Hello PACmembers...
Sorry I missed yesterdays blog....I know you are all eagerly awaiting the answer to your prayers...at least those with the dogs eliminating in your house....
Here it is...I am going to try and keep this short and sweet! Potty training is SIMPLE!
First and foremost, your dog must be crate trained (See the blog on crate training). This is important because we absolutely must have a place where we can put the dog where he is reluctant to go the bathroom. As a general rule dogs do not like to eliminate where they sleep and eat. Some dogs will, but that is a whole other problem. Contact me privately about that issue.
Here is the big secret to potty training your dogs of any age - YOUR DOG MUST BE EITHER ON LEASH WITH YOU OR IN HIS CRATE AT ALL TIMES! There are no exceptions to this rule.
He is either in his crate (i.e. at night, while your at work, any time you can not have the dog attached to you by leash), or he is physically attached to you at all times. This way he never has a chance to slip away and eliminate on the floor. He will be right there with you so you can watch for his signals (sniffing, spinning, pawing, etc.), and take him out to the bathroom right away. When you get outside (BTW...he is still on leash), give him the "go potty" command, and as soon as he is done throw a party. Get as excited as you can and offer a treat. He will quickly learn that this is the spot he should go to when he needs to go out.
As a general rule, when dogs are sleeping they can hold it for the number of months they are old + 1. This equals the total number of hour they can hold their bladder (ie. 3 month old pup can go 4 hours at night). The rule of thumb during the day is that they need to go out a lot! I take my pups out every two hours at a minimum.
Once you have gone 24 days (# of days it takes a dog to develop a habit), with the dog on leash and NO mistakes, you can start giving him 5 minutes off leash supervised play at a time. Add about 5 minutes a day and in no time you will have a dog that can be trusted anywhere in the house, and is completely potty trained.
Once you have gone 90 days with no accidents, your dog is considered potty trained!
The leashing technique is called the "Umbilical Cord Technique". This technique can be used to eliminate a number of negative behaviors including chewing, jumping, nipping, etc. The leash gives you total control of the dog any time he is not confined. This prevents him from being able to demonstrate negative behaviors and allows you to influence positive behaviors.
Good Luck with this PACmembers...potty training is only as hard as you make it.
If anyone has specific problems with their dog please email me or let me know via the comments section.
Have a great day...your dog is!
www.petathleticclub.com
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3 comments:
Hi,
I have been trying to potty train my Jack Russel Terror for about three years. There is no way to predict when he has to go to the bathroom. I take him out all of the time and he won't go and then I bring him back in and he goes on the floor. I have tried the on leash thing, but he just goes on the floor right there in front of me.
What should I do?
Thanks
Tracey
I'm sure that Mick or someone will answer with a trainer answer. But here's my 2 cents.
My guess is there are multiple things going on here:
1. Your dog absolutely must have a routine, and you - no matter what - must stick to the routine. This includes feeding times, potty times, and 'corrections/commands'.
For example, my fiancee and I get up at 6:00 a.m. everyday to go to work. Our dog goes out as soon as we get up, pottys, gets exercise, and comes in to eat. We feed him everyday at b/t 7 and 7:30 a.m. This includes weekends. Do I like getting up that early? No. But, I can always go back to bed after he finishes his routines. Dogs typically have to go about 3 - 5 hours after eating. (4 is a good average)
2. A routine for correction/commands is a must. If your dog is on leash in the house, you are watching him, and he starts to go. Give your correction command ("Nine", "Foo-hee", etc.), correct the dog (pinch collar pull of leash, or Electronic correction collar button push), and immediately take him outdoors. He'll probably still need to go. (Have a treat handy). Walk him until he goes - give the "go potty" command and reward. (You can search for dead grass or bushes where other dogs have gone. He'll probably potty there.) Never rub a dog's face in the potty inside or hit your dog with newspaper, etc...
Also, correcting even five minutes after he has gone inside is pointless. He won't know what he has done wrong, as dogs don't really rationalize/remember things in that way. He's basically like a human toddler - only indefinitely and without the reasoning.
3. Buy a crate. Buy a crate that is for a small dog. Buy a plastic crate (not a wire one). He should be able to walk in and turnaround. That's it. There should be no space at the back of the crate. He should not be able to curl up or "huddle" to a side if he were to potty in the crate. Dogs are by nature clean animals. He will not potty on himself, if possible. Crate him at all time that he is not on leash. Stick to the routine you develop for the rest of your dog's life.
Thanks to David for his input...great advice (although I don't know that I would static correct my dog for a potty training error...although the theory is sound).
The main thing I would like to add is that the crate training is going to be key. Follow the crate training guidelines from the earlier blog. Once that is achieved, use the followiing system to teach your dog to go reliably outside.
If you are confident your dog needs to eliminate and does not go outside...Bring him back into the house and put him in his crate for 20 minutes. Take hime out again. Give him 2 minutes to eliminate. If he doesn't go, take him back in and put him in the crate for another 20 minutes. Then take him back out again, and allow another two minutes for elimination. Follow the process until he eliminates outside, and then throw a party. Once you have him going consistently outside....you are half way there!
Good Luck...get that crate today!
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