Puppy Survival Guide: Fear Free House Training

Puppy Survival Guide: Fear Free House Training

Written by: Marty Becker, DVM, and Mikkel Becker, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, CDBC, CTC

When a new puppy joins your family, you have a great opportunity to ensure she’ll grow up to be a confident, healthy dog. Central to that goal is helping her understand where she can and can’t go to the bathroom. Here are our tried-and-true tips for raising a perfectly house-trained dog.

First, learn to read your puppy’s body language. Pawing at you, standing at the top of the stairs or in front of the door, barking, sniffling, pacing, circling, and whining are all the canine equivalent of crossing your legs and desperately asking Siri where the next rest area is. Those signals are your cue to scoop her up (or clip on her leash) and get her to the designated potty area fast!

Second, let’s talk about crates. Many people think a crate is a punishment, and we certainly don’t recommend leaving your puppy in it for long periods of time. But if a crate is your puppy’s sleeping area, she’ll instinctively want to keep it clean. And when she’s safely confined in it, you don’t have to worry that she’ll have an accident in the house, which will make it less likely she’ll potty in the house in the future. What’s more, a reasonable amount of time in a crate will help your puppy develop bowel and bladder control.

This brings us to the third tip: stick to a schedule. Puppies need to potty every two to four hours, so it’s crucial you plan accordingly. Events that can trigger a puppy’s need to urinate or defecate include waking up in the morning or from a nap and immediately after eating and drinking.

Excitement and stress can also lead to potty accidents, so letting your puppy play indoors can result in housetraining accidents. You’ll also want to take her out just before bedtime. She should be sleeping through the night by the age of 3 or 4 months, but for younger puppies you’re going to be in for a few weeks of sleep deprivation while you take her out once or twice during the night.

Allow for plentiful potty opportunities around potty-stimulating activities. Provide bathroom breaks within 15 minutes of waking, eating, drinking, or higher excitement activity, including play.

Not all pups will make it through the night, however, as their ability to hold their bladder isn’t fully developed until about 4 to 5 months of age. The general rule of thumb for puppies is that most pups can hold it for the number of months old they are in age, plus one. So a 2-month-old pup can hold it for up to about three hours (though this may be stretched a little during sleeping hours). Depending upon your pup, you may need to set an alarm or cue into puppy noises to take your pup out accordingly and prevent overnight accidents in their sleeping area.

If your pup seems unable to hold it for reasonable lengths of time for her age, consult with your pet’s veterinarian as this may be a sign of an underlying medical issue that requires treatment. Even if all you want to do is sleep, go outside with your puppy every time she has to potty. That’s because you should take every opportunity to praise and reward your puppy with a tiny-sized treat every time she potties in the right place.

Play is another great reward when your pup potties outdoors. Let her have a few minutes of play after doing her duty, and you’ll find she won’t hold back on urinating or defecating because she thinks pottying will trigger going back inside or into the crate. Letting your puppy run loose in your house is not going to end well. She will potty where you can’t see her, which will set up a cycle that can be hard to break. Consider attaching her to you with a leash or use other containment options in puppy-proofed spaces, including closed doors, gates, and inside fencing options. Doing so limits her space and helps her to gradually become accustomed to the home, using her natural instinct to keep her own spaces clean to encourage potty in appropriate spaces only. Such containment options also allow you to always know where she is and what she’s doing, which is important for attending to even subtle cues when she’s feeling the urge to go. Over time, the pup’s space can be opened up little by little to offer increasing freedom as she proves able to go accident free.

Lastly, if your pup tends to potty when saying “hello,” note that she may be displaying an appeasement gesture or feel a little apprehensive about the greeting. Avoid bending or leaning over the dog or reaching over her head. Instead, turn your body slightly to the side, get down more on her level, and pet her in an area she’s more comfortable being touched, like her chest.

Alternatively, you can also channel her energy away from the greeting scenario and into another task, such as turning the “hello” into an opportunity to get her toy or to do a couple of tricks, like asking her to “sit” and “down,” for treat rewards.

What About Adult Dogs?

House training an adult dog is essentially the same as with a puppy. The advantage is she’ll have better bladder and bowel control and won’t need such frequent potty opportunities.

When a previously house-trained adult dog starts having accidents in the home, however, it’s time to head to the veterinarian. Barring major changes in the home, this is usually caused by a medical problem rather than a behavioral one. The cause could be as simple as a urinary tract infection (which is very painful and needs to be treated immediately) or the onset of canine cognitive dysfunction (which can be treated medically).

Punishment has no place in house-training, whatever the age of your dog. You want her to learn that going inside the house is wrong, but she’ll actually learn that people are unsafe and unpredictable. She may become afraid to go potty in front of you, which can lead to increased indoor house soiling. Rubbing your dog’s nose in the mess she made or any other form of punishment won’t work and can make the problem worse. Instead, address the behavior by managing his environment and training better behavior.

Another cause for house soiling in previously housetrained dogs is anxiety. For example, dogs with separation anxiety or noise phobias may start having accidents within the home. In those cases, your veterinarian can work with you to control the problem or refer you to a veterinary behaviorist or certified applied animal behaviorist. Another source of anxiety may be a trigger the dog encounters outside. The sound of distant thunder, fireworks, gunfire, or even traffic can be terrifying to the noise-averse dog. If she’s afraid to leave the house, she will be prone to potty inside where she feels safe.

Just Say “No” to the Shock Collar

Just Say “No” to the Shock Collar

Written by Debbie Revell, RN, Dip CABT, CDBC, ACCBD

Dog training has seen an increasing number of pet dogs with problem behaviors due to harsh training methods, especially electronic stimulation devices such as shock collars or e-collars. Unfortunately, well-intentioned dog owners looking for a quick fix are hiring trainers who use shock collars or are buying shock collars and attempting to train dogs themselves.

Countless pieces of evidence indicate that rather than speeding up the learning process, electronic stimulation devices slow it down, place great stress on the animal, can result in both short-term and long-term psychological damage, and lead to fearful, anxious, and/or aggressive behavior. Some dogs also are physically injured due to abuse of, misuse of, or malfunction of the equipment.

Humane training methods not only solve the problems at hand but also are less likely to cause more problems down the road. Skillful training builds calm and cooperative behaviors in dogs through the structured use of reward-based training.

Position Statements

Dog-Harmony

It is the position of Dog-Harmony training that the use of electronic stimulation collars on pets is not necessary for effective behavior modification or training and is damaging to the animal.

Electronic stimulation devices include products often referred to as e-collars, training collars, e-touch, stimulation, tingle, TENS unit collars, remote trainers, or e-prods. They have been banned in Scotland, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, the province of Quebec in Canada, and the states of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and South Australia in Australia.

In the United States, major names and organizations, such as the Humane Society of the United States and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), have also made position statements against shock collars.

Dr. Karen Overall, MA, DVM, PhD

Renowned Veterinary Behaviorist Dr. Karen Overall states that shock collars “violate the principles of three of five freedoms that define adequate welfare for animals: freedom from pain, injury, and disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear and distress.”

Dr. Overall is referring to Roger Brambell’s Five Freedoms which have been a standard for assessing animal welfare since 1965.

photograph of a boxer wearing a canine electric collar

Humane Society of United States (HSUS)

“The least humane and most controversial use of the shock collar is as a training device. The trainer can administer a shock to a dog at a distance through a remote control. There is a greater chance for abuse (delivery of shocks as punishment) or misuse (poor timing of shocks). Your dog also may associate the painful shock with people or other experiences, leading to fearful or aggressive behavior.”

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB)

“Punishment (e.g., choke chains, pinch collars, and electronic collars) should not be used as a first-line or early-use treatment for behavior problems. This is due to the potential adverse effects which include, but are not limited to: inhibition of learning, increased fear-related and aggressive behaviors, and injury to animals and people interacting with animals.”

Dr. Ian Dunbar PhD, BVetMed MRCVS

Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian, animal behaviorist, dog trainer, and founder of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) sums it up perfectly,

“To use shock as an effective dog training method, you will need a thorough understanding of canine behavior, a thorough understanding of learning theory, and impeccable timing. And if you have all these things, you don’t need a shock collar.

Why Say “NO” to Shock Collars?

  • Shock controls a dog without allowing that dog to make choices and solve problems, which often results in “learned helplessness” which is when the dog effectively learns to give up.
  • Shock forces a dog to behave with little concern for the root cause of the negative behavior.
  • E-collar training essentially cripples an animal’s true learning ability.
  • Shocking a dog can actually exacerbate aggressive behavior in the future.

Let’s ensure a better-informed pet owner who seeks out humane alternatives to pet dog training.

Fearless Nail Trims

Fearless Nail Trims

Written by Hannah Burke Garbett, ACDBC

Your dog’s least favorite grooming chore doesn’t have to mean stress and conflict. Learn how to keep your dog’s nails nice and short – the fear-free way!

Teach your dog to DIY

For front paws, you can ditch the clippers and teach your dog to file their own nails by scratching on a scratchboard. Scratch boards have a hard surface covered with a coarse texture that acts like a nail file. They are easy to make using sandpaper or can be purchased from sellers like ScratchPad on Etsy. Teaching your dog to scratch is a lot like teaching your dog to “shake.”

  • Start by holding some treats in your hand on the scratchboard.
  • As soon as your dog raises their paw up to try and get the treat, mark the behavior with a clicker and reward.
  • Gradually start waiting for more scratching behavior before clicking.

If you prefer to use nail clippers or a Dremel nail grinder instead of a scratchboard, follow these tips for low-stress nail trimming:

Create a Spa Experience

Make sure your dog is secure and comfortable on a non-slip surface if standing for their trim or has a comfy bed if lying down for their paw-dicure.

Condition Your Dog to Love Having Their Paws Handled

Start by just touching your dog’s paws, then immediately giving them their favorite treat. Gradually work up to touching each paw pad and eventually each nail. Slowly add the clippers back into the picture, simply touching them to each nail at first. Make sure your dog is happy and relaxed at each step before moving on.

Add a Yummy Distraction

Sometimes a tasty distraction can make all the difference, especially for young puppies. My favorite go-to is a bit of natural peanut butter on
a Lickimat (a food-grade rubber mat designed to hold spreadable treats for dogs).

For dogs that exhibit fearful or aggressive behavior, contact a Fear Free certified professional to help you develop a training plan. A directory of Fear Free certified veterinarians and trainers can be found at www.fearfreepets.com.

Can Fearful Fido Be Festive?

Can Fearful Fido Be Festive?

Written by Amanda Rietheimer, CDBC, CPDT-KA

The upcoming holidays bring new feelings for many families as we reconnect with our loved ones. While it can be exciting to get together in large groups with our family and friends, this often tends to be very scary for our furry four-legged friends. If Fido is nervous about any variation in his environment, adding visitors or other dogs can pose a challenge to future gatherings.

Here are a few tips to help Fido be festive, too:

  • Find enrichment toys that Fido likes to engage with when only your immediate family is present.
  • Start now, well before the holidays. Start with one guest, working your way up to multiple guests in the house.
  • Put Fido up in a room/crate before a guest arrives at the house.
  • Set up Fido’s enrichment toy, such as a snuffle mat, near his dog bed or mat about 15 to 20 feet from the guest.
  • Have the guest sit down before bringing Fido out on a leash.
  • Make sure Fido is calm when you enter the room and treat him, keeping your distance from the guest.
  • If Fido is barking, growling, lunging, or showing signs of stress do not proceed.
  • Have the guest toss treats towards Fido.
  • Check in with Fido often, if he is showing signs of stress such as growling, snapping, barking, shaking, or pulling away, end the session and put Fido back in his crate or other room and contact a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant or veterinarian for help.
  • If Fido is eating treats tossed to him, walk him on the leash to his bed and have him engage in his snuffle mat.
  • When Fido looks at you or your guest and is calm, toss treats to him. It is important that we are tossing treats and never hand-feeding him, as we want him to be comfortable staying at a distance from our guest.
  • For big gatherings, install gates for safe areas for Fido to relax. Our guests can then move around comfortably and not worry about where Fido is.
  • Advise all guests that Fido likes to be a part of the party from a distance. Being pet by guests is not enjoyable for Fido. If guests cannot listen, then put Fido back in his crate/room, where he can be safe and not escalate in fear. Give Fido an enrichment toy to enjoy while he is in his crate.
  • Have buckets full of treats that can be tossed to Fido over the gate to him.
Prevent Your Dog From Dashing Out the Door

Prevent Your Dog From Dashing Out the Door

Written by Amanda Rietheimer, CDBC, CPDT-KA

Doors are one of the most exciting places for a dog and difficult places for an owner. As a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), door greetings is one area that seems to be the most challenging to tackle for both the dog and the owner. Sometimes the dog is jumping all over our guest, or in extreme cases, the dog is charging the door when the doorbell rings, barking and lunging aggressively or even trying to escape.

No matter what dog behavior you are struggling with at the door, training starts with you first and your daily interactions. I tell all my clients not to focus on the behavior that frustrates them but rather on what behavior they want to see in the future. Any owner who is experiencing aggressive behavior at the door with their dog will need to seek the help of a CDBC to guide them through properly controlled greetings.

If your dog is a young exuberant puppy that is jumping on guests or dashing out the door, the first step is to put your dog up in a room or crate before your guest arrives. Practice calling your dog to you when the doorbell rings and treating them before putting them on a leash for the times when visitors come unexpectedly. Once on a leash, put your dog in a secure location, such as behind a gate or in another room, and then let your guest in. If you have another person in the house, ask them to open the door while you stand 20 feet from the door with your dog. Ask your guest to stay at the door while you work with your dog to do a controlled greeting.

A controlled greeting means you are treating your dog for focus and calm attention on you. When he is not pulling on the leash to get to your guest then take two to three steps forward and stop. If your dog is calm and not pulling, we treat them and continue in the same manner. If they are pulling, we wait for them to stop or go backward two to three steps until our dog is calm. We continue with this forward and backward-stepping approach depending on our dog’s calmness and pressure on the leash.

The goal is to walk your dog up to your guest without any pressure on the leash and have a calm dog. Our guest should have treats to help reinforce the dog for staying on the ground and not jumping. If our dog jumps, again, we call the dog back to us and move backward away from our guest. Our dog should not come off leash until we have enough practice on leash and no jumping or dashing behavior.