Dog training - Dealing with House Training Issues
The best house training uses the dogs own instincts
to avoid soiling its bed to train the dog where and
where not to eliminate. That is the basis behind crate
training, in which the dog is confined to its crate
in the absence of the owner, and den training, in which
the dog is confined to a small area of the home. In
essence, the crate, or the room, becomes the dog’s den.
Dogs are naturally very clean animals, and they try
their best to avoid using their dens as toilets.
This type of training usually works very well, both
for puppies and for older dogs. Problems with this type
of toilet training are usually the result of not understanding
the signals the dog is sending, not being consistent
with feeding times, or trying to rush the process.
While the house training process can be sped up somewhat
by consistently praising the dog and rewarding it for
toileting in the proper place, some dogs cannot be rushed
through this important process. It is always best to
house train the dog properly the first time than to
go back and retrain a problem dog.
If the dog continues to soil the den area after house
training, the most likely reason is that the owner has
left the dog in the den for too long. Another reason
may be that the den area is too large. In this case,
the best strategy is to make the den area smaller or
to take the dog to the toilet area more frequently.
If the dog soils the bed that has been provided in
the den area, it is most likely because the owner has
left the dog there for too long, and the dog had an
understandable accident. Or it could be that the dog
has not yet adopted this area as the bed. In addition,
urinary tract infections and other medical conditions
can also cause dogs to soil their beds. It is important
to have the dog thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian
to rule out any medical problems.
One other reason for house training accidents that
many people overlook is boredom. Dogs who are bored
often drink large amounts of water and therefore must
urinate more frequently than you might think. If you
notice your dog consuming large amounts of water, be
sure to take the dog to the established toilet area
more often, and provide the dog with toys and other
distractions to eliminate boredom.
Boredom is the root cause of many dog behavior problems,
not only house training issues. Chewing and other destructive
behaviors are also often caused by boredom and separation
anxiety.
Other problems with house training can occur when the
dog’s den is not properly introduced. In some cases
dogs can react to the den as if it is a prison or a
punishment. Those dogs may exhibit signs of anxiety,
such as whining, chewing and excessive barking. It is
important for the dog to feel secure in its den, and
to think of it as a home and not a cage.
The best way to house train a puppy or dog, or to re-house
train a problem dog, is to make yourself aware of the
dog’s habits and needs. Creating a healthy, safe sleeping
and play area for your dog, as well as a well defined
toilet area, is important for any house training program.
House training is not always an easy process, but it
is certainly an important one. The number one reason
that dogs are surrendered to animal shelters is problems
with inappropriate elimination, so a well structured
house training program can literally be a lifesaver
for your dog.
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