Category: Good Dog Manners

Raising Stella – The Potty Problem

Michael Baugh, CPDT-KA, CDBC
I used to say “potty training is easy.” What I really should say now is “potty training is not complicated.” That’s the first lesson I’ve learned from Stella (I’m sure there will be many). Potty training is not easy. It takes a great deal of work and attention. However, the idea of it is pretty darn simple.

Stella at 4 1/2 months

Stella only has two states of existence right now: 1) safely confined and 2) interacting with a person (supervised). The confinement part is pretty easy. Stella actually seems to enjoy her quiet time in the crate. Some dogs fight this tooth and nail (some literally breaking teeth and nails). But Stella is cool with it. Of course, we can’t keep her in there all the time. So, the rest of the time she’s interacting with people under close supervision. And that takes a lot of work. In the first three hours of this morning Stella and I have been out for two potty breaks (more on those below), some play time, a potty break for me (yup she came with me), coffee and breakfast in the kitchen together (she ate too), and then some writing up in the office. She’s lying on her bed next to me, her leash attached to my desk, while she chews on a bone. I have not had a single waking moment without her by my side. I’m not complaining. But it is work.

That’s half of potty training – setting Stella up to win, making sure she doesn’t have the chance to poop or pee in the house. And after one week I can happily report that it’s working. Yes, there was one incident mid week when we had a lot of rain and she didn’t want to get her “princess fur” wet. Instead she got my kitchen floor wet. But we won’t focus on the negative. Her success to failure ratio is still phenomenal.

The other half of potty training is showing her that outside is the place to do it. And I mean the place. It’s simple but not always easy. In theory all you have to do is reinforce the puppy for going in the right spot. I recommend cheering, praising and then giving three treats one after the other as soon as the deed is done (immediately, don’t wait until you bring the puppy inside). Simple right?

But easy? Well, I found out pretty early on that Stella is not too keen on food when she’s outside. Some days she just outright refuses it. So I quickly had to remember the science of behavior. The training is not about the “treat.” It’s about whether or not the behavior changes. Clearly if Stella refuses food, then giving her a treat for going potty is not reinforcement. I needed something that would increase her “peeing outside” behavior and it wasn’t going to be food. Play. That’s a good one. Stella likes romping around and playing. Petting. That works for Stella too. So right after she goes I praise her enthusiastically, run around in circles getting her to play and I scritch (that’s a technical term) her chest. I look like a fool. But while the neighbors laugh I have a clean house.

On one of those rainy nights I knew all Stella wanted was to get back inside to dry her “princess fur.” Begrudgingly, she popped a squat and did her thing. In that brief moment I thought of the biggest jackpot prize I could come up with to reinforce her good behavior. It sure as heck wasn’t going to be a piece of kibble. It had to be bigger, something she could really use. So, as soon as her deed was done I laid it on her. “Good girl Stella, let’s go inside!” I was her hero. Smart girl. Smarter daddy.

Safety First: The One Cue Every Dog Should Know

Stella! Photo courtesy Robyn Arouty Photography

Michael Baugh CDBC CPDT-KSA

The other dog’s eyes were hard.  I could see a flash of white around her dark pupils.  Her teeth flashed white too.  Under it all was a low rolling growl.  Stella, drunk with adolescent bravado was heading for trouble.  There was no time.

Stella Come!

We’d practiced it since the day she first came home, always the same words, an invitation more than a command.  I’d call her name, sometimes like Brando in Streetcar Named Desire but not always.  Then I’d call the word, “Come,” with a smile and a hint of melody to it.

When you’re first teaching coming when called it’s best to keep it easy.  Set your dog up to win.  That’s what I did with Stella all those months ago.  I’d say “Stella, come!” when I was right next to her.   Then I’d run away, luring her to chase me.  When she arrived I’d click and treat followed by some cheering and petting.  Then I’d do it again.  And again.  And again.

I taught it lots of different ways.  She learned to touch the palm of my hand for a click and a treat.  So sometimes I’d call her and then hold my hand out so she’d run towards it.  Other times I’d hide and call her.  Stella loves hide and seek.  Still other times my friends and I would call her back and forth between us.  Every time it starts the same: Stella come!  And every time it ends the same: click and treat with lots of hoopla and lovin’

The other dog sure looked menacing that day.  But I don’t think she would have hurt Stella.  She’s super sweet and belongs to another trainer.  But it’s up to me to keep Stella safe, especially at this age when she’s frequently a bit too big for her britches.  So I called her away from the other dog.  Stella, come!

And she came.  She trotted right over to me, just the way she’d learned.  Click, treat.  Good girl Stella!

Michael Baugh teaches dog training in Houston TX. He specializes in aggressive dog training.

Just Say Yes!

It’s a joke among us dog lovers.  “My dog thinks his name is No.”  We might as well just admit it; we spend a whole lot of time and energy telling our dogs “no.”  We say “no” to this and “no” to that.  After a while “no” means so many things that it ends up meaning nothing at all to our dogs.  It just communicates that mom or dad is in a crummy mood, and that’s no fun.

I prefer to replace unwanted behaviors with good behaviors.  “Sit” is an easy one because most of us have already started teaching it.  How about every time your dog sits on cue you say “Yes” and give him a piece of his kibble (or a yummy healthful treat)?  This is cool, too.  Every time your dog comes to you when you call him, say “Yes!” and throw his ball for a good game of fetch.  Here’s another good one.  Whenever  your dog looks at you when you say “watch me,” say “Yes!” and treat him.  Do the “watch me” game while walking and see how nicely he walks beside you!

You won’t be using food training your dog forever, or very long at all for that matter.  Still, “Yes” training really turns your relationship with your dog in a whole new direction.  Instead of yelling “no” all the time, now you can give your dog very meaningful directions.  When he jumps up to greet someone, don’t say “no,” say “sit.”  Problem resolved.  Is your dog harassing the cat?  Forget “no,” say “Come” instead.  Now he’s with you, not the cat.  If your dog is pulling on the leash, stop for “watch me,” then put the game in motion again.  Now we’re moving in the right direction.

Yes!

(originally published in Houston Dog Blog)