Expert: Have4Paws - 5/7/2009

Question
Hi, I have a 8 month old beagle puppy girl. She is fixed and has been examined by our vet to make sure she doesn't have bladder problems. She is crated everyday while I am at work. She loves her crate and doesn't bark or whine when she is in there. I get her up at 5:39 am walk her and feed her at 6:00 am, she then plays or watches me get ready for work then I take her out at 7:00 for a 15 min walk to potty before I go to work. Unfortunatly I can't come home during the day to let her have a break but I get home at 5:00 pm and she goes straight outside for about 45-to an hour plus another half an hour before bed. She still pee's in her crate and lately has been pooping again. She doesn't get a bed to hide to potty I just do not know what to do. How long until she can hold it so she doesn't have to be stuck in her crate all day like that?

Thank you,
Meagan

Answer
Hi Meagan, sorry to hear you are having problems with your girl. The truth is the fact that she is being crated all day is probably the reason she is going in the crate. Once she had an accident in the crate and then had to stay in it until you got home she started the process of being conditioned to think this was ok. It sounds like you are doing everything you can to exercise her and allow for potty breaks before and after but during the day she is alone (which is torture for some beagles due to being pack animals), she has no stimulation, no interactions.


I personally am not a fan of crating, I believe in teaching them boundaries right from the outset as far as pottying and things they can or can't play with/try to eat.  I can't tell you how many people write to me about their crated dogs soiling in it, whereas the people who don't crate has a far less percentage of housebreaking problems.

I am going to attach my housebreaking guides and perhaps you can retrain her and not need to use the crate anymore. Is there a small room you can keep her in when you are gone? or an area you can gate off? I don't know where you live but is a doggie door a possibility? or is it possible to have someone come and walk her and relive her each day and interact with her? That is the best scenario and unfortunately it can be expensive but it can make a HUGE difference! I have four dogs and work all day too, they even have a doggy door and each other to play with but I have arranged for a dog walker to come every day and walk them and interact with them. Since I have been doing that all of their behavior problems during the day (which for me were only chewing) have disappeared.

This is a hard one Meagan because you have picked a breed that is extremely pack oriented and who don't do well alone, they develop behavior problems (as you can see) when they are in this situation.  I hope I have given you some ideas to work on and wish you good luck with retraining her to be outside the crate.

HAVE 4 PAWS' INFO ON HOUSEBREAKING YOUR PUPPY OR DOG

This will be one of the most important training efforts (or
REtraining efforts) you will ever do with your dog so commit to yourself that you will be consistent and persistent at all times!

I usually recommend devoting one weekend (Fri night to Sun night) where your entire weekend is concentrated on housebreaking, that’s right 24/7!! Then during the time when you are attempting this housebreaking you should literally take your dog out EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR without fail. Until your dog is trustworthy about going where it should (outside) take it out on a leash (see below on Potty Area). Fresh drinking water should be available to your dog at all times but with a young puppy you may want to time its' drinking to just prior to taking it out for its' scheduled hourly relief. If you are free feeding your dog or puppy this can be contributing to your dog’s accidents, as there is always something in its bowels to get rid of. It also leads to obesity so PLEASE, feed your dog once or twice a day only! Your dog should be taken out 5-10 minutes after eating which is about how long it takes to stimulate a bowel movement. (FYI-I am happy to give you more detail on scheduled feeding vs. free feeding if you need it.)

UNTIL YOUR DOG IS TRAINED KEEP A CONSTANT EYE ON IT!
The ONLY time a puppy or non-housebroken dog should have free run of the house is when you are right there with them to watch them! This will avoid unnecessary accidents and allow you to see "pre-toilet" behavior and whisk them outside.

I recommend attaching a leash or long clothes line to them during this learning period (or retraining period) and hooking it to your belt, leg, arm etc. This way the dog can never be out of view and if you are truly watching them, as you should be, will seldom have an accident. It will also teach them that you are in charge, which will help in the future with other training. Remember that this is only temporary! If you really follow this to the letter your puppy/dog will be housetrained in a matter or weeks or retrained in a matter of days! (This varies depending on the age of the dog)

Remember.........a puppy can only be expected to hold it for as many hours as it is old, plus a month. So if your puppy is 3 months the most you can ask for is 3-4 hours.......and that is only if you have trained them. Otherwise they will just go when the urge comes. Puppies and adult dogs USUALLY won't go to the bathroom where they sleep or eat HOWEVER, if they have been allowed to become accustomed to this it will negate that natural instinct.

DESIGNATE AN APPROPRIATE AREA OUTSIDE FOR POTTY
Many people have made the mistake of not restricting the area where their dog can go potty. This can lead to a lot of backbreaking pooper-scooper activity and taking on a second job as a "Treasure Hunter", not to mention the possibility of encouraging coprophagia (stool eating). Take it from me that you want to get it right the first time and limit where they go to a certain area. Always take them to that spot and if they roam out of that perimeter lead them back. Praise them lavishly when they stay within their perimeter and if they manage to roam out and go they should be led back and then told they are good for being in the right spot.

CLEANING UP MESSES
You will need to invest in a product called NATURE'S MIRACLE or PET FORCE, which are the best I have found on the market. You can buy them at any pet store or even at a vacuum store where they rent steam cleaners. They are enzymatic cleaners which remove all traces of odor if applied properly (read directions carefully). This is extremely important because if your dog/puppy can still smell something inside he will continue to think this is OK to do. Forget about using any of the other kinds, they won’t work! If you have many soiled areas from before you apply this, you can buy a black light at the pet store also which will show you all the areas your dog has gone and then you can be sure to treat them all. Both can also be used in carpet cleaning machines and this is recommended if you have a whole room that has been soiled. They can be applied to any surface and should (IE: carpet, walls, cement, linoleum, fabric etc.)

All messes should be cleaned up quietly and quickly with NO comments made. PLEASE do not scold or punish your dog for an accident. It is not their fault, it is YOURS! If you are doing what you are supposed to it won’t happen (obviously in the very beginning there will be a few mistakes!) Your dog is only doing what comes naturally. It is up to US to teach them how to live in a human world. Rubbing a dog’s nose in his mess, yelling at him, or swatting him does absolutely nothing but teach him to fear you. They do not have the reasoning ability to connect what is on the floor to what you are upset about and sometimes you can inadvertently reinforce the very thing you were trying to eliminate!  If you happen to catch them IN THE ACT and I do mean midstream or mid drop, grab them, whisk them outside and put them where they should be going and then tell them “This is where we go, good doggie!” Timing is everything in training a dog so if it is after it won’t help.



Please know that locking your dog in his crate also does nothing to stop the behavior. Remember, the whole concept of a crate is that it is a dog’s castle, it is supposed to be a place of safety, comfort and relaxation. It should NEVER be a place to be banished too or used for punishment. Using it in the incorrect way will make your dog not want to go inside it or be in it and then you will have two problems!

Some people also get so discouraged that they just leave their dog outside because they cannot get a handle on the housetraining. Unfortunately, this is one of those things that reinforces the behavior because they have no clue what to do when they are finally allowed in and so they continue to do it not to mention act wild when allowed in.


REWARDS
It is my opinion (and that of many leading animal behaviorist/trainers) that the most successful way to train your dog in anything you endeavor is to use a reward system. Your dog is eager to please you and if he gets a reward for doing something right he will remember it and try to do it again and again.

I recommend using treats with housebreaking (& all training) with lots of exuberant praise. When your dog/puppy is successful in going outside in his spot immediately give him a treat for doing so and lavish him with exuberant praise. As with the above, timing is everything so you want to do it immediately upon his finishing his job.

ESTABLISH A ROUTINE WITH YOUR DOG:
Once you have a handle on housetraining don’t think your job is done forever. If you have a doggie door, do not just assume he will now go on his own. At least each AM as soon as you wake up and each night just before retiring make it a habit to go to the door with your dog and take them outside (in inclement weather at least stand at the door and send HIM out). When they do their thing praise them. This is continued reinforcement to do the right thing and you can never do it for too long in their life!

REMEMBER …..

DOGS ARE LIKE COMPUTERS,

GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT!

Your dog can only be as good and behaved as the time and effort YOU as the leader have put into teaching him! If you spend little time, expect a misbehaved dog, if you spend a medium amount of time, expect a dog who does some things right and others not. If you want a dog that is well behaved, a pleasure to be with and take anywhere, YOU are the only key to that formula.

Good luck and feel free to contact me again if you have any further questions!
.