Ask the Dog Trainer: Two Steps for Housetraining

by Michael Baugh, CPDT-KA, CDBC

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Frequent Trips Outside

Dear Michael:

I have friends who are having big problems with their dog...not sure why she is telling me this now but they took Diego in as a stray a few years ago and he pees on everything. They have to rip up their carpets and replace the drapes in their house. Diego is about to be given up by my friends and I know their son will be heart broken, as well as their kids.

I told them they should try crate training even if Diego is 7. Do you have any resources to recommend for this???

Patti

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Dear Patti,

There are only two main challenges with potty training a dog. Number one and number two. Sorry – easy joke. Interestingly, the solution is a two step process too. And, all is not lost. There is hope for house training, even later in life.


The trouble is, Diego just doesn’t know where to go and where not to go. And, rest assured, dog potty accidents are never really a matter of spite or revenge. Deigo is just confused, not unusual for a dog who’s been a stray. Here’s the solution.


First, you are right! Crate training is part of the plan, but not the whole plan. Diego needs some simple structure. 1) He should be actively supervised whenever possible, both inside and outside. That means a human is with him and not distracted by anything else. 2) If Diego can’t be supervised, he needs to be safely confined (that could mean in his crate). Dogs tend not to urinate in their sleeping places. If Diego is going to be alone for a long period of time, he could be kept in a room without carpet – but with some potty pads.


If his people follow these two simple rules they will never have to ask the question, “where’s Diego.” He will be with them or safely confined. In neither case will he be sneaking away to another room to poop or pee.


When it’s time to go outside, Diego still needs to be supervised. Once he’s relieved himself, his people should immediately praise him and give him 3 small tasty bits of food. Do that right on the spot; don’t wait for him to come back inside. This teaches Diego that going potty outdoors pays better than going indoors. That’s going to put him on track for learning house manners – and how to hold his water.

© Robyn Arouty
Michael and Stella

Enjoy Michael's Archives or check out his latest posts here:

• Target Train to Solve Problems
• Velcro Dog
• Socializing After Learned Dog Aggression

Houston Dog Trainer Michael Baugh CPDT-KSA, CDBC is the owner and chief potty trainer at Michael’s Dogs Training and Behavior. Michael's advice does not replace an actual consultation with a qualified trainer.

Ask the Dog Trainer: Socializing After Learned Dog Aggression

by Michael Baugh CPDT-KSA, CDBC

© courtesy p.l.
Meet Sam

Dear Michael:

I recently adopted a rescue dog called Sam.  He is an eight year old cross breed the size of a large Alsatian.  I was told he was an Alsatian/boxer cross but others have said there appears to be some hound in the mix. 

 

He has obviously been well treated and looked after at some time in his life. He is also very well trained and will do all the normal things like sit, down, stay and has good recall.  He is affectionate and friendly to people but unfortunately is always extremely aggressive to all other dogs, big or small.

 

I am used to having dogs, having had three at one time a while ago.  However, I have always gotten my dogs as pups and they have all been well socialized with no problem. I have had no success at socializing Sam.

 

Can you give me any tips or hints about the best way to handle this situation.  I have bought a muzzle which I use if I think there is any chance of meeting other dogs, but I don't like to use it and consequently don't take Sam out as much as I could because I am constantly afraid he could hurt somebody's dog.  He is so big and strong, just butting another dog could be hurtful. Looking forward to your reply.

 

Thanks,

Paul L.

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Thank you Paul for this question.  And, thank you for adopting Sam.

You’re doing the right thing my minimizing his contact with other dogs.  I also think you made the right choice by teaching Sam to wear a muzzle.  These are great ways to manage the problem and I encourage you to continue them.  Sam learned this behavior, and we don’t want him to practice it anymore.  Eliminating chances to repeat (rehearse) his aggression around dogs is essential to any improvement we could hope for.

Most dogs who behave offensively toward other dogs are trying to 1) stop the other dog from moving or approaching or 2) make the other dog run away.  If they work enough times, these barking, lunging and growling displays are reinforced.   That’s why I say this behavior is learned.  My guess is, Sam’s blown up at dogs a lot  over the years and it’s worked.  Unfortunately, fights can be reinforcing too because Sam eventually makes the situation end.  The dog is gone, which is a relief.  Add to that, fights come with a whole load of neuro-chemicals which can also act as reinforcers.

Unfortunately, eight years is a long time in a dog’s life.  If Sam has been acting this way for some or all of this time, he has a pretty solid track record of behaving badly (we call that a reinforcement history – even when the behavior is undesirable).  That doesn’t mean there’s no hope.  It just means that any chance for significant recovery around other dogs will take a lot of time, attention and specialized training.  You’re going to need professional help with this one.

Hire a trainer or behavior consultant who is 100% committed to using reward-based techniques exclusively.  This is vitally important.  Some well-meaning trainers will intentionally expose a dog to a problem situation in order to “correct” the behavior with punishment.  Almost always, this makes the aggression worse.  I recommend you seek out a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) in your area who is fluent in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and who has experience with inter-dog aggression cases.  Expect to work with this consultant several times over the course of a few months.  I’d budget $500-$700 for this work.  It’s well worth the investment. 

© RobynArouty.com
Michael with Stella

Your training with Sam will continue long after you’ve stopped working with your trainer / consultant.   However, you will have the knowledge and experience you need to build on Sam’s success for the rest of his life.  He may never be the most sociable fellow on the block, but you can reasonably aim for improvement.  More importantly, the work you do will greatly improve Sam’s quality of life.  No one enjoys being on-edge and angry all the time.  You’re going to take a huge load off his doggie shoulders, and set things right for once in his life.

And for that sir, I have yet another reason to thank you.

Michael Baugh CPDT-KSA, CDBC is a professional dog trainer in Houston, TX. He specializes in cases of canine fear and aggression.

Ask the Dog Trainer: Target Train to Solve Problems

Michael Baugh CPDT-KSA, CDBC

Refrigerator Snuggles for Xena

Dear Michael: I just wanted to touch base with you about your recommendations for Sarah and her fear of the refrigerator. She won't walk by it!

Thanks, Michelle S.

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Thanks for your question, Michelle. Fear usually has one of two sources. 1) Unfamiliarity with the person or thing the dog is afraid of or 2) Some sort of bad prior experience with the thing or person. Regardless of the cause, your solutions are the same.


First, decide whether or not you really need to teach Sarah to conquer her fear of the fridge. This may seem silly, but give it some thought. I have a client dog who developed a phobia of his water and food bowl. That’s serious because the dog has to drink and eat to survive. Does Sarah really need to pass by the refrigerator? If so, let’s solve the problem. If not, let it go and watch to make sure the fear doesn’t spread.


Remember this when you begin training. Sarah should always have the freedom to make choices. Don’t force her to walk by the refrigerator and certainly don’t drag her past it. Instead, you’ll be incrementally reinforcing her for taking one, then two, then three steps, and so on. Clicker training will really come in handy here.


Here’s how you turn the task into a game. Teach Sarah to touch a flat object you can place on the ground. I sometimes use the lid of a Tupperware container. This is called a target and the process is called target training. Each touch of the object results in a click and a treat. This quickly becomes a fun game for the dog – touch; click; treat. Once Sarah gets hooked on the game, place the object a bit nearer the fridge. Touch; click; treat. Yay! Repeat the game with the target a little further down the path past the appliance. Eventually you’ll place the target at the end of the path and Sara will run right by the fridge to touch it. In the meantime, remember to keep the training sessions short and be patient.


Fear of appliances and objects in the household is not terribly uncommon in dogs. They’re foreign and often make strange sounds. These sources of fear are less common in humans. I sometimes wish I were more afraid of the refrigerator. It’s the bathroom scale that really scares me.

Houston Dog Trainer Michael Baugh CPDT-KSA, CDBC is the Director of Training and Behavior at Rover Oaks Pet Resorts. You may reach Michael at the link for a personal consultation, or write to him at our Ask the Dog Trainer Column @ LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. Michael's advice does not replace an actual consultation with a qualified trainer.

Check out Michael's Archives Page, or these recent articles:

Helping a Fearful Dog
Adding Another Dog to Your Family
My Dog Climbs the Fence

Ask the Dog Trainer: Rainy Day Potty Troubles

by Michael Baugh, CPDT-KSA, CDBC

(c) h.koppdelaney via Flickr.com
Don't Give Up

Hi Michael-- My little fluffy girly dog just will not go outside to potty when it is raining. Sometimes I end up with a puddle as a result. Can you share some ideas on how I might get her to be agreeable to handling things outside where they should be handled? Thank you, Marsha P.

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Dear Marsha:

Here’s what I tell my little dog Stewie.  “Even delicate flowers need to be watered.”  He’s not a fan of the rain (or the cold) either.

Certainly it’s important to be kind to your little princess.  We don’t want to throw her out in a torrent while we wait in the warm dry house peering out the window at her.  That will only make her hate the rain even more.  I’d be a bit disconcerted too if it were storming over my toilet in the morning.

Let’s try this instead.  On those dreary drizzly mornings put on your rain jacket, hook little fluffy girl up to her leash, and trudge outside with her.  Fake a smile and cheer her on for being so brave.  When she pees (she will eventually), praise her adoringly and give her three delicious tasty treats.  If she won’t follow you out on leash, pick her up and carry her to the designated potty spot.  Then, stand by patiently cooing about what a good girl she is.

If it’s raining too hard, or if she goes outside with you but doesn’t do her business, bring her back in and let her rest in her crate for a short while (10 minutes).  Then try again.  With any luck the rain will have let up a bit.  The idea here is not to give her the chance to make a puddle in your house while avoiding the puddles outside.  Most dogs won’t wet their own crate.  Eventually she’ll have to go bad enough that some light rain won’t be so much of an issue.

© Robyn Arouty

You will get past all this.  You and your fluffy girl may still curse the rain, but she will get the job done just like our own princess boy, Stewie.  He shakes off the cold wet water and burrows back under the covers on our bed.  I guess delicate flowers need to rest after they’re watered.

Houston dog trainer Michael Baugh CPDT-KSA, CDBC is the director of training and behavior at Rover Oaks Pet Resorts.

Ask the Dog Trainer: Working with Barrier Frustration

by Michael Baugh, CPDT-KA, CDBC

 courtesy reader submission on file
Gangster
A Halloween Photo Submission

Dear Michael:


Let me start by saying that my dogs are very friendly. They love to play with other dogs and are extremely friendly with all people that they meet. My younger dog has a peculiar behavior whenever he is restrained (leash, car, house, fence) that I cannot figure out. Over time my older one is beginning to pick up this behavior also. I would like to do something about it but my trials have not gotten me anywhere.

Gangster, the large younger mix is a lab mastiff hound of some sort. He's a big friendly oaf that loves everybody. If I remove him from his leash when he barks at another dog on a leash, he melts into a new best friend of the dog he was barking crazily at. I do not understand this and need someone to explain it. Because he is so big, many people avoid us and don’t want me to take him off leash to say hello to their dog. If I allow him to say hello on leash, the other dog is often unsure of his energetic barking and will react either with fear or aggression. Help, please!

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Dear Reader:

You just described one of the most common, yet vexing, dog training behavior problems of our day.  Author and trainer educator Jean Donaldson calls it the on-leash cycle of aggression.  A lot of dogs have it, and it can be very serious.

As you’ve already noticed, all behavior is dependent on the environment.  On-leash Gangster looks like an outlaw maniac.  Off-leash he’s every dog’s best bud.  It’s important to remember that behavior isn’t something inside your dog.  Behaviors are actions (like barking and lunging) that happen in the real world.  They might be problematic, but they aren’t personal, and they aren’t a character flaw.

Jean Donaldson suggests that the on-leash cycle of aggression begins with owners trying to maintain control of their young dogs on leash.  When a curious fellow pulls toward another dog, the well-meaning owner may pull back.  He may even say “no” to correct the behavior.  That alone can be punishing to some dogs.  At the very least we think it’s uncomfortable and frustrating.  Here’s where we humans get in trouble.  Dogs sometimes associate consequences (like a yank and “no”) with their own behavior (pulling on leash).  More often, however, they associate that unpleasantness with the sight of another dog.

In a short time, our dog might start anticipating a jerk on the leash and some scolding every time he sees another dog.  To avoid the discomfort, he may bark at the other dog to make him go away.  Of course that leads us to correct the dog again, which only makes the problem worse.  Pretty soon, the cycle is in full swing.  Every time our dog sees another dog, even at a great distance, he comes unglued.  Get out of here dog; this guy’s about to yank the heck out of me.

I’m not suggesting, dear reader, that you’ve ever intentionally hurt Gangster.  This is just the way the process often works.  Sometimes it doesn’t take much to get the cycle going.  Most of the time, we never even know we’re doing it.  As you mentioned, even a fence or other type of barrier can be frustrating enough to begin the cycle.  (What Gangster wants to be locked up?)

The good news is, most reward-based dog trainers can easily help you get Gangster back on the straight and narrow. 

1. Continue to let your dog play off-leash with other dogs.  
2. Inter-dog socialization is important for your dog’s entire lifetime. 
3. Refrain from using prong or choke collars. 
4. Teach your dog to walk nicely on leash and pay attention to you while walking without pulling on their leash. 
5. Try using a Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness if you need immediate relief from pulling.  
6. Teach your dog to sit and attend to you on walks.  
7. Reinforce this behavior with special healthful treats. 

Since you are catching this early while Gangster is still young.  I bet before long the only thing he’ll be stealing is hearts.  There’s no crime in that.

Michael

© Robyn Arouty

Houston Dog Trainer Michael Baugh CPDT-KA, CDBC is the director of training and behavior at Rover Oaks Pet Resorts. You may readch Michael at the link for a personal consultation, or write to him at our Ask the Dog Trainer Column @LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. Michael's advice does not replace an actual consultation with a qualified trainer.

Check out Michael's Archives Page, or these recent articles:

Help us with Our Whining Greyhound

Helping a Fearful Dog
Adding Another Dog to Your Family