Dear Dr. Robin: We recently adopted a 6-year-old female terrier from a shelter. She was trained to use puppy pads that her previous owners left on the floor when they were gone for long periods during the day.
When we take her for walks, she will do her business, and we’ve trained her to use our dog door. Occasionally, however, we find places where she has peed on the linoleum.
How do we get her to associate the use of the doggy door to go OUT and do her business and not just to use it to run in the yard?
– L.H., via e-mail
A: The most common reason for house soiling in dogs is simply a lack of proper training. There are physical and mental conditions that can interfere with the animal’s control over its elimination, so the first step is a thorough evaluation by your veterinarian for any evidence of metabolic disease.
Blood tests, a urinalysis, and a microscopic examination of the stool can rule out underlying problems.
Once you are sure she doesn’t have a medical problem, this dog needs a training plan. Your veterinarian or a board-certified animal behaviorist can fine-tune the details to best fit your household and lifestyle.
Retraining any adult dog demands a multi-faceted approach.
A combination of crate training and tethering often works best. The crate is best used when you must be away from home or during sleep at night. Tethering involves attaching a leash (5-8 feet long) to a chair or table leg near you. You can also attach the leash to your belt. Tethering keeps the dog close to you when you are at home so you may watch for behaviors that precede elimination.
Next, focus on routine and consistency. Feed a premium quality food (higher digestibility = less stool production), two meals per day. Ten to 15 minutes after meals, take the dog (on a leash) outside to the elimination area. Use the same spot each time and praise elimination enthusiastically.
Everyone in the household should use the same vocabulary (i.e., “Go potty”). Dogs respond best to positive reinforcement.
The first person awake should take the dog from the crate to the elimination area. The first person home after being gone takes her out to the elimination area. Any time she fusses while tethered – out to the elimination area.
Don’t punish a mistake – either during or after. Instead, interrupt any mistakes and take her out to the elimination area. In-house errors should be cleaned and then saturated with a good odor neutralizer.
Persistence, patience, and consistency are the keys to teaching this dog appropriate elimination behavior.
Dr. Robin Downing will respond to your questions in her weekly column, but cannot answer individually. Send questions to: Robin Downing, DVM, P.O. Box 460, Windsor, CO 80550 or drrobin@windsorvet.com.
