House Training

One of the most frustrating issues for the average dog owner is an incompletely housetrained pet. In order to effectively and thoroughly housetrain the family puppy, or adult dog, a comprehensive and consistent strategy is essential. This includes but is not limited to:

• Good health. This is fundamental to all aspects of your dog's training. Be certain that the dog is free of internal parasites/worms. Feed a suitable, good quality food. Please, no human food, it can play havoc with the dog's digestive system, and cause accidents.
• Proper management of the dog. This will involve the use of some equipment; a crate, a short tether, and, ideally, an outside run.
• Establishing a consistent feeding, watering, and eliminating routine, and one that is convenient for you to follow every day.
• Selecting an outside elimination area that will be easy to maintain and clean.
• Careful supervision with 'immediate feedback' or catching the dog in the act.

If you have followed the above advice for a sufficient length of time, you should have a properly trained dog. If not and you are still experiencing difficulties, you may need to consider other factors that are contributing to your dog's sanitary shortcomings:

• Your dog is engaging in inappropriate leg-lifting or territory marking
• Submissive-induced urination
• Excitability
• Fear
• Stress - primarily associated with separation anxiety

If you are experiencing difficulties in getting to grips with the problem, perhaps it would be wise to have your dog evaluated with a view to detailing a suitable plan of action to altering the behavior.