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Relapses In Housetraining
Health problems, changes in diet and emotional upsets (moving to a new home, adding a new pet or family member, etc.) can cause temporary lapses in housetraining. A number of different behavior problems can affect how and when your dog relieves itself. Most often, housebreaking problems are the result of a lack of proper communication between owner and dog.
#1 Rule Out Possible Health Problems
Worms, food allergies and other health conditions can cause housebreaking problems. Diabetes in adult dogs and urinary tract infections in both puppies and adults can cause dogs to have to urinate more often - so the first thing you should do is have your poodle checked by your veterinarian.
Most Common Housebreaking Problems
The puppy does not seem to get the idea at all!
This is a very common stage of puppies, who are between 4 and 5 months old. Ask yourself two questions.
- Are you taking him out enough and at the right times?
- In real life, mistakes happen. Chances are, that at some point you will forget to watch your puppy (or new dog), get delayed coming home or neglect to take your puppy out on time after a meal.
- Is your puppy getting the right message?
- It is important for the puppy to learn that the act of relieving itself is not wrong, it is the act of relieving itself in the house that is wrong. Make sure to accompany the puppy outside so you can praise him after he relieves himself.
Keep doing things the right way and don't give up - 99.9% of all puppies are reliably housebroken by one year of age.
Toy Breeds
A very small dog may never be able to hold off for more than a couple hours. A toy poodle puppy may have to be taken out every hour during the first few weeks. If you are gone for long periods of time, you may want to consider training your dog to use a litter box, training pads or hiring a dog sitter.
Beware of spoiling a toy breed. Sometimes it's hard not to coddle and pamper a tiny puppy, and let them get away with murder. They are so adorable and can quickly become bratty.
The heavily kenneled dog
Dogs that spend their early weeks learning they have no choice but to live in urine and feces are harder to housetrain. If you find yourself with a poodle who doesn't hesitate to soil his crate, stop depending on the crate as a housebreaking tool. Be extra viligant with watching her and be consistent as possible with your feeding and potty shedule. When your dog does go in the right place, praise like you have never praised a dog before! Don't take the crate away - it can still be a safe haven.
Remember, the dog must learn, it is not the act of urinating and deficating that is wrong, doing so in the house is wrong. A dog who believes that relieving itself is wrong may become sneaky, scared, timid and / or suffer from anxiety disorders.
Wetting when greeting.
This can either be from sheer excitement or a problem know as "submissive urination". Most common in female dogs.
Both are cured by not taking any notice of the dog at all when arriving home and only greeting the dog in a off-handed manner when it has calmed down.
When visitors arrive, advise them to ignore the dog and not make eye contact.
Lifting the leg / wetting only in special places.
This is more common in male dogs and has to do with territorial marking. Take special care when cleaning the surfaces in question once a dog has started to mark or he will feel he's got to keep it fresh by regular re-application.
Apart from this, treat this like normal house training by watching the dog carefully and taking him out as soon as he shows a sign of marking.
Urinary Incontinence
The dog with urinary incontinence cannot willfully regulate the flow of urine. Senile urinary incontinence is a common offshoot of aging, usually striking adult, spayed female dogs. (Male dogs may also be affected.)
Typically, urinary incontinence involves dribbling by day. Some dogs may release large streams of urine at once. Resting dogs may awaken in a puddle.
Afflicted dogs may develop skin disorders and bed sores, as well as urinary tract infections from the increased wetness. Fortunately, your veterinarian can usually identify the cause and restore much of the dog's urinary control.
Urinary infections in young female puppies are common. A symptom is frequent squatting with little urine release. If you suspect a physical problem, please take your dog for an examination.
A dog that was perfectly house trained starts going indoors.
Unless you have an obvious reason such as acquiring a new puppy or moving to a new house, this definitely calls for a trip to the veterinarian for a health check.
If a move, new puppy, or other change is causing the behavior, the problem will most likely be short lived. Be patient with your dog and watch him closely, until he has adjusted to the new situation.
