Learning how to house train your dog can be a frustrating experience. To correct this problem, you need some good sound advice that will actually work. Some dogs may be harder to train than others, but once you start using the correct techniques, you will see some positive results.
Two of the most common problems when it comes to house training your dog are urinating when excited and scent marking. You need to be able to distinguish between the two so you can use the right approach when it comes to training.
Excited or Submissive Urination
This type of problem is usually caused by stress or excitement but the first thing you should do to house train your dog is to take him to a vet to rule out any health issues that could be causing this behavior. If he gets a clean bill of health you can then follow these steps to house train your dog:
If he usually urinates when you greet him, play it cool and act calm when you come home. You can just ignore him at first, or give him a quick pat. If you speak to him, make it short and neutral. Do your own things for a few minutes until you feel the initial excitement has subsided.
Maybe there is going to be an occasion when you would like your dog to control himself, for example, if you have dinner guests coming over. For these occasions, you can remove his water bowl for a short period of half an hour to an hour before the event - but no longer than that. This will help control his bladder.
Try using an authoritative but calm voice instead of scolding your dog harshly for bad behavior or if he urinates. Getting angry at him will only make matters worse as it will stress him out, especially if he is very sensitive.
This conduct does not call for punishment or harsh words - after all, it is not bad behavior. Your dog cannot help it and he needs your patience and understanding. If you catch him urinating where he should not be, interrupt him with a firm "No" and praise him if he stops. He does not deserve to be punished for something he cannot control at the moment.
Scent Marking
When a dog marks his territory with urine, it is called scent marking. Even though a dog may be house trained, he still may mark for territorial or dominance reasons. There are ways that you can distinguish between this and a lack of house training.
To successfully house train your dog, you need to find out the signs of scent marking. Here are some indications:
small amount of urine, usually on walls, etc.
unneutered males and over five to six months in age
less common, but possible, are unspayed females
on occasion, spayed and neutered dogs can show this behavior
your dog marks new items brought into the house including clothing and shoes
there is conflict with more than two dogs
you have other dogs in the house that are unneutered or unspayed
You can help solve this problem by following these tips:
Have your dog spayed or neutered at the age of six months. If your dog is older, this behavior has probably become a habit and he may continue even after being spayed or neutered.
All marked areas should be cleaned thoroughly to remove any urine odor.
Dogs usually repeat their marking in the same places, so you need to use those areas for other purposes. Some suggestions are:
(1) place his bed close to the area,
(2) make it a grooming or play area,
(3) feed your dog right at that spot, and
(4) use the place yourself, reading, sitting, working, etc.
Once you differentiate between the two types of urinating, you will be able to use your knowledge to house train your dog in the fastest and most effective way possible. Use patience and love when it comes to disciplining your dog. You will find that you will get better results and your dog will benefit greatly from this type of training.