a certain location...

(I must confess, what I am about to share with you is certainly not original but rather the modified ideas from trainers and dog physiologist much wiser than myself such as Dr. Ian Dunbar, Dr. Roger Abrantes and the late John Fisher, through who's lectures and seminars I have gratefully gleaned.)

This highly technical method is fool proof and with slight modifications can be used when training puppies as well as dogs of all breeds and back rounds. O.K. get out that highlighter, (I'll try and write slow so I don't loose anyone).
1. confine your dog
2. take him out every hour
3. give three food treats when he does go potty in the appropriate location Everyone still with me?

Lets face it I can give you a lot of mumbo jumbo about behavioral responses, demographics and cues, requiring time, tools and barricades, but the truth of the matter is that house breaking a dog is simple but (yes, here's the catch) it does require consistency. The beauty of this is either you consistently potty train your dog or you consistently confine him to an area you prefer him to eliminate. Either way you are accomplishing your objective; HE'S NOT POOPING OR PEEING IN YOUR HOUSE! It's not terribly time consuming, and every member of the household can and should participate.

Allow me to elaborate:
Step 1

confine the dog
This means don't let the dog have run of the house. Eventually a dog can earn his freedom to a larger and larger territory of the home but for right now he is being taught to do a certain natural act on command.

Keep the dog with you, or assign shifts for dog-sitting with other members of your house hold. There are many ways to do this. One common way is umbilical training. Put the dog on leash and tie it to your belt loop. This is a confined and supervised area. The average dog with the umbilical method is potty trained in three days.

Close supervision is your preventive medicine against a sneek attack. Dogs generally prefer to eliminate away from where they eat, drink, play or sleep. Many dogs will display behavior such as circling, sniffing, nervous behavior, tail held up and out or back slightly arched prior to elimination which can be easily identified when it's happening right in front of you.

Many owners make the common mistake of letting their dog out of their sight before a consistent pattern of potty training has been established. Others actually think their dog will teach themselves to go outside or at least have the courtesy of asking to be let out. After a couple of mistakes the dog has trained you to become a poopy detective as well as an expert carpet stain and odor remover. If the dog eliminates in the house, even once, the dog is not house broken. It is up to the owner to see to it that the opportunity does not present itself.

Another way to confine the dog is by using a crate. This is not a punishment. It is a man-made simulation of a natural den.

Dogs aren't as unhappy to be in the crate as much as they are to be away from their owner. Make the crate an interesting place. It is not jail for hours on end. It is a place of confinement for an hour at a time while in the house during potty training. So give your dog his favorite chew toy or stuffed Kong or something mentally stimulating and time consuming.

Step 2

take him out every hour
This is rather self explanatory. With or without indication from the dog, take him out every hour, during potty training. Don't hold a conversation with him and for goodness sakes don't take him out to play. This is potty training. Take him out to a location of your yard, balcony, wee wee pad, or whatever and give your dog a verbal association, such as "Go Potty". You hang out saying "Go Potty" for five minutes or so and if he doesn't, come quietly back into the house. If he does eliminate, repeat your "Go Potty" praise while in the act of elimination. This will help him to associate your verbalization with his action.

Step 3
give three food treats when he does go potty in the appropriate location
As soon as he has eliminated (not 2 minutes later) give three liver treats or something he really loves and a great deal of Yahoos! This is his moment of glory and your moment of victory! You have defied the odds and your dog has a new hope. But this is only the beginning. Your dog must consistently repeat this pattern for at least three days. After three successful days of potty training, with no accidents in the house, you will have taught your dog that eliminating on command is an interesting concept.

When you have had three successful days of potty training you can relax a little allowing your dog more freedom in your home. It's too soon to allowed him free rein of the house, so keep an eye on him. Instead of taking him out every hour you can take him out every two hours, or when you feel it's probably time for your dog to 'go'. Your dog may even begin to communicate to you requesting to be let out but remember he is not always a reliable source. Like children, dogs get busy and... well,... "forget". Its your job as the "Mommy" (or "Daddy") to take them out and remind them that it is time to "Go Potty".

Placing your dog on a feeding schedule is also very helpful. Watch your dog's habits. If he eats at a certain time every day he will most likely need to relieve himself at a certain time every day. Do the same with his water intake. Keep track of when he drinks and when he urinates.

I managed not rolling my chair over my dogs but they have snuck off somewhere. They are undoubtedly reeking havoc in some other part of the house. I know how they think, it's scary! But praise God, They Are "Potty" Trained!

Copyright © Judy Guile
Visit Judy at www.aDogForYou.com