Dog training - dealing with house training issues

By : Barry Gilbert
The best house training uses the dogs own instincts to
avoid soiling its bed to train the dog where and where
not to eliminate. That is the basis behind crate
training, in which the dog is confined to its crate in
the absence of the owner, and den training, in which the
dog is confined to a small area of the home. In essence,
the crate, or the room, becomes the dog's den. Dogs are
naturally very clean animals, and they try their best to
avoid using their dens as toilets.

This type of training usually works very well, both for
puppies and for older dogs. Problems with this type of
toilet training are usually the result of not
understanding the signals the dog is sending, not being
consistent with feeding times, or trying to rush the
process.

While the house training process can be sped up somewhat
by consistently praising the dog and rewarding it for
toileting in the proper place, some dogs cannot be rushed
through this important process. It is always best to
house train the dog properly the first time than to go
back and retrain a problem dog.

If the dog continues to soil the den area after house
training, the most likely reason is that the owner has
left the dog in the den for too long. Another reason may
be that the den area is too large. In this case, the
best strategy is to make the den area smaller or to take
the dog to the toilet area more frequently.

If the dog soils the bed that has been provided in the
den area, it is most likely because the owner has left
the dog there for too long, and the dog had an
understandable accident. Or it could be that the dog has
not yet adopted this area as the bed. In addition,
urinary tract infections and other medical conditions can
also cause dogs to soil their beds. It is important to
have the dog thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian to
rule out any medical problems.

One other reason for house training accidents that many
people overlook is boredom. Dogs who are bored often
drink large amounts of water and therefore must urinate
more frequently than you might think. If you notice your
dog consuming large amounts of water, be sure to take the
dog to the established toilet area more often, and
provide the dog with toys and other distractions to
eliminate boredom.

Boredom is the root cause of many dog behavior problems,
not only house training issues. Chewing and other
destructive behaviors are also often caused by boredom
and separation anxiety.

Other problems with house training can occur when the
dog's den is not properly introduced. In some cases dogs
can react to the den as if it is a prison or a
punishment. Those dogs may exhibit signs of anxiety,
such as whining, chewing and excessive barking. It is
important for the dog to feel secure in its den, and to
think of it as a home and not a cage.

The best way to house train a puppy or dog, or to re-
house train a problem dog, is to make yourself aware of
the dog's habits and needs. Creating a healthy, safe
sleeping and play area for your dog, as well as a well
defined toilet area, is important for any house training
program.

House training is not always an easy process, but it is
certainly an important one. The number one reason that
dogs are surrendered to animal shelters is problems with
inappropriate elimination, so a well structured house
training program can literally be a lifesaver for your
dog.

Article Source: http://www.articledestination.com


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