Training & Behaviour Problems

with Emmaline Duffy-Fallon

House Training A Jack Russell

Question asked by Amy:
Hi, my dog Toby the Jack Russell is now nearly 17 weeks and he still won’t house train. I’ve tried everything, bring him outside every half hour and give him praise and treats when he goes on the newspaper. I’ve also tried dipping his nose in his pee. Can u help me?

The answer from Emmaline:
If you have not yet purchased a crate for the purpose of expediting the house training process I suggest you get to a shop that stocks them pronto. There are reams of articles on conditioning your dog to happily tolerate spending time in his crate so I’ll leave it up to you to do your research on that particular topic.

In the mean time here is the short version for house-training success.

1. Consistent feedback and rewards
Accompany your puppy outside on a lead to a particular spot in your garden. Reward him with three fantastical food rewards as soon as he has finished squatting and emptying his bladder or when he defecates. I recommend using tiny pieces of chicken or turkey as a high value reward.

Over the top praise is an obvious choice too and don’t keep your delight that he has eliminated in the right place a secret, however on it’s own it is minimum wage if you are struggling with house training success.

2. Regular schedule
House-training can be achieved with an adherence to scheduling. This means a regular feeding schedule and maintaining a schedule for regular trips to the toilet area. I would suggest that you keep a diary to map his progress over the next 2 weeks so that you can get a better sense of his toilet habits and accurately measure the success with the house-training procedure.

3. Crating
The beauty of using a crate for house-training purposes is that it aids in helping to minimize toileting accidents indoors and is an indispensable management tool. It allows you to better predict when your dog is likely to need a potty break. Temporarily confining your puppy to a crate strongly inhibits the tendency to urinate and defecate. While confined to the crate for short periods he is learning to build bladder and bowel control. However, it is imperative that you use it in an appropriate manner for your dog and it is not a substitute for supervision and proper management when you are home. As with anything, the use of a crate should not be excessive.

4. Picking the toilet area
If your goal is to have your dog only go to the toilet outdoors then I would suggest that you discontinue the use of putting papers down inside as a toilet option. However, if you are absent from the home for long periods of time and therefore are not able to allow your dog frequent trips outside then a legal bathroom would be advised in this situation. I’m referring specifically to longer stretches of time your puppy could comfortably hold his bladder when confined to a crate.

5. Punishing your dog
If your dog has an accident indoors it is too late to do anything about it but to simply clean it up. Sticking your dog’s nose in excrement is an outdated way of dealing with house-training problems. I would suggest that you consign the nose rubbing routine to where it belongs – in the past.

6. Cleaning up previous deposits
The scent of a previous deposit is like a magnet to your dog. If urine is not cleaned up promptly and thoroughly chances are your dog will continue to choose that area again. Why? Because nothing screams toilet to your dog than the scent of a previous deposit. Certain cleaners on the market will help accomplish this objective and rid the scent of urine from surfaces he has peed on indoors. Look for products that contain special enzymes that neutralize the odour. I recommend ‘Simple Solution’ or ‘Four Paws Industrial Strength Cleaner’ brands available at good pet shops.