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A newsletter dedicated to preserving the human-animal bond through behavior counseling.
January 2009
Volume 2, Issue 1
HAPPY 2009!
I hope everybody had a wonderful 2008 and that 2009 is even better! I received a lot of great feedback about Pet Peeves Periodical last year. With all of the positive feedback, I will continue to produce this newsletter dedicated to common animal behavior problems. If there is a topic you would like to learn more about, please don’t hesitate to inform one of the JAMC staff. This newsletter is for you, and I want to make sure you get the information you desire. With that in mind, normally I do one dog and one cat topic for each newsletter. Since there have been numerous questions coming in regarding housetraining, crate training, and the unpleasantness of poop eating, I’m going to dedicate this edition to our canine friends. These matters will be addressed with hopefully some solutions you can utilize. I hope your 2009 is safe and happy!!
Sincerely,
Amanda Henry, CVT
TO CAGE OR NOT TO CAGE?
A GUIDE TO CRATE TRAINING
Many
people regard crate training as cruel. In actuality, teaching your dog to enjoy
a crate can be very rewarding for both you and your dog. There are many
situations, besides housetraining, in which a crate can be used. A crate can be
used to provide safety and security, be a crucial training aid, help in
preventing damage to your house and your puppy, and can also be useful while
traveling.
When trying to housetrain a puppy, a crate can be extremely beneficial. Most dogs do not eliminate where they sleep. If you control where your puppy sleeps, they have no chance to get away from you to have an “accident” in the house.
A crate can be used to curb unwanted behaviors like destructiveness, digging, garbage raiding, and escape behavior. Most of these behaviors occur when they are unsupervised, so placing them in a crate will keep them from getting into trouble. Also, a crate can become a safe haven for your pet. Most dogs will use it for napping, relaxing, and a place to just get away.
Choosing an appropriately sized crate is the key to successful crate training. You want it just big enough for your dog to stand up and turn around in. If your dog has too much room where he can eliminate in one end and sleep in the other, crate training will be ineffective. You also want to make sure your dog is not left in the crate for any longer than he can hold his bladder or bowels. This is especially important for puppies.
Since dogs are social animals, you will want to place your crate in an area frequented by the family. Either a living room or a bedroom shared with a family member is ideal, particularly for the initial training phase. You may also need to play some white noise in the background for comforting measures. Either a television or radio is most commonly used.
For initial training, you will want to use the crate when the puppy is tired. Training after times of play and exercise are easiest. You also want to make sure the dog has eliminated prior to being kenneled. Throwing treats into the crate throughout the day gets your dog used to going in without being forced into it. Don’t close the door behind them initially. Let them get used to it first, then close the door for a few seconds and gradually lengthen the time the door is closed. You also will want to say a command every time the puppy goes into the kennel. I use “kennel up” to get my dogs to go into theirs. You may also feed your dog’s meals in the crate, with the door open. This is just another way to show your dog that good things come while in the crate. Make all interactions with and around the crate positive ones. This greatly decreases any anxiety felt by your dog.
The most important rule when it comes to crate training is to never let your dog out while it is crying or scratching. If you do this, you have just given your dog what she wants, and will know to do the same thing next time. You must wait until your dog is quiet to let her out. If your dog is being persistent, you can attempt to distract with a shaker can (a can with some pennies in it) or squirt gun. You want to make sure your dog doesn’t see you do this, though. When the vocalization or scratching has stopped, you may reward them with release.
Crate training can be an extremely useful tool. You don’t have to worry where your dog is or what kind of trouble he’s getting into while he is crated. It allows your dog a safe place to retreat, as well as giving you a well deserved break.
THE
“ACCIDENT” PRONE POOCH
HOUSETRAINING TECHNIQUES FOR YOUR PUPPY
Trying to get your puppy housetrained can either be very easy or extremely difficult. Every dog learns differently, and you will never know how quickly your dog will pick up this task until you get her home. There are many things you can do to hopefully make this potty training mission a not so daunting one.
The most important thing to remember while housetraining your puppy is to have consistency and plenty of patience. You need to make sure every member in the household is training in the same manner so that your puppy does not become confused. Developing a schedule is also ideal in getting a reliably housetrained dog.
Knowing when to take your dog out can solve some problems very easily. Young puppies need to be taken outside every one to two hours when they are awake. After eating, drinking, sleeping, and prior to confinement are all very important times to remember to take the puppy outside. Most people don’t think about it, but taking your puppy out during and after times of play is extremely important as well. Play time gets everything going inside, and puppies don’t want to have to stop playing to go potty. Interrupting play every 15-20 minutes to take them out before they can have an accident is best.
Quite a few people have a problem housetraining because they free feed their dogs. Free feed means that food is available at all times. When food is kept out for your dog, this means they can eat whenever they want. When they do this it is very hard to figure out when they are going to have to defecate. When an animal is fed meals, it can be two to three times a day at consistent times every day, you can usually figure out when you dog is going to have to go outside. Most puppies eliminate within a half hour of eating. As a side note, meal feeding also decreases the risk of obesity in your dog.
You must set your puppy up for success to have positive results. This means your puppy must be supervised at all times while housetraining. When your puppy can’t be supervised 100% of the time it must be in a confinement area or a crate. Crate training is very beneficial while trying to housebreak your dog, and is a separate area of discussion that will be talked about in a different article. Something called tethering is also very useful. This entails securing a line or leash to yourself and to your dog. This keeps the dog from being able to go into a different room without you knowing about it. When you know where your puppy is at all times, they don’t have the option to run off and go potty without you knowing about it, and also gives you the chance to learn their “potty” cues.
When it is time to take your puppy outside to go potty, you must go outside with him and take treats with you, as well. Take him to the desired potty area and wait with him until he has eliminated. Do not interact with your puppy while waiting, this could encourage play. Play time comes after elimination has occurred. When your puppy does go potty, it is very important that you give lots of praise and this is the time to give the wonderful food treat, too. A reward is only good if it is given within one to two seconds of the desired behavior. Don’t wait to give the treat until you have gone in the house. If you do, you have just rewarded coming into the house, not going potty outside!
Now the inevitable is going to happen. What do you do if your puppy does have an accident in the house? It differs depending on if you catch her in the act or if you just come across a mess. Unfortunately, if you don’t catch her in the act of going potty, there is little you can do. You have missed a training opportunity and need to clean up the mess. Don’t rub your dog’s nose in it. This will just increase her anxiety level and she will not know why she is being punished. As previously stated, a puppy only has an attention span of one to two seconds, so she won’t know why she’s getting punished. Catching her in the act is a different story. Make a noise or clap your hands to get her attention and distract her, and immediately get her outside. If she finishes outside, do the usual praise and treats.
Some things to keep in mind while housetraining your puppy. Puppies don’t have full bladder capacity until about four months of age, so you will probably have to take your puppy out in the middle of the night to prevent any accidents. It may be beneficial to pick up the water dish about an hour before bedtime. Also, if your dog seems to urinate more frequently than you think is necessary, or is having difficulty urinating, there may be a urine infection of some sorts going on. Make sure you take your dog to your veterinarian immediately. A puppy with a medical condition, like a bladder infection, is near impossible to housetrain!
May these ideas bring you success in your potty training endeavors! Keep in mind that a puppy is not considered housetrained until it has had a minimum of four weeks without any accidents. Also, when a puppy hits adolescence, a lot of training goes right out the window. If this happens to you, just have patience and start from the beginning. They usually catch on quicker the second time around.
THE NOT SO TASTY TREAT – IN OUR MIND ANYWAY
Lately it seems we’ve been getting a number of people saying their dog is eating either their own poop or the poop of other canine family members. Poop eating, or coprophagia, is one of the most disgusting habits that our canine friends can develop, and unfortunately one that has no easy fix.
Why do dogs eat poop? Well, the researchers don’t have any really good responses to that question. It can be anxiety related, an exploratory behavior in puppies, an attention seeking behavior, or it can be used as an outlet for a decreased exercise regimen. Some people say it can be diet related, that the dog isn’t getting enough nutrients, but this is very rarely the case. There are some medical conditions that can cause coprophagia, but are not very common. If this is an ongoing problem, it could be beneficial to have a complete work up done by your veterinarian to rule out any medical complications.
There are aversives that can be given with food to keep your dog from ingesting feces. Some people have success, while in my experience, the majority do not. These products are available through your veterinarian or at pet stores. They are fed to the dog whose poop is being eaten. Some people have had limited success with feeding pineapple. This is also given to the animal whose feces are being ingested. You may also put substances like cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce directly on the feces to make it taste bad. This has to be done consistently, though. Usually the dog can detect by smell which samples have the bad tasting substance and will avoid that sample.
A remote citronella spray collar or throwing a shake can near your dog may be beneficial in getting your dog’s attention when attempting to eat the undesirable material. Again consistency is crucial. If you are effective in getting their attention, reward them with an appropriate treat for leaving the undesirable “treat” alone.
The best way to manage coprophagia is keeping your yard free of feces. This means going out with your dog and picking up all poop immediately. If your dog is a puppy, chances are good he will outgrow this behavior. There are no clear cut answers or solutions to the coprophagic dog, so be patient and consistent.
Pet Peeves Periodical is written by Amanda Henry, CVT.
E-mail: amandacvt@centurytel.net
RESOURCES
Overall, Karen L. Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals. Mosby, Inc, 1997
Landsberg, G., W. Hunthausen, and L. Ackerman. Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat. 2nd ed. Elsevier Science Limited, 2003
Horwitz, Debra F. and Jacqueline C. Neilson. Blackwell’s Five Minute Veterinary Consult Canine & Feline Behavior. Blackwell Publishing, 2007
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