If you are looking for the greatest gold-mine of easy to use "change your dog's behavior" advice ever crammed into a newsletter series then read on!
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"Dear Daniel, I was pondering to send my Golden Retriever to a trainer when I came across your website, and I have never looked back since I purchased "Secrets to Dog Training". Your advice is working wonders on my dog and my Golden is now totally controllable, well-behaved and adorable. Thank you so much!"
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Dear Daniel,
We have two dogs in our home; a 4 year old Shitzapoo and a 9 month old pug. Ollie, the Shitzapoo is my little gentleman. Hoffa, the pug, as his name implies, is a little gangster.
We are having a terrible time with Hoffa going to the bathroom in the house. He usually uses two places: a corner of the hall where he defecates, and on my side of the bed where he urinates. He is crated at night so we don't have a problem at night.
After letting the boys outside to do their business and then letting them back in the house, we will find a "surprise" from Hoffa in the corner of the hall. We keep the bedroom door closed so he cannot get to the bed, but if we forget to make sure it is closed, I will usually find a wet spot on the bed.
If we catch Hoffa in the act, we speak sternly to him, tell him no, and put him outside. We have tried sitting outside and when he does his business we tell him what a good boy he is and reward him with a small treat.
We live in a house that at one time was a rental house with other pets, and we thought there might have been certain smells in the carpet. We have tried all of the "odor removers" and have even gone so far as to pull up the carpet and put down hardwood floors to try to remove any lingering smells. But this morning he again defecated in the hall.
We adore our boys and they are a very important part of our family. What can we do to break this habit? Ollie never uses the bathroom in the house. We know Hoffa is still a puppy and learning so we want to make sure we train him correctly.
Please help.
Kristen Connolly.
Hi Kristen,
Thanks for your email. Housebreaking can be quite a frustrating issue, but fortunately, there are a number of things I can recommend that should help in your situation.
Dog's are creatures of habit who thrive on routine, and if they need to relieve themselves, they will return to spots they have used in the past. They will either recognize these spots because they have formed a habit of going there, or because have recognized an old smell.
Please ensure that you are using the odor neutralizer every time Hoffa has an accident. Also make sure that you are NOT using a cleaner that contains any ammonia or chlorine, as the smell of these cleaners can often be mistaken for urine.
For the next few days, I recommend that you feed your pug on the 2 regular accident spots (after they have been cleaned using the odor neutralizer of course). Dog's will usually avoid eliminating in places that they are fed, so hopefully in feeding him there, you will be able to convince him that they are not appropriate bathroom spots.
I recommend that you use Hoffa's crate to remind him where he should be relieving himself. Put him in his crate for a few hours a day, then take him outside to eliminate in a designated spot (separate from where Ollie relieves himself), and make a really big fuss of him when he uses his spot. The crate is very effective for teaching the housetraining rules, because dogs will not usually relieve themselves where they sleep. It is important that his crate is not too big, but you mentioned that he is usually reliable when in it, so it sounds as though it's a good size.
If Hoffa does have an accident inside, only reprimand him if you have caught him in the act. Do something to startle him into stopping, such as shaking a can of pebbles, then quickly whisk him outside so that you can praise him for going in the correct place. If you have not caught him, any reprimand will be a waste of time, as he will assume that you are scolding him for his current behavior, and wont relate it to his 'accident'. Soak up the accident spots with paper towels, and take the towels and any stools to his outdoor spot to help encourage him to go there instead.
Keep using praise to reinforce his good behavior when he DOES go in the correct spot. Some dogs will take longer than others to learn, and your praise will go a long way in teaching him what you want him to do.
Another possibility is that perhaps Hoffa is marking his territory. Having him neutered, if he is not already, will make a big difference in this situation. You will also have to try catching him in the act so you can issue a firm reprimand so that he knows that marking his territory is not appropriate.
I hope this helps Kristen. Good luck, and please let me know how you progress.
Kind regards,
Daniel Stevens and the Secrets to Dog Training Team
"Secrets to Dog Training - STOP Dog Behavior Problems!"
Dear Daniel,
I am amazed!!! I have used your suggestion of feeding in the hallway and lo and behold, no more little surprises for us. I did not think it was a good idea to feed Hoffa on the bed where he usually decides to mark his territory, but what I have done is to set a couple of pieces of kibble on the spot he usually marks, and this had deterred all "bedwetting". Thank you so much for your help. We have enjoyed reading your book and teaching our boys in a fun and productive manner. We still have a long way to go with Hoffa as he is only 9 months old, but we are having a great time as a family learning along the way. Thanks again for all of your help.
Sincerely,
Kristen.
Teaching the Spin Command
Begin teaching this trick by holding a treat in front of your dog’s nose, but without letting her eat it just yet!
Move the treat in a large circular motion, so that your dog follows it with her nose, repeating the command "Spin". After she has completed a full circle, give her the treat and make a big fuss of her so that she knows what a clever dog she is.
Keep repeating this for about 10 minutes, a few times throughout the day.
When you think that your dog is beginning to understand the trick, start giving the command and using the hand motion, but without the treat. Still give her lots of praise if she does the trick correctly.
Eventually your dog should know to spin after just hearing your command, and seeing your quick hand movement.
Good luck!
Daniel Stevens and the Secrets to Dog Training Team
"Secrets to Dog Training - STOP Your Dog's Behavior Problems!
I've been a professional dog trainer for well over 20 years, and in that time I've helped thousands of dog owners just like you to get the friendly, well behaved, slipper fetching, best pal they always wanted.
But it didn't start out that way. I've always loved dogs, some things never change. But when I first started my professional dog training career I relied on the so-called 'best practices' when it came to dog behavior training. It was only when I heard people tell me over and over again that they just weren't seeing results that I started to question the old accepted wisdom. So I started a journey, a quest to search out the best, most effective, techniques, tips, and tricks that really work.
And that's how I came up with Secrets to Dog Training. Year after year I found new techniques that achieved the results I wanted. Eventually I had a whole book worth of great resources: Secrets to Dog training...
So, if you want to:
Then Secrets to Dog Training is just what you've been looking for!
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