 Pet Talk - Pet Health by Dr. Fran Good, DVM Ketchikan, Alaska April 02, 2002
So now you've learned how to make Rover sure he's doing a good thing if he pees outside. What if he pees inside? If, while you are watching Rover carefully, he squats to pee while you are watching only, you want to screech his name loudly at the top of your lungs. The desired effect is for him to stand up, completely startled, and stop urinating. You then grab Rover, grab the leash, leash him, and deposit him at the door. Either get him to ring the bell, or wiggle his butt ( See Episode Six ) so you open the door, take him out to the Potty until he squats again. Attach a name to the action and then reward him for the action. The contrast in Rover's mind is clear: if I do it outside, I get treats and lovin's - if I do it inside, I get screeched at and hustled outside. It won't take long til doing it outside becomes much preferable to doing it inside. What if you find a puddle of urine inside? If Rover urinated in the house, it's because you violated Rule Number One of Potty Training: If Rover's not in a crate, you are watching him carefully. If you find a puddle of urine on the floor, you weren't watching him carefully enough. Obviously, or you'd have caught him in the act. If you yell at him now, it won't help housebreak him, even if you rub his nose in it, or dip a paper towel in it and put it in his mouth, or any of the more arcane variations of the above. His mind doesn't have the attention-span necessary to connect the two actions, and you aren't speaking his language anyway, so he's not going to understand you. So put him in his crate while you clean it up, and watch him more carefully next time! Next: More on what if he does it wrong?
Digital photo of IRSa by J.
Crawford - North Carolina.
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Last week Rover urinated
in the Potty area, a command was attached to the action, and
the action was unmistakably praised with exuberant vocal praise,
scratches and petting, and a yummy treat. Then Rover was allowed
to play, so the message was clear potty first, then play.