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Published in the Ithaca Journal on Friday, February 7, 2003
Housebreaking puppies takes patience and a gentle touch
Spotlight on Pet Behavior
By MICHELLE BAMBERGER
Special to the Journal
Question: I hope you can give me some ideas on how to housebreak my 18-week-old puppy. She goes to the bathroom on puppy pads most of the time but she will not go outside. I have praised her when she does go outside but for the most part she will come in the house and go. I have tried to put a pad out on the grass and that did not work. I have spanked her with a newspaper and put her outside, and I have thrown her fecal matter out in the back yard hoping she would smell it and know where she is to go. So far nothing works.Answer: There are many reasons why a dog may housesoil including incomplete housetraining, separation anxiety, fears, phobias and medical causes such as pain, cognitive dysfunction, gastrointestinal disease and parasites, urinary tract infections, food allergies, endocrine disorders and a change in diet. It is important to first rule out the medical causes by visiting your veterinarian and having your dog's stool and urine checked, as well as having basic blood test and a physical exam.
Your dog's age and history seem to indicate a problem with housetraining. A number of factors should be considered when housetraining a puppy or adult dog. One of the most important is to realize that housetraining is learned and does not come naturally: your puppy must be taught to eliminate where you want her to eliminate. Your puppy prefers the puppy pads in your house to the grass and dirt outside, so as long as she has the opportunity, she will use the pads.
Another factor to consider is your puppy's schedule. Dogs will usually eliminate shortly after a meal, so it is important to feed her on a schedule and take her out soon after eating; do not leave food down at all times as she may eat small amounts throughout the day and eliminate at different times each day.
Watch for the signs that your puppy has to go, such as prancing, circling and sniffing at the ground. Perhaps the hardest part of housetraining not to give your puppy a chance to make a mistake in the house by supervising her at all times. If you can not manage this, keep your puppy in a crate during the times when you can not supervise her directly, being careful not to keep her there longer in hours than her age in months plus one (a 5-month-old puppy could stay in for six hours).
When you take her out, give a command, such as "do your business" or "go potty" so she can begin to associate these words with the act of eliminating. As she eliminates, give her quiet praise and then a treat and a pet when she is finished. If possible, stay outside for a while after she has gone so she doesn't begin to prolong the action of elimination because she has learned that as soon as she eliminates, she must return to the house. Be sure to choose an area outside that is close to your house yet acceptable to your pup.
If your puppy does make a mistake, do not punish her; instead clean up the mess and take her outside. To be effective, punishment must be given at the time the act is performed, not minutes or hours later. And even if you do "catch her in the act," it is best not to punish her as she will begin not to eliminate in your presence for fear of punishment. If you see her beginning to eliminate, take her outside immediately and use the phrase you have chosen to prompt her to go. Remember to clean soiled surfaces with a cleaner that has both enzymatic and bacterial action so that as much of the scent is removed as possible. This will help your puppy not to eliminate in that spot again.
Consider your puppy housetrained if she has had no accidents for one month. If you follow these basic recommendations and are still unable to housetrain your puppy, consult a veterinary behaviorist.
Michelle Bamberger is a veterinarian and owner of Vet Behavior Consults (www.vetbehaviorconsults.com), a practice based in Ithaca and devoted exclusively to solving behavioral problems in small, large and exotic animals. Send questions for her column to mjb57@cornell.edu, mail them Care of Jessica Keltz to The Ithaca Journal, 123 West State St., Ithaca, NY, 14850, or fax them to 277-6845.