THE DOG OWNER'S BOOK OF POOP AND PEE. Mike Deathe CPDT-KA

and just exactly where it ends.

      Have you ever heard the old question “what does a bear do in the woods?” The answer is the same for a dog or a bear, they pee and poop on or near the closest tree they can find! However, they do not do it in their own living room! Are we, as humans, really silly enough to think that a dog will “hold it” until they get to the next gas station or public restroom? This is just one of the examples of how humans don’t think like dogs and thus are faced with the inevitable potty training problems!

      It is our job to help them live in our world! Aren’t we the ones that brought Fido into the house in the first place? Think of it as learning a second language…one you will use every day and not just on vacation :) The easiest way to start this process is to crate train. We know that dogs are den animals and they don’t want to soil in or near their den, so let’s use this to our advantage. When you start with crate training, you use their clean nature to teach them to “hold it” until you, the human, not only let them out but show them their special “potty spot”.

      Let me be clear here; if you are dealing with a puppy and just stick him in a crate, he will only hold it only as long as he physically can. So, just throwing your dog in a crate and considering your “potty training” done is not a good choice! Rather, it is a sure-fire way of teaching a dog it must be OK to poop and pee in the crate, because Mom and Dad are obviously not letting us out; or for that matter showing us where the heck the bathroom is. At this point ask yourself “What choice have you given the poor dog? Not to mention this choice can lead to another bad habit…your dog just might learn to dislike the crate! :(

      A good rule of thumb when crate training puppies is that every month old the puppy is will equal one hour of bladder holding time. So, an eight week old puppy should be able to hold it for approximately two hours. This is the outside limit of your pup’s bladder/bowels, and pushing past this limit will only result in more accidents, and ultimately a longer and more frustrating experience in house training! Hey, no one said this was going to be easy! If you are already thinking “man, this sounds like a lot of work”, you may want to consider a goldfish rather than a dog…but I digress.

      To start the training process off right, during the first week the puppy comes home, you must take Fido to the specific “potty spot” every hour on the hour during the day, and use the above rule of thumb (on frequency of visits to the potty spot) at night while they are in the crate! Yes, you will have to set your alarm, put on your robe, and actually take the dog outside in the middle of the night; you might even have to do it more than once per night starting off! If you leave your puppy in the crate any longer than the time they can hold it, expect accidents and the possible side effect of teaching Fido it is OK to soil in their crate. If you thought “potty training” was already hard, imagine trying to teach it with a dog that is already OK with soiling where they live! So, now you have to get busy teaching your dog in an almost fanatical manner, not only to prevent accidents but also to begin teaching good potty habits, like when and where!

      One more thought to get your mind right on the subject of potty training is the idea of “Mistake Free” potty training. I am a big believer that a bad habit never learned is a good habit created. When I talk of fanatical training I simply mean good management. If I actually pay attention to a dog for the first 60 days and make sure they only relieve themselves in one spot (the one I choose) and never let them make a mistake (the paying attention part), then what will the dog learn? Wa-la! “Potty Training!” Isn’t that the problem you are having and the reason you bought this book? You have allowed the dog to make enough mistakes to become completely confused and now both of you might be rethinking your decison on becoming family! That being said, all mistakes can be fixed and all frustrations can become wins. So turn the page and let’s get to fixing!