Is it possibly to train a puppy to go potty outside without a single accident? The answer is yes, but...

Potty training is very simple in theory but can be difficult in practice. I follow what is known as error-less potty training. This method works for both puppies and adults. Depending on your diligence and your dog's history it has a very high success rate. This is the program I put all my own dogs on as well as the many board and train dogs that come through our home. The perfect potty training system consists of three parts; managing so your dog or puppy can only make the right choice, putting them on a schedule, and reinforcing behavior that you do want. 

Management is the temporary prevention of unwanted behavior and is a pillar in perfect potty training. There are several techniques that work well and are at your disposal. Crate training is very useful for puppies and adults, crates should be large enough that the dog is able to turn around and lay down. If the crate is any larger you risk your dog trying to potty in the corner. If your dog is also soiling their crate remove all bedding until you've built more value into going potty outside. When your dog is outside of their crate you need to have constant vigilance! Especially if your dog goes to a secluded corner of your home to potty. There are several different options for keeping your eyes on your dog. My two personal favorites are tethers and exercise pens. For a tether use a leash attached to something sturdy such as a couch, door handle, or install an eye hook in the baseboard, you can also tie your dog to yourself. Using a tether allows you to passively watch your dog while doing other activities such as reading, watching t.v, crafting, or working/playing on your computer. If your dog starts to sniff and turn in circles, get them outside! If they do start to go, clap your hands and say potty outside then take them immediately outside. The exercise pen is useful if your dog is uncomfortable being tethered or will chew through the leash. I prefer to use ex-pens for puppies as they also will manage the environment of the dog to control their access to chewable items and other dogs in the home. The concept of the ex-pen is the same as a tether, you're able to have your dog with you but contained. You can also use baby gates to keep your dog in the same room as you. Baby gates are not a good option if your dog can go behind you without you noticing and potty. I once had a foster that would get behind me and potty, he was the fastest pooper I ever met and had to be tied to me. Management boils down to keeping your dog under your supervision, if you ever have to wonder where your dog is you need to up your management game. Unsupervised time is a privilege, not a right. If you potty in the house, you do not get the run of it.

If you are having a hard time with potty training you need to think about putting your dog on a set schedule. With puppies under four months it is really easy to predict when they are going to have to go potty. After a puppy eats they're going to have to go number 2 within the half hour. If you're feeding at a specific time you can plan to potty them soon after. With really young puppies and adult dogs start taking them out once every hour. Keep track of what times your dog is going potty and decrease potty breaks from there. Print and use the potty training schedule chart at the bottom of the article. 

The third and final pillar of perfect potty training is rewarding the behavior you want. We want our dogs to go potty outside and we need to communicate that to our dogs. The best and fastest way to do that is with the use of high value food*, think bacon, not kale. This treat should be something your dog does not regularly get, break out the ham, chicken, or steak. When you take your dog outside take them to one spot in your yard on a leash. Completely ignore your dog and wait them out. As soon as your dog squats down tell the "potty", or "outside", my cue is "hurry up". As soon as your dog finishes reward them with THREE treats fed in a row, that's, 1-2-3. You dog will think, "Wow! That was awesome! I need to figure out how to do that again!" After several repetitions of rewarding pottying outside your dog will connect the dots, they can trade in pee and poo for treats. Most adult dogs figure this out in less that two weeks, puppies take a little longer because of their smaller bladders. 
*Nitro 
Nitro was very hard to potty train. He was heavily punished for pottying inside with past owners. When he first came home he would cringe if he had to go in front of me, running up and showering him with treats did not work. What did work was throwing a ball immediately after he finished had him demanding to poop outside within a week. 

If you reward each time and the dog is managed so that the only times they potty are outside potty training can be perfect. If you ever punish your dog for doing to the bathroom inside you are teaching them that you are unsafe to potty around. We want the exact opposite! I want the happy reaction of a toddler crapping in the toilet the first time, every time. 

Once your dog picks up the habit start to think slot machine with your rewards. Soon it will become habit, just as we need our American toilets to feel comfortable. I have attached the chart I use for my clients below. Best of luck!

In my behavior forms I ask people what they would most like to change about their dog's behavior. I then ask them to give alternatives. For instance I often get, "Stop his jumping" as the unwanted behavior and the alternative response, "Stop jumping". Okay great but what is it we want the dog to do? The simple answer is nothing. We want the dog to stop jumping up. So the most logical thing to do is reward the dog when he is not jumping up. 

Sounds simple right? The key to making this work is to work so quickly that at first your dog doesn't have the opportunity to even think to jump up. At first the only thing keeping their paws on the ground is your rapid fired treats thrown to the ground. after 10 rapid fire treats give your dog a few seconds to look up at you and remain with four on the floor. Slowly start to build the amount of time between treats. If you have taught sit chances are your dog may default to that, this is a jackpot moment. Use aleash tied to something, this will allow you to back up out of your dog's reach if they do forget and jump up on you. This is a punishment since you are removing something your dog wants (You). If your dog likesto jump up or mouth you when being pet you can also mark and reward the absence of that behavior. 

This works for many unwanted behaviors. Does your dog bark? Reward quiet. See my blog on using kongs to reward quiet. Does your dog mouth you? Bite the leash? Pull on leash? Chase the cat? Rewarding your dog when they are not doing these behaviors will lead to success. Set your dog up to get it right and make it worth their while. Check out this video of me rewarding the "nothing" to help Dex learn to stop jumping.

Puppy class! Puppy class! Puppy classes! There are few things as fun as being in a room full of puppies!! I am very excited to start teaching puppies again and this time with all my own material. I have so many great ideas for socialization and creating tomorrow's incredible dogs! 

A well run puppy class is worth your puppy's weight in gold. Lack of socialization is the number one cause of unwanted behaviors such as fear and aggression. Unwanted behaviors are the number one reason dogs end up in shelters and ultimately put down if decided un-adoptable. I have known for a long time that training is the number one way to solve the unwanted animal crisis in America.

My classes will focus on exposing puppy to a myriad of new people, dogs, surfaces, and situations. When people think of socialization they tend to think about having their puppy meet new people and dogs but that is only part of the puzzle. When puppies are young (8-16 weeks) they are learning what is normal in everyday life. Now is the time to prepare your future dog for what they will experience in their day to day lives.

The other very important piece of the puzzle is that experiences must be pleasant not just happen. If your puppy is worried about a new person, dog, or thing allow them as much space as they may require. Use treats and praise to help your puppy recover and relax but do not force them closer or put them in the "scary" person's lap. A negative experience could mean months or even years of recovering. Calm, gradual, and thoughtful socialization is the key to confident social dogs. 

 Click "Read More" for the puppy checklist I will be providing to my students on their first night of class:

It is no secret that I love play. It is one of my favorite topics to learn and write about. It also happens to be my favorite thing to do with my dogs. Luckily for me (and them) our training sessions flow in such a way that if you asked them which they were doing they probably couldn't tell you. They would rather ask, "There's a difference?" 

But there are rules to play and they might not be what you think. In order to be used as a reward, play must be reinforcing, not the toy. If you throw a ball and your dog gleefully chases after it but then plays keep away the toy is the reward not the play. The problem this presents is that of conflict. If there is conflict in the training you will see toy chewing, reluctance to give up the toy, toy shaking, and racing quickly away. If you have to do this little song and dance every time you reward with a toy many things are going to happen; your dog will lose drive, your dog will lose focus, and you will become frustraited. 

There are many small steps I take to teach my dog that I am really fun to play with. I want them to know that we're equal partners in all of our games. These steps consist of teaching self control for toys, their actions push me to play, and I'll always give the toy back. It is a myth that you have to win the toy, we don't need to prove we're in charge. We are partners in this game. 

Before I have these rules in place I do not use toys as a reward in training. I will use them in between food training to play and keep my dog happy. Playing blows off steam and learining is stressful (not all stress is bad). It is also a good way to split what you're teaching so you don't blend criteria. Going from this high up state and then back down again is also valuable to me as that is the core of success in agility. (And several other dog sports.) 

The video is of Nitro's first session using toys as a reward. I adopted him a month ago and have been working at establishing a little bit of self control. Nitro is an over the top crazy puppy, very determined. At his last home he had learned that if he jumped around, nipped hands, and barked his head off it worked and he got what he wanted. He was also very wary of me when he had anything in his mouth, he had bitten me twice. What better way to teach him to trust me than building a cooperative working relationship through play. Teaching him to let of of a toy AND THEN restrain himself was and continues to be his biggest challenge. I have to watch him and keep him confident so we avoid conflict. Still a lot more work to be done but his skills are developed enough to use in training.

This is our first time using a toy as a reward, his second time seeing tunnels. I may have been over eager and lumped criteria together but I noticed it during the session and smoothed it out. Above all he is having a grand time. I see glimpses of brillance here. Nitro will keep me on my toes, he has already made me a better trainer.

Towards the four minute mark Nitro prefectly demonstraits why I want to avoid conflict. I asked for too much because he was doing so well! Oops, that was great but what is he going to remember? The awesome tunnels or being worried about me taking the toy? I make up for it by being fun and keeping it easy. Taking over a minute to just play with lots of easy outs and chasing. Then I again make it too hard! Sorry Nitro, I have to work at your pace, I'll get better! He was still having a blast, it is obvious when he chases after me asking that the session not end. Nitro is very different from my other two mild mannered dogs. With them I have always put drive over control, while Nitro just oozes drive, with him I will favor control. I can't wait to see where this crazy little dog takes me!

I've heard this phrase, you've heard this phrase, it is actually pretty okay advice. Most dogs are understimulated both mentally and physically and once around the block is not enough to quell their energy. Heck with some dogs a two hour walk isn't enough. So you start playing fetch and walking for two hours but still your dog is full of energy. "He could go all day", you tell me and I believe you! Because you have inadvertantly created an athelete so now you must sustain that athelete or deal with his wrath. Are you seeing the problem here? More exercise means more energy and when you don't meet that need unwanted behaviors intensify.


So what is an owner of an energetic dog to do? The answer is simple, teach them how to relax. Since we know that behavior that is reinforced get repeated we can do just that. Catch your dog when they are doing nothing. That's right, reward the nothing. This is such a hard concept to grasp because we humans are so obsessed with pointing out the wrong. Think about it, what do you want your dog to do a vast majority of the time? Most answer that they want their dog to lay in their bed or in other words, do nothing. 


Dogs that seem to have endless energy are the ones who are not getting enough restful sleep. Dogs need to sleep about half the day away and puppies need almost 20 hours! That frantic energy that seems to turn your darling into a hell beast is the same as a toddler screaming that they aren't tired. Self soothing through crates and tethers can help your puppy or dog learn their natural rhythm and therefore become more relaxed and less hyper.


In addition to rewarding the nothing the following behavior can be taught using a mat. This is how many service dogs are trained to relax in public places. This is also perfect for families with new babies as the dog can do settle time while your little one does tummy time.
 I tell my puppy clients that if they only teach their puppy one thing it should be this:


Settle on Mat: This will allow us to start to capture calmness. We will start by building up a doggy magnet to our selected mat. This mat can be anything, a dog bed or a bath mat it doesn’t matter but the mat should be the same for this exercise. We will start by creating a “doggy magnet” and we will see the dog start to gravitate toward the mat whenever it is presented. Then we will be able to put it to a verbal cue for later use with the door/visitors and other high energy situations.

 Step one: Set up the space. We want a mat and a chair set up in a space with no other easily accessible things that might attract your dog’s attention. Have something to occupy your hands/attention such as a book/laptop/tablet and a handful of tasty treats.

Step Two: Bring your dog to the space on leash and simply sit down and wait. As soon as they step a paw onto the mat, drop a treat on the mat. We are not using a marker word as usually it implies excitement and action while this is quite the opposite. Reward if the dog STAYS on the mat with another dropped treat.

·         If he attempts to “mug” your treats simply ignore him, which is why you have something else to occupy yourself.

Step Three: After a couple dropped treats for being on the mat now wait for either a sit or a down, reward with a dropped treat. Now that your dog has offered the sit/lay down do not drop treats for just being on the mat. If he stays in his sit/down drop another treat preferably between his paws.

Step Four: Once the dog is lying down continue to drop treats until your handful is gone. If he gets up just wait for him to lie back down and then continue to drop treats. Once your handful is gone use and end cue such as, “All done”, get up, unleash, pick up the mat, and continue with your daily activities.

Step Five: Once your dog has the hang of lying down on the mat every time it is around we can start to reward calm behaviors instead of just dropping treats. A list of calm behaviors

·         Slinging hips to one side

·         Deep breaths/sighs/Yawning

·         Squinty eyes/blinking/Staring at a fixed point

·         Head down

·         Relaxed ears

Tips and tricks: Try not to reward the same behavior again and again, smart dogs will try and offer those in particular and that is NOT calmness (it's cleverness). Start with the same amount of treats every time and slowly start to raise the amount of time before the next treats, you should be lengthening every session slowly.

 

In my last post I talked about the idea of stuffed toys and how they can improve your life with your dog. Today I want to talk about how to hook your dog on stuffed toys. Even if your dog isn't very food motivated they can learn to love their kong, it just takes a little training.

Start with your dog's kibble and some high value mixer like canned dog food. Call your dog into the kitchen and stuff the kong right in front of them. Tantalize them with a lick or two as you stuff and act really excited about the food you're stuffing in it. Like you are holding yourself back from devouring it yourself. (Pro tip: Put the kong upside down in a coffee mug for easy stuffing) Don't mix the kibble with the tantalizer but rather layer it so it is easy to un-stuff.

Once you've finished stuffing it excitedly move over to your dog's bed and give it to them. Here is the trick, only let them chew for thirty seconds. Then get their attention with a super yummy treat and toss it away so your dog has to move away from the kong. Scoop up the kong and put it in the fridge for ten or so minutes, then give it again and repeat the process. The reason for this is to build excitement, anticipation, and enjoyment your dog relates to the kong. Think about when you're doing an activity you enjoy and you are called away. All you want to do is get back and continue that fun activity. We  can create the same feeling in your dog
You are doing several things here: 

1. Preventing Resource Guarding by reinforcing a trade
2. Preventing/treating separation anxiety by creating good feelings when you leave and slight disappointment when you come back
3. Building your dog's value for the kong
4. Building your dog's value for laying in their bed (if your dog takes the kong of their bed try tethering them to a heavy piece of furniature so they can only be on their bed)
5. Encouraging calm quiet behavior

Continue this and lengthen the time your dog gets to sit and chew. Try by increasing the time in thirty second increments. If at anytime your dog becomes disinterested in the kong (and it isn't empty) you have given it too long. Take it away and try again in another half hour. Also be sure to change up what you are mixing in so your dog doesn't get bored. The more food motivated your dog the easier this process is and the less time you'll have to spend to hook them. The less interested your dog is in food the longer this can take. Very food motivated dogs will love this so much you can simply get the dog kibble wet and freeze it for a cheap and easy version.

It is a good idea to replace just one meal a day (usually dinner) with a stuffed kong. The hungrier your dog is the quicker the process will work. It has been shown over and over that animals prefer to work for their food. This is one of the most natural and benefitial ways for your dog to eat.

In my next and last post on this topic I will talk about different ways to stuff kongs. From the very easy for a beginner dog, to advanced kong stuffing for super clever and experienced dogs.

What do you think? Will you give it a try? Any questions or comments? Leave them below!