Friday, October 3, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
DOG URINATION - SEPARATION ANXIETY?
Q: How do you stop a 4-year old dog from urinating on the rugs due to separation anxiety? We have had him for about 4 months and can't leave the house for 10 minutes without him eliminating on the floor. He is a wonderful dog but very insecure.
A: First of all, it would be helpful if you hired a professional trainer (who uses only positive methods) to determine if the cause of this problem really is separation anxiety. The trainer will get a complete history of the dog including his diet, daily routine, how long the behavior has been going on, what training methods have been tried, whether there are other animals in the house, etc.
It's possible this is a learned behavior. Some dogs have inadvertently been taught to eliminate whenever their humans leave the house and the dog thinks that elimination at these times is a perfectly normal thing to do.
Since you've only had him for 4 months, and I'm not sure where you got him from, I would suggest also reading this post: Kennel Conditioned Urination.
It's critical in situations like this to never punish a dog or correct him even a second after he has eliminated. There's no such thing as, “He knows he did something wrong because he acts guilty.”
Of course the first thing you need to check out is his health to make sure there are no physiological problems contributing to the situation. That being said, if he truly is insecure, three things are necessary:
- Set him up for success. That means don't let him eliminate in inappropriate areas while you're gone. Baby gates are one option to managing this situation.
- Change the way he feels about being left alone . This is easy but requires a professional to set you up on a step-by-step program.
- Training . Training your dog to do different behaviors increases confidence. Your training should include gradual departure and return routines so he becomes assured you will always return.
Our DVD, The Dog Whisperer, will really help in the training aspect.
Also, my book, The Dog Whisperer Book , has a section on separation anxiety.
I also suggest these books, “ I'll Be Home Soon ” by Patricia McConnell, which deals with separation anxiety, and " Help for your Fearful Dog " by Nicole Wilde. For more information, click the images below:
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I hope this helps.
Paul
DOG URINATION WHEN EXCITED
Q: Why does my dog urinate when he gets excited and how can I stop it? Can the dog control this behavior? Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
A: Submissive urination is the discharge of a trickle or a few drops of urine when a dog gets excited or when he wants to show deference to a person or another dog as the leader.
A bit more information is needed in order to deal with any behavioral problem and a professional trainer (positive training only, of course) can help you identify possible causes and set up a behavior modification program for you.
That being said, five things are necessary:
- Check out your dog's physical health. Make sure the problem is indeed submissive urination by having your dog checked out by a veterinarian to rule out any physiological problems.
- Increase your dog's confidence level . By teaching your dog new behaviors (including tricks), he will gain confidence and not be as timid.
- Do not use negatives . Make absolutely sure no punishment is administered.
- Ignore your dog for 90 seconds when you first come home . Basically you want to reward a calm, relaxed dog rather than inadvertently reinforcing the submissive behavior. By ignoring your dog for the first 90 seconds, his excitement level will drop a bit and then you can ask him to lie down or do something else before he has a chance to eliminate.
- Teach a substitute behavior . Get your dog's mind off urinating by giving him something else to do instead. For instance, throw a treat on the ground and say "find it." Teach him to go to his bed. Teach him to fetch a toy. Teach him to lie down.
I hope this helps!
Paul
