help wanted with house training dog!

Kimberley

sticher wrote:

I agree with everything JennyW says. Rubbiing a dogs nose in its mess teaches it nothing really

Good luck!

Well it does it teaches them to be aggressive :rolleyes: You wouldn't rub a toddlers nose in it would you? so yes i agree with ya

Justie

skyrocket wrote:

thanks everyone for your advice!
i haven't been 'rubbing his nose in it' as i think it's very cruel and also who wants to stroke a dogs face thats covered in wee!
what i have been doing is not making much of a fuss and just clearing it up. i know i need to keep a look out and keep offering him the chance to go out.
the other night though he came in from the garden and did his business in the kitchen!
i will just have to keep persevering!
xx

you'll probably need to go out with him at this stage to see if he does his business or not - it's a bit of a pain but shoudln't last long.

Nenen

One thing you can do at night (or if you have to leave the dog alone if you go out) is to confine your dog to its bed (either by tethering it using a lead attached to a hook in the wall next to its bed or having a proper dog cage with a comfortable bed inside indoors). Dogs will not soil their own bed or the immediate area surrounding it. Obviously you must ensure the dog is comfortable, not in direct sunlight and has constant access to water etc.

Then when you come downstairs in the morning you open the outside door (before letting the dog out so it doesn't have a chance to soil indoors while you are struggling to open the door) and then take the dog straight outside where it is almost bound to go almost immediately and (as already said) you can give loads of praise.
HTH

sharronloves2spend

okay this advice comes from one of my good friends who work for the RSPCA and who also owns three dogs four cats and numerous other animals.
Firstly even though your dog is 7, traet toilet training as though hes a puppy, cos you are starting from scratch
Secondly look for signs that he needs to eliminate i.e after meals, after a period of activity
Thirdly go and stand with your dog and tell him "toilet" stand for about 10 mins and dont just leave him there on his own or hell have a negative association with going outside, dont interact with him apart from to tell him toilet" Do this every half hour or so and as soon as he does something say"good boy toilet" whilst hes doin the deed then bring him straight in the house, Its actually easier in winter cos the dog doesnt want to be out in the cold he'll know the sooner he goes the sooner he gets back in.
And if you catch him in the act in the house say a firm "no" and take him to where you want him to do it.
If he does do it and youve not noticed just clear it up without any fuss and try and keep an eye on him! We got a little staffie before christmas (from my lovely friend!!at the rspca) and it took us 8 days to house break her so good luck!!! One final note male dogs sometimes pee to mark their terriotry so get him castrated if hes not already!

MissMoneypenny

sharronloves2spend wrote:

Thirdly go and stand with your dog and tell him "toilet" stand for about 10 mins and dont just leave him there on his own or hell have a negative association with going outside, dont interact with him apart from to tell him toilet" Do this every half hour or so and as soon as he does something say"good boy toilet" whilst hes doin the deed then bring him straight in the house, Its actually easier in winter cos the dog doesnt want to be out in the cold he'll know the sooner he goes the sooner he gets back in. And if you catch him in the act in the house say a firm "no" and take him to where you want him to do it.

I'm going to disagree with this bit of the post. I am a dog trainer and competed at the top level with my dogs (just so you know where I am coming from). Don't keep saying "toilet" (or whatever word you are going to use) until the dog knows what the command means. When you teach a dog, it is pointless saying the command until the dog is doing what you want, so that they can learn to associate the command with the action you want. As others have said on this forum, go outside with the dog and when it finally starts to wee or mess, keep saying your chosen word in a pleasant voice and "good dog". As someone suggested, when the dog has finished you could give him a small tasty tipbit. Eventually you will be able to say to your dog "go and (your word).

Don't say "no" to the dog when it has an accident in the house. Putting it bluntly, if the dog messes or wees in the house, it is your fault for not noticing that the dog wanted to go. No is a very negative word when you want to train a dog to have positive experiences (in this case, weeing outside and not in the house). It is not unknown for dogs to eat their own mess or wee because they worried what their owners will say or do.

I use the word "quickly" for my dogs. Don't be worried about accidentally using your chosen word. Dogs learn to go outside in the garden, because that is where they get praised for doing it.

It's great having a word for the dogs to 'empty' on, as when you go out or go to bed they know that they have best squeeze one out (just like we do when we go out). My last dog was house trained in 2 days, but she was a puppy. You will get there with your dog, but it will take longer.

Try to watch him all the time to avoid accidents in the house, as every time you can get him to empty outside it will be a positive experience for him (because you will reward him with praise or food (or both).

competitionscafe

This is from a (US) vets website and applies more to puppies than adult dogs, but might help?:
http://www.placervillevet.com/puppy_care_and_training.htm

jameshayden

Hey, I'm wanting to push my dog forward in her training. She's doing pretty good, !!!!ing/pooping outside when we take her out...!!!!ing on her paper in the house when she needs to go, she got the whole sit/lay down thing...course she regresses a bit now and then but she's only 3 and a half months old. I'd really like to speed up the whole 'only peeing outside and not needing paper' thing too.

http://dogs.about.com/od/trainingandbehaviour/a/training_index.htm

Savvy_Sue

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Emmabeth

Think about what you want to achieve, positively.

Not what you DONT want, never focus on what you dont want... just on what you do want.

So, you want your dog to promptly toiilet outside when you are there to see he goes (so you know hes been).

So you have to be there outside with him. So that means he needs to associate you + outside + going, with good things. (hence other peoples comments about treating him for going outside).

You do not want him to think your presence + going = being told off, so dont let that situation occur, if he goes in the wrong place, mentally chastise yourself for letting him make that mistake.

Rubbing noses in it, yelling at dogs when you catch them, all just leads to them avoiding that punishment, NOT learning the right things (so thats why you find dogs who eat their mess, hide it under stuff, sneak off behind the sofa to do it etc).

Spudnik_2

Just deleted a page-long post on house training after realising the date of the OP. *doh*

EDIT: stuff it, I'll put it back, seen the other poster that wanted housetraining info so some of it might (or might not!) be relevant:

Nenen wrote: »

One thing you can do at night (or if you have to leave the dog alone if you go out) is to confine your dog to its bed (either by tethering it using a lead attached to a hook in the wall next to its bed or having a proper dog cage with a comfortable bed inside indoors). Dogs will not soil their own bed or the immediate area surrounding it. Obviously you must ensure the dog is comfortable, not in direct sunlight and has constant access to water etc.

Crate training a dog is very effective due to the reasons stated - as den animals, dogs are generally reluctant to soil their bedding. However, I would not recommend tethering the dog to the bed. If something startles the dog, or he just makes a wrong move, he could end up getting caught and choking. I do agree on all other points though - the dog must be comfortable and have a plentiful supply of water. Also, as dogs are reluctant to soil their bedding, this is even more of a reason to take your new pup out as often as possible until you're making more progress with the house training - it's unfair to confine your dog if he's going to need to relieve himself before he has chance to go out.

Crate training is generally easier than paper training, and has added benefits such as giving your dog a safe, familiar haven from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Having said that, if your dog is 7 years old and has never been crated before it might be a little difficult (although wholly achievable)!

The first thing you should do is rule out any medical conditions that may be causing your dog to urinate frequently - given that he was an outdoor dog, it's likely to just be a behavioural issue, but (assuming that you haven't already) I'd highly recommend getting the all-clear. Apart from that, take him out frequently - about 15 minutes after having water and 30 minutes or so after food, immediately after he wakes up, right before bed and whenever you think that he might need to go inbetween. Look for signs like circling, pawing at the ground, pacing, restlessness. Unfortunately the first two are also often performed before a dog settles down, but there's nothing wrong with being extra vigilant.

When you take him out, stay out for as long as it takes. Particularly before bed time! If he does 'do his business' out there, treat him like he's just excreted a £50 note - lots of praise. If you want a command (it's handy!), repeat it as he's doing the deed (say something like: "Toilet! Good boy toilet!"), then lots of praise and treats afterwards. Eventually he'll come to associate the command with the activity, and it's all fun from there!

You seem to be doing the right thing - if he does mess indoors and you catch him in the act, obviously don't praise him but don't reprimand him either. Don't make a fuss, just take him outside immediately and praise him if he finishes up in the right place. Removing the odour is very important too... but I think you're doing all of this already. :T

Good luck!