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Hi
The following potty training information was originally
posted by Heather in our group(little Zoey's mom). I believe she had
gotten it from another group she belongs to. It was such excellent
information on pottying, written by a dog rescue person, that with all the new
members in our group, I thought it may be a huge help!! Katie
Okay, this will be a serious answer to the
housebreaking questions raised. I
Do dog training for several rescue groups. The #1 reason dogs are dumped, in My opinion, is because they have not been properly housebroken and their Owners are tired of dealing with it. Most of the dogs I get in my home have no Concept of what housebreaking is or what is expected of them. First, here is my definition of a dog that is housebroken: A dog that will Either (a) use an inside method to eliminate (whether it is papers, pee pads Or a doggie litter box) or (B) will indicate to its owner that it wants to use The outside to eliminate. I know some people will say, my dog is housebroken But sometimes has accidents in the house. If your dog is eliminating Inappropriately at any time, it is not housebroken. Sometimes, a dog -- especially stubborn breeds like chis and jack Russell Terriers -- will engage in what I call "spiteful elimination". I have one Here that does that. If she gets annoyed at someone -- for example, she tried To steal my lunch and I scolded her -- she will look for a shoe or some other Personal property and either urinate or defecate on it. That is a different Story and that is a behavior problem. That type of problem requires a Different approach and involves dog obedience. Things you should realize when housebreaking as dog: 1. If you don't catch them in the act of making, do not scold them. They have No idea what you are yelling about. Dogs have a very short term memory span. I Believe I read somewhere that if you don't catch it within the first 15 or 20 Seconds, the dog doesn't know what is going on. So, if you come home and There is feces or urine someplace you don't want it, and you start yelling or Scolding dog, the dog thinks you are mad at it but has no idea WHY you are Mad. After a while, the dog will not come when you call it because of this. (this is also one of the main reasons that dogs have difficulty responding to Their owners in obedience classes. They have learned to fear them and view Their owner's behavior as unpredictable. Once you lose your dog's trust in You, it takes a lot of work to get it back) Think of it from the dog's point of view. He doesn't realize that what he did Was wrong because you were not there to catch him and tell him. All he knows Is the person he loves and adores is home. He rushes to greet you. His tail is Wagging, he is excited that "HIS" human is here! You are back! How do you Respond to this joyful greeting of love and adoration??? You yell and scold. Wow, he thinks, what's their problem? This happens 2 or 3 times and he begins To fear you as the psychotic yelling machine that comes home every day. 2. If you catch the dog eliminating inappropriately, do not yell again. This Will only scare him and he will eliminate even more. Just say in a calm, but Firm voice: no, not there. Scoop up the dog and place him where you want him To go. Even if he only dribbles the last few drops of urine from his bladder Because the rest of it has already been deposited on your rug, PRAISE HIM. Be Very effusive "what a good doggie. What a very good boy". Do not rub his nose in it. Do not keep pointing to the spot yelling. This only Reinforces the psychotic owner image in the dog's mind. 3. If there is a spot where you dog makes all the time, make sure it is Thoroughly cleaned up and the odors removed or the dog will continue to use It. Animals are drawn to the smell. The best method I have ever found was not In a commercial product, but plain old white vinegar. Dilute 2 to 1 in water, Saturate the rug area with the vinegar/water solution. Let it sit for a minute Or two. Wipe up the excess. Then sprinkle baking soda generously over the Spot. It should be a thin layer over the wet vinegar/water spot. Let it sit For 24 to 36 hours. The baking soda will turn a yellow/brown color (that is The urine from the under padding being absorbed by the baking soda) and it Will become hard. When it is hard, just vacuum it up. If it is on a hard floor or laminate floor, check with the manufacturer. I Have Mannington floors in my home. I specifically purchased the industrial Strength laminate floors from them because of all the housebreaking I do. These floors can take the vinegar/water mix on them for a minute or two without ruining the finish. I have had my floors 3 years and they still look like new. Most flooring companies have a website that you can check for cleaning instructions and tolerance levels of cleaners. 4. No liquids after 7 pm. Just like when you are potty training children. You have to realize that a puppy chi has the bladder the size of a large pea or small lima bean. It cannot hold much. A lot of times puppies will drink to satisfy things other than thirst. That is why I would recommend buying unflavored pedialyte (children or baby aisle of store) and freezing in an ice cube tray (I use the really small cube tray, the teeny tiny ones). After 7 pm pop two or three of those cubes in a bowl and just put enough water in the bottom of the dish to cover it. This will aid in the melting of the cubes. If the dog is thirsty, he will lick and suck on the cubes. The electrolytes in the pedialyte will satisfy his thirst and he won't become dehydrated, but he won't be able to consume enough fluid to overflow his bladder. 5. Watch the dog. If you see him sniffing or circling, place him in an area which is appropriate to eliminate. Watch the dog. If he is drinking a lot at one time, realize that within the next 10-15 minutes he will have to urinate. Watch the dog. If he is chowing down on food, realize that within the next 20- 25 minutes he will have to defecate. Watching the dog and learning his body language is important. 6. This is one thing I cannot stress enough: Praise. An effusive emotional positive praise response after every act of appropriate elimination -- whether it is just sniffing the pad and not making or using the pad, or going up to you or the door to be let out -- is essential. The dog learns that when he does this type of action, he gets what he values most: Your undivided attention in a positive manner. That is what housebreaking is. We are re- programming the dog's natural instincts of eliminating where he wants to. We are training him to act in a manner which fits into human lifestyle. What is his motive to do this? You. You and your love, and your praise and your positive attitude which makes him feel like he is the king (or queen) of your world. 7. There is no such thing as a dog being too old to be housebroken. I have done puppy mill rescue and geriatric dog rescue since 1989. NONE of these dogs have been housebroken. The average age of these dogs coming into my home is 7 or 8 years old. EVERY dog leaves my house: housebroken and on leash obedience trained. You must be consistent; you must be patient; and you must put your ego on the back burner. And EVERYONE in the household must participate in this training, not just one person. 8. A Chihuahua or any toy breed for that manner takes a long time to housebreak when young. I have found the average age for being fully housebroken to be about 9-12 months old. Some do learn earlier, some learn later. But this is the average age based on my years of experience. Personally, I was shocked when I started working with toy breeds because the larger dogs "get it" a lot faster. But, most Chihuahuas take a lot longer to learn the housebreaking "rules". This is partly because of their size, their bladders are small, and it takes a long time to gain full control of the bladder. Bladder muscle control is a slow and steady process. Patience is necessary. Another reason is because they are a stubborn breed and it sometimes becomes a battle of the wills. After all, it is much easier for the dog to pee in the corner of a room where the puppy is playing (and not interrupt his play sequence) then it is to go to the appropriate area. Consistency and Patience are a must when training toy breeds. Chrisc B of New Joisey Tabukitti's Animal House  |
- [Chihuahuas] Re: Potty training issues kaaterwaul
