Housebreaking Issue?

How To Deal With Your Dog's Housebreaking Issue?

If your dog accidentally eliminate in the night, consider the following:

1. Do not let your dog have any food or water at least two hours before bedtime
2. Take the dog out for his final walk and elimination as late as you possibly can
3. If need be, put him in a crate. Remember the size of the crate should be just enough for him to stand up, turn around, lie down and comfortably stretch out but no bigger than that.

Crate training is effective since most dogs do not like to eliminate where they have to lie. If the crate is large enough, he may eliminate if there is a clean spot for him to lie down.

For an effective housebreaking training, it involves:

1. Positively reinforcing the correct behaviour praising him when he eliminates in the proper place
2. Managing him by preventing him from eliminating in the wrong place until you take him out to eliminate at the right place.

To do so:

1. Confine your dog in a crate
2. After a few hours, take him from the crate to the location you want him to eliminate in.
3. Remember to take your dog out the same door to the same location every time you want him to eliminate
4. Wait for 10 minutes for him to eliminate
5. When he does it within 10 minutes, praise and reward him (with his favourite treats)
6. Wait for an extra 2 to 3 minutes to make sure he completely empties himself
7. Take him back in the house and give him 20 to 30 minutes of supervised free time
8. Use a timer to ensure that he is not allowed for more than 20 to 30 minutes of freedom
9. When the timer goes off, you can either:
1. Take him back out to eliminate again. When he does so, remember to praise him and give him his free time
2. Put him back to his crate

Mistakes are made when owners give their dogs too much free time, fail to take the dog out again, fail to confine the dog when the time is up, or fail to wait the extra two or three minutes after he eliminates the first time

Remember if your dog fails to eliminate within 10 minutes, he should be confined again. This is not a punishment. It is simply a way of preventing the dog from going to the wrong place for elimination.

Remember that consistent feeding and watering schedules is important to effectively train your dog in his housebreaking. Free food and water will make it unpredictable when your dog needs to eliminate. Bear in mind the following points in planning your feeding and water schedules:

1. Your dog should be fed at fixed times
2. He should be given only 10 to 15 minutes to eat.
3. After that, remove any unfinished food.
4. Free feeding should be avoided
5. Water should only be given during his free time and when you take your dog to eliminate; and sparingly when he is confined in his crate

As a thumb of rule, a good guide to estimate the duration your dog (if he is a puppy) needs to eliminate is by adding an hour for every month of his puppy’s life, ie if he is three months old, he can only hold for about 3 hours before eliminating.

If your dog accidentally eliminates in the house, correction after the event is not only a waste of time but can be counter productive as it only confuses the dog.

To correct the situation, identify the possible cause of the accidental elimination in the house and take action to avoid it. For example, has you given too much free time to your dog in the house before you take him out to eliminate?

In situations where you cannot take your dog outside to eliminate, consider using a potty training kit (like Puppy Go Potty). Such kit contains absorbent paper (‘litter’) and a waterproof tray

To train your dog to use the potty:

1. Put your dog in an exercise pen , this is a metal collapsible pen
2. Place the potty on one side of the pen
3. When your dog can no longer control his urge to eliminate, he will most likely go to the tray to do so

During the housebreaking process, avoid any dietary changes. If change is essential, avoid possible stomach upset by:

1. Feed your dog with two-thirds of the old food and one-third of the new food for the 1^st week
2. For the 2^nd week, use one-third of the old food and two-thirds of the new food
3. Only completely feed him with the new food from the 3^rd week onwards

And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!

You Can Do It!

Kum Chee
A Happy Dog Lover and Owner

Territorial Marking Behaviour in Dogs

Dogs are territorial animals, ie .they ‘stake out a claim’ to a particular space, area or object, to other people and animals by marking it with a variety of methods and intensity. For example, a dog may bark to drive away what he perceives as intruders to his territory; or a cat may mark a valued object by rubbing it with her face.
Some dogs may go to the extreme of urinating to mark a particular area as their own. Such behaviour should not be mistaken as housesoiling; rather it is a territorial behaviour. To solve the problem, we have to address the underlying reason for your dog’s need to mark his territory in this way.

Difference Between House-soiling And Urine-Marking

Your dog is urine-marking his territory when:

• The problem is mainly urination as dogs seldom mark with faeces
• The amount of urine is small and is found mainly on vertical surfaces although dogs do sometimes mark on horizontal surfaces.
• Leg-lifting and spraying are dominant versions of urine-marking.
• If your dog is not spayed or neutered as your dog is more likely to urine-mark compared to another dog that is spayed or neutered.
• Your dog urinates on new objects in the environment (eg a shopping bag, a visitor’s handbag), or objects that have unfamiliar smells, or objects that have another animal’s scent.
• Your dog has conflicts with other animals in your home. When there’s instability in the pack hierarchy, a dog may feel the need to establish his dominance by urine-marking his territory.
• Your dog has contact with other animals outside your home, eg if your dog sees another dog through a door or window, he may feel a need to mark his territory.
• Your dog marks frequently on neighbourhood walks.

What You Can Do:

• Spay or neuter your dog as soon as possible as it may stop your dog’s urine-marking. However, if he has been urine-marking for a long period of time, it may be difficult to break his pattern of behaviour
• Resolve conflicts between animals in your home.
• Restrict your dog’s access to doors and windows through which he can observe animals outside. If this is not possible, discourage the presence of such animals near your home.
• Clean soiled areas thoroughly. Don’t use strong smelling cleaners as these may cause your dog to ‘over-mark’ the spot.
• Make previously soiled areas inaccessible or unattractive.
• If making soiled areas inaccessible or unattractive isn’t possible, try to change the significance of those areas, eg feed, treat and play with your dog in the areas he is inclined to mark. A dog is less inclined to urine-mark areas that he feeds and plays at.
• Keep objects likely to cause marking out of reach, such as guest’s belongings, new purchases, etc.
• • If your dog is marking in response to a new resident in your home (eg a new roommate, etc), have the new resident make friends with your dog by feeding, grooming and playing with your dog. Make sure good things happen to your dog when the new resident is around.
• Watch your dog at all times when he is indoors for signs of his urinating. When he begins to urinate, interrupt him with a loud noise and take him outside. Praise him and give him a treat if he urinates outside. If you are unable to watch your dog, put him in a crate where he has never marked.
• What You Should NOT Do:
• Don’t punish your dog after he has urine-marked as punishment administered even a minute after the event is ineffective as he won’t understand why he is being punished.

Dog Aren't People

Remember dogs don’t urinate or defecate out of spite or jealousy.
If he urinates on your baby’s diaper bag, it’s not because he is jealous of, or dislikes your baby. It’s the unfamiliar scents and sounds of a new baby in the house that is causing him to reaffirm his claim on his territory.

Dominance or Anxiety?

Urine-marking is usually associated with dominance behaviour. While this is often the case, some dogs may mark when they feel anxious or upset.

For example, a new baby in the house brings new sounds, smells and people, as well as changes in routine. Your dog probably isn’t getting as much attention as he was used to getting, which cause him to feel anxious. As a result, he may start to urine-mark.
If your dog is feeling anxious, you may want to consider talking to your veterinarian about medications to reduce his anxiety while you work on behaviour modification.

- extracted from Dumb Friends League (TMBI_R00)

Kum Chee
A Happy Dog Lover and Owner

Dog's Body Language

Understand Your Dog's Body Language (Part 2)

Although your dog cannot use "words", he is always communicating. Dogs use their bodies to express their emotions, to show affection and to identify rank.
Unlike humans, dogs don't hide their emotions so what you see is what he's really feeling.
Dogs communicate with their actions, movement of their eyes, ears, mouths, etc, body gestures, tail wagging and more. Know to tune into your dog's body language, you'll realize what he's talking about and what he needs. Of course, each dog, like each human, has his own personality traits. Over time, you'll no doubt come to learn these individual traits. But there are general moods and behaviors that you can expect from dogs.

Barking
Dogs bark for many reasons, such as when perceived intruders (humans, dogs, or other animals) approach its territory, for identification, when hearing an unfamiliar or unidentified noise, when seeing something that the dog doesn't expect to be there, or when playing. Barking also expresses different emotions for a dog, such as loneliness, fear, suspicion, stress, and pleasure. Play or excited barks are often short and sharp, such as when a dog is attempting to get a person or another dog to play.
Dogs generally try to avoid conflict; their vocalizations are part of what communicates to other dogs whether they mean harm or are in a playful mood.
The bark of a distressed or stressed dog is high pitched, atonal, and repetitive (and tends to get higher in pitch as the dog becomes more upset). For example, a dog left home alone and who has separation anxiety might bark in such a way.
Some research has suggested that dogs have separate barks for different animals, including dog, fox, deer, human and cat.

Growls
Growls can be used to threaten, to invite play, and to show dominance. Growling should be watched with special attention because it can indicate dominance or aggression. A soft, low-pitched growl often indicates aggression; the dog may feel threatened and may be provoked to attack. An intense growl, without showing any teeth, may often indicate a playful attitude. Always consider the context of a growl, and exercise caution.
Whines and Whimpers
Dogs whine and whimper to show that they are either in pain, or are afraid, or when excited, such as when greeting another dog, or in anticipation of a treat or an outing. Some dogs may use whining as a means of getting attention.

Howls
Howling provides long-range communication with other dogs or owners. Howling can be used to locate another pack member, to keep strangers away, or to call the pack for hunting. Sometimes dogs howl in response to high-pitched or loud noises such as alarms, sirens, music, or singing.

Confidence
Dogs that are confident and comfortable will stand erect. Their tails will be up and wagging in a sweep. The ears may be pricked up or relaxed, and they will look directly at you. The mouth will be partially open in what some call a smile.

Fear
Dogs that are fearful will lower their stance. The tail will usually be down, tucked between his legs, although some dogs actually wag their tails when they are unsure and evaluating a situation. The fearful dog will not look directly at you. When he turns his head away, he's thinking, 'hmmm” if I don't see you, you don't see me, and nothing bad is going to happen to me.”
Dogs that are fearful or unsure may use "calming signals" to reduce stress for themselves or others with whom they're interacting. Some of these signals include yawning, barking, intentionally becoming distracted, lip-licking, circling, sniffing the ground, or just sitting or lying down.

Aggression
Certain breeds are hard to read - their tails are naturally curled up, and their ears are always perked up. Some dogs don't ever give any indication that they are going to bite so watch the dog's muzzle. A muzzle will twitch before a bite.
Other signs of aggression include stiff legs and body with the tail straight out, ears "pinned" back close to the head, a lowered head with eyes fixed intently at you. The lips are sometimes drawn back in a snarl and a low growl is heard.
Many people mistakenly believe that hackled hair on a dog's back means they are aggressive. However, these are usually dogs who aren't at all confident - they're apprehensive so hackled hair makes them look bigger.

You win!
Play bows are an invitation to play. The rear end is up, the front part of his body is down, and the tail is wagging. Rolling over onto his back with his belly up is a classic sign of submission (or a request for a belly rub). A dog that raises a paw with a bent foreleg is showing submission.

And more ?
Of course, dog language goes far beyond these few examples. Individual pets develop their own techniques for communicating with us when they want to eat, go out, or be left alone.
And there are the dogs that have either never learned or have mis-learned their own language. The company they keep is important. Dogs learn from other dogs, both the good and the bad. An isolated pup is like an isolated child, and the sad thing is he's not fluent in caninus. The puppy that gives all the calming signs in his repertoire and still has the stuffing knocked out of him by an unruly larger playmate may eventually resort to meeting newcomers with signs of aggression rather than calming ones.
It takes some observation to understand what your pet is "saying", but it's well worth the effort: the more you understand what your pet is trying to tell you, the better your relationship can be.


And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!

You Can Do It! Kum Chee A Happy Dog Lover and Owner

Dog's Body Language (Part 1)

Understand Your Dog's Body Language

(Part 1)

Although your dog cannot use "words", he is always communicating. Dogs use their bodies to express their emotions, to show affection and to identify rank.

Unlike humans, dogs don't hide their emotions so what you see is what he's really feeling.

Dogs communicate with their actions, movement of their eyes, ears, mouths, etc, body gestures, tail wagging and more. Know to tune into your dog's body language, you'll realize what he's talking about and what he needs. Of course, each dog, like each human, has his own personality traits. Over time, you'll no doubt come to learn these individual traits. But there are general moods and behaviors that you can expect from dogs.

Tail

How high or low the tail is held, in relation to dog's breed, and how it is moved can signify the dog's mood and/or rank. The higher the tail is held, the more dominant or confident the dog is; the lower, the more submissive/insecure. A tail held straight up, or even slightly curved over the back, shows that the dog is very dominant. If the fur on the tail is also bristled, the dog is saying they are willing and able to defend their position.

Small, slow wags of the dog’s tail indicate that he is questioning things around him. Either he’s unsure if the target dog or person is friendly, or he’s unsure what is going on or what is expected of him.

Large, fast wags of the tail are sign of a happy or excited dog. If the wags are large enough to pull the dog's hips with them, the message includes a bit of submission to someone he views as pack leader.

Dogs with docked tails tend to have some problems communicating with other dogs, since their tail movements are extremely difficult to detect.

So remember that tail wagging is not always a sign of friendliness.

Take for example; your dog meets a strange dog off the leash. The other dog approaches with great interest, ears alert and tail wagging. But this dog is giving out signals that spell hostility. The wagging tail is stiff and held high. The eyes have a hard expression and stare into your dog's eyes. The dog's hackles are raised. The animal's whole posture signifies aggression. Even without growling or showing his teeth, a dog behaving like this has a chip on his shoulder. You should remove your dog from the scene quietly and quickly.

A friendly or curious dog's tail will be wagging in wide sweeps, hanging down. His ears are down and his fur is smooth along his shoulders and back. The dog will not attempt to look you or your dog in the eye. He will go through the typical sniffing pattern with your dog, first nose to nose, then the genitals. Offer this dog the back of your fist to smell, and then you can probably pet him if you wish.

The dog in conflict between dominance and fear will show a conflict of signals which can be less easy for us to interpret. Lips may retract horizontally and vertically. The dog may growl and avert his gaze at the same time, approach with ears back and tail wagging, or bark aggressively with the tail tucked. Such dogs should be handled with caution.

Expressive Faces

Some dogs have very expressive faces. Many of them smile, and this should not be confused with the snarl or fear expression. It does mean, 'I'm having a good time, hope you are too'. Eyes and eyebrows convey volumes, and so does the set of the ears.

The fearful dog draws back his ears against his head, which he lowers submissively, he crouches, making himself look smaller and less threatening, and tucks his tail between his legs. If he can he will run away, otherwise he may roll on his back, lift his leg and even urinate. Lips are retracted horizontally in that rather goofy look that means 'I'm incapable of hurting you, please don't hurt me'. The gaze is averted. (Dominant dogs tend to attack from the front, while fearful ones will often sneak up and bite from behind)

Ears

Ear position relates the dog's level of attention, and reaction, to a situation or animal. Erect ears facing forward means the dog is very attentive, while ears laid back suggests a negative, usually fearful, reaction. Dogs with drop ears, like Beagles, can't use these signals very well. Wolf-like dogs will, when content and happy, often hold their ears in a horizontal position but still forward. This has been referred to as the "Wolf Smile".

Mouth

Mouth expressions can provide information about the dog's mood. When a dog wants to be left alone, he might yawn (although yawning also might indicate sleepiness, confusion, or stress) or start licking his mouth without the presence of any food. When a dog is happy or wants to play, he might pant with lips relaxed, covering the teeth and with what sometimes appears to be a happy expression (it might appear as a smile to some observers) or with the mouth open. Mouth expressions that indicate aggression include the snarl, with lips retracting to expose the teeth, although some dogs also use this during play.

It's important to look at the dog's whole body and not just the mouth or tail before deciding what the dog is trying to communicate. What appears initially as aggression might be an invitation to play, or vice-versa.

Eyes and Eyebrows

While dogs don't have actual eyebrows, they do have a distinctive ridge above their eyes, and some breeds, like the Rottweiler and the German Shepherd, have markings there. A dog's eyebrow movements usually express a similar emotion to that of a human's eyebrow movements. Raised eyebrows suggest interest, lowered brows suggest confusion or mild anger, and one eyebrow up suggests bewilderment. Slitted eyes translate the same as human's also - suspicion or anger.

Feet and Legs

Although a dog's feet cannot manipulate like human hands, a person can use them as an avenue of communication. A dog might stamp its feet, alternating its left and right front legs, while its back legs are still. This occurs when the dog is excited, wants something, or wants its owner's attention. Pointers tend to tuck one front leg up, when they sense game nearby. This behavior might not be communication so much as the dog freezing mid-step as a result of the dog's instinct telling the dog to immediately still. It is also common for dogs to paw or scratch for objects they desire. Many dogs are trained to mimic a human handshake, offering a paw to a human stooping down and offering their own hand in exchange.

Head

A dog's ability to make facial gestures is not as refined as a human's. However, they can wrinkle or straighten their forehead to show confusion or determination, and when puzzled or curious, will often raise their eyelids and tilt their head to one side.

A dog's eyes widen when playful and unthreatened. Some dogs squint their eyes when they are praised. When afraid, a dog's pupils typically dilate. Most dogs avoid intimate eye contact, seemingly to avoid confrontation. But when angered or preparing for self-defense, a dog's eyes will narrow and follow it's foe's moves carefully. When exhibiting aggressive behavior, it is best to not look an unfamiliar dog in the eye, because it may interpret it as a challenge.

An unstressed dog in typical posture allows its tongue to loll out of its mouth. When begging, or when they are particularly happy, they may pull their lips back seemingly to smile. This pseudo-smile is normally only exhibited when interacting with people, perhaps a learned behavior from humans. A dog showing tightly clenched teeth and wrinkled nose is likely to attack if further provoked.

Dogs have excellent hearing, and can position their ears advantageously for following sounds. Dogs typically raise their ears when listening intently and when demonstrating compliance with commands. When a dog's ears are pulled back, they may be showing submission, or fear.

“ Part 2 of 2 to follow “

And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!

You Can Do It!

Kum Chee
A Happy Dog Lover and Owner

Dog Training & Tips

How To Deal With Your Dog Eating Faeces?


Very often we may find our canine friend acquiring an unbecoming behavior that inadvertently may put us into embarrassing and awkward situation, particularly in public areas.
Abhorrent to us or not, the behavior of our dog eating his own faeces is normal and is a common problem faced by many loving pet owners. The questions to ask are why our dog do such thing
What Causes our dog to behave this way?
There are several possible explanations as to why our dogs are behaving this way.
Dogs are pack animals that live in the wild in the past. By eating their own excretion, nature allows them to maximize their food absorption through a secondary stage of food being processed in their bodies thus increasing their chance of survival in the wild.

Another reason for this behavior is the manifestation of their maternal instinct for nest cleaning and licking immobile puppies to cause defecation and urination, and the consequent action of consuming their puppies’ wastes.
A third explanation points to the possibility of dietary deficiency despite owners providing sufficient amount of food to their dog.
Last but not last, it is almost possible that our dog acquired this behavior during his period of boredom (eg when the puppy is kept too long in his kennel while the owner is at work, etc),
What are the possible Cures?

(1) Dietary Change

• Change our dog’s diet to one of the premium dried foods as such food tends to be processed more easily by the dog’s body before being passed out. As a result, his faeces is less appealing.

• In addition, by adding ingredients such as pineapple chunks, to aid his digestion; or sterilized bonemeal, fibre-rich treats (boiled green vegetables, bran, etc), to cause his faeces to be drier and less palatable to him.

(2) Re-modifying His Behavior

• Never rush forward to clear up our dog’s faeces (with spade in hand, etc) before he can eat it up. From his point of view, this looks like you are competing with him and will inevitably cause him to beat you to it by eating his faeces faster than you can reach it.
• Instead, make his toileting action a prelude to something more interesting than eating his own faeces. For example, immediately after your dog has relieved himself in the yard, open the door and use his favorite toy or treats to lure him into the house. When he comes into the house, praise him abundantly and reward him with his favorite treats and toys. While he is enjoying himself, keep him indoor while you clear the yard. After many of such pleasant experiences, your dog will start to look forward to the experience as soon as he relieves himself. Over time, he will be less interested in his own waste.

• In situations where our dog is treating his own faeces
as a source of food input, we can divide his meal into several small
meals a day to satisfy his desire.

• In situations where our dog is also eating wastes from other dogs in the public, we may have to resort to the use of muzzle. In addition, we can also modify his behavior by approaching the faeces with our dog on a leash, retracting it and then throwing a rattle can (a sealed tin can with some pebbles inside) to inhibit our dog’s approach to the faeces. Over time, our dog will learn to avoid the item. However, it is IMPORTANT to make sure that this technique be applied before our dog has the chance of consuming the item.

(3) Use of taste deterrents

• Some people advocate the use of taste deterrents such as tobacco sauce or chilli powder on our dog’s faeces to put him off.

• However, such approach may be ineffective as dogs generally have little sense of taste. Moreover their acute sense of smell will help them to identify which faeces to avoid and which are eatable.

And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!

You Can Do It!


About author:

Kum Chee

A Happy Dog Lover and Owner