housetraing dogs?

wendinella

Answer
Hi,

Housetraining is a MUST. You want to have a polite dog that knows the rules in your house and does not cause you the trouble of cleaning a mess all the time (it's not fun especially if you have the carpets;)).

Dogs are very clean animals and they do not like to make a mess in their dens in the wild and they are not happy to have a mess around them in the house either. As a dog owner it is your responsibility to teach your pooch about the basic rules in the house. Housebreaking (or housetraining) when done properly will take about a week (depending on an owner's consistency, patience, persistance, routine, etc.).

I've known people who never took the time (which is not that long at all) to housetrain their dogs and it caused a lot of frustration in the owners later on...The best thing is to housetrain your dog as soon as you get him/her.

Here are a few things that might be helpful to know about housetraining:

1. Set a schedule for your dog. Dogs LOVE to have a routine. Feed your puppy the same time every day. Don't give him the water before he goes to sleep at night.

2. Make sure you're feeding your pup the highest quality food. Premium foods may be more expensive, but it is much more digestable than grocery store brands. The puppy eats less and eliminates less often which make the housebreaking process much easier. You will also have a healthier dog.

3. The second puppy wakes up in the morning take him on a leash outside to the area you have chose to be his toilet. Keep your clothes ready and do not fool around getting him outside. If you wait until you have your coffee and breakfast to take him outside, you are forcing him to lose control of himself.

4. Make it clear that this walk is pure business, not fun and pleasure. You can give a command like "Do your business". Keep the voice low and don't excite your dog - it's a serious business. The second your puppy starts to eliminate - PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!:) After he's done eliminating, take him away from the elimination area and have a playtime as a reward.

5. It is easier and more eficient to praise your dog for going in one spot than to punish him for going in thousand different spots.
I always take my dog to the same spot right at the side of my house and when she's done she gets her walk as a reward. It is easier to pick everything up and usually I do not have to pick anything up during a walk.

6. Sensitize yourself to your dog's body language. Your puppy needs to eliminate:

- after a meal
- after a nap
- after a play session
- if he begins circling and sniffing

7. Do not leave your puppy alone in the house where you cannot see him. If you're not actively playing with him, put him in his crate (but not for longer than 4 hours!).

8. A crate should never be used as punishment. It is supposed to be your dog's safe place , his den and by using a crate as a punishment you'll make your dog to have a negative connotation with his crate. Crate is VERY useful in teaching your puppy the housebreaking rules. Dogs do not like to mess their dens and want to keep it clean.

9. Never yell at your dog. If you catch your puppy in the ACT of eliminating (which you will if he's leashed to your belt), say "NO" in a low, stern voice and run him outside. There is no need to yell at the puppy - it would make him voice shy.

10. Give him an opportunity to finish his job. When he does, PRAISE him and reward him (for example with a play session).

11. Return to the house. Don't let your pup see you clean up the mess. Clean the mess with a commercial odor neutralizer. It's important that your puppy cannot smell those spots. The smell of the places where he eliminated before will only encourage him to do it again there. It is the dogs' instinct and he's not trying to be mallicious by eliminating in the house where he can still smell the old eliminating areas.

12. Remember - it is NEVER to late to teach your dog about eliminating in the proper areas and with patience and consistency you can do it pretty quickly!

Alex

Source(s):
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
http://www.cuhumane.org/topics/housebr.h...
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/woof/tips/tip_13...

dog who has crate anxiety?

That Girl

My 11 month old Pit Bull/Newfoundland mix has developed what I am assuming to be crate anxiety. He has been crate training sense he was 3 months old and we've never had a problem bigger then a little barking. Lately he seems to have become more active in his crate while we are gone. He pulled his cover blanket into the crate and has bent some of the metal. I came home today and he had scratched a dime size amount of hair off of his face.
I've been filling Kong's and bones with P.B. and freezing them to keep him active.
I can't leave him out of the crate because he is very destructive. What should I do for him?

Answer
I dont know how long you are leaving your dog alone in a crate but I would say that 3 hours is long, 4 hours is pushing it, and 5 hours is probably unbearable. I assume all these problems are during the daytime when you are away from home.

Here are my suggestions:

1. take your dog on a long walk or give him vigorous exercise right before you leave. This will tire him out and make him more mellow in his crate while you are gone. I'm not talking about just let him out in the backyard either! Really engage him so that he can burn off all that energy.

2. make his crate as comfortable as possible too. Make sure that he has cover, bedding, or toys to play with. The more comfortable it is to him, the less likely he is to get bored. I dont know how often your dog has access to his Kong toys but I have a bully stick that my dog absolutely loves to chew on. The thing is, I only give it to him while he is in his crate and I'm going to be away. This way, he doesnt get bored of it and it always seems fresh to him and not over used. May I also suggest cycling different toys or food products so that he doesnt get accumstomed to any one item. Variety is the spice of life after all!!!

3. Again, I dont know how long you're leaving him, but if the timeframe gets to be excessive, have a neighbor check in on him and let him out for a little while.

4. Try leaving a t.v. or a radio on while you are gone. This doesnt leave an absolutely quiet house and will give your dog the feeling he isnt all alone.

I have tried all these techniques at some point or another and have had varying amounts of success with each of them. I have found that getting your dog exercise before crating him is by far the most effect tactic. This may require you to get up a few hours earlier but your dog will be happier for it in the long run. Nevertheless, Try them out and hopefully one will work for you.

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Why would dogs fight with each other?

Loves Dogs

Why would two dogs fight when they live together?

I have a 9 month old Shepherd/Collie mix who is spayed. I've had her for 6.5 months. I recently rescued a Golden Retriever/Pyrenees mix directly from a neglect case - he's four and neutered. Actually from my parents. We've had him for maybe three weeks. They get along great and play together all the time. They are always together. This morning they broke out into a fight in the house! I don't know what happened. Usually there is growling over food or a bone, but none of that was around them. What happened? I try to leave them out of their crates while we are gone, but not more than 2 hours at a time. Now I'm afraid to leave them out alone if they are going to fight. I don't need to come home to bloody dogs! What could have gone wrong this morning?
He has never played with toys so he doesn't have a big interest in them, but he is learning. There was a toy where they were playing and got into the fight. I feed them next to their crates in a different room. It was a loud fight, no blood, but they were really going at each other. I broke them apart and the young one lunged for one more attack.

Answer
I have 2 pyrs and an Aussie mix. Your dogs have the potential for getting along just great.

It's good that your Shep/Col is female and your Golden/Pyr is male. You have less fighting between a male/female pair than a same sex pair.

You have to be a strong Alpha Pack Leader.
You have to understand that these dogs need to establish their place in the pack.

A 4 year old male will assume he should be the alpha dog.
A 9 month old dog is at the right age to challenge any older dog to become alpha.

Before you got the 4 year old, your female was the ONLY dog, so she was the alpha dog. Now her right to be alpha is challenged by his age and his size. He's bound to be considerably bigger than she is.

SO... like it or not, some fighting will go on to establish who's THE alpha dog. One is alpha male; one is alpha female. One must be the alpha dog and she was and doesn't want to lose her position, but he wants it also.

I have trouble at times with my two males fighting, and have found that, while I don't always recognize the infraction, my Aussie (the omega dog) sometimes does SOMETHING wrong and my male pyr attacks him. You may have believe theere was no reason, but you are wrong. You just don't know what the reason for the fight was.

Pyrs have a whole set of rules. She was there first, so she sees herself as alpha. He's pyr, and she may have done something he sees as an "infraction" of pyr rules.

I stop fights inside the house as it can damage the home. Also, neither of my boys will back down, even though my male pyr is the alpha male. When I pull my pyr off my Aussie, as I pull him up, I find the Aussie hanging from his neck where he's got a bite on the pyr and won't let go. So it takes two of us to separate these boys.

As Pack Leader, you can intervene. It's your right. But, if they haven't determined who is alpha, then your intervention can confuse and delay that determination being made.

IF you already see that one is alpha, then there was simply an infraction done by the one who's not alpha and the alpha was punishing the other for the infraction.

IF you already KNOW one is alpha, then:
1) alpha dog is fed first
2) alpha dog is allowed out the door first
3) alpha dog is allowed in the door first
4) alpha dog is given treats first
etc. etc. etc.

Got it? You can't treat one as alpha right now and the other as alpha later today. If you do that, you confuse the issue. And for your dogs to be happy ONE must be alpha and each must know it's place in the pack.

Go to these websites and read up on and learn how to be Pack Leader.

Join a Pyr group. You can get some good feedback from other owners of rescued dogs, and pyrs, and several also have Aussie's.

Good luck with your challenge. @->--

p.s. I hope you understand that all dogs do play fight. It's not a serious fight unless one is baring it's teeth and snarling with an angry look on it's face.

If their fight was actually serious, then don't leave them loose in the home alone when you're gone till they settle who's alpha. It may take some time, so you have to keep an eye on things. Learn what the problem is by watching carefully and trying to think like a dog.

Your added details:
They don't want to harm each other. That was an alpha fight.
You can choose to treat her as alpha, becasue she was, but by his size, he might take it away from her.

My dogs play "king of the hill" The pyr who can consistently knock the other one down became the alpha... and that was my girl way back ... and now they are evenly matched... but she remains alpha.

housetraing dogs?

wendinella

Answer
Hi,

Housetraining is a MUST. You want to have a polite dog that knows the rules in your house and does not cause you the trouble of cleaning a mess all the time (it's not fun especially if you have the carpets;)).

Dogs are very clean animals and they do not like to make a mess in their dens in the wild and they are not happy to have a mess around them in the house either. As a dog owner it is your responsibility to teach your pooch about the basic rules in the house. Housebreaking (or housetraining) when done properly will take about a week (depending on an owner's consistency, patience, persistance, routine, etc.).

I've known people who never took the time (which is not that long at all) to housetrain their dogs and it caused a lot of frustration in the owners later on...The best thing is to housetrain your dog as soon as you get him/her.

Here are a few things that might be helpful to know about housetraining:

1. Set a schedule for your dog. Dogs LOVE to have a routine. Feed your puppy the same time every day. Don't give him the water before he goes to sleep at night.

2. Make sure you're feeding your pup the highest quality food. Premium foods may be more expensive, but it is much more digestable than grocery store brands. The puppy eats less and eliminates less often which make the housebreaking process much easier. You will also have a healthier dog.

3. The second puppy wakes up in the morning take him on a leash outside to the area you have chose to be his toilet. Keep your clothes ready and do not fool around getting him outside. If you wait until you have your coffee and breakfast to take him outside, you are forcing him to lose control of himself.

4. Make it clear that this walk is pure business, not fun and pleasure. You can give a command like "Do your business". Keep the voice low and don't excite your dog - it's a serious business. The second your puppy starts to eliminate - PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!:) After he's done eliminating, take him away from the elimination area and have a playtime as a reward.

5. It is easier and more eficient to praise your dog for going in one spot than to punish him for going in thousand different spots.
I always take my dog to the same spot right at the side of my house and when she's done she gets her walk as a reward. It is easier to pick everything up and usually I do not have to pick anything up during a walk.

6. Sensitize yourself to your dog's body language. Your puppy needs to eliminate:

- after a meal
- after a nap
- after a play session
- if he begins circling and sniffing

7. Do not leave your puppy alone in the house where you cannot see him. If you're not actively playing with him, put him in his crate (but not for longer than 4 hours!).

8. A crate should never be used as punishment. It is supposed to be your dog's safe place , his den and by using a crate as a punishment you'll make your dog to have a negative connotation with his crate. Crate is VERY useful in teaching your puppy the housebreaking rules. Dogs do not like to mess their dens and want to keep it clean.

9. Never yell at your dog. If you catch your puppy in the ACT of eliminating (which you will if he's leashed to your belt), say "NO" in a low, stern voice and run him outside. There is no need to yell at the puppy - it would make him voice shy.

10. Give him an opportunity to finish his job. When he does, PRAISE him and reward him (for example with a play session).

11. Return to the house. Don't let your pup see you clean up the mess. Clean the mess with a commercial odor neutralizer. It's important that your puppy cannot smell those spots. The smell of the places where he eliminated before will only encourage him to do it again there. It is the dogs' instinct and he's not trying to be mallicious by eliminating in the house where he can still smell the old eliminating areas.

12. Remember - it is NEVER to late to teach your dog about eliminating in the proper areas and with patience and consistency you can do it pretty quickly!

Alex

Source(s):
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
http://www.cuhumane.org/topics/housebr.h...
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/woof/tips/tip_13...

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How do I get my dog to pick more spots to go outside?

dog crates 4 less image

corin_li

we have a ~4-5 y.o. female husky who we got from the shelter in october. she's settled in fine and is well-behaved, but she'll walk forever trying to find a good spot to poop. some days she'll refuse to even go near her somewhat regular spots repeatedly, then poop on the carpet if we leave her alone for only an hour (like she just waited for us to leave). any ideas?

her routine: she lives in an apartment. walks are between 15min and 40min depending on the time of day. she gets walked four or more times a day, both before we leave and as soon as we get home. we take her running occasionally but she gets bored/tired pretty quickly. longest periods alone are 4 to 5 hours 3 mornings a week and most days she does fine. she has regular indoor play, likes to sit on the balcony and watch the squirrels and people, every couple weekends she goes to our parents houses and plays in the yard, every 2-3 weeks we take a long walk with her black lab friend across the hall.

Answer
First off, it sounds like you are a very good pet owner! I'm glad to hear that you are giving her frequent and long walks. With her being a husky, she NEEDS them! It's also good to hear that she isn't alone much!. As far as going outside... that's a tricky one, esspecially with shelter dogs who most likely didn't have proper training from the start. I would advise that you crate train her. You get her a crate where she can comfortably sit, stand, lie down, and turn around, but don't get it too big b/c she may very welll choose to void in one corner and sleep in the other. You have to be careful to slowly introduce her to the crate. Do a lot of research before you start, if you don't crate train correctly, she will learn to hate it. If you train her right, then she'll love! (though there are allways exceptions!) If you crate train her, then if she doesn't go to the bathroom before you leave then crate her. She most likely won't go in her crate. When you come home, try her outside again. If she doesn't go, then WATCH her... if she starts to go, rush her outside.

As far as being pick about the spot... you choose a spot, take her to it every time you go outside. Wait! Hopefully she'll get less picky. It's really a matter of who has more patience! You could even leave a "deposit ;) " on the spot you want her to use, that way she'll get the idea.

When cleaning up messes, make sure to use and *enzymatic* cleaner desinged for getting out pet smells! These are the only products that get the smell out well enough that the dog won't recognize the place as her "spot"

good luck! ~J~

How do you get your dog housetrained?

hot stuff

my dog is a dachshund(a very cute dog) he doesn't get the point of going outside to go to the bathroom. any ideas?

Answer
1. Get a crate (called a house)
2. Put the dog in the house at night.
3. When you open the crate in the morning, take the dog directly outside to go.
4. When you bring the dog in, judge the amount of hours (usually 3 or less for a puppy) until you need to take the dog out again.
5. If you dog makes a mistake, remove the dog (never hit), and take the dog outside....ok say bad dog, and good dog when he goes.
6. When you come back inside, take the dog to his house.
Come back in a short time, and let the dog go outside again.

This should take about a week or 2 weeks, and your dog will start listening to you.

Also use dog treats when you praise your dog for going outside....but not after the first week.
Make sure your dog does not have the run of the house....it's a baby and has to learn one room at a time.
This should be the room you are in......and set the oven timer if you need to remind yourself in 2 or 3 hours....to take the dog outside.
Try to get the dog to run and jump and play outside...throw a ball or something.

Relax and enjoy your new friend, but they do need discipline.

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How do you keep your small dogs from peeing on carpet?

dog crates 4 less image

Sunday

I have a malteese, and a papillion, about 4 years old! They still pee on the carpet in my bedroom in the same spot all the time! They will go on rugs too , if I use them! They have done it so much , I can't get the smell out, and the carpet is so worn out in that spot! I put tile in the rest of the house, but I can't afford to do my bedroom yet! I have grass in the back yard, and a doggy door, so they can go out whenever they want! Usually when it's cold , or rainy, they don't want to go on the grass, so when were not looking, they go on the carpet! I use a little green bissel to spot clean, but it seems to be making it smell worse! I can't sleep at night, because the smell bothers me!
Can anyone help me , before I tear out my carpet, and just live on conctete, untill I can afford to put more carpet or tile in my bedroom?
Even If I could afford it , I don't know what to replace the carpet with! If I put more carpet, they will probably pee on it too, and tile would be kind of cold!
I potty trained them when they were puppies, and I've been a stay at home dog owner most of their lives, so I take them out alot!

Answer
House-training an adult dog isnât much different from house-training a puppy â in fact, your adult dogs should be able to âhold itâ for much longer than a puppy, making retraining an adult less labor intense. Dog crates can be useful training tools when it comes to correcting house soiling problems, because dogs generally will not soil in their immediate environment. However, if your dogs have never been placed in a crate, take care to introduce him slowly.
Sry forgot to add that the last link is for home remidies to take out pet odors. Hope this helps.

Also, consider that your dog may define home differently than you do. To you, home may be a multi-story house, but your dog may see everything beyond the kitchen (which he has kept spotless) as âoutside.â By restricting your dogs to a smaller area for a while, and then gradually extending their home area, you can help them learn the ropes.

The procedure: Take your dogs outside, on leash, to a regular âtoilet areaâ and give them a food treat for eliminating there. Try to keep âtoiletingâ walks brief: If they are going to urinate, itâll probably happen right away. If you do not have immediate success with them, take them for a longer walk, try using a different leash, or try exiting from a different doorway. This way you can emphasize that a bathroom walk has only one purpose. If they don't cooperate in time allowed, return indoors and supervise or restrict them, then repeat the bathroom walk in 15 to 30 minutes.

If you discover an âaccidentâ after the fact, clean it up without a fuss â punishment today wonât stop the behavior from being repeated tomorrow. Usually, consistent supervision or confinement and regularly scheduled bathroom walks (donât forget the rewards!) will eventually teach your dog what is expected of him. If you catch him in the act, tell him ``no,ââ but resist the urge to shout. Instead, reward them lavishly when they go where they are supposed to.

In addition to the above measures, it is very important to clean up previous messes. Physical cleanup or masking the odors won't do, instead try a proprietary odor neutralizer should be used. These products contain enzymes or live bacteria that destroy the odors at the source by breaking down the molecules. Without these measure the dog will be attracted right back to a previously soiled area. This will include shampooing the carpet and furniture thoroughly.

Remember animals have a very behavioral nature and they are probably trying to out-mark each other so you have to be very routine as animals love routine. Work with both of them at the same time so they observe each other in training. It may be necessary to take them to a dog trainer to get help with this issue or call a local trainer in your area who can work with your dogs at the house. Make sure if you take on this endeavor yourself that you are able to spend ample time with them as that is what it will take to accomplish this.

how to keep an energetic dog entertained and busy when not home?

vaishya va

i live with a 2 year old male husky dog who seems to have unlimited energy and giant sized stamina. Regardless of how much i play him or take him out for physical activity, he never tires out. In fact i will get tired faster than he will.

And as a result he is often restless and very playful.

When i go to work he is left alone at home all day with sufficient food and water. How to keep him entertained and busy when he's alone for several hours a day?

Answer
Wow--that's a tough one. Here's the deal: good sled dogs run up to 100 miles a day...in the snow...pulling a sled. That's the kind of breed you have. So unlike most who complain about this issue, your problem really is about the breed rather than an owner that expects a dog to just lay there all day and play fetch for 10 minutes.

The short answer is that there is nothing you can do that is going to solve the problem if your dog is crated for 8-9 hours during the day. Putting the dog outside will work for about 1 hour and then he'll start trying to dig under the fence or begin obsessing about birds or passing sounds (which will turn him into a barking maniac--not good). Turning on the TV will quickly become a nonfactor--it will become background noise. Putting dog entertainment CD's or DVD's on is a joke. A good bone or rawhide....well, if your dog is like I suspect he is, he probably finishes off a good rawhide in 30 minutes or less.

You've got a couple of options, none of them easy and none of them free. They all start with you being willing to give your sled dog a good workout in the morning and evening. Instead of reading the paper when you get up in the, put on some headphones, listen to the radio and take a 20-30 minute run with your husky. And plan on taking a 30 minute walk every evening. If you want variety, than get some roller blades. Also try throwing a ball for 10 minutes in the evening as well.

Also, these are smart dogs so you don't just want to push them physically (by going running or a long walk) but also do tricks with them--challenge him mentally.

1. Hire a dog walker. Have someone come to your house mid-day to walk your husky every weekday. It will cost you something like $10-25 a day. But for a 30 minute walk, it will get your dog out of his crate and take the edge off him when you get home.

2. Put him in doggie daycare. Not some place where he's crated all day with 1-2 short bathroom breaks. But one that has space where he's let out to play with other dogs for an hour or so each day. Or look for someone else who has a dog of similar size that your husky plays with well. Offer a trade: if the neighbor will let you keep your husky at their house during the day (so the two dogs can interact and he can be out of his crate most of the day) and maybe 1 outdoor potty break, you'll walk both dogs together for 30-45 minutes after work each day and then take them both to the park to run around on the weekend.

3. Sign him up for a couple of classes. If you can't do the dog walker or doggie daycare, then you need to enroll in 2-3 classes or performance activities during the week. These become things for your dog to look forward to. They get "this is thursday, it's my flyball class" or "this is saturday, time for weight pull." It will improve your bond with your dog, provide physical and mental stimulation for him but also gives him something to look forward to. Once you get into a routine, it makes it easier for him to handle the long day in his crate.

4. Join dog performance activities (agility, weight pull) that you do on weekends. This probably goes in tandem with the idea of classes (because you can't compete effectively without taking a class).

5. Push the dog harder. Get a dog backpack and load it down with water bottles so the dog is carrying more weight. Get some instruction first but then buy a harness and have your dog pull weights on your own. If it snows in your neck of the woods, have him pull you on a sled. The idea is--make the dog work harder. For indoors, there are dog treadmills. They're expensive and not all dogs love them. And you can't just put a dog on and forget him--it requires surveillance. None of these activities work unless you're willing to get up early and push the dog hard in the morning before you head to work.

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how to keep an energetic dog entertained and busy when not home?

dog crates 4 less image

vaishya va

i live with a 2 year old male husky dog who seems to have unlimited energy and giant sized stamina. Regardless of how much i play him or take him out for physical activity, he never tires out. In fact i will get tired faster than he will.

And as a result he is often restless and very playful.

When i go to work he is left alone at home all day with sufficient food and water. How to keep him entertained and busy when he's alone for several hours a day?

Answer
Wow--that's a tough one. Here's the deal: good sled dogs run up to 100 miles a day...in the snow...pulling a sled. That's the kind of breed you have. So unlike most who complain about this issue, your problem really is about the breed rather than an owner that expects a dog to just lay there all day and play fetch for 10 minutes.

The short answer is that there is nothing you can do that is going to solve the problem if your dog is crated for 8-9 hours during the day. Putting the dog outside will work for about 1 hour and then he'll start trying to dig under the fence or begin obsessing about birds or passing sounds (which will turn him into a barking maniac--not good). Turning on the TV will quickly become a nonfactor--it will become background noise. Putting dog entertainment CD's or DVD's on is a joke. A good bone or rawhide....well, if your dog is like I suspect he is, he probably finishes off a good rawhide in 30 minutes or less.

You've got a couple of options, none of them easy and none of them free. They all start with you being willing to give your sled dog a good workout in the morning and evening. Instead of reading the paper when you get up in the, put on some headphones, listen to the radio and take a 20-30 minute run with your husky. And plan on taking a 30 minute walk every evening. If you want variety, than get some roller blades. Also try throwing a ball for 10 minutes in the evening as well.

Also, these are smart dogs so you don't just want to push them physically (by going running or a long walk) but also do tricks with them--challenge him mentally.

1. Hire a dog walker. Have someone come to your house mid-day to walk your husky every weekday. It will cost you something like $10-25 a day. But for a 30 minute walk, it will get your dog out of his crate and take the edge off him when you get home.

2. Put him in doggie daycare. Not some place where he's crated all day with 1-2 short bathroom breaks. But one that has space where he's let out to play with other dogs for an hour or so each day. Or look for someone else who has a dog of similar size that your husky plays with well. Offer a trade: if the neighbor will let you keep your husky at their house during the day (so the two dogs can interact and he can be out of his crate most of the day) and maybe 1 outdoor potty break, you'll walk both dogs together for 30-45 minutes after work each day and then take them both to the park to run around on the weekend.

3. Sign him up for a couple of classes. If you can't do the dog walker or doggie daycare, then you need to enroll in 2-3 classes or performance activities during the week. These become things for your dog to look forward to. They get "this is thursday, it's my flyball class" or "this is saturday, time for weight pull." It will improve your bond with your dog, provide physical and mental stimulation for him but also gives him something to look forward to. Once you get into a routine, it makes it easier for him to handle the long day in his crate.

4. Join dog performance activities (agility, weight pull) that you do on weekends. This probably goes in tandem with the idea of classes (because you can't compete effectively without taking a class).

5. Push the dog harder. Get a dog backpack and load it down with water bottles so the dog is carrying more weight. Get some instruction first but then buy a harness and have your dog pull weights on your own. If it snows in your neck of the woods, have him pull you on a sled. The idea is--make the dog work harder. For indoors, there are dog treadmills. They're expensive and not all dogs love them. And you can't just put a dog on and forget him--it requires surveillance. None of these activities work unless you're willing to get up early and push the dog hard in the morning before you head to work.

What is the best way to train a dog not to go potty in the house?

Q. Well we have had our dog for about a month and a half and sometimes she likes to go potty on the floor and we don't know why. She doesn't even go to the door if she has to go. Please HELP me if you can!!!

Answer
You need to watch her for signals, like sniffing around or whining, and House-train her as if she were a puppy. It is not uncommon for a dog to "foget" her house-training in a new house, but if she was previously trained, the re-training will take very quickly.

House Training
Don't use ammonia to clean up any messes, because it smells like urine to the dog. Use vinegar or the special pet stain cleaners, instead.

1. Watch her very carefully when you are home and take her outside after she drinks, eats, or sniffs around. Keep her outside for 5 minutes, then come back in.... but keep careful watch. Always take her to the exact same spot outside for her toilet, and clean up solid waste every few days.

2. When you can't watch her, put her in a crate. It is only cruel, if you keep her in the crate all the time. You want to try to let her out about every four hours, but she is old enough that she can handle 8 hours, if you are diligent in walking her before and after meals, and before and after leaving for work/school.

3. If you don't use a crate, then confine her in a room, like the bathroom or kitchen that you can cover with newspaper.

4. Put food, water, toys, and bedding in one corner. When you come back after a few hours, take her outside for a walk. Then clean up soiled newspaper, clean the floor underneath with vinegar, and save a small piece for the smell. Place some clean newspaper in another corner of the room, away from her food, and place the smelly piece of newspaper in the corner. Keep newspaper on the rest of the floor.

5. The next day she should have tried to go to the bathroom close to the smelly corner. Repeat the process from above, clean the floor, use new paper, place a new smelly piece of paper in the corner opposite her food.

You are trying to teach her where her toilet is by placing a large blinking sign that says bathroom. Since your dog can't read, you are using a small piece of paper for the same purpose. Your dog has a good sense of smell, so the smelly paper doesn't have to be very large or disgusting. Just a few inches.

6. Keep doing this for a few days, until your dog goes to the bathroom consistently in the same 5' x 5' area. If you are patient and loving, then she may learn to go in an area less than 2' x 2' in less than 4 days, but don't push it.

7. If things are on track after 5 or 6 days, then remove all of the paper, except a 5' x 5' area in the corner, with a small smelly piece of paper.

8. Advanced: If she is a small dog, then you might slowly reduce the area to about 1' x 1', then you can train her to use a kitty litter box inside... but that may be pushing things.

9. When she is consistent, then remove all the paper, and move the smelly piece of paper to the outside to show her where her bathroom is. She may have a few accidents, so try to understand what happened and why she had the accident.
But this method should work for most puppies and dogs.

10. Things to remember:
A. You can remove the paper when you are home and watching her. You only need the paper during the training period of about two weeks, and only when no one is home to watch her, while she is confined in the kitchen/bathroom.
B. Always clean up the floor under any mess or mistake with lots of vinegar to remove the smell.
C. Remember that the smell to a dog is like a large, red, blinking sign to people.
D. Always get rid of soiled newspaper, except for a tiny piece with smell. Replace the soiled newspaper with clean newspaper for the first few days.

Also, walk her, pet her, and talk to her softly... so that she will learn that she has a loving home.

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