House Training Your Dog

The Definitive Guide

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Table of Contents
Welcome To Dog Ownership! ____________________________________________6 Basic House training ___________________________________________________ 7 Chapter 1 - Getting Started With Your Dog _________________________________ 8 Before Bringing Your Dog Home _______________________________________ 8 Start Out Right _____________________________________________________ 9 Think About Your Home & Your Dog ____________________________________ 9 The First Few Hours At Home ________________________________________ 11 The First Night At Home_____________________________________________ 11 Establish A Routine ________________________________________________ 11 Chapter 2 House training Methods______________________________________ 13 Seven Pointers To Successful House training ____________________________ 13 Outdoor Training, The Basic Method ___________________________________14 Advantages Of The Outdoor Method ___________________________________ 16 Disadvantages Of The Outdoor Method: ________________________________ 17 House training On Leash _____________________________________________ 17 Paper Training _____________________________________________________ 18 Tips For Paper Training _____________________________________________ 20 Advantages & Uses Of Paper Training _________________________________ 20 Disadvantages To Paper Training _____________________________________ 20 Wee Pads Instead Of Paper___________________________________________ 21 Puppy Training Pads _______________________________________________ 22 Adult Dog Training Pads ____________________________________________ 22 Replacement Pads _________________________________________________ 23 Diaper Training _____________________________________________________ 23 Puppy & Senior Dog Diapers _________________________________________ 23 Litter Box Training __________________________________________________ 25 Advantages & Uses Of Litter Box Training: ______________________________ 26 Disadvantages To Litter Box Training: __________________________________27 Litter Box Training For Adult Dogs ____________________________________ 27 Crate Training ______________________________________________________ 28 Choosing A Crate __________________________________________________ 29 Introducing Your Dog To The Crate ____________________________________ 30 Overcoming Crate Resistance ________________________________________ 31 Teaching Your Dog to Stay in the Crate_________________________________ 32 Preparing To Leave Your Dog In The Crate______________________________ 33 Using The Crate For Sleeping At Night _________________________________ 33 Tips For Crate Training: _____________________________________________ 34 Advantages & Uses Of Crate Training: _________________________________ 35 Disadvantages Of Crate Training: _____________________________________ 35 Clicker Training ____________________________________________________ 36 Indoor House training ________________________________________________ 36 Training To Eliminate On Command ___________________________________ 38

Housebreaking Commands___________________________________________ 38 Positive Commands ________________________________________________ 39 Positive Reinforcement _____________________________________________ 39 House training Schedule By Age_______________________________________ 40 Chapter 3 - Knowing Your Dogs Signals _________________________________ 43 Understanding Your Dogs Body Language ______________________________ 43 Using A Bell ______________________________________________________ 43 Teaching Your Dog To Bark__________________________________________ 44 Tips & Hints To House training Your Dog________________________________ 44 Chapter 4 - Accidents While House training Your Dog _______________________ 46 Accident Or On Purpose? ____________________________________________ 46 What To Do About It?_______________________________________________ 46 How To Clean Up __________________________________________________ 47 To Punish Or Not To Punish _________________________________________ 47 Preventions Of Repeat Accidents _______________________________________ 48 Chapter 5 - Special Situations In House training ____________________________ 49 Owners Work All Day _______________________________________________49 Submissive Urination _______________________________________________ 50 Excitement Urination _______________________________________________ 52 Marking _________________________________________________________ 53 Separation Anxiety _________________________________________________55 Soiling The Crate __________________________________________________ 57 Chapter 6 - Class By Class & Breed By Breed _____________________________ 59 About Fences _____________________________________________________59 Scent Hounds 60

Sight Hounds ______________________________________________________ 60 Pointers & Setters __________________________________________________ 61 Terriers ___________________________________________________________ 61 Retrievers _________________________________________________________ 62 Late Maturers _____________________________________________________62 Toy Breeds ________________________________________________________ 62 Specific Breeds Of Interest For House training ___________________________ 63 Affenpinscher _____________________________________________________63 Afghan Hound ____________________________________________________ 63 American Bloodhound ______________________________________________ 63 American Blue Gascon Hound ________________________________________ 64 American Foxhound ________________________________________________64 Basenji __________________________________________________________ 64 Basset Hound_____________________________________________________ 64 Beagle __________________________________________________________ 64 Black & Tan Coonhound ____________________________________________ 64 Bloodhound ______________________________________________________ 64 Border Collie _____________________________________________________ 65 Border Terrier _____________________________________________________ 65 Borzoi ___________________________________________________________65 Bulldog __________________________________________________________65

Bull Terrier _______________________________________________________ 65 Cairn Terrier ______________________________________________________66 Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ________________________________________ 66 Chihuahua _______________________________________________________ 66 Chinese Crested __________________________________________________ 67 Chinese Shar-Pei __________________________________________________67 Dachshund _______________________________________________________67 Dalmatian ________________________________________________________67 English Foxhound _________________________________________________ 68 English Toy Spaniel ________________________________________________ 68 Finnish Spitz______________________________________________________ 68 French Bulldog ____________________________________________________68 German Short-haired Pointer _________________________________________68 German Wirehaired Pointer __________________________________________ 68 Glen of Imaal Terrier _______________________________________________ 69 Gordon Setter_____________________________________________________ 69 Greyhound _______________________________________________________ 69 Harrier __________________________________________________________ 69 Ibizan Hound _____________________________________________________ 69 Irish Setter _______________________________________________________ 69 Irish Terrier _______________________________________________________ 70 Irish Wolfhound ___________________________________________________ 70 Italian Greyhound __________________________________________________ 70 Lhasa Apso ______________________________________________________ 71 Norwegian Elkhound _______________________________________________ 71 Otterhound _______________________________________________________71 Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen _________________________________________ 71 Pharoah Hound ___________________________________________________ 71 Plott ____________________________________________________________ 71 Pointer __________________________________________________________ 71 Redbone Coonhound _______________________________________________71 Rhodesian Ridgeback ______________________________________________ 71 Rottweiler ________________________________________________________72 Saluki ___________________________________________________________ 72 Scottish Deerhound ________________________________________________ 72 Shih Tzu _________________________________________________________72 Siberian Husky ____________________________________________________72 Skye Terrier ______________________________________________________ 73 Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier _________________________________________73 Spinone Italiano ___________________________________________________ 73 Standard Schnauzer _______________________________________________ 73 Tibetan Mastiff ____________________________________________________ 73 Tibetan Spaniel ___________________________________________________ 74 Weimaraner ______________________________________________________ 74 West Highland White Terrier _________________________________________ 74 Whippet _________________________________________________________ 74 Yorkshire Terrier __________________________________________________ 74 Chapter 7 - Health-Related Problems_____________________________________ 75 Congenital Problems ________________________________________________75 Ectopic Ureters____________________________________________________ 75 Juvenile Renal Dysplasia ____________________________________________75

Urethral Sphincter Mechanism Incompetence ____________________________ 76 Patent Urachus ___________________________________________________ 76 Urethral Diverticulum _______________________________________________ 76 Diseases and Medical Problems_______________________________________ 77 Bladder Stones____________________________________________________ 77 Bloat ____________________________________________________________77 Cushings Syndrome _______________________________________________ 78 Diabetes _________________________________________________________78 Nerve Injury Or Trauma _____________________________________________ 79 Spaying Incontinence _______________________________________________ 79 Tumor ___________________________________________________________ 79 Urethral Obstruction ________________________________________________80 Urethral Prolapse __________________________________________________80 Urinary Tract Infection ______________________________________________ 80 Medication Related Problems _________________________________________81 Old-Age Problems __________________________________________________ 82 Dribbling Urine ____________________________________________________ 83 Unable To Urinate _________________________________________________ 83 Kidney Failure ____________________________________________________ 83 Glossary _________________________________________________________84 Learning About Your Dog____________________________________________ 86 Various Helpful Pet Web Sites ________________________________________93

Welcome To Dog Ownership!

Dear Pet Owner, Puppy Lover & Your Pets Best Friend, This may be your first dog or your twenty-first dog, but it doesnt matter you still have to house train him and no two dogs are the same when it comes to house training. Even if he is the same breed as all the other dogs youve had, he will have his own personality quirks. And that may be the reason you are reading this book. If this is your first dog (or puppy), you and your dog - have lots to learn, but dont be alarmed. Neither of you can learn it all at once. Take it a step at a time and enjoy each other throughout the process. Some breeds are easy to house train as they dont like for their living quarters to be messy or smelly or they really like to please their owners. Other breeds are more difficult to house train. Others may take a special type of training. However, with patience and persistence , nearly every dog can be house trained. It is important to learn as much about the breed of your dog as you can. Talk to other owners, veterinarians, breeders, etc. and read books about the breed. If your dog is a mixture of breeds, learn about all the breeds you can identify in your dog. Usually the traits that make a dog easy or hard to train are related to the breed. By talking to a variety of people who have worked with that breed, you can learn tips and pointers and tricks to help you with house training, obedience training, car training, or whatever you desire to train your dog. It is always easier to ESTABLISH GOOD habits from the beginning than it is to BREAK BAD habits later. If you have a puppy, this book will help you start your puppy with good habits. However, if you have an adult dog who has established some bad habits, you are to be commended for being brave enough to give him a good home and the love he deserves and you will find many helpful ideas in this book as you seek to help him be the good dog he should be. Just a note: You may have gotten a puppy or you may have gotten a dog from a shelter, but whatever dog you have will be referred to as he, him, her, she, your dog, your friend, or your companion in this book. Also, this book assumes the dog will spend the majority of his time in your home and that is why you are house training him. If he is going to be an outdoor dog then house training will be much harder to accomplish as it will not be habitual for him.

Basic House training

What Is House training? House training refers mainly to training your dog to potty (pee and poop) in an appropriate place at an appropriate time. It assumes that house manners will include pottying outdoors, on paper, or in a litter box, whichever method you have taught your dog. If you read older literature on house training, the term you may see is housebreaking which meant to break the dog of pottying in the house. The information in this e-book applies to a puppy or an older dog. If a puppy stays with her mother until the age of 8 weeks, she will learn a lot about cleanliness and will come to your home happy and well-adjusted and ready to want to please you. If you have a new puppy, you can establish good habits from the beginning. If you are re-homing a dog, start out as if he has never been house trained and follow the appropriate schedule. If he was well house trained previously, it wont take him long to apply what he knows. However, if he was never house trained or the previous owners got rid of him because he continued to have problems, you will need to be very consistent and patient for several months. Hang in there; it is worth it! Start at the beginning since Chapter 1 discusses how to get started with your dog, the steps to house training, daily schedules for house training dogs of various ages, and then some tips and hints to house training. Chapter 2 covers the pros and cons of outdoor house training and variations on house training paper training, wee pads training, diaper training, litter or box training. It also discusses crate training because it applies to all the methods and is useful for solving problems that may arise. The use of clicker training is also explained in this chapter along with Indoor house training and training to eliminate on commands. Chapter 3 stresses on the body language of your pet, learn how to teach your dog to bark or use a bell before your dog wants to eliminate. Chapter 4 helps you deal with your dogs accidents. Since all dogs have accidents, you will want to know how best to clean them up and prevent future accidents. Chapter 5 will help you with special situations you may encounter whether it is a situation dependent on you, the owner, like being at work all day (or longer) or it is a situation created by your dog like submission urination, marking, and other problems. If you still have some problems or, if later, your dog develops some problems, then chapters 6-7 will be valuable. Chapter 6 relates various breeds and problems associated with those breeds. This may be helpful even if your dog is a mix of breeds. Chapter 7 explains some health-related issues and how they relate to house training.

Chapter 1 - Getting Started With Your Dog

Before Bringing Your Dog Home
You are excited because you have found the perfect dog for you and now you are bringing him/her home. Congratulations! And give yourself a pat on the back since you are doing your homework by reading this! (Even if you are already home with your new friend, it is still early in your relationship, so good job.) It is important that every member of your family (including young children, children at college, and those that are in and out on a fairly regular basis) knows, understands and follows the rules for your dog. They also need to know and follow all your established routines with your dog. Consistency is a key to successful house training. If you already have your dog at home and have had him there for several weeks, thats okay. Read this section anyway as there is things you can still initiate that will be very helpful. If you havent picked up your new friend yet, there are some things youll want to take with you:

An Old Bath Towel You can put this on the car seat for the dog to sit on and use it to clean up any accidents.

Collar & Leash A nylon slip collar large enough to go over the dogs head and a six-foot leash (leather or nylon) or a retractable leash You need some way to control your dog and keep it close to you when it needs to go potty or when it is walking to the car. Nylon slip collars are safe and not overly harsh for all sizes of dogs and puppies. They are very easy to use. All you do is drop the collar through the ring at one end of the collar this becomes the live ring. It is better to get a slip collar that is too large than one that is snug or too small.

Travel Basics If you will be traveling more than two hours to get home, a dog bowl and a bottle of water will be helpful. If you will be traveling overnight with your new (or new-to-you) dog, you will need a second dish and you will need to plan to purchase whatever food your dog has been eating so that you can feed your dog. You will need to stop every two hours and get your dog out of the car on his leash attached to the slip collar and walk him around in the grass at a rest stop or park or office park. He will need to stretch his legs and he may need to potty fairly often. This should prevent, or at least limit, accidents in the car. It will be best if you teach him to sit on the seat on the old towel rather than in your lap. If you have a bench seat, he can have his towel next to you. That way, if you need to take him to the veterinarian alone, he will not feel he has to sit in your lap. He will know from the beginning that he can sit by himself and feel safe and secure. If he is lonely or whimpering, you can put your hand on him. That will help him feel more like he is with his siblings. Remember they would not pat him; they would just lie on or next to him.

Start Out Right

Before you take the dog to your car, put the slip collar and leash on it and walk it around in a grassy area so it has a chance to potty. You might even start using his name and a cue word to mean now is the time to go potty such as business, potty, hurry up, etc. There is no generally accepted word for this, so as long as you use a word that does not mean something else later in your dogs training, any word you use will work. Simply say the word firmly and let the dog find the right spot by sniffing. If the dog does not do anything right away, move a few feet and repeat the word. If the dog does not urinate or defecate in a few minutes, assume he does not need to do anything right then.

Think About Your Home & Your Dog

You need to think about some things before you have your new dog at home. These will have a bearing on how easy it is to house train your dog and how many accidents your dog may have in the next few weeks. At the very least, they will affect how much work you will have in cleaning up after your dog and how much sleep you will get. Are there rooms the dog will never be allowed in? Are there others you will not want the dog in until it is house trained? How will you keep him out of those rooms?

What about gates? How about an exercise pen? It is best to limit the dog to rooms where the floor is easily cleaned (like a kitchen, bathroom or utility room with tile type of flooring) while it is awake for the first few days until you understand how accident-prone it is. Some people ban their dogs from a formal living room or an office where clients are entertained.

Where will the dog be sleeping? Options include a bathroom or utility room or some other room with the door closed, in a family members bedroom, in the family/living room, or in the garage. Then there is the question of whether it will be sleeping in a crate, on the floor, in its own bed, or on the bed you or a family member sleeps in. Remember that if the dog is a puppy, it has only slept with its mother and siblings so it is used to being surrounded by warm bodies and beating hearts. Therefore, it will be happier and sleep better if that situation is simulated by a soft bed and ticking alarm clock if it isnt sleeping with you or a family member.

Where will the dog be eating and drinking? He will be happier eating near the area where you either fix food or eat preferably not the dining room, but perhaps at one end of the kitchen or in a utility room next to the kitchen. Your life will be easier if his dishes are on a floor that is easy to clean. You might also consider having him eat in a room close to the door he will be using to go outdoors to potty. By the way, his dishes should be ceramic or stainless steel. Straight-sided dishes will be easier for him than bowl-shaped.

Where do you want your new dog to potty? The ideal place is outdoors, but some people like to train a dog to use newspapers or a litter box. You need to identify the EXACT 2-foot by 3-foot area (or 3-foot by 5-foot area if your dog will be a large dog when fully grown) that you want your dog to use as his POTTY PLACE. This will be referred to as his potty place throughout this book. If it is a cold and snowy winter when you get your dog, you may need to train him to newspapers until the weather is better and he can go out. If you live in an apartment or condominium, simply letting him out will not work, so you will be walking him several times a day. Each of these methods will be fully addressed in the pages that follow.

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The First Few Hours At Home

When you get home with your dog, get him out of the car on a leash and walk him around the yard. Let him sniff. Let him wet as often as he wants as he is marking his territory. However, if he marks flowers or bushes or wanders into areas where you do not want him, jerk him back sharply about 6-8 inches and say no in a firm voice. Do not let the dog step out of the boundaries of the yard. When he gets to the boundaries, jerk him back and say no, boundary. Start using a cue word or phrase to mean go potty. When he does it, praise him. After about 15 minutes, take him into the house, saying to him, Lets go into the house in a very happy voice. This will set the stage for his coming into the house any time you say house to him. This is the routine you will use with your dog every couple of hours during the day every day for the first 7-10 days. See Chapter 5 if this will be difficult for you to do. At least once a day, also walk him around the yard within a couple of feet of the boundaries and every time he starts to cross the boundary, say no, boundary and jerk him back. This sets the stage for his not leaving the yard. With many breeds this is all that will be needed, but there are breeds that this will not affect. During the first month, DO NOT: Let the dog out of the house by himself. Take the dog outside of a fence without a slip collar and leash on him.

The First Night At Home

The first night you will need to take your dog out for one last walk just before you go to bed. Establish him in his sleeping spot and set your alarm for no more than five hours. If your dog is a young puppy, four hours would be best. When the alarm goes off, get up and take your dog for another walk and then put him back to bed. Do not play with him or talk to him about anything but pottying. Repeat the process in four more hours. It may take a little while to get him settled down and back to sleep, but he will soon learn to go to sleep when put to bed and to go potty if he needs to when you walk him.

Establish A Routine
The most important thing for your dog in learning anything you want him to learn is establishing a routine and being consistent in your expectations of your dog. The next

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pages will show you how to establish that routine and give you specific how-to instructions on house training. Whether your dog is a tiny 4-week-old puppy or a rescued dog that has been abused, a routine will help to put her at ease and know what to expect. Along with a routine, remember to be calm and patient. Everything is new to your dog. Shouting or screaming or exhibiting anger will only make your problems worse, so take a deep breath andstart over. When there are accidents, make the assumption that it is more your fault than your dogs fault. If you watch your dog closely, you will be able to tell when she needs to go to her potty place. She will show a posture of going potty or she will sniff or dig lightly or circle or run to the door and back to you. If you do not respond to those things by getting her to her potty place, then you will have an accident to clean up. The easy way to look at the routine you need to establish is that any time there is a break during the day or a change of direction in your dogs day, take the dog to his potty place.

The five keys to your success are: When doggie gets up, take him to the potty place. Feed doggie on a regular schedule which will eventually be twice a day, about 10-12 hours apart. After doggie eats or drinks anything, take him to the potty place. After doggie plays or exercises, take him to the potty place. Withhold water for two to four hours before doggie goes to bed. Just prior to going to bed, take him to the potty place.

A more detailed schedule will be shown for various ages of dogs in the following pages. There will also be suggestions for variations.

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Chapter 2 House training Methods

All dogs need to be house trained and, basically, all dogs can be house trained. If you get a very young puppy, you may have to wait a few weeks before his body allows complete house training. If you get a previously abused or neglected dog, it may take a while for him to fully understand what is expected of him.

There are three primary methods of house training: The Outdoor Method often referred to as the basic direct method, The Paper Method, and the Litter Box Method.

Each method refers to where the dog potties (not how you train him since that is fairly uniform). Some people refer to the crate method; however, the crate is used as a holding or restraining mechanism, not a place for pottying or for punishment. Therefore, the crate can be used with any of the three methods. Some people use another method, the clicker method. Here again, it is a variation to use along with the three methods. In the clicker method, instead of a word or phrase to tell the dog to go potty and a word of praise after he potties, a clicker and a treat are used to positively reinforce his correct behavior. The next page is one of the most important pages you will read. Refer to it often during the house training process. If necessary, print it and post it where you will see it often.

Seven Pointers To Successful House training

Establish a Potty Place. Decide exactly where you want your dog to potty. It can be a corner of your yard or it can be an area of grass (or cement or blacktop) that you choose at your apartment or condo complex. Always walk your dog to that place. If you will eventually be letting him out to go potty, make sure your yard is safely fenced some breeds need a 6-foot secure fence. Choose a cue word, which will mean go to the potty now to both you and your dog. Various words or short phrases include business, do it, potty, hurry up or some other word or words that are not used in other parts of training. (See the Glossary.) Always say this when you want your dog to potty. Once the dog is house trained, he will usually tell you when he needs to potty rather than you telling him when to potty.

Live by a schedule until the dog is house trained. Create a schedule according to your dogs age and your familys schedules. By scheduling feeding and exercise as well

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as potty breaks, you will help your dog know what to expect and learn to be able to potty only when you can take him out or let him out to do so. Use this routine every single day without variation.

Be persistent and patient. Not all dogs learn house training in a week. In fact, many take several weeks. So keep working with your dog. The effort is well worthwhile. Be consistent; dont relax the expectations or routine. Be thorough with cleaning up. If you dont quickly and adequately clean up places where your dog has had an accident, he will go back to those spots again. It is best to clean up without your dog watching.

Praise your dog every time he does the right thing in the right place. Quietly but enthusiastically praise your dog each time he potties in the right place at the right time. Positive training (reinforcement) is much more effective with dogs than punishment.

Train your dog to use a signal to let you know he needs to go potty. That signal can be a bell he can ring (hung from the doorknob) or can be a way he sits in front of you or looks at you. Some authors recommend clicker training, but that puts you (the owner/trainer) in charge of when the dog potties and does not allow him to tell you when he needs to potty.

Outdoor Training, The Basic Method

The ideal house training method is the outdoor method. That means that the dog does all of his business outdoors from the beginning. It is also referred to as the direct method of house training. Anyone anywhere can use the outdoor method. Theoretically, anywhere the dog poops, the poop should be picked up whether it is a designated area of your fenced back yard or in the grass (on cement or pavement) of your apartment or condo complex. While dogs prefer to potty on grass when they are outdoors, they can be trained to potty on various types of pavement or on gravel or bare dirt instead. Once your dog is outdoor method house trained, he will have virtually no accidents. However, with paper training and box training, there will always be a danger of accidents when the dog is given run of the house and sees paper (or a box) and feels a need to relieve himself. The outdoor method does not cost anything, but the paper method and litter box method may cause you to pay for paper (if you dont use newspaper) or litter. If you choose the

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outdoor method, be aware you need to pick up the poop. It is simple. You can use a pooper-scooper if you like. There are several styles available at pet stores. There are biodegradable plastic bags that are made for this purpose. Many apartment and condo complexes provide them for their pet owners. They are available for purchase at any pet store. However, if they are not provided to you, you can use any plastic shopping bag (like those used by grocery stores or super-stores) or a plastic sandwich or quart-sized bag (preferable without the zipper). Simply put your hand in the bag and pick up the poop. Then take your other hand and pull the open end of the bag down your arm and hand, enclosing the poop. You can then carry the bag by the open end to a dumpster or trashcan. Your hands will never touch the poop. If you have a large dog that excretes large amounts of feces, you may need two bags. You can put these in a pocket or you can get small carriers that attach to the dogs leash. Even if your dog poops in your own yard, you will probably want to pick it up. It can overwhelm and damage the grass. It can smell bad. You or your family could step in it. If you have children, they might play in it. Your dog or some other animal might eat it, which would not be good. If you ever desire to take your dog in the car with you, the outdoor method is far more convenient. It is nearly impossible to use the paper method or the litter box method when you are on the road. If you leave your dog with a dog sitter or at a boarding service, they are most familiar with the outdoor method and normally much prefer dogs that have been trained in that way. Since dogs are often in a crate or pen all the time except during the walk it is often frustrating and more time consuming for the dog caregivers to work with a dog that has been paper or litter box trained. And a paper trained dog will spend hours with no place to go but to sit on the soaked and/or dirtied papers on the bottom of the crate. That will give him sores and make him dirty and smelly. It may also be very degrading to the dog as many breeds of dogs are fastidious about cleanliness and do not want to eat or drink anywhere near where they have pottied. When it is time to go potty, put the slip collar and leash on your dog and walk him around the yard. Start him on the leash even if your yard is fenced. That gives you control over where he potties and whether or not he goes into flowerbeds. Take him outside to whatever area you have designated his potty place. Use whatever word or phrase you have decided will mean go potty now.

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Let him sniff. Let him wet as often as he wants. However, if he marks flowers or bushes or wanders into areas where you do not want him, jerk him back sharply about 6-8 inches and say no in a firm voice.

Do not let the dog step out of the boundaries of the yard. When he gets to the boundaries, jerk him back and say no, boundary. When he finishes with his business either urinates (pees) or defecates (poops) praise him in a very upbeat voice. Say something like: Good girl or good job, Joey. Look directly at the dog (in his eyes if possible) when you say it. You may rub his head or under his chin if you want, but do not roughhouse with him. After he potties (or, if he doesnt potty, wait about 15 minutes) it is time to take him into the house, saying to him, Lets go into the house in a very happy voice. This will set the stage for his coming into the house any time you say house to him and will be invaluable.

This is the routine you will use with your dog every couple of hours during the day every day for the first 7-10 days. See Chapter 5 if this will be difficult for you to do. During the first week, DO NOT: Let the dog out of the house by himself. Take the dog outside of a fence without a slip collar and leash on him.

After the first week or two (as long as your dog is over three months old), you can begin to stretch the time between taking your dog out by fifteen minutes every 3-5 days. By the end of the first month, your dog should be able to wait 4 hours between potty times.

Advantages Of The Outdoor Method

Your dog is fully house trained. Your dog will not have accidents in the house unless there is an issue or problem that needs to be solved. Your dog can be taken anywhere and will behave in terms of house training. Your dog can be boarded at any vet or kennel or kept by a friend or relative without worrying about whether the dog will be sick or dirty when you return. Your dogs stay at a boarding kennel, vet, or friend/relatives home will be welcome and not dreaded. Your dog will be able to tell you when he needs to potty. Your dog will not want to soil his home which is also your home.

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Getting ready to leave your dog will be quick, easy, and painless since he will potty on command.

Disadvantages Of The Outdoor Method:

Your dog will NOT go potty anywhere but outdoors. If you move to a condo, apartment, or assisted living facility, you will have to walk your dog or have someone walk him for you. Your dog may insist, he has to go potty to get your attention when he thinks you are spending too much time on the telephone or with another person or pet.

House training On Leash

The only way to achieve effective house training is by ensuring that you maintain full control over when and where your dog does its business. One way to do this is through leash bonding. Housebreaking through leash is best if you intend to train your to eliminate outdoors. Before you walk your dog it is important that it is calm so give it a sit-stay command before putting on their leash. During the day while you're going about your normal routine, you put a leash on your dog and attach the other end to your belt. Don't make fuss about it. Just be casual and follow your usual routine with your dog attached! Using the leash bonding is also a good way to get your dog to bond with you. It learns that being with you is the best place to be!

Be conscious of times when it is likely that your dog will have to go: When it wakes up in the morning 10-15 minutes after every meal or drink After your pup wakes from a nap After rigorous play or exercise Few hours after the last backyard or park tour Just before going to bed at night

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Pretty soon your pup will get used to the routine and its regular schedule will fall into place. Follow your dog's body language. Whenever you see it sniffing the ground or circling round and round take it outdoors. Use commands like 'do it'. Praise your dog right after it has done its deed. If your dog starts to run towards the door right after you put finish putting the leash on simply do a quick jerk with the leash and immediately release the leash to give it some slack, give a stop command then give a sit-stay command and then praise it when it is sitting. After a few minutes take your dog outside for a walk. Soon, you should be able to give your dog the command and it will respond. This is a handy thing to train especially when you are out somewhere and want it to do it at a specific time. Continue to keep it leashed to you for the first 3-5 days when in the house. That way you have complete control over where it goes and when it might decide to go indoors. It is important that the dog doesn't lead you or pull on the leash when you are walking it. During the first few times simply walk your dog around the house or in the backyard where it is familiar with the surroundings. If if pulls forward on the leash give a stay where you are, give a quick jerk with the leash and immediately release the leash to give it some slack and issue the stop command. You may have to repeat this several times before your dog stops. Then give a sit-stay command and then praise it when it is sitting and praise it for its good action of sitting, wait several seconds then continue with the walk. After your dog understands that you are doing the leading when you are walking it, you can bring it out into the real world for a walk and if your pet still tries to pull ahead just repeat the process above with the jerking of the leash. When it is doing a good job it is important that you give your dog praises and encouragement.

Paper Training
Only very small (toy) breed dogs or puppies younger than six months should be papertrained. Many breeds are not suited for paper training, so if you are thinking of using this method, find out as much as you can about that breed of dog and if it is appropriate. This method can be used as a temporary method if the weather is bad. Medium or large dogs have too much urine and too much odor to their urine to be able to soak it up by papers. It would also make the papers too heavy and wet to fold up and put into the trash. Select a convenient place in your home as the dogs papering area. The basement, bathroom, or utility room is suitable. Do not select an area with a hardwood floor. If you are using this method because your puppy is too young to have control or because the weather is too nasty to take your dog outside, try to do it near the door you

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will be using to take your dog outside so that the transition is easier for your dog. Later you can put the papers outside the door and then eliminate them slowly. Start by spreading newspapers three to five sheets thick over the entire area (at least two feet by three feet) you want the dog to use. If your dog is older than six months, you may want a thicker pad of newspapers. If possible, start by news papering the entire floor of the area. Place one sheet of soiled paper under the fresh paper in the area of the floor the dog favors. He will be drawn to that spot by the scent of the urine and will eliminate on it. Leave the papers on the floor at all times, twenty-four hours a day. Change them after each use. Throw away soiled papers in an outdoor trash bin as soon after they are soiled as possible. Watch your dog or puppy carefully (like a hawk) at all times. As soon as she starts to potty (pee or poop), pick her up and quickly take her to the papered area. If you have chosen a word or phrase meaning go potty you can use it as you set her down. Once she has pottied on the papers, praise her. Clean up any area where she has pottied that is not on the papers. Use the appropriate cleaning products so she does not smell anything that would cause her to potty there again. Use the appropriate schedule for house training, but use the papers as her potty place and take her to them every couple of hours. Always praise her if she potties there. On the sixth day, or whenever you realize the dog is using the same spot each time, start decreasing the amount of area you cover with papers. Decrease from the outside edge so that the bare floor shows like a border. You may have to make the pad of papers thicker to absorb all of the urine. (Also, as your dog gets older and bigger, there will be more urine each time she pees.) For the next three to five days, gradually reduce the papered area of the floor. Continue decreasing the area that is papered until only the spot the dog has chosen to use is papered. If he misses the paper, increase the paper to cover the spot he is using. The ink on the newspapers can come off and soil your puppys feet. If that occurs, you may want to purchase special papers for this purpose at a pet store. These are referred to as training pads or elimination pads or piddle pads and are sold by a variety of companies. Some even come with a special tray-type holder and under-tray. Most have a scent, which attracts dogs to do their business.

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Tips For Paper Training

Do not try to train your dog to potty outdoors and indoors at the same time. Do not feed or play with your dog near the indoor place where she is supposed to potty. Be consistent in your expectations and in the words and body language and tone of voice you use with your dog. Be patient indoor house training takes longer than outdoor.

Advantages & Uses Of Paper Training

If you get a puppy during a very cold or very snowy or icy winter, you may need to paper train in the beginning and then re-train to outdoors when the weather is better. If the owner of the dog is elderly, handicapped or has no access to outdoor walking areas and the dog is a toy breed, paper training can be used so that the dog does not have to be walked.

Disadvantages To Paper Training

It is a mess to fold and dispose of urine-soaked papers. It is inconvenient to dispose of urine-soaked papers immediately upon use each time. Your dog never learns to tell you when he has to potty since he simply potties. Your house will always have the odor of dog urine. Your dog will never be fully house trained and may have accidents in other parts of the house throughout his life. You will not be happy with the way boarding kennels handle a paper trained dog. Often your dog will sit in his pee and poop for hours, making him filthy, smelly, and even sick. You will have to pay extra for a larger pen when you board your dog.

For many dog owners, who teach their pet to eliminate indoors, using paper is considered as an added hassle. Many complain that their dogs become too naught during such times and instead of eliminating on the paper, they starts shredding or digging on it. It becomes more of a fun game for them rather than a house training session.

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The other alternatives to paper training are using wee pads, diapers, or litter boxes. Toys dogs often continue to use these wee pads or litter boxes, all their lives. However, always follow one particular method. If your puppy is trained to urinate and defecate indoors, then stick to it. For example, if for one month you training it to eliminate indoors and then suddenly one day you take your puppy outside and ask it to 'go potty' there, then it will only confuse your little pet.

Wee Pads Instead Of Paper

Wee pads are modern day alternatives to newspapers and litter boxes mostly for dogs who are trained to eliminate indoors. In case you are planning to train your dog to eliminate indoors, wee pads are a good option. These pads are manufactured in such a way that you can permanently avoid poop and pee stench and stains. Moreover, these pads are treated with natural attractants to help draw pets to the pads. Wee pads are also best for house training puppies, stay at home dogs, senior dogs, disabled pet owners, or even for people who cannot avail the facility of taking their dog to the backyard. Many dog owners use newspapers instead of wee pads, but newspapers are easy to shred can leave a stench mark on your floor and are difficult to dispose. For those who have thick-carpeted floors, can opt for wee pads.

To train your dog to eliminate on wee pads, all you have to do is follow the following steps below: Buy a wee pad pack according to the size of your dog. Naturally, a big dog will need a much larger wee pad than a toy dog. Choose the corner of the house where you want your dog to eliminate every day. Make sure the place is far away from where your pet eats or sleeps. Always use that particular corner to place the wee pad. Place the pad on the floor (plastic side down) and place your pup on top of it just after every meal, drink, workouts, and before and after each nap. After you place your dog on the wee pad you can use the commands like 'do it', 'go', 'go here', 'do it here' or whatever word or phrase you find convenient. Remove the pad after the dog has done his deed. In case your puppy tries to shred or dig the pad, just say 'No' in a stern voice. This itself will be enough to startle it and stop it from what it was doing. Good quality wee pads are tear and scratch resistant. They are easy to dispose and will make your job of carrying soiled pads to the garbage hassle free.

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However, never train your puppy to eliminate on both paper and wee pads. This confuses the dog. It is always advisable to all dog owners who want to train their dogs on wee pads should continue to do so for the rest of their dog's life. For example, you live in an apartment building complex where there is nothing called backyard and you train your dog to eliminate indoors on wee pads. Not even on newspapers. Then suddenly you move into a house that has a big fenced backyard and you expect your wee pads-trained dog to go outdoor to eliminate itself, then be prepared to be surprised. Your dog will start looking for an indoor potty place instead of actually going outdoors, just because you have repeated trained it to do so before. Scented wee pads are also available in the market today to do away with the stench, the scents are mostly of natural grass and earth, to help the dog relate to Nature more. You can even by deodorizer that acts as room fresheners. Although hygienic, few dog owners consider wee pads as an added expense. But for people who don't have time to take their dog outdoors or don't have such a facility, can consider it as a better option. Even when the dog owner is not at home, he or she can be content that his or her pet will only eliminate itself on the wee pad at the corner of the room and not on the carpet, floor, or rugs.

Types of wee pads available:

Puppy Training Pads

Smaller in size, these puppy house training pads are convenient for small puppies who have developed a control over their bladders and bowels, but are still not fully housebroken. Place you puppy on the wee pad after each meal, drink, walk and play and softly encourage your puppy to eliminate there. With time and regular training you will find your puppy using the training pads itself without your encouragement.

Adult Dog Training Pads

Specially made for adult dogs, these pads are made for dogs undergoing house training or are not fully housebroken. These pads have more absorbent capacity and are ideal for adult dogs left at home with no place to go and eliminate.

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Replacement Pads
These are basically dog diapers made for puppies that are yet to develop a control over their bladders and bowels. These replacement pads are also ideal for adult dogs that have somehow lost control over urinating or defecating, like, senior dogs, abused dogs or even dogs having submissive or excitement urination. Many replacement pads come with adjustable belts and also are available in different sizes.

Diaper Training
Nowadays, urban dog owners are finding doggie diapers quite convenient for their pets. Dog diapers not only provide proper sanitation but it is also the best solution for the everyday trouble of most pet owners in washing out their dogs waste and pee. Dogs dont know where is the right area to release their body wastes unless they are properly trained. Thats why it is better that dog owners give pets the most proper training. Many dog owners think that their puppies look cute while wearing a diaper, especially, it the dog is of a toy breed. If you are sensitive to stinking odor of dog's waste, or if you have little children or senior citizens at home, then training your dog to wear diapers is perhaps your best option. Dog diapers are available in various sizes and shapes and come in various price ranges to suit your budget. Whether you own a toy breed, a puppy or a giant dog, diaper is a favorable bargain. Remember that puppies do not have full control until they are about 10 weeks old. You can always go for dog diapers like humans do for their babies. Although, avoid making your dog wear diapers for long periods of time. Your dog may develop infection owing to lack of air circulation on its body.

Puppy & Senior Dog Diapers

Also known as poochie pants, dog diaper is a fashionable and disposable absorbent blanket designed for convenient collection and disposal of a pet dog's solid and fluid waste, without having to see, touch or smell the waste. Since puppies do not have any control over their bladder till they are 10 weeks old, you can always use a diaper for your pet. But do not make your dog wear the diaper at a stretch for a long time. This way you can avoid infection owing to lack of air circulation. Since dogs defecate 3 or 4 times a day and urinate 10-12 times a day (for puppies, this is more frequent), diapers need to be changed at least 3 times a day.

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The elastic side of the diaper protects against leakage and with non-sticky, adjustable fasteners you can avoid pull in the hair. Diapers are available in different sizes suitable for every dog breeds.

Dog Diapers Can Be Best For: Small puppies who are yet to develop a control over their bladders and bowels Dogs having excitement or submissive urination Have somehow lost control over their urination Dogs having seasonal flow Senior dogs who with age lose their bladder control Dogs who will be traveling long distance with their owners Abused dogs with no bladder control

Avoid Direct Contact With Waste: Unlike baby diapers, dog diapers are made in such a way that the wastes are deposited in different pouches. This prevents the contact between the waste and anal or genital region of the dog. Thus the diaper can be easily disposed off without even touching, smelling or seeing the doggie waste. Also, ends the unpleasant chore of picking up dog waste by hand with plastic bags or pooper-scoopers outdoors or indoors.

Avoid Messy Accidents: By making your dog wear a diaper indoors, you can avoid indoor accidental elimination. This goes especially for dogs with housebreaking problems, senior dogs who have little control over their bowels and puppies.

Two different types: With one pouch made only for solid waste With two pouches one for fluid waste and one for solid waste

Some diapers are fully disposable and others are reusable with disposable pouches. Dog diapers are available in all pet stores and in different price range to suit your budget.

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Litter Box Training

Only very small (toy) breed dogs or puppies younger than six months should be litter box trained. Medium or large dogs have large amounts of urine and feces, both of which are very smelly. The amount of litter needed to soak it all up would be very heavy to put into the trash. And the cost of the amount of litter needed per week would be prohibitive. Use the appropriate schedule for house training, but use the litter box as her potty place and take her to it every couple of hours. Always praise her if she potties there. Select an appropriate place in your home for the dogs litter box. The basement, bathroom, or utility room is suitable. Do not select an area with a hardwood floor. If you are using this method because your puppy is too young to have control or because the weather is too nasty to take your dog outside, try to do it near the door you will be using to take your dog outside so that the transition is easier for your dog.

Purchase A Litter Box. You will want a large litter box. There are special dog litter boxes, but the least expensive (and sturdiest) option is the largest size of cat litter box. If it has any type of lid or top, remove it. Put some newspapers (2-3 sheets thick) on the floor where you will put the litter box. Do not put the litter box in a room with a hardwood floor. The litter box should be away from his food and water dishes and away from his play area and toys. You will need to decide what litter you will use.

There are several options:

Special Litter Made For Dogs Second Nature Dog Litter It is pellets made from recycled newspapers and wood pulp, making it absorbent and dust free. It controls odors and claims it does not track or stain.

Shredded Newspaper It is more difficult to get it to soak up urine after shredding it. You will have to purchase shredder or purchase shredded paper.

Cat Litter Clay litters such as Tidy Cat - This or a generic of it is readily available at mass merchandisers (Wal-Mart, Meijer, Target, etc.) and is relatively inexpensive. It is not effective at controlling odor from dogs, it tracks very badly, and it is very dusty. It is not biodegradable and must be taken to the trash. It is heavy when dry and very heavy when wet.

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Pine litters such as ExquisiCat and Feline Pine -- It is pelleted litter made from compressed pine (no new trees cut). It claims no odor or dust and completely flushable or reuseable on yard or garden. It degrades to sawdust when urinated upon (the sawdust does track). It controls odor better than most litters. It is highly absorbent and basically disintegrates when used. It is very lightweight. This is an excellent alternative for elderly or apartment or high-rise dwellers. Be aware that some dogs eat this and it probably is not very healthy in the digestive tract.

Elimination Pads These are training pads or that are designed for indoor pottying. You can get a holder and a tray to go under them. They already have a scent, which attracts your dog to do her business on them. This is a variation on paper training and on litter box training. These do not control odor very well and are heavy and smelly when wet. A good way to start your litter training is to put several sheets of newspaper in the bottom of the box and then put about two cups of litter on top of that. Each time the dog uses the litter box, you will need to empty it and start over unless you are using pine pellets which you may need to add. Throw away soiled papers and litter in an outdoor trash bin. Make sure that when you put fresh newspaper and litter in the box there is still the scent of the dogs urine/feces in the box. This can be accomplished with a small piece of soaked paper from the dirty box. You can begin to add more litter and decrease the newspaper in the bottom as your dog uses the litter box more regularly. You will soon figure out how much paper and how much litter is needed to completely absorb your dogs urine. Remember that dogs do not cover their feces; they leave the poop for all to see and smell. Watch your dog or puppy carefully (like a hawk) at all times. As soon as she starts to potty (pee or poop), pick her up (or lead her) and quickly take her to the litter box. If you have chosen a word or phrase meaning go potty you can use it as you set her down. Once she has pottied in the box, praise her. Clean up any area where she has pottied that is not in the box. Use the appropriate cleaning products so she does not smell anything that would cause her to potty there again.

Advantages & Uses Of Litter Box Training:

If the owner of the dog is elderly and the dog is a toy breed, litter box training can be used so that the dog does not have to be walked. This protects the owner from dangerous falls. Try the pine pellets. If the owner will be gone long hours and cannot have someone take the dog out to a potty place, a litter box allows the dog to have a chance to relieve herself during all those hours.

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Disadvantages To Litter Box Training:

It is a mess to dispose of urine-soaked litter. It can be heavy and smelly. It is inconvenient to dispose of urine-soaked litter immediately upon use each time. Your dog never learns to tell you when he has to potty since he simply potties. Your house will always have the odor of dog urine and poop. You will not be happy with the way boarding kennels handle a litter box trained dog. Often your dog will sit in his pee and poop for hours, making him filthy, smelly, and even sick. You will have to take his litter box and litter to the boarding kennel and explain how he uses it.

You will also have to pay for a larger kennel (more cost) to accommodate the dog and the litters box so that he does not have to sit in the litter box all the time. Litter costs money. DO NOT USE CLUMPING CAT LITTER IN A DOG LITTER BOX. You will have a box full of cement.

Litter Box Training For Adult Dogs

I do not want to sound daunting, but litter box training is not easy, more so for an adult dog. But it is not impossible if you try. If you have an adult dog who has been trained to go outside, it will require time, energy, patience and love. Give him enough space and pampering so that he can get adjusted to litter training. Dogs are real neat creatures. They do not bury their excreta or look for litter-like surfaces. So some extensive training is required for getting him used to the litter tray, just as any other substitute of going out to poop. The easy way out is perhaps to crate-train your dog first. If you manage to teach the negative, the positive would not be far away. A crate is like a small room. Dogs do not litter the place where they sleep so if you keep them confined in a crate, chances are they will not poop there. To counter this, you may keep a litter box on the other side of the crate so that your dog picks up the cue. He will soon know his pooping place. If your adult dog is uncomfortable in confinement, use a large, open crate. Sometimes older dogs that you have adopted from other places may not be house trained at all. Or the case may be such that they are overwhelmed in the new environment by anxiety or excitement. You have to treat them like puppies.

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If a dog has been a street dog, litter training may take considerable effort. Do be patient and loving. Never forget to praise your dog for pooping in the right place. Remember positive reinforcement can work wonders even if the dog is not so young. Sometimes older dogs face housebreaking problems because of other health concerns. So if none of the ways work for, do take him to the vet.

Crate Training
Crate training is not another method for house training. It can be used along with the outdoor method or the paper training method or the litter (box) training method. Crate training is your best ally in house training (or if you need to re-train). Crate training is simply putting your dog into a crate at times when you cannot watch him every second during house training, you leave home, you want him to sleep, you need him to be or feel safe, you are traveling with him (even to the vet), or you need more control over his behavior. Crate training is important for dogs that will be left alone for periods of time or who will be boarded at a place where they will be crated. A crate is useful for restricting your new dog from access to various areas of the house. This will be help in keeping him from soiling those parts of the house while he is being house trained. It will also keep him from chewing things he should not chew until he gets past that stage of life. Crates are useful for transporting a dog. Some people like to crate their dogs in the car. Unless you purchase a seat for your dog, he will have to be crated to travel by airplane and travel as cargo. When you have guests or stay in a motel or at a friends home with your dog, a crate is useful in containing the dog and limiting his access to the other people and to furniture and other items. A crate is vital if you plan to show your dog. Even if that showing will be a 4-H show, you and your child will not want to spend hours holding and walking your dog while awaiting the dogs turn to show and awaiting the results of that showing. The crate should be a safe place for your dog. Dogs live in dens in the wild, so this will become his den. If it is approached properly and early in his life with you, he will learn to go into it without balking and to stay in it until released without protesting by digging or barking. Many dogs enjoy being in their crates. You do not want your dog to potty in the crate, and if he sees it as his den, he will not potty in it. Crate training is never used as punishment or time out. It is always to be viewed as a happy and safe place for your dog.

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Crate training is an aid to house training any age dog no matter what his background. The crate is a place he wants to be and is considered his den, so he will not want to potty in his crate.

Choosing A Crate
There are several types of crates wire, plastic, nylon fabric, and combination. Some are collapsible and some simply come apart in two pieces. Which type of crate you choose will depend on your preference, how you will be using it, and your dogs temperament. If you want your dog to sleep most of the time he is in the crate, choose one that is all plastic as they tend to be darker and not allow him to see very much except through the door at the end. If your dog is a real people-lover like a Golden Retriever, choose one that is all metal with all the sides being wire and place the crate where he can see people coming and going. If you have a small breed dog you will be taking in a crate often, you may prefer a nylon crate with window shades that roll up like tent flaps. If you will be carrying the crate often, choose one that is lighter in weight. Plastic crates are always lightweight, but take more room to store. Metal and wire crates come in various weights with heavier ones being sturdier. The lower the number of wire gage, the thicker and stronger the wire, and the heavier the crate. However, they usually fold fairly flat to store or transport and have a handle to be carried like a suitcase. Make sure that the person who will be transporting the crate can lift and carry it and load it into and unload it from the vehicle that will be transporting it.

What size crate should you buy? Buy one that will be large enough for your dog to stand up and turn around when he is fully grown. You can get a divider to put into it to make it smaller (especially applicable for wire crates) while he is smaller if you want to do that.

Where should you buy your crate? Look around shop at all the pet stores and mass merchandisers in your area. Set the appropriately sized crates on the floor of the store. Assemble them to see how easily they assemble and disassemble. Collapse them. Carry them. Price them. If you already have your dog, take your dog to the pet stores and see if there is one type he will go into or not go into easily. Then go to the web sites listed at the end of this ebook and look at the crates. How do they compare to the ones you have seen? Just remember that if you purchase one online, you will pay postage based on weight. You can usually find out how much by putting the item in your shopping cart and going through the purchase process up to the point of putting in your payment information. At

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that point, it may not be cost effective to purchase the crate online unless you cannot find the same one in your local store.

Introducing Your Dog To The Crate

Be aware that crate training may take a day or it may take several weeks depending upon your dog. In a few rare cases, dogs simply never crate train and will injure themselves trying to escape. Be calm, positive, and patient. Be consistent with your dog. Put the crate in a room where you and your family spend time such as a family room. The floors of crates are either slick plastic or metal or wire. Therefore, covering most of the floor with a cheap rug with a rubberized or non-slip backing (or a pad or dog bed) will help your dogs footing and comfort in the crate. Make sure it does not have much of a nap or any loops that can catch the dogs toenail. Such a rug can be easily washed in the washing machine and hung to dry (do not use a dryer to fully dry it as the rubber backing will come apart). If your dog has a blanket he likes, you may want to put it into the crate. You will also want to put a favorite toy in the crate. A chew toy he likes is a good way to occupy your dog in the crate. Use the word kennel or crate to mean go into the crate. Always say it in an upbeat, happy voice such as Tippy, crate. Before asking your dog to enter the crate, ALWAYS take him to his potty place, use the cue word youve chosen to mean go potty and give him ample time to potty. To get your dog into the crate, start by opening the door and securing it to stay open, or taking it off the crate. Then try putting your dogs favorite toy in the crate as you say the word youve chosen to mean go into the crate. If he goes into the crate to get his toy, praise him happily even if he comes right out with the toy. If he refuses to go into the crate, encourage him with happy words like go get it or get your toy. As he goes into the crate to get the toy, say whatever youve chosen to mean go into the crate. Reach into the crate and get the toy for him if he still refuses and play with him with the toy for a few minutes. Then put it just inside the door to the crate and tell him to get it. If, after 2-3 tries, he refuses to enter the crate, try some favorite treats instead of the toy. Another possibility is purchasing an appropriately sized Kong toy and putting peanut

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butter in it. Allow him to have it outside the crate a few times and, if he likes it, then put it in the crate so he will go in and sit there to work on getting the peanut butter out of it. If he wont enter the crate with the treats or the Kong, leave the treats or the Kong there and leave the door open. Go about your daily routine and let your dog stay with you so he does not think the crate means you are leaving him. You do not want the crate to cause him separation anxiety. Often if the treats are in the crate and the door is open, he will get curious and go get a treat (or the Kong) when he thinks you are not looking. If you see him do it, praise him. After he has gotten treats out of it a couple of times, place treats farther in the crate so that he has to go at least halfway in the crate to get them. Whether or not your dog enters the crate, you will want to work with his entering it 3-4 times a day for 10-15 minutes. If he goes in, praise him. For the first 3-4 days, do not close the door; allow him to go in and out at will.

Overcoming Crate Resistance

If, after two weeks of this, your dog still will not enter the crate, there are a couple of things you can try. Move the crate to another room such as your bedroom or a room you go into but do not allow him into as yet. INVITE him into the crate as a way of inviting him into the room. Try feeding your dog his meals near the crate for several days to dispel the idea of it being scary. Then put the meal inside the crate for several days. Once he eats his meal near the front of the crate, start moving it farther back until it is finally at the back of the crate. Find a friend who has a crate trained dog or a doggie daycare center. Ask if you can bring your dog to watch another dog that is crate trained. Because dogs are pack animals, your dog may enter a crate after seeing another dog enter it.

Or, he may enter to smell where the other dog has been. If the crate is large enough to accommodate both dogs and the two dogs get along with each other, encourage them to go into the crate together. Your last resort is physically picking him up and putting him in the crate. If you have to do this, make sure he has enough room to stand up and to turn around and to lie down comfortably.

Praise him and make it sound like a game. Pet him and praise him while he is in the crate. Give him a treat. Leave the door open and let him come out when he is ready. If you get an adult dog that has never been crate trained, the process will be much harder and longer, but the end result will be worthwhile. For small dogs that do not want to be separated from you, getting to go in the car in the crate may be a good incentive. For large dogs who do not want to be separated from

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you, getting to go into a heretofore forbidden area of the house with you by being in the crate may be an incentive.

Teaching Your Dog to Stay in the Crate

Once your dog is easily entering the crate on his own, it is time to start conditioning him to stay in the crate. This is when a comfort toy, blanket, and/or chew toy (a hoof, pigs ear, rawhide chew or Nylabone product) become important. Warning: Nylabone products are safe for any age dog or puppy. However, puppies and young dogs should not be given hoofs (they could damage teeth and gums), pigs ears (the grease might make them sick), or rawhide chews (they could pull a tooth out). One method of teaching your dog to stay in the crate is to feed your dog his meals near the crate for several days to dispel the idea of it being scary. Then put the meal inside the crate for several days. And, finally put it at the back of the crate. After the dog has eaten in the crate for several days, start closing the door while he eats. Open the door when he finishes. After doing this for a few days, start lengthening the time the door stays closed after he eats by 5-10 minutes. If you ever board your dog, he will be fed his meals in a crate or pen, so it is good for him to eat meals in the crate before going to boarding the first time. That way it will not be a scary, new experience for him. Another method of teaching your dog to stay in the crate is to put his toy or treats in the crate to get him to go into it and start closing the door to the crate for 10-15 minutes. Praise him for staying. If he lies down and seems content, stay in the room, but dont pay him any particular attention. If he is uneasy or paces or whines, reassure him in a calm and matter-of-fact voice; do NOT let him out. If he becomes frantic or starts digging at the crate, tell him no in a disapproving voice and then reassure him that he is okay and can get out soon. The first couple of times you may have to talk to him most of the time he is in the closed crate. However, start decreasing the amount of talking you do and simply let him know you are near by walking past the crate. Once he stays in the crate for 15 minutes at a time without fussing or being uneasy, start lengthening the time he is in the crate. You can also start leaving the room for 2-5 minutes at a time. And, if that works, start lengthening the amount of time there is nobody in the room with him. If your dog starts to exhibit fearful or anxious behavior by whining, scratching, digging, or barking, you will need to go back to the crate and tell him no in your best disapproving voice. Do not use a harsh voice and do not do it loudly. Do not yell at him from another room of the house. Try to make eye contact with him when you say no. Then distract him by showing him a treat or another toy he can have when he comes out of the crate. As soon as he quiets down, release him from the crate and praise him.

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Give him the treat or toy you showed him. And dont forget to take him to his potty place. Never reward undesired behavior (whining, scratching, digging, or barking) by giving your dog what he wants or he will only learn that that behavior works for him.

Preparing To Leave Your Dog In The Crate

Once your dog stays in the crate for 30 minutes or more and you can leave the room during that time, you can start leaving the house and leaving him in the crate for short periods of time. Vary the length of time you are gone. Do not leave every time you put him in the crate or he will associate the crate with your leaving and become unhappy with being crated. As usual, each time you crate him, take him to his potty place first and take him to his potty place when you release him from the crate. Do not make a big deal out of leaving. Keep matter-of-fact and routine. Simply take him potty, put him in the crate, finish getting ready to leave, and leave. Once you feel comfortable with his being in the crate for an hour or more, you can crate him for up to 15-20 minutes prior to leaving. When you return, do not invite him to get excited about your return and his release. Again, be low key and routine. Simply say hello and praise him quietly (but happily) for being good and staying in his crate. Release him and take him to his potty place. After you have been home for a few minutes and he has pottied, you can play with him and allow him to be with you. If you crate a young puppy while you are at work, you will find that he will learn to control his bladder and bowels earlier than if he is not crated and for longer periods than a puppy that is not crated.

Using The Crate For Sleeping At Night

Many people like for their dog to sleep in a crate at night. If you want your dog to sleep in a crate, start with it the first night if possible (or as soon as possible so he does not get used to sleeping elsewhere). The routine is the same as usual. Work with the appropriate schedule for when to put your dog to bed in the crate. Be low key and routine; do not get excited or angry or raise your voice to get him into the crate. Take him to his potty place. Take him to the crate and say the word youve chosen for entering the crate. Dont forget to be upbeat and positive. Use a treat to get him to go in if necessary. Make sure he has a blanket or bed in his crate. An appropriate stuffed toy may also give him a sibling-substitute for cuddling.

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Do not cover his crate unless he fusses and whines and covering helps him settle down and sleep. He may prefer his crate to be in your bedroom where he can see you, especially if he is young or is a dog you have rescued; however, you can slowly move it farther from you over a period of time as he becomes more secure in knowing you are not leaving him. Listen for him to fuss to go potty during the night if he is young or set your alarm for 4-5 hours to take him out so he does not have an accident in the crate. If he does fuss or whine, simply take him to his potty place and then put him back in the crate do not make over him, give him treats, cuddle him, or otherwise let him think that fussing or whining is rewarded. When you get up in the morning, release him from the crate and take him to his potty place. CAUTION Puppies should not spend more than 2 hours at a time in a crate. Make sure your dog is getting plenty of exercise and time out of the crate. Do NOT crate him all day while you are at work AND all night. Dogs should never be in a crate more than 8-10 hours of any 24 hours.

Tips For Crate Training:

The crate is a POSITIVE, happy, safe place. Keep it that way. Always take your dog to his potty place before asking him to enter the crate. Always take your dog to his potty place immediately when he comes out of the crate. Always praise your dog for entering the crate. When first training your dog to the crate, do not put food (meals) or water in the crate. Your dog can be given a treat to go into the crate, but be consistent and always give the treat. If you quit giving the treat, then you do not need to randomly give the treat unless he begins to balk at going into the crate. Never reward whining, digging, scratching or barking with praise or with releasing your dog from the crate. No dog should spend more than 10 hours of any 24-hour period in a crate. If you crate your dog for the night, then do not crate him while you are at work for 8-10 hours and vice versa, if you crate him while you are at work, then do not crate him at night.

He must have time and place to move around. You need to be careful that he does not feel trapped and that he gets enough exercise and adequate time with you.

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If your dog is really upset with the crate and works really hard at digging out, he can seriously injure himself. If he does this, you will have to start crate training all over, staying with him every time you crate him until he is fully settled and relaxed in the crate.

There are some dogs that cannot be crate trained. If that is true of your dog and you truly need to contain him, try shutting him in a room like a bathroom with a gate across the door. He has a high need to be able to see you or hear you at all times. Dont forget to give him a couple of favorite toys and his blanket or bed. Train him to this room in the same way you would to a crate a few minutes at a time with you nearby for several days. Gradually lengthen the amount of time. Add a favorite chew toy and leave that part of the house for a few minutes at a time.

Advantages & Uses Of Crate Training:

Your dog will feel safe in his crate den. You can have a break from constantly watching your dog while house training. You can safely leave your dog at home, at a boarding kennel, at the vet, etc. You can safely take your dog with you any place. You can have guests who are afraid of or allergic to your dog (or simply not used to a dog). Young puppies crate train easily and can be taught to control their bladder and bowels for longer periods at an earlier age if they are crate trained. A dog who has been adopted at an older-than-puppy age may have any one of a variety of problems which can be helped or solved with the use of crate training.

Disadvantages Of Crate Training:

Your dog will run to the crate for protection and safety if he thinks he is in trouble. Your dog may want his crate available at all times which may not be the way you had envisioned using it.

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Clicker Training
If youve never heard of clicker training, it is a fairly popular method of training dogs and even young puppies using a clicker and small treats. With this method, a puppy as young as six weeks can be house trained or obedience trained to sit, heel, and come. It is also a great method for teaching your dog not to jump on people. It is fun for both the dog and the trainer since it more like a game than training.

Examples Of Clickers Start by putting the clicker and a small bag of treats near the door you will go out to go to the dogs potty place (or near the potty place if it is indoors). Take your dog to his potty place at a time he is likely to need to potty after waking, eating or drinking, or exercising and wait for the dog to go potty. When clicker training, do NOT use a word or phrase to tell him to go potty. Simply give him time in the right location to do it. As your dog finishes his business, click the clicker and give him a treat. Also give verbal praise after the click - as with any other method. The clicker marks the correct behavior and the praise and treat reinforce the right behavior so he wants to do it again. If you do not use food treats, it will slow the process. After 25-50 correct clicks, your dog should begin to let you know when he needs to go potty. Be aware of his body language and posture so that you know when he needs to go potty. Do not click too soon (while he is in the process) or you may startle or excite him, causing him to put it off to get the treat instead. If you catch him in the act of pottying in the wrong place, do not click or treat. Quickly startle him, say no and take him to his potty place. The message is: Potty in the right place and get great treats, but potty in the wrong place and get no treats.

Indoor House training

Taking their dogs outdoors to eliminate is not always feasible for owners. Especially for senior citizens, disabled people, or people apartment buildings, having a backyard or park to take their dog they had to give up to live in the city. Sometimes, people who are schedule may fail to take their dogs for the evening walk. many urban pet dog who live in high-rise out is a convenience not in control of their

Whatever may be the reason, in such circumstances teaching your dog to eliminate indoors may be the only option you can give your dog. Indoor training requires you to teach your dog or puppy to eliminate in a particular location inside your home.

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Fortunately, most indoor dogs can be house trained fairly easily, especially if you start at an early stage. Indoor training requires the same dedication and training time as outdoor house training. However, the only difference is that you will be placing your pet on litter box, training pads or newspaper instead of taking it outdoors in the backyard.

Mark The Area Your first step while teaching your puppy or dog is to select a corner inside your home where your dog will eliminate every day. Make sure this corner is away from the places where your dog eat or sleeps. Also, keep in mind that the place should be easy to clean as well.

Keep The Location Fixed The location should always remain the same. At first, cover a larger area than is actually needed - about three to four square feet - with training pads. As the training sessions will progress, you can reduce the area size accordingly.

Make A Proper Routine After every meal, drink, nap and work out sessions take your puppy to the marked area. Let it relate. With the passing of time, your puppy will be able to understand that going to that corner of the room means your puppy need to poop or pee. If your dog looks agitated or starts circling or sniffing the floor, take it to its 'poop-zone'. Remember that puppies do not have full control until they are about 10 weeks old.

Use Cue Words Praising your dog verbally or using verbal commands like 'do it', 'do here' 'get on the paper', 'go' or whatever you think will be appropriate, will always encourage your dog to eliminate in that 'poop-zone' place.

Use Positive Reinforcement In case your dog tries to go out of the corner, tries to dig or even shred the paper, just use a firm voice to correct it. A simple 'No' spoken in a stern voice is enough to startle the dog. Never ever use a hand or scold your dog. With positive reinforcement and a strict schedule, it will soon be walking to its area on its own.

It is important that your dog or puppy associates the potty with the act of elimination, and not an act of misbehavior. Always leave a small amount of urinescented paper towel on the tray until the training is complete.

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Indoor House training Hassles Patience and consistency are the key words here. Pet owners who attempt indoor house training should be aware of some potential problems. Indoor training takes longer than outdoor training. Your puppy might even resist during the first few sessions and may not be able to be trained to go indoors. This is pretty normal. You will have to keep on trying. And once your dog learns to go indoor, it can be difficult to train them to go outdoors in the future. That's why, don't try to house train your puppy both inside and outside - it can be too confusing for your pet.

Tools Needed No-leak pads are available in the market these days that can be used for indoor elimination. You can place them at the designated elimination site and your dog will be able to relate to it. These pads are easy to use, come in different sizes and are disposable. In case you are opting for paper training, make sure to use more than one sheet of paper to avoid stains on the floor. Keep around a deodorizer to do away with stench.

Training To Eliminate On Command

It is essential for a dog owner to teach his or her dog to respond to different commands. One important reason for doing command training is to establish a foundation from which you and your dog can learn to effectively relate to one another. The first thing obedience training does is to create a common language for you and your dog. This, in turn, lets your dog know the proper response that you expect in place of misbehavior. In reality, all pets should be trained to obey commands for the benefit of both the pet and its owner. Clicker is also used to house train dogs. Instead of verbal commands clicker is used to encourage dogs to eliminate.

Housebreaking Commands
There is no set rule or set words related to housebreaking commands. It varies from owner to owner. Serious pet owners will always want their pets to be house trained properly to make them fully social. And training your dog to eliminate on command is extremely essential, if you want your pet to be fully housebroken.

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The commands fall into two categories:

To encourage elimination: Such commands are chosen to notify your dog to eliminate in that particular place. To stop your pet from eliminating at a wrong place: Such commands are chosen to prevent your dog to eliminate in the wrong place.

Selecting The Commands: The first step to make your pet respond during elimination is to select the commands you are going to use. Whatever command you choose, make sure you stick to it.

Positive Commands
While house training a puppy you need to help your dog relate to the place of elimination. With verbal commands you can make that happen. This goes for both indoor and outdoor house training. Suppose you want your dog to eliminate on wee pads or litter box, you need to use commands like 'go', 'do it', 'do it here', 'go potty' and so on. These are positive commands. Using these commands repeatedly will help your dog relate to use the wee pad to pee or poop. However, for best results use only one command for such cases. If you are using 'do it here' or 'potty-time', then stick to the single command. Different commands each day will only confuse your dog.

Positive Reinforcement
When your dog 'accidentally' eliminates at a wrong place or attempts to, you can use commands like 'freeze', 'hold it' or even a firm 'no'. These are positive reinforcements. Since scolding your dog for urinating or defecating at the wrong place will only confuse it, there is no point in doing such a thing. A simple 'no' or 'freeze' spoken in a stern voice will startle your dog enough to stop it. After the spoken command you can pick up your dog and take it to its designated place.

Patience & Consistency You cannot expect your dog to learn to obey your commands just overnight. You need to work on it repeatedly. Puppies take a little longer to train than adult dogs. But with consistency you can achieve your goal and make your dog eliminate on command.

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House training Schedule By Age

In each of the schedules below, walk the dog means to take the dog to his potty place the place you want him to use to potty. That place can be outdoors, a place where you have papers for the purpose of pottying, or a doggie litter box. Dont forget: Take his water away at least two hours before bed. Some breeders recommend four feedings a day for puppies under three months. If that is true for your puppy, you can add another feeding into this schedule. A puppy of less than three months does not have the physical development to be able to control his bowels or his bladder. It is not too early to set the pattern, but it is too early to expect perfection and no accidents. You will notice that there is very little exercise in this schedule. Your puppy will want to play but will be too young to play for very long without becoming exhausted. Play should be indoors and gentle and whenever you and your puppy want it. Short play periods are always followed by pottying and napping. He has only puppy teeth and you do not want to damage them or his gums. Therefore, do not play tugging games or give him hard things to chew. His teeth will be very sharp but he does not mean to hurt you. Schedule For Puppies Six - Twelve Weeks Old 5:00 AM 7:30 AM 9:30 AM 11:30 AM 2:00 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 11:00 PM Walk the dog Feed, water, then walk. Exercise, water, and walk Feed, water, then walk. Exercise, water, and walk Feed, water, then walk. Walk (and exercise) the dog Water and walk (last water of the day) Walk the dog

Exercise, eating, drinking, and even waking up will cause your puppy to go potty. And he may not even realize he is peeing or pooping. As he nears three to four months, Schedule For Puppies he will begin to have more control and he Three - Six Months Old will have more realization of what is happening. Using a schedule will begin to pay off for you. 7:00 AM Walk the dog This is the best age for house training. 7:30 AM Feed, water, then walk. The puppy has enough physical development to be fully aware of what he is 11:30 AM Feed, water, then walk. doing and to be able to control his bladder and bowels. 4:30 PM Feed, water, then walk. Water and walk (last water of the day) Walk the dog There is also very little exercise in this schedule. Your puppy will want more exercise as he gets older and is more able With some training and praise for doing the right thing, you should have a house trained puppy in a few weeks.

7:30 PM 11:00 PM

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to do things. He will also have more energy and stamina. Play with him for 15 minutes several times a day at your convenience. If you can do it early in the day, around lunchtime, early in the evening, and even again later in the evening, your puppy will love it. As he approaches six months he will begin to enjoy and need toys. Chew toys like a Nyla-Bone of the appropriate size will become important as he prepares to lose his baby teeth to get his adult teeth. Other toys he will enjoy are soft stuffed toys (without parts like eyes that can be chewed off) and soft squeak toys. Also, balls that are like tennis balls come in various sizes at the pet stores and will provide hours of fun if you teach him to go get it or bring it back or fetch. He will begin to enjoy longer walks. And he will start showing interest in the world around him. However, he is still too young for much in the way of roughhousing or tugging games. You may want to take your puppy to a puppy socialization class. This will help you learn more about him and train him to want to please you. It will also use some of his excess energy. And, it will prepare you both for obedience class. Dogs were bred to work, so todays dogs need jobs to occupy their minds and bodies and to keep them from soiling your house out of sheer boredom. If you acquire a puppy that is six months to a year old, he should be fairly easy to house train. If he has been in a family setting or with a breeder who does some initial training and socialization, he will practically be house trained when you get him. If he has lived his whole life in a crate (like in a pet store), he may have some issues or problems with house training. In that case, you will need to see some of the other parts of the book. Schedule For Puppies Six Months - One Year

7:00 AM 7:30 AM 12:30 PM 4:30 PM 7:30 PM

Walk the dog Feed, water and walk Water and walk Feed, water and walk Water and walk (last water of the day)

Walk the dog This age puppy will excitedly anticipate 11:00 PM play periods and walks. Toys are important to avert boredom. A bored puppy chews on furniture and rugs, steals food, digs and scratches, and potties in the wrong places. Therefore, get your puppy toys soft squeak toys, stuffed toys, chew toys to keep him occupied whether you are there or not. Giving him a Kong toy with peanut butter inside will occupy him for several minutes.

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Longer walks, more frequent walks, or playing with another dog will be exciting and interesting to your dog. If you have a fenced yard, games of fetch and chase will use up more energy. Or, if you run or jog, now is the time to start taking your dog with you for short periods. Dont run him too hard or too long and do keep him on a leash and keep the leash short. Now is the time to start obedience training. Find an approved obedience school in your area and take your dog once a week. Then practice twice a day for 15-20 minutes. That will help you and your dog to understand each other better and help your dog learn to want to please you. He will learn to potty in a hurry in order to go in the car or to get back to class with his friends. If you acquire a dog that is a year old or older, the chances are great that you are not the dogs first owner or that the dog was a stray or was given up for some reason. These situations will make it more difficult to house train your dog. If that is the case, you will want to read the sections on problems associated with various breeds (Chapter 6) and the questions and answers in 35 Most Commonly Asked Questions On House training . You may also need to check out some of the special situations in Chapter 5. Schedule For Dogs One Year & Older If you got your dog from a breeder or from a previous owner, he may have been house trained. That is good. However, he may develop problems like separation anxiety or marking or he may forget he is house trained. Again, you may need to see some of the further chapters. When you are house training a dog that is older than a year, it is important to use lots of love, attention, and patience.

7:00 AM 7:30 AM 4:30 PM 6:00 PM 7:30 PM 11:00 PM

Walk the dog Feed, water, and walk Water and exercise Feed, water, and walk Water and walk Walk the dog

However, you will need to be especially firm and consistent in letting him know your expectations.

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Chapter 3 - Knowing Your Dogs Signals

Understanding Your Dogs Body Language
Watch your dog closely. What does he do just prior to peeing? What does he do just prior to pooping? Usually he does different things to prepare for peeing than he does to prepare for pooping. Watch for your dog to sniff more, go in circles, go back and forth, run to a bush, or do some other thing that is different from walking or playing. By 8-10 weeks he will begin to know he is about to pee or poop and will start looking for a place to do it. Females will start looking for a place to squat to pee while males will start looking for something upright to pee on like a chair leg or bush. Both will look for some space for their poop as they dont like to stand in poop while they are still pooping, so they may waddle forward and spread it over a distance of a foot or two (and farther as the dog gets larger).

Using A Bell
A great method to use to let your dog tell you when he needs to potty is a bell or set of bells hung on the door he goes out. This can be any type of bell, but you want to make sure it will not scratch your door when it hits the door or swings back and forth. Sleigh bells like those available for door decorations at Christmas are ideal for this since they are usually attached to a velvet ribbon, which will protect your door, and because there are several bells, it is likely you will be able to hear them from other parts of your house. They also hang down so that your dog can easily reach them with his nose even when he is a small dog.

Attach the bell(s) to the doorknob. Each time you take your dog to his potty place, make sure you ring the bell(s). After 4-5 days, show him how to take his nose and push on the bell(s) to get the ringing noise as you go out the door. Within a couple of weeks, he should be ringing the bell(s) to let you know he needs to potty. Your dog will not be consistent with ringing the bell(s) at first, so you will still need to watch him carefully and you will still need to stick to the appropriate schedule.

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Your dog may also find that it is fun to get you to take him out more often, so in the beginning, he may ring to go out more often than necessary. Remember, though, to be consistent with praising your dog when he potties correctly.

Teaching Your Dog To Bark

Most dogs will naturally learn to bark or come and get you when they need to potty once they understand you want them to only potty outside in their potty place. If your dog barks in a way that is different from the way he barks at someone coming in or the way he barks when playing, take him to his potty place and see if that is what he needs. If your dog goes to the door and comes back and looks directly at you, take him to his potty place. Usually, your dog will exhibit urgency in his bark or his demeanor and need to go immediately as he will not realize he needs to go until he has to go pretty badly. Be alert to a change in behavior as a sign. In rare cases you may need to teach your dog to bark. Some breeds are not real barkers, so barking is not their normal way of telling you things. If your dog does not bark very much, try a method like a bell he can ring or simply be more aware of his behavior and demeanor at times when he is scheduled to go to his potty place.

Tips & Hints To House training Your Dog

Spend as much time as possible with your dog during the first few weeks. The better you get to know your dog, the easier it will be for you to tell when he needs to go potty. Establish a routine and stick to it 24 hours a day and 7 days a week until your dog has not had an accident for 2-3 months. Be consistent with your expectations and with how you express those expectations to your dog. Be generous with praising your dog every time he does the right thing. Understand the capabilities of your dogs breed and age in relation to its ability to potty train. Always use the same door and the same potty place when teaching your dog. Later you can use other places if you are traveling. Choose a cue word (or two-word phrase) to tell your dog to go potty now and use it every time your dog potties and every time you want your dog to potty so he gets to know it and know what it means.

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Watch your dog. Be ready to catch him in the act of having an accident. Watch his behavior and demeanor to learn what he does just prior to pottying and get him to his potty place. Be patient with your dog. This may take a few days and, in some cases, a couple of months. Some dogs may not be fully reliable until 18 months old. Remember accidents are your fault and not your dogs fault. Never discipline your dog for an accident. Never let him watch you clean up an accident. Never hit your dog and never yell at your dog. You will cause much bigger problems with those two behaviors than you will ever solve.

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Chapter 4 - Accidents While House training Your Dog

Accident Or On Purpose?
It is simple to determine if it is an accident or not: Assume it is an accident! The fact of the matter is that you need to watch your dog very closely every minute you are home with him. If you are watching and you are taking him to his potty place after he wakes up, after he eats or drinks, and after he exercises, you should be able to catch any accidents while they are happening. If you do not catch your dog in the act, it is not his fault but yours.

What To Do About It?

For the first few times, when you catch her in the act, quickly pick her up and take her to her potty place. Do not scold her or punish her or say anything harsh. Simply set her down where you want her to potty and tell her business or whatever word or phrase you have chosen for her to potty. The real key is watching closely enough to either catch her just before she potties or while she is in the act. If you do not catch her at one of those times, you can do nothing but clean it up. If she is over three months and you have moved her to her potty place several times when you caught her in the act of having an accident, you will need to take more action. When you do catch her in the act of peeing or pooping in an inappropriate place, startle her so she quits. You want her to think the loud noise came from above and not from you. If she associates the loud noise with you, she will become frightened of you and apprehensive. Therefore, clapping your hands, yelling or beating on something are not good ideas.

Methods for startling your dog: A cowbell you can ring a couple of times where she cannot see you A lidded can or plastic container with a handful of dried beans inside.

It is not critical that you startle the dog. It is more important that you go get the dog and firmly say no, and take the dog to her potty place. Then use the appropriate cue word meaning go potty now and wait patiently. If the dog was scared, she may not be able to start peeing or pooping again immediately. It is okay to talk to her and encourage her.

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How To Clean Up
Clean up thoroughly and clean up as soon as possible. If it is poop, simply pick it up with paper toweling and throw it away. If it is urine (pee), use a pad of dye-free paper toweling to soak up as much urine as possible. Once you have soaked up as much as possible, make a pad of paper towels and put them on the spot. Put a weight on top so that the urine is wicked up into the paper towels. Throw those towels away. If necessary, repeat that process. Once you have soaked as much as possible up from your carpet, try using a solution of 1 part white vinegar and 4 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray the area and leave it for five minutes. Return and blot all of the solution so that the area is as dry as you can get it. If your dog does return to this place to potty, use one of products on the market for helping to get rid of the scent. Get a product that says it is a stain and odor remover or a stain and odor eliminator and look at the ingredients to make sure it says it contains enzymes. You do not want ones that have bacteria, especially if they have no enzymes. The enzymes bind the odors so your dog will not return to that place to potty again. Do not use products with ammonia as it smells so similar to urine (urine has ammonia in it). It is best to use products, which neutralize the smells. Most of these have enzymes in them.

To Punish Or Not To Punish

NEVER PUNISH A DOG WHO IS BEING HOUSE TRAINED. Do not spank, hit or kick him. Do not put his nose in his mess.

If you punish the dog, you will find him sneaking off to another room to potty or slinking around the house acting guilty. He will not understand the punishment, but he will try to avoid it in the future by not being around you. Positive reinforcement is more effective than punishment for training dogs. Immediately take the dog to the location where he is supposed to potty and use whatever word you have chosen to tell him to potty. Although he will probably not need to potty at that time, he will get the idea that you want him to do it there. The next time he potties in the correct place, praise him more than usual. You can even reward him with a short playtime or a small treat as well as praise. If he soils the same wrong area again, especially if you arrive on the spot within minutes, take him to the area and say firmly, No Potty and then take him to the area where he should potty and walk him around and use the chosen command for pottying. When he potties in the correct area, make sure you praise him verbally and with a small treat. Then do not allow him into the room where he has soiled incorrectly until he has earned that privilege again by pottying correctly for a couple of days.

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If you catch your dog in the act of soiling the wrong area, startle him to get him to stop and think. To do this, roll a newspaper up and slap it against your hand several times and say no. Then, quickly, grab him and take him to the correct place to potty. An alternative to the rolled newspaper is a shake can that you can make using a can with a plastic lid filled with a handful of dried beans or peas, or for more noise, use coins.

Preventions Of Repeat Accidents

If your dog is younger than 3 months (6 months for most large breeds and a few small breeds), you will continue to have accidents, so be patient, be vigilant about using a schedule and do not ask your dog to go more than two hours between times of going to his potty place. Watch your dog carefully. Know what he does just prior to peeing and pooping and get him to his potty place when he starts that routine. Watch your dog carefully. If you dont catch him just prior to accident, catch him in the act and take him to his potty place. If your dog is older than three months and you have had your dog more than three weeks and been using a schedule vigilantly, you need to really be watching your dog and understanding why he is having accidents. Make sure you have taken him to the vet to find out if there is a medical condition that is contributing to his accidents.

If your dog is having frequent accidents, try to notice if there is a pattern:

Example 1: Does he usually have an accident 30 minutes after eating even though you take him to his potty place right after eating and he doesnt do anything? In that case, let him eat and then wait about 25 minutes to take him to his potty place and stay until he potties.

Example 2: He only has an accident when you are away from home. In this case, you are not dealing with accidents but with separation anxiety. Or, he may be protesting your leaving him. See information on dealing with this in Chapter 5.

Example 3: Does he dribble when you first come home from work or when he is greeting guests? This is most likely excitement urination. See information for dealing with this in Chapter 5. Clean up the accident spot thoroughly. Make sure there is not odor to attract your dog. Use an enzymatic cleaner and odor eliminator. You may need to play with or feed your dog on the spot where he incorrectly pottied to introduce the idea of a different use of that place. If your dog is of a breed that is very scent-oriented such as a beagle, see the breedspecific information in Chapter 6.

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Chapter 5 - Special Situations In House training

There are many situations that people consider special situations such as the fact that the owner(s) work all day or the dog soils his crate. Sometimes a situation is a problem relating more to the owner, but other times it is a problem relating more to the particular dog or breed of dog. Some situations simply arise and cannot be attributed to any particular cause, but are frequent enough to warrant discussion. This chapter will cover several of those situations and how to deal with them. If the situation you have is not in this chapter, check Chapter 6 as it may be a problem that is common to the breed(s) of dog you have. Another place to look for answers to special situations is 35 Most Commonly Asked Questions On House training.

Owners Work All Day

This information applies to any dog that is new to your household, no matter what her age. Often, a rescued dog needs the rigidity of the schedule worse than a puppy. It is important for a dog to know what to expect and to have consistency in her schedule.

If the owners work all day and no family member is home between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM or even for more hours, you will need a special schedule. You will also need a friend or neighbor to help you out for a few weeks. If you have a very small puppy, you may want to use a crate and allow him to potty on papers in it until he is three months old and his body is developed enough that he has some control.

You will want to crate or in some way contain your puppy while you are gone during the day until he is past the age of chewing as well as having potty accidents. This can be a bathroom or utility room with a gate in the doorway or the door closed if you dont want to use a crate or dont have room for one. Puppy-proof the area by spreading newspapers over the floor.

If your puppy is three months or older, consider altering your work schedule for a couple of weeks or taking a two-week vacation for the purpose of house training. In todays computer age, you may be able to work from home for part of each day in order to accommodate the house-training schedule.

A schedule for working is very simple:

Get up about an hour earlier than normal and give puppy a chance to potty. Then give puppy food and water. Give her a second opportunity to potty. Get puppy some exercise 15 minutes of walking or playing followed by, or along with another opportunity to potty - at least once before you go to work.

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Puppy will enjoy simply being with you and following you around the house while you prepare for work. Then give puppy one more opportunity to potty just before you leave for work.

You, or someone, MUST go home around noon and give puppy an opportunity to potty. If puppy is young, she will need food and water followed by another opportunity to potty.

And she will be full of energy after being alone for several hours, so she will want some play time or a short walk followed by another opportunity to potty.

As soon as you get home from work, take puppy to potty (yes, before you change clothes). Then, once you change clothes, play with puppy and give her food and water and more opportunities to potty. Throughout the evening, give her a chance to potty about every two hours. About two hours before you want puppy to sleep through the night, take away her water. Give puppy a chance to potty just before going to bed.

You may want to leave a small bowl of water where the puppy can get to it during the day. Do not use a bowl that is very large. He will not realize he could fall into it and drown. When your puppy reaches three months, the schedule needs to change slightly. When you are home and able to watch for accidents, start lengthening the time between opportunities to potty by fifteen minutes every 3-5 days until puppy is successfully waiting two hours between opportunities. Also watch for puppy to give you signs she needs to potty. You dont need the neighbors help any more! At some time shortly after your dog turns six months old, he should be able to control his bladder and bowels all day while you are gone if you give him sufficient opportunities to potty before you go to work and throughout the evening.

Submissive Urination
A dog that submissively urinates is urinating (peeing) when he feels threatened. He may pee when he is being scolded or when someone enters the house that in some way makes him feel threatened. Although that person may not actually be threatening the dog, the dog perceives a threat. It could simply be that the person is really tall or has a low voice. If the dog was abused (hit or yelled at) by someone at some point in his life, this person may remind him of that person. He may pee when another pet in the house is around

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him or threatening him. However, the threat does not have to really be a threat; it only needs to be perceived by the dog as a threat. If urination occurs when hes being scolded, when hes being greeted, or when someone approaches him, it may be submissive urination. If he is shy, anxious or timid or has a history of rough treatment or punishment, he may have submissive urination. If his urination is accompanied by submissive postures (crouching or rolling over on his back), it may be submissive urination. If this describes your dogs problem, start by taking him to the veterinarian to rule out any physical problems. If your dog is a male, have him neutered. Then, if there are no medical problems, try the following: Use a crate for your dog when you are not home. Put a slip collar and leash on him when you release him from the crate. Keep greetings low key. Ignore your dog when you first arrive. Often crating your dog while you are gone helps with this. Then, put the slip collar and leash on your dog and take your dog outside to his potty place immediately when you let him out of the crate. Stay outside with him until he has pottied. Encourage with praise and reward with praise (and maybe a small treat) when he does the right thing. Give him alternatives. If you have taught sit or sit-stay, use that as you approach him. Or, teach him to shake and use that as a greeting. Reward him for obeying. Do NOT make eye contact with your dog when you are greeting him. Pet your dog under his chin rather than on top of his head and kneel to talk with him. Never punish or scold him.

Try to understand exactly what makes your dog feel threatened. Be aware of when this happens and what occurs that may be making your dog feel threatened. If you can successfully do this, you can do specific things that will help your dog.

Never yell at your dog and never hit your dog. Do not let anyone family member or otherwise yell at or hit your dog. If you know ahead of time that someone is coming to your house that makes your dog feel threatened, you can remove your dog from the scene by putting him in a crate while that person is there. If he is used to being crated, he will feel safe and secure in his den.

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If a tall person makes your dog feel threatened, put your dog on a leash and take him to another room (or crate him) when the person is arriving. Wait until the person is seated, then introduce your dog with the dog on a leash so he feels you are in control of the situation. If another pet makes your dog feel threatened, you may need to shut them in the bathroom or utility room together for 15-20 minutes per day for several days to work out who is the top dog.

Even if your new dog is not the top dog, the submissive urination should be less and less frequent as the pets get used to their living together and understand who is in charge and what is expected. Chances are that they will become friends in a few weeks.

Excitement Urination
If your dog potties (pees) when he gets attention or guests come, it could be either excitement urination or submissive urination. Once you have ruled out submissive urination, you need to determine if it is excitement urination. Excitement urination occurs most often during greetings or playtime. The thing that distinguishes it from submissive urination is that it is not accompanied by submissive posturing. If it is excitement urination, it may resolve as the dog matures. You need to see the information on breeds and understand which breeds mature late. A Wheaten Terrier, for example, may have this problem until it is two or three years old. Do the things listed in Submissive Urination. Make sure you (and everyone else) greet him and play with him outdoors until the problem is resolved. Try to have your dog outside when he greets you and do not greet him until he has been to his potty place to potty. Keep all greetings low key. Take your dog to his potty place just before guests arrive. Put his slip collar and leash on him and keep control of him when he greets the guests. You could have him go outside to greet the guests, but keep him on his leash. Alternatively, have guests ignore the dog for the first 15-20 minutes so that there is not the excitement of their entering and making over him. Have your puppy meet lots of people when he is young. Socialize him by taking him to puppy kindergarten at a dog-training facility or pet store. Invite people to your home to meet your dog. Make these meetings outdoors to start and then move indoors. Include men and women, children, older people, people of different ethnicities, people in wheelchairs, people wearing dark glasses or floppy hats, and people who smoke. Also include people who like dogs, people who dont particularly care for dogs, and people are afraid of dogs.

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Until this problem is resolved, do not allow him in rooms with carpet or hardwood flooring to greet you or anyone else.

Marking
As usual, make sure the dog is not dealing with a physical problem by starting with a vet exam. Male dogs mark furniture much more frequently than female dogs. A male that has not been neutered is far more likely to mark than one that has been neutered. The lesson: have your male dog neutered at six months or as soon as possible. Female dogs do sometimes mark either by squatting or by lifting a leg. Again, spay your female dog as soon as she is old enough and make sure the vet does not find any physical reasons for her marking. Marking is urinating in small amounts, usually on vertical surfaces. It is either repeated on the same surfaces or it may be done on multiple surfaces. Usually the dog doing the marking will sniff the surface in a set pattern before marking it. Watch for this behavior because, if you see it happen, you can break the pattern. There are some things that are often associated with marking. Check and see if any of these apply to your dogs situation.

Does this behavior take place when another dog is visiting? Are there other dogs in the household? Did you go some place where there was a dog your dog could smell on your clothing? Did you recently purchase new furnishings couch, chair, rug? Did a member of the household recently move out or move back in after an absence? Do you have a visitor? Has your dog recently returned from the vet or from boarding? Did you get another pet recently? Or, is there another reason your dog who is marking feels insecure in his place in the pack? Does the marking happen after your dog sees or hears other animals through a window or door? Is there a new dog in the neighborhood? What type of food is the dog getting? Low-cost foods often have a higher proportion of non-digestible filler ingredients and cause the dog to need to potty more frequently.

What Can You Do To Break The Cycle?

Spay or neuter your dog. There are times that this solves the problems. Do not punish your dog for marking as this is a natural dog behavior.

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If you have other pets in your household, make sure there are no conflicts among them. Assure each one that he/she is important to you by giving each one plenty of attention and playtime with you. You may need to block access to your dogs view of the outdoors. If he/she sees other animals dogs, squirrels, or whatever that makes your dog want to mark and let those animals know this is my territory; do not infringe.

Sometimes this is as simple as closing a door or curtains at certain times of the day. Other times you may need to cover windows with a blanket or keep your dog from a room using gates.

Always put your dog in another part of the house or outside while you are cleaning up marked areas so he does not think this is a good way to get attention. Clean thoroughly (at least twice) every place that your dog has marked. Use enzymatic cleaner and neutralizer. Make marked areas inaccessible if possible. If the dog has marked furniture, rearrange your furniture while your dog is outside to confuse him/her. If you cannot make those areas inaccessible, make them unattractive. Use the area for play or giving treats. If marking continues after the cleaning, use products available at pet stores such as Bitter Apple on furniture legs or wherever needed. Other possible products are Tabasco sauce or chili pepper sauce, but those will stain furniture upholstery and rugs. Make sure that any objects your dog might mark are kept off the floor and out of reach of your dog. If you make a new purchase or if you have a guest or move a family member back home, be especially watchful and aware. Spend time assuring your dog and keeping your dog with you. Be aware that some breeds, such as terriers, are especially prone to marking because they are very territorial. Be persistent and patient! Change the area in which your dog is allowed. Sometimes a dog will only mark when you are not present with him. For two to four weeks, keep him with you in the house and crate him when you cannot have him with you.

Then, for a few weeks, allow him in very limited (easily cleanable) areas when he is not with you. Monitor him (that means watch him carefully) when he is free in the house.

Make sure to get your dog plenty of exercise and attention. Be consistent and persistent with this situation.

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Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is exhibited by a wide variety of dogs. Some of those dogs have had more than one owner or home often as many as three or four beloved owners. Some dogs are simply very possessive of their owners and that may or may not depend on the breed of dog. Separation anxiety can also occur with a dog that has no apparent reason. It can be a one-time occurrence like after a long absence by the owner for a vacation or a hospitalization. That absence can be traumatic for the dog in terms of not seeing his owner or in terms of being sent to boarding or becoming one of several dogs in a household of an owners friend or family member. Major changes in the family structure or the familys routine can also trigger an episode of separation anxiety. These triggers include a family member leaving for college or traveling more, a move to a new location, the addition or death of another pet, a family member leaving home or a new member (baby or adoption or return from college) in the home. Your dog may exhibit separation anxiety by urinating, defecating, digging, scratching, or chewing while you are gone. If your dog is perfectly house trained and behaves appropriately at all times except when you leave him even if you are only gone less than an hour he is suffering from separation anxiety. Because separation anxiety is due to the owner being gone, you need to change the leaving routine. You can confine your dog to a crate or bathroom or utility room (or a small area of your home which is not carpeted) while you are gone, but make sure it is comfortable and home-y to him. Put his bed or blanket in it. Put a favorite toy or two in it. Give him something to chew. Also consider giving him a ticking clock or a radio tuned to your favorite station where he can hear it. If you have the television on when you are home, consider leaving it on when you leave and turning it loud enough for him to hear wherever he is. Some owners find that giving the dog a special chew toy when they leave helps give him something to think about and do and keeps him from being anxious. This can be a Nylabone or, if the dog is over six months, a hoof. Another option is a Kong toy with peanut butter smeared inside for the dog to lick out of it. Use a word or phrase as a cue with your dog that indicates you will return. For example, say to him, Ill be back shortly. Use your cue whenever you go out the door when you take the garbage out, when you go to get something out of the car, when you go to the mailbox, when you go to the grocery store, when you go to visit a friend or run errands, etc. If you use it when you are basically still in his sight (like at the mailbox or the car), he will know you are coming back. Then, when you use it for longer periods, he will not be so fearful. Vary the amounts of time you are gone from him. If you are using the routine and cues when you go to the mailbox as well as when you go for longer periods, he will not know how long you will be away.

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Reward your dog when you return if he has not had a problem. Give him praise and give him a treat. This is an instance where a food treat gives him something to anticipate while you are gone. There is one aspect of obedience training that may help with this situation. That is teaching your dog to stay. Even without full obedience training or going to obedience school, you can teach your dog to stay. If your dog is in the room where you are watching television, tell him to stay when you go to get a snack or to answer the phone. Bring a treat for your dog when you return, but only give it to him if he stayed in the room like you told him to do. Once he does that, you can use both the stay command and your leaving cue to let him know you will return soon. If these techniques do not work, you may have to crate him every time you leave. However, this may make him even more anxious when you leave. If that occurs, he can do damage to himself while you are gone. You may need to consider leaving him with a friend or family member or taking him to a doggie daycare facility during the day if you work or will be gone several hours. You will also need to go through the steps below for desensitization. If your dogs separation anxiety is severe, you may need to go through desensitization steps with him. This is a systematic, step-by-step process of teaching your dog to remain calm during your departure and absence. Move very slowly from step to step and do not proceed to the next step until your dog is completely calm and comfortable with the step you are doing. If your dog is extremely anxious, you will not be able to do a step more than a couple of times a day; however, if he tolerates it well, try to do the same step 4-5 times in a day for at least 2-3 days. Some steps you may have to do for two weeks (or more) to desensitize your dog.

Go through your normal departure routine get your keys, put on your coat, lock the doors, give your verbal cue (Ill be back in a little while.), etc. Then sit down. You can sit for various amounts of time. Then greet your dog in a low-key manner. Then take off your coat and put your keys away like you have returned. Once your dog is comfortable with step 1, instead of sitting down, go to the door and open it and then go sit down. You can even stand at the open door for a few minutes and then sit down for a few minutes. Again, vary the amounts of time. Once your dog is comfortable with step 2, then start going out the door and closing it. Stand on the porch a few minutes, and then return. Sometimes you can sit down and sometimes, simply do your return routine. If your dog shows anxiety at any point during any step, move back one step until he is comfortable and then start moving forward, slowly, again. Once he is tolerating step 3, you can vary what you do for the next step. Sometimes, you can walk around the house or yard and sometimes you can start the car and let it run for 5-10 minutes.

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If he is doing well with step 4, you are ready for actually leaving. However, you are going to be gone less than 15 minutes for the first several times. You could run a single errand or drive around the block or simply go sit in a parking lot for 10 minutes and then return. If step 5 is successful, you can begin to lengthen your absences by 5-10 minutes. Once you work up to 40-45 minutes, you can lengthen by 15-20 minutes. When your dog tolerates absences of 2 hours or more, you can try adding 30-45 minutes.

Never punish your dog for accidents while you are gone. That will only make him more anxious. Do not get another pet during this time. That, too, will only make him more anxious and unsure of his place in the family. There are some new medications (such as Reconcile) being used, which your vet may suggest. Most are related to Prozac and have side affects you need to understand. You will still need to use the routines and tips given in these pages, but the medication may help your dog be able to work through the training.

Soiling The Crate

If your dog is a puppy less than 3 months old, it is not unexpected for him to potty in the crate. You cannot expect him to control his bladder and bowels perfectly until after he is three months. If it is a very small dog in a very large crate, consider a smaller crate or, if the dog will be large when grown, block off part of the crate so he can only be in half or two-thirds of the crate. Crate partitions are available at pet stores and online. No dog should be left in a crate more than 4 hours without an opportunity to move around and to potty. No dog under 6 months of age should be left for more than 3 hours without exercise and an opportunity to potty. And no dog should be in a crate more than 9 hours total in any 24-hour period. If the crate is VERY clean and your dog is used to being in a clean area, he will not soil the crate. He sees the crate as his home den and no dog wants to soil his home den. If he has soiled the crate, you must clean every bit of the crate with hot water and a mild detergent such as a dishwashing soap or a detergent with enzymes available at pet stores. Let the crate dry completely (outdoors in the sun is best, but not always possible). Then spray the entire crate with an enzymatic odor and stain eliminator and let it dry completely. Give your dog a towel or blanket to lie on. Then put it into the crate for him to lie on. Always make sure he has sufficient opportunity to potty just before he goes into the crate. And always take him to his potty place immediately when he is released from the crate.

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Feed your dog more than 40 minutes prior to putting him in the crate. Then take him to his potty place at least twice between feeding and crating him. If he urinates in the crate, do NOT give him water in the crate and withhold all water once he has had a drink with his food. Then give him ample time to get a drink after releasing him from the crate. If you choose to paper train your dog, do not put newspapers on the floor of the crate and then expect him to not soil the papers.

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Chapter 6 - Class By Class & Breed By Breed

(House training Problems with various types of dogs and specific breeds of dogs, including mixes of those breeds) In general the size of the dog and the characteristics of the breed are very important to understand no matter what you are trying to teach your dog. A dog will eat an amount in proportion to its size and so it will poop in proportion to what it eats. The same goes with drinking and peeing. If it drinks a lot, it will definitely pee a lot. What goes in must come out. Remember that very large breeds (such as mastiffs or great danes) have larger bladders even as puppies. This means two things: they can go longer between potty times and they will have a lot more urine when they potty. They also will have a much larger bowel movement in proportion to their size and the amount they eat. On the other hand, a tiny breed will have to go to its potty place frequently even when it is fully grown. Why? Because its bladder and bowel are small and do not hold much.

About Fences
All dogs that will, as adults, be let out to potty rather than walked on a leash need a fenced yard. There are several reasons for this. One is so that your dog does not get out and get hit by a car or get into poison or some other bad-for-him thing or get into a fight with another animal and get injured. It is also so that some other animal does not get into your yard and attack your dog. For most toys and small to medium dogs, a 4-foot chain-link fence is sufficient. Make sure it is stretched tightly and anchored to the posts securely and that there are no gaps between it and the soil at the bottom. However, for large dogs, scent hounds, sight hounds, pointers, setters (and some retrievers), a 6-foot fence is a necessity. It is best if it is secured at the bottom for scent hounds, setters, and terriers. That means it needs to be set in cement all along the bottom or an electric fence wire needs to be woven along the bottom or an invisible fence wire needs to be buried below the fence. The fence itself can be underground for several inches or chicken wire can be attached to the fence and buried. For jumping breeds like long-legged hounds and pointers, the top of the fence needs to have an electric wire or, at the very least, needs to curve into the yard to make it harder to jump over. If these measures do not work to keep the dog inside the yard, you will have to use a covered and locked dog run like many kennels and veterinarians use. This section gives information on some groups of dogs that are more difficult to house train such as scent hounds, sight hounds, terriers, and toy breeds. Then there will be a section of specific instructions and tips for specific breeds that have a more difficult

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time with house training. If the breed you are looking for is not in this list and you are having difficulty, do not despair. There are sections on specific types of problems and later there is a list of web sites that are specific to the breeds and their rescue groups that can also give you some help and ideas as well as contact information for breeders and trainers of those breeds.

Scent Hounds
Scent hounds include the following: American Bloodhound, American Blue Gascon Hound, American Foxhound, Basset Hound, Beagle, Black and Tan Coonhound, Bloodhound, Dachshund, English Foxhound, Harrier, Ibizan Hound, Otterhound, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Pharaoh Hound, Plott, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and Scottish Deerhound. The scent hound category also includes many hunting dogs like pointers and coondogs as well as any dog whose breed name ends in hund. Scent hounds have a fantastic nose! They will chase after anything like a rabbit or squirrel whose scent they pick up. If they pick up a scent, they will totally forget they are supposed to be pottying and take off. They have great stamina and a one-track mind and will keep running until they get to whatever they smelled. Many scent hounds have been let out to go potty and never been seen again! A fence is a must with these dogs. With the taller breeds, that fence must be six feet. However, they are also diggers, so secure the bottom of your fence and walk your fence often to make sure there are not places where your dog is digging under it. Keep your puppy on a leash every time you go outside and hold on tightly to the leash! It is essential that you work persistently and patiently on teaching your scent hound to potty on command and to potty outside. Many of these dogs do not care where they potty as they just let it happen on the way to find the rabbit or whatever. Because scent is so important to them, if they potty even once in the house, you will have a terrible time cleaning it up sufficiently to keep them from finding it and pottying there again. Purchase enzymatic odor eliminator and use it extravagantly. Then play with your dog or feed him in the area where he had the accident.

Sight Hounds
Sight hounds include the following: Afghan Hound, Basenji, Borzoi, Italian Greyhound, Irish Wolfhound, Norwegian Elkhound, Saluki, and the Whippet. The sight hound category also includes many hunting dogs like pointers, setters, retrievers, and coon dogs as well as any dog whose breed name ends in hund.

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You may notice that many of these dogs are racing dogs because they can be shown bait such as a rabbit and then will run fast and far to keep it in sight and hopefully, catch it. Keep that in mind when you take your sight hound outside to his potty place. If he sees a rabbit and is not on a leash with you in control, he will be GONE to the next county before you can even start to chase him down. A fenced area is absolutely necessary with these dogs. Many of them are very long-legged and can easily jump 8-10 feet straight up and over the fence so you may also need to keep them on a leash inside the fence or, at least, install an invisible fence system along with the 6-foot fence. Keep your puppy on a leash every time you go outside and hold on tightly to the leash! These dogs will chase anything that moves, including cars. Be very careful with your puppy and even grown dog anywhere there is traffic. They will dart out into the road, even pulling the leash out of your hand (or taking you with them), to chase the cat or squirrel they have seen on the other side of the street.

Pointers & Setters

Many pointers have similar characteristics to the sight hounds and to the scent hounds so make sure you understand the issues written under the respective topics.

Terriers
Terriers are very territorial, so are very prone to marking behaviors. Also remember that the name terrier comes from the French word terre meaning earth because they were bred to dig and tunnel to get their prey. So, not only is a fence a necessity, but making sure it is secure at the bottom is a daily duty for you. Otherwise, you will lose your dog when you let him out to go potty. Terriers are extremely intelligent, independent, and inquisitive. They are quick to learn, but they may only obey when it suits them. Firmness and consistency are important in house training when you own a terrier as they quickly learn exactly where and under what circumstances they can get away with not obeying. Terriers will NOT TOLERATE even unintended mistreatment from a child. Terriers can be very destructive (tearing up things, chewing, eliminating, etc.) if left unattended and unemployed!

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Retrievers
Retrievers are pretty simple to house train. They want to please their people. They want to live in a clean environment. A retriever who is having problems with house training is most likely a retriever that has been in another home previously and was not properly house trained or was abused or required to live in a dirty pen or crate. It is best in this case to simply start over on house training and be especially lavish with praise and attention when the retriever does the right thing. Retrievers often resist crate training and will injure themselves in trying to get out and be with their people. Some retrievers (especially some Golden Retrievers) are jumpers, so need a tall, secure fence.

Late Maturers
In general, the larger the dog breed, the longer it takes to fully mature physically. This means that mentally they dont get it and feel like there is to them where they potty. And it means that physically, either their (especially bladder and sphincter) or their digestive tract (especially sphincter) are slow in developing full control. mentally and no difference urinary tract bowels and

Late maturers include, but are not limited to, Irish Wolfhounds, all Mastiffs, Great Danes, Chinese Shar-Peis. Some medium sized-dogs like the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier are also late maturers. If your dog is a late maturer, you may have more than 18 months of watching it closely and sometimes cleaning up an accident. Most likely your dog will be 3 years old before you can fully trust him to not have an accident.

Toy Breeds
Toy breeds can have special problems in house training. Make sure you, the owner, are not the problem. Think of your toy breed as a dog and not as a baby or as part human. Have the same expectations of your dog as you would if it were a Golden Retriever or Great Dane. Be consistent with it in training. Refuse to accept accidents which means you must be vigilant in watching your dog and catching him just before the act or in the act and getting him immediately to his potty place and using your cue word. If you purchased your toy breed dog from a pet store or puppy mill, you will have an especially hard time house training him. Those puppies are often put on papers and expected to eat on the paper, sleep on the paper, play on the paper, and potty on the paper. Therefore, they get used to living in their own filth and do not know any better. At that point, any place they potty is fine with them. They do not have the normal aversion

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to pottying in their den or near their food or toys and it will be hard to teach them to change that. Realize that pottying is done when the dog cannot protect himself, so your dog must feel safe in his potty place. Especially if he is less than 12 pounds, it is important for him to feel secure when taken or sent to his potty place. Make sure he cannot see or be seen by a large dog or other threatening animals when he is in his potty place. You may need to allow him to use a place fairly close to the door and simply clean up frequently. A toy cannot wade through tall grass, so the grass on the way to his potty place as well as in his potty place must be kept very short. He will also be much more susceptible to cold weather. He will lose heat rapidly, so would rather potty in the house than brave the cold. A sweater or coat is a necessity for a small dog, especially if he does not have a nice winter coat. It will also be necessary to wipe his feet and get ice out from between his pads as soon as he comes in the house. And, it should be obvious; he cannot stay out very long on a cold day. Use a schedule and stick to it. Keep your eyes on your dog when he is loose in the house. Be consistent. Watch your dog! Praise lavishly they love it and will do the right thing to please you and receive praise. Be vigilant in watching your dog. As with any dog, crate training is your biggest ally in house training! Keep your dog right with you (attach his leash to you if necessary) when he is out of the crate and you are home. Do not punish accidents it is your responsibility to watch your dog and catch him before the accident.

Specific Breeds Of Interest For House training

Affenpinscher
The Affenpinscher, although a toy breed, is very much like many terriers. Read the sections on Terriers and Toy Breeds. When house training an Affenpincscher, remember that he responds readily and happily to praise or to food. Like all dogs, his response will be much better to positive reinforcement than to punishment. This breed is notoriously hard to house train, so start early and be prepared for a long-term training time during which you must be consistent and positive.

Afghan Hound
The Afghan Hound is a Sight Hound

American Bloodhound
The American Bloodhound is a Scent Hound

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American Blue Gascon Hound

The American Blue Gascon Hound is a Scent Hound.

American Foxhound
American Foxhounds are scent hounds, so see the section on Scent Hounds as well as reading this information. Most rescued Foxhounds are actually retired from hunt clubs and have never lived with a family or in a house. Foxhounds that are part of a hunt club pack are kept in kennels or barns and are only socialized with each other and are not house trained. They are not retired unless they do not work well with the pack or they get too old to go the distances required of the pack. Do not take a retired hunt club Foxhound unless a qualified rescuer who has taught him house manners and started house training has fostered him. You will need to work closely with this rescuer to understand exactly how to work with this dog if you want him to become a pet.

Basenji
The Basenji is a sight hound, so see the section on Sight Hounds. They are very hard to train. Never let your frustrations cause you to use negative methods with them; use only positive training. Keep your sense of humor and dont forget they get bored easily with repetition.

Basset Hound
The Basset Hound is a scent hound, so read the section on Scent Hounds.

Beagle
The Beagle is a Scent Hound. Also realize that beagles are not fully house trained until they at least a year old and having no accidents. Use crate training with beagles. Make sure you get all the doggie scent out of the places where he has pottied. Use one of the enzymatic cleaners available in pet stores. Beagles will drink a lot of water. They will then pee basically the same as the amount they just drank. Make sure you get your beagle outside to his potty place and stay with him until he finishes peeing that much! Otherwise, you will have another accident.

Black & Tan Coonhound

Since the Black and Tan Coonhound is a Scent Hound.

Bloodhound
The Bloodhound is a Scent Hound

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Border Collie
Border collies do well with crate training. When taking the puppy out of the crate and out to her potty place, use the cue word or phrase you have chosen. Do not let the puppy run around and investigate everything. This will force her to potty out of sheer boredom. If she doesnt potty after ten minutes and repeating your word or phrase 2-3 times, take her back to the crate for another half hour if she is young or up to an hour if she is six months or older. Learn your dogs bathroom habits. Some dogs urinate twice each time and some turn a certain number of circles before peeing. Some like privacy and will go around a corner or near shrubs or a fence. Some dogs teach their owners to take long strolls before pottying. Do not let your dog learn this behavior. Use the 5-10 minutes system consistently. Teach your dog that the fun part of his day does not start until after she has been a good dog and done her pottying. Female Border Collies need a go potty now phrase or they may not relieve themselves in a new territory for over 24 hours. Non-neutered males mark everywhere that includes inside buildings when introduced to a new territory.

Border Terrier
The Border Terrier needs crate training. They must be on a leash whenever outside. The older they get, the more likely they are to chase a squirrel or rabbit, even though they have been obedience trained. More Border Terriers die from being hit by cars than of old age or disease. Always keep them within a fence. Read about Terriers.

Borzoi
The Borzoi is a Sight Hound.

Bulldog
Although the Bulldog is very determined and very stubborn, he usually house trains fairly easily and does not have accidents as he likes to keep his living space clean.

Bull Terrier
Bull Terriers are very active and busy, not only as puppies but well into middle age (5-6 years). Bull Terriers do not do well in situations where they are expected to remain alone in the home or yard for long periods of time or where their physical activity is very restricted. In these situations Bull Terriers become bored and destructive. They can be difficult or impossible to housebreak. Read the section on Terriers. The Bull Terrier is prone to polycystic kidney disease, so have your dog checked by a veterinarian if he appears to be having problems with urinating.

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Cairn Terrier
A "kennel" or crate is highly recommended for house training. Read the section on Terriers. Cairn Terriers are easily bored and destructive, so chew, dig or bark to help relieve the tedium. They do love to dig, and flowerbeds are hard to resist; don't tempt your puppy by leaving him alone in yard. If you have your Cairn outside of a fence, he must be tightly controlled with a leash, as he will chase squirrels, cats, rabbits, other dogs, or whatever is moving he was bred to hunt!

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel needs a fenced yard with a real fence as he will endure the shock of an invisible fence if he sees a person or child or animal that interests him. Likewise, if he is outside the fence, he must be on a leash. He is a socialite and will go with anyone or will get into a car or go into a house with anyone.

Chihuahua
The Chihuahua is especially prone to submissive urination. The urine in this case means I bow to you and the more urine, the more submission. What can you do?

Avoid all things that suggest aggression to this tiny dog. Ignore the submissive urination. Show no anger or aggression. Do not bend over to pet or pick up the dog. Lure it to another area with food, and then clean up the urine. If the submissive urination occurs upon your arrival home, do not greet the dog. Do other things for a little while. If he is crated, leave him in the crate. Ignore him until the initial excitement passes. Squat to the dogs level when talking to him. Even better, sit on the floor. Do not pet the dog on the top of his head or on his back; instead, reach out with your palm up and rub him under his chin. Place exciting treats around the house near places you spend a lot of time your favorite chair, the kitchen sink or refrigerator, the dogs bed or crate.

When the dog is showing calm behavior, offer a treat. Then praise the dog if he stays calm and has no urination. Avoid eye contact. Do not praise if the treat causes submissive urination or fearful behavior like rolling on his back.

Do not grab the dog even if you are in a hurry. Lure the dog with treats. Never pick up or pet a dog that has prostrated himself on the ground.

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Encourage your dog to put his front paws up on your leg to signal that he wants to be picked up. Be patient. Ignore unwanted behaviors. Reward the right behaviors.

Chinese Crested
The Chinese Crested must be supervised 100% of the time while house training. The most common time for accidents is when you take your eyes off the puppy for just a couple of minutes for example, when you go to the bathroom. When you get done, you will find that your puppy also went to the bathroom! Either put her in a crate or put her on a leash and tie the leash around your waist if you are busy (such as fixing dinner or helping a child). You can also confine her in a small area such as a bathroom or kitchen with a "bathroom area" (papers, pee pads), food and water and some toys. Once she is house trained these techniques will not be necessary.

Chinese Shar-Pei
The Chinese Shar-Pei is a Late Maturer. The Chinese Shar-Pei is fairly easy to house train, but it seems to have more than its fair share of digestive tract problems, which lead to bloody or tarry feces or diarrhea and several kidney diseases, which make the dog appear as if it is not house trained. Consult a veterinarian familiar with Shar-Peis if you have concerns.

Dachshund
The Dachshund is a Scent Hound. Because of its short legs it has many of the same problems and complaints about weather, which the toy breeds have, so read about Toy Breeds. Dachshunds are difficult to house train. Most dachshunds do eventually house train, but it is not unusual to hear things like "she's 95% reliable." Probably their independent nature makes them a little difficult to housebreak. It's not that they don't know any better, or that they want to be disobedient; it's just that they don't always see the necessity of relieving themselves outside (especially in bad weather), and they are willing to accept the consequences. Patience, time (like a year), consistency, and persistency go a long way with housebreaking a dachshund.

Dalmatian
Dalmatians are very likely to have physical problems or disorders of the urinary tract, which render them incontinent or unable to pass urine. Some Dalmatians have Uric Acid Syndrome, a disease in which the kidneys excrete uric acid without converting it into urea. This is not renal failure or incontinence but a metabolic disorder. Those who have this disorder usually develop kidney stones as a result and may have urethral blockage and/or toxemia.

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These problems are more common in males than females. When it does occur in a female, she has a better chance of passing the stones without the urethral blockage. There are various diets and medications available. A diet of wheat-, soy- or corn-based food helps to alleviate stone formation. If your Dalmatian has any problem with urination, get him to a veterinarian.

English Foxhound
The English Foxhound is a Scent Hound.

English Toy Spaniel

Read the information on Toy Breeds. The English Toy Spaniel should be kept on-lead or in a fenced-in yard. They should not be left outside unattended especially within an invisible fence or on a tie-out as they can be injured by a larger animal passing through.

Finnish Spitz
Patience is a key word when training a Finnish Spitz. You may feel as if you are making no headway and all of a sudden he will surprise you. The Finnish Spitz is a hunting dog, so read about Scent Hound and Sight Hounds.

French Bulldog
The French Bulldog takes a lot of time and requires a routine to house train.

German Short-haired Pointer

The typical German Short-haired Pointer may be a fence-jumper, but do not commonly dig under fences (although a bored dog may dig holes in your yard). However, most will find and exploit holes in walls or fences, particularly if there is an offending squirrel on the other side! Once a German Short-haired Pointer learns he can escape from his yard, he may continue to do so until all escape routes have been corrected. As with many breeds, the safest place to keep a German Short-haired Pointer when unattended is a covered, locked dog run.

German Wirehaired Pointer

The typical German Wirehaired Pointer may be a fence-jumper, but do not commonly dig under fences (although a bored dog may dig holes in your yard). However, most will find and exploit holes in walls or fences, particularly if there is an offending squirrel on the other side! Once a German Wirehaired Pointer learns he can escape from his yard, he may continue to do so until all escape routes have been corrected. As with many breeds, the safest place to keep a German Wirehaired Pointer when unattended is a covered, locked dog run.

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Glen of Imaal Terrier

A Glen of Imaal Terriers potty place should be in a fenced yard, or walked on a leash. Since they dig, the ideal fencing should have a foundation. If not, a Glen should probably not be allowed the yard unsupervised. Read about Terriers.

Gordon Setter
The Gordon Setter has a tendency to put his nose to the ground and go wherever the hunting instinct leads any time he is outside. They are used to finding their game by scent so read about Scent Hound.

Greyhound
The Greyhound is a Sight Hound. Greyhounds have small bladders and cannot go very long without eliminating. They must be taken to their potty spot frequently. Be consistent, establish a routine, and stick with the routine seven days a week. Confine your dog when you cannot watch him. Do not scold him for accidents. An accident represents a relapse in training, so take it seriously by watching him even more closely and confining him whenever you must take your eyes off of him. House training takes several weeks of careful watching and consistent training. Crating puppies for more than 2-3 hours at a time will lead to elimination in the crate - a very difficult habit to break and no help in house training. As a consequence, house training can be very difficult if there is no one home during the day. Long walks on lead and free play in a fenced yard are a necessity. Be very careful with your puppy and even grown dog anywhere there is traffic. A greyhound will dart out into the road, either pulling the leash out of your hand or taking you with him, to chase the cat or squirrel he has seen on the other side of the street.

Harrier
The Harrier is a Scent Hound.

Ibizan Hound
The Ibizan Hound is a Scent Hound. Ibizan Hounds should only be allowed off leash outside in a fenced-in area under supervision. They are very agile dogs, able to jump great heights from a standstill. An Ibizan Hound owner needs to have a 6-foot fence.

Irish Setter
The Irish Setter is a slow maturing dog (read about Late Maturers), staying in adolescence until three years old or longer, both mentally and physically. Some believe the Setter to be difficult to train, but it is very smart. It will remember a lesson for its lifetime once it learns, so patience and consistency are very important.

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Because Setters are fastidiously clean, they house train easily if given a routine and the opportunity to go to their potty place frequently. Irish Setters are hunters and, by continuing to follow their noses, can walk or run off without meaning to if they are not kept in a fence or on a leash when going potty. Either an ample fenced yard or the means to walk or run the dog daily are a must if you wish to have a happy and adjusted Irish Setter.

Irish Terrier
The Irish Terrier is a lively dog who needs an area fenced with a 5 to 6 foot fence that is secured at the top and bottom as he loves to jump and to dig under fences. Read about Terriers. Because he will want to play in the yard with the entire family, it is wise to train the puppy to use one section of the yard as its toilet. The Irish Terrier is not hard to house train and this should be a routine part of the house training procedure.

Irish Wolfhound
The Irish Wolfhound is a Sight Hound. Also, he is a Late Maturer.

Italian Greyhound
House training can be a major hassle for Greyhound. However, most of the problems are Remember that greyhounds have small bladders eliminating. They must be taken to their potty spot may not be for you. the new owner of an Italian owner issues and not the dog. and cannot go very long without frequently, so if you work, this dog

Be consistent, establish a routine, and stick with the routine seven days a week. Before bringing your greyhound home, discuss the schedule he has been on and try to stick with that schedule for a few days and then gradually make changes to fit your life. Confine your dog when you cannot watch him. Do not scold him for accidents. An accident represents a relapse in training; so take it seriously by watching him even more closely and confining him whenever you must take your eyes off of him. Never give your dog too much freedom too soon. House training takes several weeks of careful watching and consistent training. Crating puppies for more than 2-3 hours at a time will lead to elimination in the crate - a very difficult habit to break and no help in house training. As a consequence, house training can be very difficult if there is no one home during the day. Long walks on lead and free play in a fenced yard are a necessity. Remember Italian Greyhounds are Sight Hounds and they will chase anything that moves, including cars. Be very careful with your puppy and even grown dog anywhere there is traffic. A greyhound will dart out into the road, even pulling the leash out of your hand, to chase the cat or squirrel it has seen on the other side of the street.

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Lhasa Apso
Juvenile Renal Dysplasia is a genetic defect of the kidneys common in Lhasa Apsos. Symptoms you may see include excessive thirst and volume of urine, pale urine, weight loss, lack of vigor, and intermittent loss of appetite. Normal puppies drink approximately one ounce of water per pound of body weight daily when eight to ten weeks of age, but dogs with severe renal dysplasia may drink as much as five times that quantity (and then pee that much!).

Norwegian Elkhound
The Norwegian Elkhound is a Scent Hound.

Otterhound
The Otterhound is a Scent Hound

Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen is a hunting dog, which should never be allowed off leash if it is outside your 4-6 foot high fence. He is an escape artist and he loves to dig. If you are using an invisible fence, he will ignore a shock, not matter how strong, to chase a rabbit or squirrel. Secure your fence at the ground and watch for signs of digging.

Pharoah Hound
The Pharoah Hound is both a Sight Hound and a Scent Hound. They are very fast!

Plott
The Plott is a hunting hound. It is a Scent Hound.

Pointer
The pointer needs a fence, usually up to 6 feet. They are so similar to sight hounds in their behavior, you should read the section on Sight Hound.

Redbone Coonhound
This hound is both a Sight Hound and Scent Hound

Rhodesian Ridgeback
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a Scent Hound.

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Rottweiler
Start your Rottweiler with crate training. A Rottweiler must know you are the Alpha dog, you are the one in charge. Otherwise, he (or she!) is very prone to marking his territory both in the house and outside all of his (or her) life. Rottweilers are one of the few breeds where females as well as males mark. Make sure he understands what you want and be firm and consistent. Follow a set routine every single day. He is very smart and will try to mark or potty when you are not paying attention. Clean up thoroughly with an enzymatic odor eliminator after every accident. Read about Marking. A Rottweiler that will not house train probably often shows other signs of major problems. Ask the breeder of your puppy for help. If that does not solve the problems, ask your veterinarian for the name and phone number of a qualified professional trainer who will come to your home immediately and outline a program to follow and help you get your dog under control.

Saluki
The Saluki is a Sight Hound.

Scottish Deerhound
The Scottish Deerhound is a Scent Hound.

Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu is a breed that can easily be trained to use a litter box, paper, or outside method. In fact, they are one of the few breeds that will happily use a combination of methods or learn one and switch to another. Juvenile Renal Dysplasia is a genetic defect of the kidneys common in Shih Tzus. Symptoms you may see include excessive thirst and volume of urine, pale urine, weight loss, lack of vigor, and intermittent loss of appetite. Normal puppies drink approximately one ounce of water per pound of body weight daily when eight to ten weeks of age, but dogs with severe renal dysplasia may drink as much as five times that quantity (and then pee that much!).

Siberian Husky
This is another one of those breeds that like to run, so make sure his potty place is fenced. Siberians are great escape artists who love to dig and to chew. It is advisable to give them a place to dig to keep them occupied and happy and not digging under the fence. They are independent and not necessarily obedient, so be especially consistent with your house training expectations and routines to make sure they are fully trustworthy in the house.

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Skye Terrier
The Skye Terrier puppy needs love and firm, intelligent training to ensure that is does not become difficult to manage as an adult. He must be persuaded to obey but not by using force. House training may take extra long. (See the section on Toy Breeds) During the first week in a new environment, the Skye should be ignored except for attending to his eating and sleeping and exercise needs. Talk to him in a quiet voice and let him make his own advances. Petting him and picking him up may meet with aggression. Do not force him or rush him. Be patient.

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

Juvenile Renal Dysplasia is a genetic defect of the kidneys common in Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers. Symptoms you may see include excessive thirst and volume of urine, pale urine, weight loss, lack of vigor, and intermittent loss of appetite. Normal puppies drink approximately one ounce of water per pound of body weight daily when eight to ten weeks of age, but dogs with severe renal Dysplasia may drink as much as five times that quantity (and then pee that much!).

Spinone Italiano
The Spinone can be timid if not properly socialized when it is 4 to 10 months old. It is recommended that you pick up your puppy personally if purchased during this age frame rather than having the puppy shipped to you. In addition, if the puppy is kennel raised, he/she will be extremely fearful of "house noises" and probably not be "potty" trained. Be sure to ask if the puppy was houseraised versus kennel-raised and find out all you can about any house training and routines he may have had. Try to keep things status quo for your dog and you will find he house trains fairly easily.

Standard Schnauzer
Some Standard Schnauzer breeders will not sell a puppy to anyone who does not have a fenced yard and others will require at least one non-working family member. The hereditary instincts of their origins as a rat-catcher are extremely strong in many of today's Standard Schnauzers so any rodent in your home or yard is not safe. The Standard Schnauzer is a robust, exuberant dog who loves to play and needs daily exercise. A fenced yard is highly recommended. If motivated (that is, if he sees a rabbit when you let him out to potty), a Standard Schnauzer can jump a six-foot fence.

Tibetan Mastiff
This is a difficult breed to train since they are a primitive breed and slow maturers. They are intelligent, independent, and somewhat aloof and used to making their own decisions. Talk with the breeder about the best way to house train your dog.

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Tibetan Spaniel
The Tibetan Spaniel tends to be a nervous, high-strung dog who needs her household to be calm and very routine-oriented. This is especially true with house training.

Weimaraner
Since the Weimaraner is a hunting dog, read about Sight Hounds.

West Highland White Terrier

West Highland White Terriers can dig under, climb, or jump fences if they see a squirrel, cat, or rabbit. Read the terrier section on page 59. The West Highland White Terrier is prone to polycystic kidney disease, so have your dog checked by a veterinarian if he appears to be having problems with urinating.

Whippet
The Whippet is a Sight Hound. Whippets tend to become incontinent as they age, but your vet can work with you to find the best medication to treat the incontinence. Once you find the medication that works best for your dog, make sure you give it as directed each day.

Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkies or Yorkshire Terriers belong to Toy Breeds. They can be one among the Top Five breeds, which are "Hard to Housebreak." You should use crate training consistently for 4 - 6 months.

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Chapter 7 - Health-Related Problems

If you suspect your dog has a health-related problem or if you are having a really hard time house training, you need to have your dog checked out by a veterinarian. The veterinarian may need to run a number of tests such as a urinalysis, blood tests, xrays, and an ultrasound.

Congenital Problems
Congenital means that the problem occurred in the formation of the puppy in its mothers womb. Therefore, the problem is present at birth. However, congenital does not mean that it is a problem the puppy inherited. Many congenital problems can be dealt with successfully with a surgical procedure.

Ectopic Ureters
One ureter normally connects each of the kidneys to the bladder. The kidneys filter the fluids in the dogs body and separate the waste fluids into urine. The urine is then sent through the ureters to the bladder. Sometimes one or both ureters are not formed correctly so they do not connect where they are supposed to connect. Instead of the ureter opening in the bladder, it may open in the urethra, vagina, or uterus. The result is constant dribbling of urine. Surgery is required to treat this condition and usually solves the problem. However, the dog may need to take some medication either short-term or long-term if there is still some dribbling. This is one of the most common congenital problems of the urinary tract of dogs. The following breeds are most likely to have ectopic ureters (although any breed can have it): Collie, Labrador Retriever, Miniature Poodle, Siberian Huskie, Welsh Corgi, West Highland White Terrier, and Wire-haired Fox Terrier.

Juvenile Renal Dysplasia

Juvenile Renal Dysplasia is a genetic defect of the kidneys. It is most common in Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, and Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, but may be present in other breeds. The disease usually progresses in three stages. Stage one is the silent destruction and loss of nephrons. Stage two occurs when approximately 30% of functioning nephrons remain and clinical symptoms (excessive thirst and volume of urine, weight loss, lack of vigor, and intermittent loss of appetite) are first obvious. This stage may persist for months or years.

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In stage three, vomiting, weakness, dehydration, and severe debilitation are added to second stage symptoms, and result in death from renal failure (uremia). Signs of renal dysplasia in puppies older than eight weeks are excessive thirst, excessive volumes of urine, and pale urine. Normal puppies drink approximately one ounce of water per pound of body weight daily when eight to ten weeks of age, but dogs with severe renal dysplasia (over 35% hypoplastic glomeruli) may drink as much as five times that quantity.

Urethral Sphincter Mechanism Incompetence

Urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence is the other most common congenital reason for incontinence in dogs. Because the sphincter does not work properly, the dog has not control over their release of urine, so they dribble or go at times and in places you dont want. They may even run to the door while going because they realize they are urinating and cannot help it. Females do better with surgery than males. Phenolpropanolamine is a medicine that is frequently given to help with control.

Patent Urachus
The urachus is the tube that connects a developing puppys bladder to its umbilical cord while it is in its mothers womb. Since the puppy cannot potty while in its mothers womb, the urachus removes wastes from the puppys system. After birth, the urachus is no longer needed and normally shrivels up. If it doesnt, it is called a patent urachus. Fortunately, this is very uncommon in dogs. As the puppys owner you will see urine dribble from the puppys belly button. This is impossible to avoid. Your dog will be very susceptible to bladder infections. You will need to have this problem solved surgically.

Urethral Diverticulum
From the bladder, urine goes through the urethra to the outside world. Urethral diverticulum is the term used to describe an enlargement or pouch at any place in the bladder or the urethra. Urine pools in this pouch, which leads to dribbling, problems with feeling an urgency to pee, or problems with not being able to completely eliminate. Infection may result as well. Your veterinarian will have to assess the situation and work with you to try to solve it.

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Some other congenital problems are:

Bladder agenesis - failure to form a bladder Bladder hypoplasia - small size and capacity of the bladder Cystinuria in dachshunds

These and any others will have to be dealt with on a case-by-case status between you and your veterinarian (and probably a veterinarian in a specialized practice).

Diseases and Medical Problems

Many diseases and other medical conditions can cause dribbling, incontinence, or trouble urinating or completely voiding or eliminating. Only a veterinarian can diagnose the problem through a number of tests (which may be costly). Then you and the doctor will have to figure out the best solution for your dog.

Bladder Stones
Bladder stones form in some breeds more easily than in others. What you will see is either incontinence or pain when urinating or that the dog will wait too long before urinating because of the pain. There are several types of bladder stones. Struvite stones form as a result of a bacterial infection. If the dog has a tumor of the parathyroid gland or another type of cancer may lead to the formation of oxalate stones. Calcium oxalate stones can form if there is a kidney defect that allows more oxalate to be secreted in the urine than normal. Some Schnauzers are born with a defect that predisposes them to calcium oxalate or struvite stone formation. Ammonium biurate stones can form in dogs with a liver disease. Urate stones form in Dalmatians due to a metabolic defect. Some diets encourage stone formation. Some bladder stones will dissolve with a special diet, which your veterinarian can recommend, and monitor. If that has not succeeded in six weeks, your veterinarian will probably want to remove the stones surgically. Your dog may need to stay on a special diet even after the stones have been dissolved or removed. However, the urinary incontinence should be solved.

Bloat
Bloat, which can occur in any large breed dog, is a twisting of a part of the digestive tract so that the dog cannot swallow anything or get rid of anything. The dog will either roll a lot or become lethargic as well as not being able to eat, drink, pee, or poop. It is an emergency situation and requires surgery. Prognosis is not good.

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Cushings Syndrome
Cushing's Syndrome, or hyperadrenocorticism, is the production of too much corticosteroids by the adrenal gland. If it is due to over administration of corticosteroids such as prednisone, it is easily cured by slowly cutting down the amount of corticosteroid being administered to the dog to allow the body to get back to normal. Incontinence is one of the things you will see. Natural causes of Cushings Syndrome are harder to pinpoint and often difficult to control. 85% of cases are caused by a pituitary gland tumor that produces excessive ACTH, a hormone that stimulates the adrenal gland to produce corticosteroids. The other 15% of cases are caused by an adrenal gland tumor causing the adrenal gland to malfunction and produce too much corticosteroid. It is called a syndrome because there are many symptoms. All dogs with Cushings display more than one symptom but the symptoms may be displayed simultaneously or at different times or in varying combinations. The most noticeable symptoms are the increased thirst, increased urination, increased appetite, and panting. You may also notice hair loss or lumps in the skin or skin infections. The veterinarian will probably be able to notice increased blood pressure, heart problems, and various problems with the skeletal muscles and nervous system as the disease progresses. Initially blood tests will be used to diagnose Cushings disease. Then further tests will be used to figure out the cause. Surgery by a specialist will remove an adrenal gland tumor, giving dogs with that cause a very positive prognosis. However, a pituitary gland tumor is another story as those tumors usually cannot be removed. The present therapy is the use of Lysodren (a relative of DDT), which selectively kills the outer layer of the adrenal gland. The idea is to kill only enough of it to keep the production of corticosteroids at a normal level. Finding the right amount is tricky, so you will have to watch your dog very carefully during this treatment as any loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or weakness needs to be reported to the treating vet immediately. There are some other medications that are used to treat symptoms. Life expectancy after the diagnosis of Cushings Syndrome is significantly shortened.

Diabetes
Diabetes is a disorder that causes your dog to drink a lot of water and then pee a lot. The kidney not making or secreting the proper amount of anti-diuretic hormone causes it. When diagnosed, your dog will most likely have to be put on a special diet. Diabetes is treated using desmopressin acetate (DDAVP), which is a replacement for the anti-diuretic hormone. DDAVP administered intranasally or on the the inside lining of the eyes (the conjunctiva). It is usually effective, but it is expensive. Some dogs benefit from therapy with other medications. If the diabetes is bad enough, you will have to do daily or twice-daily blood glucose testing and give your dog insulin by mouth or by shot.

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Nerve Injury Or Trauma

Nerve injury, especially to the back, can occur if your dog has been hit by a car or has fallen or has been abused (especially hit or kicked). If any of the nerves to the urinary tract are damaged, your dogs ability to urinate or defecate will be impaired they will do it without knowing they are doing it or they will be unable to do it. Sometimes the nerves will heal or regenerate if the damage is not severe, but in most cases the incontinence will be an ongoing problem. Consult with your veterinarian as to the best methods for managing this situation. Doggie diapers may be a big help. Small dogs that jump on to and off of couches and beds often hurt their backs. This is a short-term injury, which will heal, but the dog may need pain medication or steroids for a week or so during the healing process. Either the injury or the steroids will cause the dog to have loss of control of their bladder and/or bowels. This can be very upsetting for the dog that has never had an accident. Reassure your dog that you are not mad and give him extra love and understanding. Using a potty pad in or near his bed (or wherever he sleeps) and another one near a favorite daytime spot might help him feel more comfortable and give him a place to go in a hurry when he feels out of control or thinks he might be dribbling.

Spaying Incontinence
When a female dog is spayed, her ovaries and uterus are removed. There are occasional instances of female incontinence after this procedure. This is not a result of a problem with the surgery or the surgical process, but is a result of the ovaries being removed. Normally the ovaries release a hormone called estrogen. Estrogen works on muscles and sphincters to keep them tones and conditioned. Without it, the bladder and the sphincter allowing the passage of urine are relaxed and allow urine to dribble out as it is made. The treatment for this is to give your dog an estrogen tablet once a day as prescribed by your veterinarian. Since this is a very rare happening and is easily and inexpensively treated, the advantages of spaying far outweigh the risks.

Tumor
Dogs can develop tumors at many points along the urinary tract (or in the bowel). If that is the case, the tumor will make it increasingly difficult to urinate (or, possibly defecate). A tumor in your dogs brain or spinal cord will also affect his ability to urinate or defecate appropriately.

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Tumors may affect the muscle control or actually block the passage of urine or feces. If the tumor is in the brain, it may affect the dogs ability to know if he has to potty. Your veterinarian will have to run tests to figure out what is going on and if there is a tumor. Treatment will vary from your vet saying there is basically nothing that can be done and probably recommending euthanizing your dog to possible radiation and chemotherapy to surgical removal and medicine.

Urethral Obstruction
The urethra can be obstructed for a variety of reasons: swelling due to trauma or infection, a bladder stone moving through it, a thickening of the wall of the urethra, swelling of the prostate in a male, or a tumor either in it or along side it. Your dog will be in great pain when he tries to urinate. If he does not urinate (because of fear of pain) or cannot urinate, the urine will cause infection and then poison his body. There may be dribbling of urine. Your dog may run a fever so that his nose feels hot and dry to your touch. If any of these occur, getting your dog to the veterinarian is an emergency.

Urethral Prolapse
Urethral prolapse is a condition, which occurs, occasionally in young male dogs. What you will see may vary. Your puppy may lick his penis, or strain to urinate and you may notice an enlargement or red bump on the end of his penis. Bulldogs are most likely to have this. It is solved with minor surgery.

Urinary Tract Infection

Bacteria in the urinary tract will cause infection. The infection can be any place along the urinary tract but most often occurs in the bladder or urethra. The longer the infection goes untreated, the more of the urinary tract is affected as the infection travels through the bladder, up the ureters, and eventually to the kidneys. A urinary tract infection (UTI) must be diagnosed by your veterinarian from a urinalysis. It is easily treated with antibiotics you give your dog as pills once or twice a day for 10 days or more. At first the dog may feel the need to urinate frequently. However, she may only pee a little or she may start and stop and appear to be in pain. Urinary tract infection causes the dog to have pain (often a burning sensation) when he or she pees. This will cause the dog to avoid peeing as long as possible. That, in turn, will cause dribbling or incontinence. The urine may also stain the dogs coat or cause skin irritation.

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If your dog is in a lot of pain, the vet may also give you pain medication or antiinflammatory medicine to give your dog along with the antibiotic for a few days.

Medication Related Problems

Some medications cause problems for dogs in terms of being able to control their bladder or sphincters. An example of such a medication is prednisone, a steroid that is given for a number of situations. Steroids will cause the dog to appear incontinent because it relaxes control of the smooth muscle of their bladder and/or bowels. This can be very upsetting for the dog that has never had an accident. Reassure your dog that you are not mad and give him extra love and understanding. Using a potty pad in or near his bed (or wherever he sleeps) and another one near a favorite daytime spot might help him feel more comfortable and give him a place to go in a hurry when he feels out of control or thinks he might be dribbling. (If dribbling is really bad, you can try a doggie diaper on your dog and see if he/she will wear it.) Also, make sure he has access to his potty place every couple of hours if possible. If you work all day, you may need to confine him (while you are gone) to a smaller portion of the house where you can clean up dribbles easily. The other problem that occurs is that many times these medications also make the dog feel thirsty all the time, so they drink a lot more than usual and have to pee more often along with having less control. Talk with your veterinarian about how much water a dog the size of your dog should need in a 24-hour period. For example, a 10-pound dog only needs about 2 to 2 cups of water a day. Take that number and divide it by four. (For 2 cups a day, that would be cup.) Then every six hours put only that amount of water out. When that is gone, your dog will have to wait for the next portion at the next time. Usually dogs will not drink every drop that is in their bowl because they fear not having water later. The water should be served with his meals, so you may need to adjust the schedule slightly. For example, if you normally feed your dog at 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., then you would give him water shortly before breakfast, at noon, and at dinnertime. In this case, you would divide his daily ration into three portions of 2/3 cup each. Withhold water completely starting two hours before bedtime and throughout the night. Do not be alarmed if he does not drink all of his water. Just a note: these medications also often make the dog feel like he is hungry more frequently or all the time! so that he begs for food. He is not really hungry any more than he is thirsty; it is just a feeling he does not know how to deal with except to eat or drink. Do not feed him extra during the time he is on the medication. Medications like prednisone are given only for a short time (no more than 10 days). Steroids like prednisone are also given on a schedule of decreasing amounts. Because

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the level in your dogs body is high from starting with a higher dose, the decreasing dosage of medication may or may not affect the amount of urgency or dribbling. As soon as the medication has not been given for 24-48 hours, the problem begins to take care of itself. If it is a medication that your dog is going to be on for longer than 10 days, consult your veterinarian about reducing the dosage or trying a different medication. There are a number of medications that are linked to kidney failure. That does not mean your dog will have kidney failure if he is on these medications, but if he has symptoms of kidney failure (see kidney failure under Old-Age Problems in the next section) and is on one of these medications, then your veterinarian needs to work with you in changing the medication or adjusting it to help with the situation. Obviously, kidney failure is also a problem of old age. Some antibiotics associated with kidney failure are tetracycline at high dosages, gentamicin, amikacin and most sulfonamides and sulfa-trimethoprim combination antibiotics. Amikacin and gentamicin are the most toxic to the kidneys but are only available as injections to hospitalized animals. All non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications can cause kidney damage due to constriction of blood vessels in the kidney: aspirin, carprofen (Rimadyl Rx), etodolac (Etogesic Rx), phenylbutazone (Butazolidin Rx) and others. Other medications that are linked to kidney damage are thiatarsamide (old heartworm treatment medication), chemotherapy agents such as cisplatin, amphotercin-B (antifungal agent), enalapril (Enacard, Rx; used for heart failure and sometimes to treat kidney disease), methoxyflurane (anesthetic) and iodinated contrast dyes used to help improve the ability to see problems on X-rays.

Old-Age Problems
Old age is not simply a chronological measurement of years lived by the dog, but a measure of the function of the dogs body systems as they are affected by aging. Aging can be affected by a number of variables including genetics, nutrition, and environment. It is important that you note any of the following symptoms and bring them to the attention of your veterinarian. These include changes in appetite or water consumption, changes in body weight (weight gain or weight loss), or decreases in apparent vision or hearing. It is also important to look for changes in your dogs behavior. Typical abnormal behavioral signs seen in elderly dogs include confusion or disorientation, decreased activity, changes in the sleep/wake cycle, loss of house training and decreased interest in you or their environment. Below is a list of the most commonly seen changes in house training habits and abilities. As you see one or more of these, work with your veterinarian to understand if it is a symptom of something bigger or simply a problem of the urinary system or digestive tract.

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Dribbling Urine
This is usually due to decreased tone of the bladder or sphincter. A veterinarian can give you some medicines to try. Doggie diapers are a big help.

Unable To Urinate
This is probably due to a urethral obstruction, an infection in the urinary tract, or very concentrated urine due to infection or not drinking enough. Get your dog to the veterinarian.

Kidney Failure
This is common in older dogs and can become chronic with the dog living for a couple of years after it is diagnosed if it is handled well and the dog responds well. There are various symptoms that can be displayed by the dog: lethargy, loss of appetite (and therefore, loss of weight), either more or less drinking than normal, increased (or decreased) urinating, loss of interest in life and daily activities. A urinalysis and various other tests are necessary to diagnose what is causing the kidney failure and how serious it is. The dog will continue to produce urine, but it may be more concentrated than normal which means it may have a higher ammonia odor to it. The dog will not be able to adequately filter out the toxins. Forcing fluids (often intravenously) is indicated to flush the toxins from the body.

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Glossary
Adolescent dog in large dogs, a dog of one year to three years and in small breeds, a dog of one year to two years Board paying a kennel or vet to care for your dog during your absence Bowel movement poop, feces Business one of several possible words or phrases to teach your dog to get him to potty on command Come the command to teach your dog to come to you never use it to ask the dog to come to you for punishment Coprophagia eating poop (the dogs own poop or that of another animal) Crate a cage to put the dog in Defecate to poop, to have a bowel movement Disapproving voice a disapproving voice usually goes down the scale at the end of the word or phrase (practice saying words like naughty or no-o in this way) Down this is the command for lying down; do not use this command to mean get off of furniture or people as it will be very confusing later Drop It a command to teach your dog to let go of whatever is in his mouth Feces poop, bowel movement Fix to spay a female or neuter a male Flatulence passing gas Floor a command to teach your dog to keep all four paws on the floor or ground Happy voice commands given in a happy voice usually go up the scale at the end of the word or phrase (practice saying good dog or what a good girl in this way) Harsh voice a harsh voice usually is loud and commanding and lower on the scale than your normal voice never use a harsh voice with a dog Housebreak an older term for house train it was used to mean break the dog of pottying in the house House train teaching a dog not to potty in the house, but to potty (pee and poop) in an appropriate place (you have chosen) Hurry the command to teach your dog to potty quickly Incontinence dribbling urine or peeing wherever the dog is (unable to hold the urine until an appropriate time) Kennel another term for crate or cage; can also refer to a place where many dogs live or are boarded Leave It a command to teach your dog to leave things alone, to stop sniffing where he is sniffing, to let go of something in his mouth, to not pick up something Mark to urinate (pee) on something to identify it as belonging to me or to tell another animal I have been here

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Neuter an operation, which makes a male dog unable to mate with a female to produce puppies No Jump this is a command you can teach your dog to mean do not jump on people Off a command you can teach your dog to keep him from jumping on people or to tell him to get off of furniture Pee urinate, relieve himself or herself Poop defecate, have a bowel movement Potty Place the place you have chosen for your dog to go potty Puppy any dog less than a year old Senior dog large breed dogs over the age of 5 years and small breed dogs over the age of 7 years are considered senior dogs Spay an operation that makes a female dog unable to produce eggs that can combine with a male dogs sperm to produce puppies Stay the command to teach your dog to not move from the spot Urinate pee

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Learning About Your Dog

Here you will first find interactive links to web sites like the American Kennel Club (AKC), The Continental [Canadian] Kennel Club (CKC), United Kennel Club of Great Britain (UKC), etc. You can then either look at the breed sites from there or go to the specific list below to find the web sites for each breed to learn more about the breed of your dog and its characteristics. If you are having problems with house training or some other aspect of dealing with your dog, also look at the rescue group web site listed below for the breed. Many times they have web pages on problems and how to solve them. The American Kennel Club - www.akc.org The Continental Kennel Club - www.continentalkennelclub.com The United Kennel Club - www.ukcdogs.com The 154+ breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club are listed alphabetically with the web site of the parent club and the web site of the rescue group. If you are having a problem with house training your dog, start with the Rescue Group. Look at their web site for information about house training. Then look for an e-mail address so you can talk with a real person who has experience with the more difficult dogs of the breed. From there, try the Parent Club web site and e-mails of breeders listed in the breed web site. Breed Affenpinscher Afghan Hound Airedale Terrier Akita Alaskan Malamute American Blue Gascon Bluetick Hound American Eskimo Dog American Foxhound American Staffordshire Terrier American Water Spaniel Anatolian Shepherd Dog Parent Club www.affenpinscher.org http://clubs.akc.org/ahca www.Airedale.org www.akitaclub.org www.alaskanmalamute.org www.abgha.org http://mywebpages.com cast.net/jamarsch/aedc a/index.html www.americanfoxhoundclu binc.com www.amstaff.org www.americanwaterspaniel club.org/ www.asdca.org tlcrescue@columbus.rr.com http://foxhoundrescue.org Rescue Group www.affenrescue.org www.afghanhound.net/ www.airedalerescue.net www.airedalerescuegroup.c om rescuechair@akitaclub.org www.malamuterescue.org

www.amstaff.org www.americanwaterspaniel club.org/Rescue/RescueHo me.htm www.asdca.org

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Australian Cattle Dog Australian Shepherd Australian Terrier Basenji Basset Hound

http://acdca.org http://www.australiansheph erds.org/ www.australianterrier.org www.basenjiclub.com www.basset-bhca.org

lassic@telis.org ARPH, Inc. or STAAR (Second Time Around Aussie Rescue) http://austrailianterrier.org/r escue.html www.basenjiclub.com/?q=n ode/3 http://www.bassetbhca.org/Finding/Rescue1. htm or www.bbrescue.org/ http://clubs.akc.org/NBC/be agle_rescue.htm or http://www.brewbeagles.org /giving-up.php http://beardie.net/bcca/resc ue.htm None presently http://www.bedlingtonameri ca.com/rescue/index.htm http://www.malinoisrescue. org/ www.bsdrescue.com/ www.abtc.org/adoptrescue. htm www.bmdca.org/pages/Res cue.php www.bichon.org/rescuefaq. htm www.coonhoundrescue.co m/ www.brtca.org/rescue.htm www.bloodhounds.org/page 3/page15/rescuegroups.ht ml#rescuegroups www.bcrnd.org/id27.htm http://clubs.akc.org/btcoa/re scuefr.htm www.borzoirescue.org www.bostonterrierclubofam erica.org/rescue.html www.bouvier.org/ABRL/res cue.html www.americanboxerrescue. org

Beagle

clubs.akc.org/NBC/

Bearded Collie Beauceron Bedlington Terrier Belgian Malinois Belgian Sheepdog Belgian Tervuren Bernese Mountain Dog Bichon Frise Black and Tan Coonhound Black Russian Terrier Bloodhound

www.beardie.net/bcca www.beauce.org www.bedlingtonamerica.co m www.american-belgianmalinois-club.org/ www.bsca.info/ www.abtc.org www.bmdca.org www.bichon.org www.abtcc.com www.brtca.org www.bloodhounds.org

Border Collie Border Terrier Borzoi Boston Terrier Bouvier des Flandres Boxer

www.bordercollie.org/ http://clubs.akc.org/btcoa www.borzoiclubofamerica.o rg www.bostonterrierclubofam erica.org www.bouvier.org www.americanboxerclub.or g

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Briard Brittany Brussels Griffon Bulldog Bullmastiff Bull Terrier Cairn Terrier Canaan Dog Cardigan Welsh Corgi Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Chesapeake Bay Retriever Chihuahua Chinese Crested Chinese Shar-Pei Chow Chow Clumber Spaniel Cocker Spaniel Collie

www.briardclubofamerica.or g http://clubs.akc.org/brit www.brussels-griffon.info www.thebca.org/ http://clubs.akc.org/aba/ind ex.html or www.bullmastiff.us www.btca.com www.cairnterrier.org www.cdca.org www.cardigancorgis.com www.ackcsc.org www.amchessieclub.org www.chihuahuaclubofameri ca.com http://accc.chinesecrestedcl ub.info/ www.cspca.com www.chowclub.org www.clumbers.org www.asc-cockerspaniel.org www.collieclubofamerica.or g

www.briardclubofamerica.or g/rescue/index.htm www.americanbrittanyrescu e.org www.brusselsgriffonrescue. org www.rescuebulldogs.org http://clubs.akc.org/aba/ www.btca.com/rescue www.cairnterrier.org/rescue / www.canaandogrescue.co m/cdrn/index.htm www.cardiganrescue.org http://ackcsc.org/rescueinfo .htm www.amchessieclub.org/re scue.html http://www.chihuahuaclubof america.com/rescue.htm www.crest-care.com http://www.cspca.com/resc ue.htm www.chowwelfare.com www.clumbers.org/CSCAre scue.htm http://www.asccockerspaniel.org/breed/res cue.asp http://www.collieclubofameri ca.org/rescue.php http://www.ccrca.org/resQ1. htm www.dachshunddca.org/rescue.html http://www.thedca.org/rescu e.html http://clubs.akc.org/ddtca/fi nding/rescue.htm www.dpca.org/PublicEd/PE C/PECRescue.html www.ecsca.org/rescuehom e.html

Curly-Coated Retriever Dachshund Dalmatian Dandie Dinmont Terrier Doberman Pinscher English Cocker Spaniel

www.ccrca.org www.dachshund-dca.org www.thedca.org clubs.akc.org/ddtca/index.ht ml www.dpca.org www.ecsca.org

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English Foxhound English Setter English Springer Spaniel English Toy Spaniel Field Spaniel Finnish Spitz Flat-Coated Retriever Fox Terrier French Bulldog German Pinscher German Shepherd German Shorthaired Pointer German Wirehaired Pointer Giant Schnauzer Glen of Imaal Terrier Golden Retriever Gordon Setter Great Dane Great Pyrenees Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Greyhound Harrier Havanese Ibizan Hound Irish Setter Irish Terrier www.esaa.com/ www.essfta.org/ www.etsca.org/ clubs.akc.org/fssa/ www.finnishspitzclub.org/ www.fcrsainc.org www.aftc.org/ www.frenchbulldogclub.org/ www.german-pinscher.com/ www.gsdca.org/ www.gspca.org/ www.gwpca.com/ www.giantschnauzerclubof america.com/ www.glens.org/ www.grca.org www.gsca.org/ www.gdca.org http://clubs.akc.org/gpca www.gsmdca.org/ www.greyhoundclubofameri ca.org/ www.harrierclubofamerica.c om/ www.havanese.org/ www.ihcus.org www.irishsetterclub.org www.itca.info

www.foxhoundrescue.org www.esaa.com/rescue.html www.essfta.org/essfta/resc ue.htm None listed clubs.akc.org/fssa/breedres cue.html www.finnishspitzrescue.org/ www.fcrsainc.org/rescue/in dex.html www.aftc.org/#rescue www.fbdcarl.org/ www.germanpinscher.com/rescue.htm www.agsra.com/ www.gsprescue.org/ www.gwpca.com/phpBB2/a dverts.php www.giantschnauzerclubof america.com/Rescue/index. htm www.grcanrc.org/Localrescues.htm www.gsca.org/Rescue/resc ue.html www.gdca.org/rescue.htm http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gp caresq.html www.gsmdca.org/Rescue.h tm www.greyhoundclubofameri ca.org/rescue-gcoa.html www.harrierclubofamerica.c om/rescue.html www.havanese.org/hcaRes cue.htm www.geocities.com/Heartla nd/Pointe/2446/rescue.htm www.irishsetterclub.org/con tents/rescue/rescue.html www.dogbiz.com/itca/

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Irish Water Spaniel Irish Wolfhound Italian Greyhound Japanese Chin Keeshond Kerry Blue Terrier Komondorok Kuvasz Labrador Retriever Lakeland Terrier Lhasa Apso Lwchen Maltese Manchester Terrier Mastiff

clubs.akc.org/iwsc/ www.iwclubofamerica.org www.italiangreyhound.org www.japanesechinonline.or g/ www.keeshond.org www.uskbtc.com http://clubs.akc.org/kca/ www.kuvasz.com www.thelabradorclub.com http://uslakelandterrier.org www.lhasaapso.org www.thelowchenclubofame rica.org www.americanmaltese.org http://clubs.akc.org/mtca/in dex.htm www.mastiff.org

http://clubs.akc.org/iwsc/ http://www.iwclubofamerica. org/ http://www.italiangreyhound .org/rescue/default.htm www.japanesechin.org/html /rescue.html www.keeshond.org/ www.uskbtc.com/category. php/9 http://clubs.akc.org/kca/kca. htm http://thelabradorclub.com/r escue/ http://uslakelandterrier.org/ Default.aspx?tabid=66 www.lhasaapsorescue.org/ http://www.thelowchenclubo famerica.org/page10.htm www.americanmaltese.org http://www.geocities.com/m yamtc//rescue.html http://mastiff.org/exhibithall/rescue/ www.minibull.org/rescue.ht m www.rescueminpins.com http://amsc.us/rescue.html www.neorescue.net/ http://www.ncarescue.org/ http://www.norwichandnorfo lkterrier.org/rescue.html www.buhund.org/other/basi c_rescue.html www.neaa.net/rescue.shtml www.nsdtrcusa.org/rescue.htm www.oesrescue.com/index. html http://clubs.akc.org/ohca/O HCA-rescue.html

Miniature Bull Terrier Miniature Pinscher Miniature Schnauzer Neapolitan Mastiff Newfoundland Norfolk and Norwich Terrier Norwegian Buhund Norwegian Elkhound Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Old English Sheepdog Otterhound

www.minibull.org www.minpin.org http://amsc.us www.neapolitan.org www.newfdogclub.org www.norwichandnorfolkterri er.org www.buhund.org/ www.neaa.net www.nsdtrc-usa.org www.oldenglishsheepdogcl ubofamerica.org http://clubs.akc.org/ohca

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Papillon Parson Russell Terrier Pekingese Pembroke Welsh Corgi Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen Pharaoh Hound Plott Pointer Polish Lowland Sheepdog Pomeranian Poodle Portuguese Water Dog Pug Puli Pyrenean Shepherd Redbone Coonhound Rhodesian Ridgeback Rottweiler Saint Bernard Saluki Samoyed Schipperke Scottish Deerhound Scottish Terrier Sealyham Terrier

www.papillonclub.org www.prtaa.org/ www.pekingeseclub.org www.pembrokecorgi.org/ www.pbgv.org www.ph-club.org/ www.akc.org/breeds/plott/in dex.cfm www.americanpointerclub.o rg www.aponc.com www.AmericanPomeranian Club.org www.poodleclubofamerica. org www.pwdca.org www.pugs.org www.puliclub.org http://www.geocities.com/py rshepclub/ www.akc.org/breeds/redbo ne_coonhound/ www.rrcus.org www.amrottclub.org www.saintbernardclub.org www.salukiclub.org www.samoyed.org/SCA/ind ex.htm www.schipperkeclubusa.org/ www.deerhound.org http://clubs.akc.org/stca/ http://clubs.akc.org/sealy

http://clubs.akc.org/ohca/O HCA-rescue.html www.prtaa.org/rescue.html www.geocities.com/Heartla nd/3843 www.pembrokecorgi.org/re scue.html www.pbgv.org/PBGVCA/Co mmittee/rescueFrameset.ht ml www.phclub.org/rescue.htm None presently www.pointerrescue.org/ www.aponc.com/rescue_ad option.html www.americanpomeranianc lub.org/rescue_contacts.ht m www.poodleclubofamerica. org/usamap.htm www.pwdca.org/rescue.htm l www.pugsavers.com/ or www.pugs.org www.puliclub.org/PCAResc ue.htm None presently None presently www.ridgebackrescue.org/ www.rottrescue.org/national _list_rott_rescue.html www.saintbernardclub.org/r escue.htm www.saluki.net/rescue/inde x.html www.samoyedrescue.org/ www.schipperkeclubusa.org/RegionalRescueCo ntacts.pdf www.deerhound.org/rescue .shtml http://clubs.akc.org/stca/res cue.htm http://clubs.akc.org/sealy/se archtips.htm

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Shetland Sheepdog Shiba Inu Shih Tzu Siberian Husky Silky Terrier Skye Terrier Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Spinone Italiano Staffordshire Bull Terrier Standard Schnauzer Sussex Spaniel Swedish Vallhund Tibetan Mastiff Tibetan Spaniel Tibetan Terrier Toy Fox Terrier Vizsla Weimaraner Welsh Springer Spaniel Welsh Terrier West Highland White Terrier Whippet Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Yorkshire Terrier

www.assa.org www.shibas.org/index.html www.shihtzu.org www.shca.org www.silkyterrierclubofameri ca.org http://clubs.akc.org/skye/ www.scwtca.org www.spinone.com clubs.akc.org/sbtci/ www.standardschnauzer.or g www.sussexspaniels.org

www.assa.org/Rescuefiles/r escue www.shibas.org/rescue.htm l www.shihtzu.org/ASTC/res cue.asp?menu=ASTC www.siberianrescue.com

http://clubs.akc.org/skye/ht ml/rescue_news.html

www.spinone.com/frHealth. htm live.sbtca.com/site01/index. php?option=com_wrapper& Itemid=51 www.standardschnauzer.or g No rescue contact

www.tibetanmastiff.org www.tsca.ws www.ttca-online.org www.atftc.com http://clubs.akc.org/vizsla www.weimclubamerica.org www.wssca.com clubs.akc.org/wtca/ www.westieclubamerica.co m www.americanwhippetclub. net www.awpga.com www.ytca.org

www.tibetanmastiff.org/HT MLfiles/Rescue/TMrescue.h tm www.ttca-online.org/cgibin/rescue.pl

www.atftc.com/rescue.html www.cafepress.com/weimr escueshop

www.wtcares.org/ www.westieclubamerica.co m/rescue/ www.whippetrescue.com/roster.html www.awpga.com/fr_hunt_it _up.htm www.ytca.org/rescue.html

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Various Helpful Pet Web Sites

www.abka.com The web site for the American Boarding Kennel Association - ABKA members offer a variety of services for your pet including grooming, training, pet transportation, shipping, pet supplies, food sales, etc. ABKA offers information and publications. www.apbc.org.uk Web site for the Association of Pet Behavior Counsellors- an international network of experienced and qualified pet behavior counsellors, who, on referral from veterinary surgeons, treat behavior problems in dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses and other pets. www.avma.org Web site for the American Veterinary Medical Association- the association representing more than 69,000 veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services. http://www.avma.org/communications/brochures/dog_owners.asp Brochures on dog health issues www.holisticvetlist.com A searchable database of vets offering holistic medicine techniques such as acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal remedies, and homeopathy www.petsitters.org Learn about or find a pet sitter www.vet.com A compendium of various animal and pet resources www.vetinfo.com/indexpage.html or www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dogindex.html A compendium of information about vets, medicines, diseases and disorders, and health maintenance of dogs www.vetquest.com A listing of more than 25,000 veterinarian hospitals and clinics in the USA, Canada, and Europe

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