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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Jennifer Shryock is a certified dog behavior consultant, who specializes in helping families keep things safe and fun between children and the family dog/s. She has a duo bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from Kutztown University. She combined her passion for working with families, children and dogs into a career in dog behavior, and founded Family Paws in 2002. She developed Dogs & Storks™, an original and complete program for new and expecting parents (and grandparents) who have a family dog.
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1/23/2007
My boyfriend and I have an 8 month old Pitbull who has been impossible to pottytrain. We have tried everything from kennel training to rubbing his nose in it. We bought a doggie door and put his kennel against it so he could go in and out but he has chewed the flap off the door. We are getting him neutered hoping that it will help the "marking his territory". He seems to go to the bathroom in the same spots over and over and he knows he has done something bad because you can point at what he did and say what is this and he'll run outside. It just seems like he isn't grasping the fact of where he should go. Another problem I am having is my boyfriend and I don't agree on "punishment" I don't believe spanking or yelling at a dog to be an effective action but he feels that how the dog will learn. What are your opinions on that subject? Please help he is just growing bigger and becoming harder to control. Thanks so much! -Sarah (sarah7, Nevada)
It can be very frustrating when dogs do not learn house manners quickly. I completely understand this. Assuming there is no chance he has a Urinary tract infection or any other physical condition, here are some things to consider.
Your dog understands your posture vs. that he has gone to the bathroom in an undesignated area. I suggest picking up or cleaning up any accidents and placing it in the spot outside you would like him to go to. Praise him for sniffing the spot and area where you want him to go “potty.”
There are many reasons dogs may eliminate inside vs. outside. It could be related to stress, lack of understanding where to go, marking, or many other possible considerations. I would consider keeping your dog on leash while in the home so that you control where he goes while inside. Prevent him from having opportunities to “mess up” inside. It sounds like he is relieving himself in the same spot over and over. Tethering him to you allows you to prevent him from making this mistake but also allows you to become more familiar with his signals of needing to go outside.
Monitor his eating and be sure to put him out following eating, drinking and exercise. If he does not go potty then keep him in view while inside until he goes to the bathroom outside.
It sounds like you and your boyfriend have been exposed to different training techniques. If you are going to both be a part of the training of this pup then it is a good idea to discuss common ground and agree on consistency. I do not believe that stress or physical punishment is an effective part of teaching new skills or behaviors. This backfires and often prevents trust in a relationship. Dogs need leadership in their lives. Consider the leaders in your life. Do they use force to communicate? Using force is an insecure response to feeling out of control. This can lead to more stress and issues long term. I encourage you to seek the help of a dog behavior consultant in your area through www.apdt.com or www.iaabc.org
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