Bindi Teaching ch6

 

 

CHAPTER 6.

TAKING THE PISS

URBAN HOUSE TRAINING

I said I wouldn’t focus too much on basic training but this is too important to leave to others. Something I learned far too late. 

If a dog finds itself in a situation that is fearful, overwhelming, or very uncomfortable, no matter how well house trained, your pup may react involuntarily by releasing its bladder. 

This may be a flight response similar to the one birds have when they are startled.  In a bird, the cloacae dumps its content as a means of reducing take-flight weight. Perhaps this is a remaining evolutionary trait in pooches too but not as significant a weight reduction I would propose.   Dogs don’t fly.  More probably a defence distraction evolution, there is something irresistible to dogs about other dog’s urine scent. All this does not really matter, I’m just having a chat with myself.  Must concentrate.

I have spent some paragraphs talking about observing small telltales and subtle changes in your pup’s physiology but peeing is a very obvious marker.  Large puddles of urine on clean carpets and shop floors, pools on training mats or streams running over people’s shirts, trousers and shoes is difficult to miss.

In a young pup you may be excused for thinking this is a slip up in house training, the pup forgetting because it is excited or distracted.  What this marker is actually telling you is that pooch is way out of its comfort and safe zone.   

As a good owner you would never chastise the pup for this biological slip would you?  Of course you would.  I mean it’s the first date’s rug, the boss’s new shoes, the beautician’s pristine couch, it’s an embarrassment in front of other well behaved pooches, a mark of how crap a job you are doing at dog training.  A loud NO! And a gentle nose smack, then on to cleaning up and apologising and another curse at the dog. Just so everyone knows you are a good person and very sorry for your disgusting pup.  

Here is what I learned.  It’s so obvious.  You, as a caring kind safe place provider, have placed the pooch into an environment where they do not have the skills, experience or control to cope.  It is so stressful that pup becomes unable to process all the incoming stimuli and the bladder control releases.  

 Pup is either not yet old enough or mature enough or self-assured enough to have learned the coping skills for that level of newness, excitement, attention, competition, or whatever it was confronted with. 

As a good owner you will recognise this wouldn’t you?  You would ensure you were much more aware of this type of activity and you would ensure that you wouldn’t repeatedly take your ill-prepared little pooch back into that environment.  You would initially avoid those type of involvements, shield your pup from getting in too deep too soon and too often.  You would remove them from such places only to slowly re-introduce them over time until pup was relaxed and felt safe going there.  Right? 

Yeah. Well we kept taking Bindi to Puppy Class every damned week for months and kept wiping up her wee, trying to shut up her barking and the ‘trainer’ kept encouraging us to come back and put Bindi into ever more demanding situations as she increased in size.  What we got out of Puppy Class was a large German Shepherd who gets so excited whenever she sees other dogs or active dogs in training or on lead she goes berserk.  Thanks mate.

The learning from all this is if your pup pees inside, look at where you are, what the pup is experiencing, with little fuss, great calm and kindness clean up and exit as graciously as possible.   It doesn’t mean that your pup will never be able to be in such a place again, it just means it will look to you to show when it is safe to be there, in time, when pooch is ready, after it has experienced a few more but lesser stimulating events.

Of course even very calm and sociably malleable pups don’t immediately know when or where is appropriate to relieve themselves. 

There are some simple ways to achieve a house trained pooch. 

In the first instance it is wise to have regular feed times.  Look up breed recommendations. For very young pups, small frequent set meal times are usually best, say breakfast, lunch and dinner.... to help fit in with daily household routines. 

Ideas vary about giving very young pups access to clean fresh water. Some recommend shortly before, during and for a limited time after frequent meals.  Some say a permanent access.  I understand in the very early toilet training days, when pup and you are always in sight of each other, controlling water intake times will assist in toilet training.  Personally I think permanent access to fresh clean water is mandatory and fits with giving pup a safe, low stress place to be in.  

Either way, it is in the nature of dogs not to foul where they sleep, drink or eat.  The best way I know of to house train a pup is to feed it, or if you notice if it has had a big drink, wait 3 minutes and guide the pup to a place acceptable to relieve itself.  Do not play with or excite the pup at this time but allow it to walk around, look and sniff and nature will, eventually, take its course.  Patient persistence.

Once the act is complete give gentle praise, a calm hand on the nice to touch places and a quiet return to the house every time will bring the desired result.  There will not be a desired result every time, it’s a dog, and you don’t always pay attention.

I know you will remonstrate if pup is caught in the act inside but do not over react, simply remove pup to the preferred toilet area.  Pooch will understand something is not right from your reactions but as nature has only taken its course, why you are upset will be difficult for pup to grasp.  Showing good places to toilet is much more effective.  Pup just wants a happy safe life.  Your observation, structure, forgiveness, calm persistence and a little bit of praise will bring very swift and reliable results.

As we are discussing dog waste, there are some less than endearing things dogs will do.  I strongly recommend no excreted dog waste be left unattended.  Female dogs for some reason are more prone to a bit of canine copraphillia.  Some say it is genetic as lactating bitches clean up the den after their new pups.  Some say it’s because refined urban food has a lingering and attractive scent after digestion.  Cat poop is obviously delicious. I tend to think none of that matters, it is something us bathed, scented and sanitised urban dwellers don’t want our pups to be doing.  It offends our socialised sensitivities.

If you find you have a pup that has a tendency to consume the odd bit of poop I suggest you do not overreact. 

On the scale of normal to abnormal dog quirks this one is just not a nice quirk.  It is not from improper feeding or as far as I can find is it a negative health risk to the pup.  It is most often a phase that will diminish over time. 

As I have said, removing the target is the most effective way to obviate an experiment and then a desire.   A couple of my dogs have done it occasionally, when Bindi was caught doing it a disgusted face a crisp negative command and offering distraction took the intensity out of her desires in that regard.  But of course, she may have just grown out of it, or maybe she hasn’t. 

I do not lose sleep over it and, unless your pooch won’t eat anything else, I suggest you also don’t worry and despite your social sensitivities, don’t overreact.