DOG BEHAVIOUR & CARE

Learning to be clean in the house is one of the first things you’ll want to start teaching your new dog. Those of us with adult rescue dogs may need to go through the same training process as we do with puppies. Being in a new environment can mean that prior understanding of where to toilet has changed, especially after spending some time in a shelter environment.

House training will take a month or two of consistent effort on your part. It may involve changing your routine with your dog. However, doing the job correctly and thoroughly from the start is much preferable to a half-hearted attempt that goes on much longer and creates confusion and uncertainty for your dog.

Can’t I just rub his nose in it?

Modern thinking about how best to house-train a puppy is quite different from what was recommended years ago. Punishment for mistakes is no longer considered either necessary or helpful. Delayed punishment is cruel and simply doesn’t work. If you discover a pile or puddle in the house that your dog left minutes or hours ago, it is too late to react. Your dog cannot figure out why you are angry and cannot learn from the punishment. If you catch your dog in the act of relieving themselves in the house and punish them, the immediacy of the consequence means that they can learn, but what they learn will probably be its bad to eliminate in the presence of my owner, rather than it’s bad to eliminate in the house.

You and your actions are much more relevant to your puppy or dog than the location inside the house.

As you’ll see below, you want your dog or puppy to go to the toilet in your presence, in the correct location, so punishing them for performing in the house is not helpful.

There are two keys to successful house training:

1. Reward for elimination in the correct location
2. Prevent accidents in the house

REWARD FOR ELIMINATION IN THE CORRECT LOCATION

The idea is to catch your dog doing something right so you can reward it and thus strengthen its likelihood of doing the same thing again in the future. First decide where you want the dog to eliminate.

For most people, this will be a handy corner of the back garden. Some people train their pups to eliminate newspapers in the house, but most experts recommend teaching the dog to eliminate outside the house from the very beginning rather than trying to paper train it and then retrain it to grass.

You must accompany your dog on a leash, to the elimination spot quite often. When you get there, stay with it but do not play with it, just let it wander around on lead and sniff the ground. As soon as it begins to eliminate, praise softly. When it has finished, give it couple of special food treats from your pocket and play with it. Rewarding the dog for performing in the correct location time after time helps it learn where you want it to relieve itself.

You will need to take the dog to the chosen location quite often and at the time that you can reasonably expect that the pup will need to eliminate. When a pup is very young, it may need to urinate as often as once per hour during the day.

Other times you can be pretty sure the pup will need to eliminate are immediately on waking up in the morning, 10-15 minutes after eating or drinking, after waking up from a nap, after a vigorous playtime, when something exciting happens like the arrival of a guest and last thing at night. Many also need to relieve themselves in the middle of the night until they are mature enough to hold for seven to eight hours.

When the puppy is getting the idea of eliminating soon after you take it to the toilet spot in the garden, you can begin to put toileting on cue. Start to repeat your cue word (like “busy” or “toilet”) as the puppy sniffs and begins to eliminate. Eventually the puppy will become more likely to eliminate when it hears this cue.

If the dog does not perform after three minutes in the garden, you may bring it back inside but put it in a crate (see below) then take it out again in 30 minutes for another try. If you are not using a crate, confine the dog in a play pen. When you are pretty sure that the pup is empty, you can let it loose in the house for a short time while closely supervising it.

PREVENT ACCIDENTS IN THE HOUSE

While teaching the dog to eliminate outside, you must do everything in your power to prevent accidents in the house. This means anticipating when the pup may need to relieve itself, and taking it outside to the designated spot in time. It means watching the dog 100% of the time it is loose in the house, and putting it in one of two safe areas if you cannot watch it. If you are not prepared to do this for a while, get used to cleaning up accidents. If at any time you see it circle, sniff the floor, or start to squat, immediately INTERRUPT it by calling it urgently to the door to go outside with you to finish its business.

Keep a supply of treats handy so you’ll always have some for quick trips to the garden! Your two safe areas will be a crate and a puppy play room, as described below.

CRATE

Dogs are naturally clean and will not usually foul their immediate sleeping area. You can take advantage of this tendency by putting the dog in a very small area such as a dog crate (with soft bedding and a chew toy like a Kong stuffed with kibble and peanut butter or canned dog food) when you cannot watch it.

It will probably hold while in the crate, then you can take it outside immediately after coming out of the crate. This helps you create an opportunity to reward the dog for a correct elimination while avoiding accidents in the house. A young puppy should not be crated without a toilet break for more than an hour at a time (except at night).

PLAYROOM

The playroom is for longer safe confinement, if you have to be away for several hours. It might be a small bathroom or laundry, with a washable floor.

First puppy proof the room by removing ALL objects a puppy might chew, damage, want to wee on, or be hurt by (like towels, shower curtains, electric cords, waste baskets, rugs, and household cleaners.

Put the puppy’s bed in one corner and a small toilet area in the opposite corner. If you want the dog to get in the habit of eliminating outside, the toilet area should be a few square feet of turf. Also put a bowl of water and several stuffed Kongs in the room. This will keep the puppy occupied while you are away, and allow it to eliminate in an acceptable location while learning that ‘grass = toilet’.

If your garden is fenced and you have a doghouse or sheltered area outside, the alternative to a playroom is to put the puppy outside when you cannot watch it. Chew toys are still recommended to keep the dog occupied and less likely to get up to mischief while alone.

The disadvantage of time outside is that when you do bring the pup into the house, you don’t know whether it’s just relieved itself or is just about to need to relieve itself, so preventing accidents requires even more attention. The advantage is that the pup has fewer opportunities to toilet inappropriately in the house (that is, in the wrong part of the play room).

If the dog sleeps inside the house, put it in its crate or playroom last thing at night after a late visit to the garden. A 3:00 or 4:00am toilet break may be needed the first week or two if the dog is crated, then gradually move the time later until the pup can make it through the night. It is also useful to take away pup’s water before bedtime.

When there is an accident in the house, clean it up thoroughly with a special deodorising product obtained from your pet store or veterinarian. Don’t use ammonia-based products. Then ask yourself why the accident happened and how you should revise the toilet schedule or become more vigilant to prevent it happening again.

Puppies or new dogs should NEVER be unsupervised in the house. You wouldn’t give an 18 month old child unsupervised run of your home, would you? Close doors to keep the pup in the room with you so you can keep an eye on it. When you can’t watch it like a hawk, use the crate, playroom, or fenced yard.

For more information please view our Toilet Training Guide!

CRATE TRAINING 101

The information below is intended as a general guide.

Why do we Crate Train a Dog?

Imagine if you could have a place that no matter where you were, you could feel a sense of comfort. A place where you always feel safe no matter what environment you may find yourself in. With correct crate training through positive association, you could give this to your dog.   

Crate training is about a place of comfort like a den, for your dog to reside calmly for small periods. The benefits of crate training come from how you shape your dog’s behaviour in association to the crate. An effectively crate-trained dog will LOVE their crate. 

How do we Crate Train?

Crate training does not need to take up any additional time, all you need to do is incorporate it into what you are doing while going about your daily duties. Remember, the process can take days or weeks, but consistency is key! 

• Start by putting the crate in a place your dog is already comfortable, and the family spend most their time i.e. in the family room. Make it easy on yourself by placing it somewhere you are likely to walk past regularly throughout the day.
• Ensure you make the crate appealing to your dog by placing soft bedding or a favourite blanket on the floor. This will also assist in the prevention of potentially startling noises that the crate base can make. Secure the door so it can’t accidentally close on them. You do not want to close the door in these early stages. This stage is just to get your dog used to the crate.
• Have some delicious and yummy treats that your dog loves on hand! Throw these treats towards or just inside the crate encouraging your dog to enter but do not force them, continue this procedure several times. If they do not enter, try again later. As your dog gains more confidence toward the crate, begin to throw the treats further to the back of the crate to encourage your dog’s whole body inside the crate. Do not stop your dog from leaving the crate. If they do, just continue the process of throwing the rewards in the crate. This will continue to add value to the crate. (Use treats that your dog does not get in their daily feed. The treats must be appealing to your dog for success. Therefore, you must find out what treats your dog will work for and desire (not what you want to give them). 
• Once your dog is comfortable going into the crate. The Golden Rule is to ensure that all good things come from the crate! So, whenever treating your dog for going into the crate, ensure the treat/reward is delivered to them INSIDE the crate. At no stage should you reward your dog for leaving or being outside the crate during this process. Some dogs may soon start offering the behaviour of going in the crate to see if they get a reward. This behaviour is exactly what you are after. Your dog is now seeing benefits from being in the crate. 
• The next step is to give your daily feeds to your dog inside the crate. If your dog is confident, place their bowl at the back of the crate. If your dog is hesitant of the crate, place their bowl at the entrance so your dog is partially in the crate on their own terms and build up their ability to go inside over time.  By doing this, you are building positive associations with the crate and as it builds, you can slowly move on to having the bowl further in the crate. Each dog is different, some will take some time and patience, others will adapt quickly. When your dog is comfortable eating in the crate, you can start to shut the door for a few seconds but open it again as soon as they stop eating. When your dog leaves the crate, don’t fuss over them or you will inadvertently make being out of the crate more valuable in this exercise. It is best to ignore them. Build up the time that the door is closed in gradual increments e.g. 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds to 1 minute, slowly up to 10 minutes or so after eating. If your dog starts to bark or whine you have moved too fast, so go back a few steps. If your dog does start whine, do not let them out until they stop, or you will teach your dog whining or barking makes my human open the door and they are likely to repeat it. This is something you must avoid.

KONG STUFFING IDEAS!

Kongs are wonderful enrichment toys that are readily available at our AWLQ Rehoming Centres, Pet Shops or you can order them online. The idea of the Kong is to stuff it with food and leave it for your dog to work on during the day. It works especially well as a boredom breaker, for days when your dog must be left alone in the garden. Make sure you have the right size for your dog and remember; food toys can cause problems in households that have more than one dog – ensure you supervise your dogs when giving them a Kong.

In addition to your dogs regular dry dog food and dog biscuits, as well as canned dog food, there are a wide range of foods that can be used to help provide yummy enrichment to your dog! You can find some helpful tips and tricks, along with a wide range of recipes for your new Kong via Kong website –  Be sure to view for ideas! 

It is important to remember that not all human foods can be given to dogs, here is a list of potentially toxic foods to avoid:

• Avocado
• Cooked bones
• Corn cobs
• Chocolate
• Onion and garlic
• Fruit pips
• Potato peelings and green looking potatoes
• Rhubarb leaves
• Mouldy/spoiled foods
• Alcohol
• Yeast Dough
• Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine)
• Hops (used in home brewing)
• Tomato leaves & stems (green parts)
• Broccoli (in large amounts)
• Raisins and grapes
• Cigarettes, Tabocco, Cigars

To view our full guide on introducing your dog and cat click here!

Remember: take your time, and practice patience during introductions. Proper introductions will help ensure your cat and dog enjoy their future together in your home.

JUMPING DOGS

This information is intended as a general guide only

Jumping up on people is a very common, natural dog behaviour that most people find difficult to prevent.

Why do dogs jump?

Before you can manage the behaviour, it is important to understand why jumping is natural behaviour for your dog.

Puppies lick the mouths and faces of their mothers and other adult dogs as a form of appeasement. They are indicating that they are babies and are no threat to the older animals.

Puppies transfer this behaviour to their human companions, but as we are much taller, the dogs need to jump up to try to reach our faces.

Most people can’t resist a cute and cuddly puppy and allow them to crawl up on them. We reach down to pat them when they paw at our shins or lift them up to our level to cuddle them. This, of course, reinforces your puppy and they assume that climbing on their human companions is okay. Once they become bigger, this same behaviour that we have told them is okay as a puppy, causes problems for the owner.

Your puppy learns that jumping up is what gets them attention and they continue to do it as they get older. In your dog’s mind, they are getting rewarded with attention and is appeasing their human family.

Why you shouldn’t use punishment for jumping

Punishments, such as stepping on the dog’s toes, yelling at them, putting your knee up into their chest and smacking them; although intended to dissuade them, usually causes them to jump more. They think you are annoyed or frustrated with them and therefore, try harder to “appease” you by jumping to lick your face.

As a social animal, dogs see even negative attention as better than no attention. However, physical punishment can create other behavioural problems, as the dog doesn’t know whether you are going to use your hand to smack or pet them. This confusion can lead to a fearful dog, that may feel the need to defend themselves.

What should you do?

With all undesirable behaviour, it is better to reward your dog for a behaviour you want; better still, a behaviour that makes it impossible for your dog to continue the unwanted one.

In the case of jumping, rewarding “four feet on the floor” will make it more desirable for your dog not to jump. Having their feet on the floor, gets them more attention from you and jumping now gets them no attention and in fact drives you away.

It is best to use simple, non-threatening methods to deter your dog from jumping. These methods give your dog attention on your terms, rather than theirs and fulfill their need for social contact. You need to set your dog up to succeed and make sure whenever possible, jumping is not rewarded either intentionally or unintentionally.

How to teach your dog to stop jumping

the simplest way to let your dog know that jumping is not a behaviour you want, is to ignore them when they jump. This means no touching, talking or eye contact with your dog. If you do react in any way, it will be seen by your dog as attention and will reinforce the exact behaviour you are attempting to eliminate.

• Turn and ignore
• Reward “four on the floor”
• Teach the dog an alternative behaviour

For more information please watch our dog training video.

YIKES! MY PUP BITES!

The information in this handout is intended as a general guide only and relates to normal puppy play-biting and mouthing.

This information is not intended to address aggressive behaviour in dogs. If your dog has shown aggressive behaviour towards yourself or other people you should consult a qualified dog behaviour expert.

Mouthing and/or play-biting is usually associated with puppies or young dogs. This behaviour is normal behaviour in puppies and young dogs.

Why play biting is not acceptable behaviour

We must teach them that the way you play with other dogs, is not the same way you play with humans. If you do not show them how to interact with humans in an appropriate way, you will end up with a mouthy and bitey dog.

Why do puppies play bite?

When puppies are still with their litter, they start to encounter their littermates as they begin to move around. As they grow, they begin to mouth and bite each other. They spend a lot of time play-biting and grabbing each other with their mouths – they don’t have hands, and so mouths are a good way to grab, interact and play.

When puppies become part of our social group, they use their natural dog behaviours to “play” with their human friends. This is a normal extension of how they played with their littermates. We must teach the puppy that this is unacceptable with his human mates.

Playing “rough house” with puppies or enticing play using your hands can encourage them to bite and it won’t be their fault if they think they can play like this with anyone who comes near them. Do not play these types of games with young dogs or puppies, particularly if they encounter children

What can we do to stop the pup/young dog biting?

There are different ways you can teach the pup to inhibit his bite:

• “Ouch! That hurt!”
• Withdraw attention
• Leave
• Settle or calm

A combination of these methods works best and they must be used every time the pup bites. If you do not consistently use the methods the pup will learn that he can bite, sometimes. All members of the family have to be taught and use the same method otherwise the pup will be confused and the behaviour may increase.

Points to remember:

• You MUST react EVERY time you feel the puppy’s teeth
• If the touch is unexpected use “Ouch”
• ALWAYS supervise children when they are with the pup or dog.
• Do not play “rough house” games with the pup and do not let ANYONE else play this way with the pup.
• Do not let other people “discipline” your pup. If you think someone may do this, remove the pup from the area.

Any pup or dog can bite if given the right circumstances; it may be due to the dog misunderstanding human actions and/or humans misunderstanding dog behaviour.

WALKING WITH A LOOSE LEASH

The information in this handout is intended as a general guide only

Does Your Dog Pull On The Leash?

It’s not just your dog; it takes two to pull! Dogs do not pull if there is no one dangling at the end of the leash. Both you and your dog need to break old habits.

“Your dog pulls because someone, somewhere at some time, took a step forward when he put tension on the leash”

He continues to pull because it continues to be a rewarding experience. He pulls and he gets to the car. He pulls and he gets to greet that other dog in class. He pulls and the neighbour across the street tells him how lovely he is, even though he is now not only pulling but is also climbing up the front of her with his muddy dog paws, to which she replies, “It’s ok, I don’t mind!”

“What gets rewarded gets repeated”

Here is the elusive answer to the ever present question of “how do I teach my dog not to pull?”

Don’t walk forward if there is tension on the leash.

Lets practice!

Be prepared with lots of treats in your hand to give your dog when they do the right thing!

Start somewhere quiet like the backyard or in the house (your dog is more likely to learn when there are fewer distractions).

Walk forward with the dog on your left. When the dog begins to pull on the lead:

• Stop
• Be a tree
• Wait for the dog to look at you and loosen the leash
• REWARD IMMEDIATELY
• Take another step or two until the dog starts pulling again.
• Stop
• Be a tree
• Wait for the loose leash, then reward.
• Repeat this process over and over.

The loose leash “magic” spot next to your leg should be the best place in the world for your dog to be. Using rewards and praise will make staying near you more rewarding than pretending to be a sled dog!

Sounds too simple doesn’t it?

Simply STOP every single time you note that the dog is about to put the slightest tension on the leash and the pulling will go away. It really, really works! The truth is, that if you tire your dog out first with a good game of fetch and then take him for a walk in a quiet, non-distracting place every day this week with only ONE goal – to walk without tension and you absolutely refuse to take a single forward step when you feel tension on the leash – he will discover that pulling is “broken” and that the tension is a cue to slacken the lead. You will see the light bulb go on when he realises this. If you are consistent and don’t give up, he will learn it. He will have good days and bad, but if you are diligent, he will figure it out.

Part of the problem is that YOU want to get where you are going as much as your dog does.

Responding to your dog’s pull has been rewarding to you, too. You are probably thinking right this instant: “How will I ever get to the car, the park, the house, by standing still for heaven’s sake?”

Next we must break YOUR habit!

It is as much an ingrained habit to you as it is your dog. He cues you to take that step by putting tension on the leash and you dutifully obey. He has trained you to respond and you are fluent in the art of following his lead. You do it without thinking. He pulls without thinking.

Be consistent.

Don’t have a great training session and achieve super results and then  undo all the hard work you’ve done by allowing your dog to drag you to the car when you are late to leave for the park, or class. You must never move forward when the leash is tight. Put all your supplies in the car first so you aren’t juggling your purse and can concentrate on your dog. Do one step – wait for loose leash, one step – wait for loose leash, one step – wait for loose leash all the way to the car if necessary, but DO NOT allow your dog to drag you where he wants to go.

Try not holding the leash with your hand. No, that doesn’t mean turn your dog loose to run in traffic – tie the leash securely to your waist or strong belt – or better yet, use a waist leash, and go hands-free. This will keep you from pulling. The only thing in your hand is your food reward or a favourite toy hidden in your pocket. These items will be delivered when the dog makes the right choice. If you “feel” your dog decide not to pull, praise and reward lavishly! Reward any lessening of the tension by proceeding forward. Deliver the reward at the seam of your pant leg as you step in next to your dog to reinforce that magic position.

“But he keeps pulling when I stop”

Stop for a couple of seconds and wait, if your dog continues to strain like a maniac, turn abruptly and walk away from your dog (imagine you are facing 12 on the clock, you are going to turn and head for 4 o’clock.) The diagonal direction will set him off balance and he will turn toward you, as he catches up. PRAISE and deliver a treat in heel position next to the seam of your pant leg (this assumes that the dog is walking on your left side. If he is on your right, you will turn and head for 8 o’clock), then continue on your way.

Manage the pulling

It is very important to teach your dog NOT to pull. However, while you are working towards change, there are ways to manage pulling.

There are several helpful products available in pet shops, vets or the AWLQ shop.

The “Halti‟ and “Gentle Leader‟ are both halters that fit around the dog’s nose and neck and work in the same way as a halter on a horse. They work very well in most dog breeds. They don’t fit very well on dogs with small faces (such as pugs).

Dogs wearing the halters are still able to eat, bark, and play – they just can’t pull!

There are several types of harnesses which fit under the dogs legs and attach between the shoulders. They are also helpful in preventing pulling.

Remember: Be consistent. NEVER move forward when the lead is tight.

This is a battle you CAN win!

Dogs bark for many reasons, just as people speak for many reasons. It could be to communicate with another dog or person, as a display of excitement, to warn of an intruder, as a request for something, to gain attention or because of boredom.

You must remember that barking is a “self-rewarding” behaviour – your dog feels better when they bark as it either reduces stress and tension or it gets us or another animal to pay attention.

Understanding why your dog barks and why they find it rewarding, will help in finding solutions. Some of the common reasons dogs bark:

• Territorial/Protection
• Boredom
• Attention seeking
• Anxiety/Fear
• Playtime enthusiasm

How to train the dog to stop barking:

You need to provide something that makes it more rewarding for your dog to stop barking, like a toy or treat.

You need to acknowledge that they have done their job, and then tell them it is okay to stop. To do this, you need to go right to where the dog is barking, tell them “good dog” for letting you know someone was there and then show them the treat or toy to get their attention. Say, “enough” or “quiet” and when they stop barking, reward them with the toy or food.

Encourage them to come back to the house with you and reward them for following. If you do this consistently, you will eventually be able to call your dog back from wherever they were barking.

This same training can be used when visitors arrive. You can ask your dog to “sit” quietly until the visitors have come inside the area. You must remember that “visitors” are an exciting situation for most dogs, so you must make sure you reward them well for containing their excitement.

Remember: barking is “self-rewarding” so, you must continue to reward your dog for responding to the “stop barking” word, (enough or quiet).

If your dog is barking at people or dogs walking past your yard, you might consider restricting their access to these areas when you are not there to call them away. A barrier where they can’t see the passing distractions is best.

If your dog ignores people walking past, reward them even if you haven’t asked them to do anything. You will be rewarding them for being quiet when people are going past, which is the exact behaviour you want.

For more information view our Barking Dog Guide.