housebreaking

Question
I am at my wits end!!  We have a six month old bichon that we adopted from a reputable breeder at 8 weeks of age.  To say that housebreaking has been a challenge is understating it!! My husband and I had a lab years ago when we where first married and she was a piece of cake to train.  Regretfully, due to extensive allergies, we had to find her a new home after just four years.  Fast forward 15 years--three kids later, we decide, at the incessant pleading of our children, to get a hypoallergenic dog.  Thus, Bella, the bichon is now in our lives!!  I thought that I had read up on the extensive care that they required, but obviously, I underestimated the amount of time and patience it would take to train her.  We all love her very much and she is quite affectionate, but that doesn't seem to be enough. We are moving into a new home in 7 months and I have told the kids that we are not going to be able to keep her if she is not potty-trained by then--August 2010.  I have had trainers helping me, have read countless books, spoken with the vet, etc.  She goes out at 6am or so to pee and poop, then a walk at 10 or so then in the crate for about 4 hours while I am gone.  No accidents.  Then out for a walk around 2pm, goes p/p again, then inside to play, etc.  She sometimes pees right in front of me just an hour or so after coming.  There is no rhyme or reason--very sporatic.  I have turned my life around in the last four months in order to get her on a schedule but we are going 2 steps forward, 1 step back. I am so afraid that this is never going to happen that I have already  begun looking for a new home for her.  Everyone keeps on telling me that it will happen by then, but I am not feeling it!!  Because my nine year old daughter is so attached, I am still doing everything that I can but am losing patience.  My two teenage sons are helping also, but it is frustrating.  Please give me some insight that I haven't already heard--I desperatly would like to keep her for the next 15 years or so (yikes! haha)  but need to get this under control. Thanks!!

Answer
Hi Kelly
I know this is going to sound like "oh yeah" but trust me this is easy to do but requires you to follow my guidance to the letter. At times it will get frustrating but its all so worth it in the long term.

The problem is that Bichons are just too cute as such they tend to get away with murder.
When your puppy comes home, it is important
to be prepared for many training opportunities ... This is a long post to help you through mopst of the puppy life that you will face with your pup.

Please print it off and keep as a reference guide.

You are welcome to join my health site for bichons www.eurobichons.com
you will then be able to talk with owners from all over the world about how they faced a new bichon at home. So Good luck.

Puppy training basics during the first week the puppy is home is critical. It is obvious that you need certain physical items such as a dog bed or crate, food and water bowls, puppy chow, collar, leash, toys, etc. Equally as important, all family members must decide and agree on routine, responsibility and rules.
The first few days are extremely important. Enthusiasm and emotions are up. Everyone wants to feed the puppy, play with the puppy and hold the puppy. Pre-established rules are easily broken. Everyone agreed that puppy will sleep in her crate but as soon as she's home, someone melts and insists that puppy will sleep in bed. Everyone previously agreed not to let puppy jump up on them, but in the excitement, no one even notices that puppy is jumping up. No one sleeps the first night. Puppy wins and gets to sleep in bed. The next morning we find puppy has eliminated all over the bed. So the following night puppy is banned to her crate and screams all night. No one sleeps tonight either.
Grouchiness sets in; enthusiasm is down. No one wants to get up at the pre-agreed upon early morning feeding time. How are we going to housetrain puppy? How are we going to sleep with her constant whining?
Your new puppy has just been taken away from her mum and littermates. She is vulnerable and impressionable. What she needs now is security and routine. Set up a small room to be her very own special haven for the next couple of months. Paper the entire floor and put her food/water bowls and bed in one corner. Scatter her toys everywhere.

Play with her quietly and gently. Don't flood her with attention and activity. If she looks like she wants to sleep, leave her alone. Puppies need lots of sleep.The reason most dogs and puppies jump on people
is because they are happy and excited to see them! Jumping, leaping and bouncing are ways your dog shows affection and receives attention. The behavior is usually learned while they are puppies. When a puppy is very young, we usually sit on the floor, let them wiggle into our laps and allow them to lick and nuzzle up close to our face. When they come bounding over to greet us, jumping and stretching up to our knees, again we bend down, pick them up and exchange hugs and kisses. All this time we are training and rewarding the puppy for jumping up. Eventually we decide we don't like this behavior anymore. What used to be cute is now obnoxious and even dangerous if the dog is jumping up on children or the elderly.
The jumping problem continues...
Our inconsistency perpetuates the problem. Some of the time we tolerate the jumping and ignore it. Other times we reward the behavior by exchanging enthusiastic greetings. But when we're dressed up and the dog's paws are muddy, it's a different story. Reprimanding the dog for jumping up usually does not work. Either the dog misunderstands the reprimand as praise or he gets even more excited and the jumping gets worse. If the reprimand is severe enough, the dog may stop jumping at that moment but it doesn't solve the problem altogether; and it certainly is not a very nice thing to do. It's very similar to a person approaching you with a big smile, arm extended to exchange a hand-shake and you bopping the person in the nose. Even if your dog learns that jumping up on you is not a good idea, he will usually get away with jumping up on everyone else.
What To Expect When House TrainingUnless you can monitor your puppy 24 hours a day, don't expect the house training process to be completed until your puppy is at least 6 months old. It's normal for a young puppy to be a little 'input-output' machine. Since puppies are growing and developing rapidly at this stage, they eat more food, burn up more energy and seem to need to eliminate constantly! They also have not yet developed bowel and bladder control, so they can't 'hold it' as long as adult dogs.


House Training When You Are NOT HomeConfine your puppy to a small, 'puppy-proofed' room and paper the entire floor. If the access area is too big you will jjust encourage pup to soil in that area.Put his bed, toys and food/water bowls there. At first there will be no rhyme or reason to where your pup eliminates. He will go every where and any where. He will also probably play with the papers, chew on them, and drag them around his little den. Most puppies do this and you just have to live with it. Don't get upset; just accept it as life with a young puppy. The important thing is that when you get home, clean up the mess and lay down fresh papers.


Passive House Training or Paper TrainingWhile your puppy is confined, he is developing a habit of eliminating on paper because no matter where he goes, it will be on paper. As time goes on, he will start to show a preferred place to do his business. When this place is well established and the rest of the papers remain clean all day, then gradually reduce the area that is papered. Start removing the paper that is furthest away from his chosen location. Eventually you will only need to leave a few sheets down in that area only. If he ever misses the paper, then you've reduced the area too soon. Go back to papering a larger area or even the entire room.

Once your puppy is reliably going only on the papers you've left, then you can slowly and gradually move his papers to a location of your choice. Move the papers only an inch a day. If puppy misses the paper again, then you're moving too fast. Go back a few steps and start over. Don't be discouraged if your puppy seems to be making remarkable progress and then suddenly you have to return to papering the entire room. This is normal. There will always be minor set-backs. If you stick with this procedure, your puppy will be paper trained. Whining, Howling, Barking and Other Dog and Puppy Vocalizations
Whining, crying, barking, and howling often result when a dog is left alone. Puppies will whine and cry when separated from their owners. The puppy is afraid he is being abandoned by his pack and is sounding the alarm so that he can be rescued. The reason excessive whining continues is because the dog has learned that whining, crying or barking gets whatever he wants - attention, food, affection. Often what starts out as a demand whining soon becomes an unconscious whining habit.
To prevent an annoying whining habit, teach your dog to accept short periods of confinement before leaving him alone for long periods of time. Spend time with your dog in the area where he is left and show him that this is a fun place to be. If he starts whining or howling when you leave, don't rush back to let him out or reassure him. If you do, he will soon learn that he can control you with his whining blackmail. However, if barking, whining or howling continues then he probably is not yet comfortable in his confinement area. Spend a little more time with him there. Then when you leave, it he continues barking, whining or howling, give him a loud and stern 'NO!' After he has been quiet for a few moments, return and praise him lavishly. Practice leaving and returning several times so he becomes accustomed to your departures and realizes that you are not abandoning him forever. He will see that you will return and there's nothing to worry about. Practice leaving him for longer and longer periods of time. Many dogs experience separation anxiety when left alone. They will often whine, bark, cry, howl, chew, dig, scratch at the door, soil the house or destroy your home and yard. We often unintentionally train our dogs to behave this way because whenever they throw this kind of tantrum when we leave, we quickly come back to reassure them, give them attention or even a bone or biscuit. If you do this, your dog will soon learn that he can control you with emotional blackmail.

Long, drawn-out farewells can create separation anxiety problems by first exciting your dog and then making the isolation more obvious when you're gone. Just when he gets all worked up and ready to play, suddenly you disappear. With all this energy, your dog will either try his best to get you to come back or he will have to vent his energy in some other way. Since he can't build model airplanes or invite his buddies over for a hand of poker, he does doggy things - like chew, dig and bark.

Perhaps it is not separation anxiety after all! We often think our dog is destructive because he is angry and spiteful that we left him, but he could actually be just trying to have some fun since there is nothing else to do. He may be relieved to be able to do those things he normally can't do when you're home. He may be thinking, "Thank goodness the owner is finally leaving! Now I can chase the cat, dig up the tomatoes, get in the trash, and bark at the neighbors. They never let me do those things when they're home."

Some dogs with separation anxiety are stressed, nervous and insecure when they are left alone. They express this nervous energy in typical dog fashion -chewing barking and digging  and house soiling

Training Puppy to Accept a Collar
Young pups are often bewildered or unsure of themselves and their newly acquired leash and collar. It usually takes only a few hours for a pup or even an adult dog to adjust to a collar. Choose a collar that fits comfortably but securely. Choke collars are a training aid and should never be used as a substitute for a regular buckle type collar. The collar should have an identification tag and license attached.

Simply put the collar on the dog and let him jump, squirm, roll and paw at it if he wishes. Don't encourage the behavior by laughing or trying to soothe him. Do not reprimand him either. It's best to just ignore him and let him get used to it or provide some distraction to get his mind off the collar. Play, training and eating work well to get the pup's mind off the collar. Once the dog accepts it, he won't even know it's there. It's similar to a person getting used to wearing a ring or watch for the first time.

Training Puppy to Accept a Leash
Once your pup accepts the collar, put his leash on and then just sit and watch. Obviously, do this indoors or in a secure confined area. Let puppy drag the leash around on his own but keep a close eye on him so that he doesn't tangle or get hurt. Leave it on for just a few minutes at first. Later, repeat the exercise for longer periods of time. Put your pup on leash during mealtimes, so he associates the leash with a pleasant event. If he is very fearful of the leash, you may want to put it next to the food bowl for a while before attaching it to his collar. Eventually he will see that no harm is coming and there indeed is nothing to be afraid of.
When you are sure he is completely comfortable walking around with the leash on, pick up the other end for a few minutes. Do not try walking him yet. Just hold onto the other end and let him lead you around. Try not to get into a position that will make him pull or strain on the leash or he will probably become afraid of it again. If he sits down, that is okay. You just sit down too. Try backing up and enticing him to come towards you. If he hesitates, don't pull or drag him by the leash. Try luring him over to you with a food treat or toy. When he starts to walk, praise him profusely so he knows how happy you are. Give him lots of time to get used to his leash and always try to make it a pleasant experience.
Give your pup lots of practice getting used to walking on leash in his own home, since it is a familiar environment with minimal distractions. When he is comfortable indoors, try going outdoors. Again, begin in an area with few distraction such as your front or back yard. When the two of you have mastered this, you are ready for places where there are more distractions. This exercise won't be difficult, since you've both had lots of practice beforehand at getting it right.
If your pup is biting and chewing the leash, try applying bitter apple, Tabasco or some other unpleasant tasting (but nontoxic) substance to the leash. Reapply before every outing.
Remember to always walk your dog on-leash. A dog off leash is always in danger; accidents happen very quickly. Your dog's safety as well as compliance with your local leash law, is your responsibility.
Training Puppy to Climb Stairs
If your dog is afraid of stairs, or simply does not know how to climb them, then begin slowly to build her confidence. Start off at the bottom of a flight of steps. A wide, shallow stairway will probably be least frightening for your dog. Go up one step; encourage and lure your dog up with your voice, a food treat or a toy. When she is successful, give her lots of reward and praise. Then go back down that same step. Repeat only one step over and over until your dog goes up and down with ease and courage. Wait a while, then try two steps. When your dog feels secure going up and down two steps, then try three steps and so on. Never force your dog to go up or down as this will only frighten her and slow the process. Always use praise and lures to get your dog to go up or down a step. Don't rush her into doing more than she can, take things "one step at a time."


and finally

CRATES AND HOUSEBREAKING
BY VIVIAN BREGMAN
� Copyright January, 2005 - 2005
Per kind permission Vivian Bregman
Why use a crate?? I certainly wouldn't want to spend hours locked up in area barely big enough to stand up and turn around in.   BUT --- I am not a dog, and neither are you.  A dog is a den animal.  If you look at where your dog chooses to spend his sleeping time, you will most likely find that it is behind a chair, under a table, or in a secluded corner.  He wants and needs a bed of his own, a den, someplace where he can be alone.

A crate is by far the best and easiest way to prevent most of the problems that cause many people to get rid of their dogs.  You need a crate for your dog if he has housebreaking accidents,  if he destroys things when left alone, if you have small children who don't understand that a dog needs time alone,  if you have company who is afraid of dogs,  if you travel with your dog and want to reassure the motel or your host that the dog will not get into trouble when left alone,  and, most important of all,  you need a crate for your dog if you want the very best trained dog possible.

When do you want to start use of the crate?   The best time is when you first bring the puppy home.  If you have bought the puppy from a breeder there is an excellent probability that he is already used to a crate.  If he is under four months old he should have no problem accepting the crate as his "home".  If he is older it will not be as easy, but it can and should be done.

Where does the crate go?   My crate sits in the corner of the dining room, away from the heat and away from drafts.  Yours can be in the corner of the kitchen or the playroom or someplace similar.  That is, a people oriented place.  Do not use newspaper in the crate. Instead use a piece of blanket, towel or some kind of matting that can be washed in case of accident.

A dog crate is a rectangular enclosure with a top and a door, made in a variety of sizes proportioned to fit any size dog.  Constructed of wire, wood, metal, or molded fiberglass/plastic, its purpose is to provide guaranteed confinement for reasons of secu-rity, safety, housebreaking, protection of household goods, travel, illness, or just general control. The dog crate has long been accepted, trusted, and taken for granted by dog show exhibitors, obedience and field trial competitors, trainers, breeders, groomers, vet-erinarians, and anyone else who handles dogs regularly. Individual pet owners usually re-ject the idea of using a crate because they consider such enforced close confinement unfair and even harmful to the dog.

The dog, however, sees it as having a room of his own:   it's his own private special place, a "security blanket".  A Playpen.  The crate helps to satisfy the  "den instinct"  inherited from his den-dwelling ancestors and relatives, and he is not afraid or frustrated when closed in. He is actually much happier and more secure having his life controlled and structured by human beings -- and would far rather be prevented from causing trouble than be punished for it later.

A dog crate, correctly and humanely used, can have many advantages for both you and your dog.

With the help of a crate you can enjoy complete peace of mind when leaving your dog home alone, knowing that nothing can be soiled or destroyed and that he is comfortable, protected, and not developing any bad habits.  You can housebreak your dog more quickly by using the close confinement to encourage control, establish a regular routine for outdoor elimination, and to prevent  "accidents"  at night or when left alone.  You can effectively confine your dog at times when he may be underfoot  (meals, family activities),  unwelcome  (guests, workmen etc.),  over-excited, bothered by too much confusion such as too many children, or ill.  You can travel with your dog without risk of the driver being dangerously distracted or the dog getting loose and helplessly lost, together with the assurance that he can easily adapt to any strange surroundings as long as he has his familiar  "security blanket"  along. He is also more welcome in motels and in other people's homes when the host is told that the dog will be crated in the room and therefore unable to make problems.

The crate should be large enough to permit the dog to stretch out flat on his side without being cramped and to sit up without hitting his head on the top. Remember that a crate too large defeats the purpose of providing security and promoting bowel control.

New crates can be purchased in retail pet shops and discount pet food and supply outlets, through catalog sales firms such as Sears, at the larger dog shows, from dog equipment catalogs, from a crate manufacturer, or from an obedience instructor. Even the most expensive dog crate is a bargain when compared to the cost of repairing or replacing a sofa, chair, woodwork, wallpaper, or carpeting. Make it very clear to children that the crate is  NOT  a playhouse for them, but a  "special room"  for the puppy, whose rights should be recognized and respected.  However, you should accustom the puppy from the start to letting  YOU  reach into the crate at any time, lest he become overprotective of it.

Establish a  "crate routine"  as soon as you bring the puppy home, or as soon there-after as possible.  Close the puppy in it at regular one to two hour intervals during the day  (his own chosen nap times will guide you)  and whenever he must be left alone for up to three or four hours. Give him a chew toy for distraction and be sure to remove collar and tags which could become caught in an opening.

If things do not go too smoothly at first, do not weaken and do not worry -- just be consistent, firm and aware that you are doing your pet a real favor by preventing him from getting into trouble while left alone.  Make sure that you do not let the dog out of the crate while he is barking or he will think that barking is the key to opening the door to the crate.

Start by making the crate smaller, and then increase the space inside the crate as the puppy grows so that he remains comfortable. Plan to use the crate until the puppy is ten or twelve months old -- well past the chewing stage.

Most people feel that a chewing puppy is normal, and that he will "grow out of it". Be aware that dogs do not grow out of problems.  While puppy chewing is normal teething, it very quickly becomes a habit which can be easily prevented with the use of a crate together with his  "chew toy".

In order to housebreak a dog, take him out of the crate on a six foot lead  (carrying him if he is small enough)  to the  "potty"  spot. Stand still so that the dog cannot wander. This spot should be close enough to the house so that you can get to it when the weather is bad, and to clean it up, but far enough from the house to avoid odors. Say  "Potty"  or  "Business"  or whatever word you want to use, and praise him for the act, and give him a small treat if he does what you want.

Once he has relieved himself, take him for a walk of at least fifteen minutes. The mistake that many people make when house training their dog is to walk the dog until the dog relieves himself and then take him into the house. The dog, in order to get a longer walk, puts off relieving himself, sometimes miscalculating and waiting too long. This leads the owner to say that the dog is "spiteful" and waiting until he is inside to  "do it on the carpet on purpose".

Once your dog has relieved himself outside in the potty spot, and has gotten his treat and his walk, take him into the house and let him loose for about one hour. Although the chances are the dog will not relieve himself in the house, he must be watched. If he starts to do something you don't want him to do, you can catch him in the act and teach him that it is wrong. After an hour or so loose in the house, take him out again. If he does his "Business" you can reward him and take him for a walk.  Continue this system all day long, putting him in the crate when he cannot be supervised. Since he does not want to soil his bed, he will wait for his walk. This may not work as well or as quickly with a  "pet shop"  puppy because they spend so much time in a crate and use the crate for their  "business".  

When your dog has an accident do not rub his nose in it or hit him.

a.   If you catch him in the act of eliminating, startle him with your voice, scold him and immediately take him to his toilet area. Praise him there if he finishes eliminating. Praise him mildly even if he only sniffs the area.

b.   If you didn't catch him in the act, don't scold him when you find the mess, just clean it up and vow to watch him more closely. Punishing after the fact doesn't work. Your dog simply can't understand and connect your punishment with the act of eliminating which he did sometime before. If this punishment method worked, all dogs would be housebroken! He may look submissive  ("guilty")  because he knows you are angry at him - he can easily tell by your body posture and tone of voice - but this has no bearing on the act of elimina-tion he did earlier.

c.   Clean accidents thoroughly as the scent will draw him back to use the area again. Don't use ammonia as there is ammonia in urine.

d.   If your dog consistently house soils in one area try feeding him there or keep his water bowl there.

e.   If accidents are frequent he needs to be watched much more closely and taken out more often. Don't be in a hurry to allow your pup unsupervised freedom. Housebreaking will be done long before he learns what not to chew. The crate will protect him and your belongings!

Housebreaking is an all-or-nothing procedure.  If your dog eliminates occasionally in the house, he's not housebroken! It does not mean  "tell me when you have to go out"  as some dogs will ask you to play doorman many times a day. Housebreaking eventually should mean  "hold it and wait until I take you out."

The key to housebreaking is really simple: Prevent accidents and praise correct performance!