Before visiting a client I always ask them a list of all the behaviour issues they are having with their dog.  Very often one of the items on their list is that their dog still messes in the house.  There could be more than one reason why their dog is doing this, but by introducing Canine Communication it can be resolved.

Dogs who mess in the house when their owners are out

Quite often dogs toilet in the house when their owners are out – even when they have been out for a long walk just before being left alone.  When this happens it is generally because the dog is suffering from Separation Anxiety.  Our dogs are living in a Human world they don’t understand, and we expect them to adapt to our way of life, however because of the way we communicate with them they think they are in charge.  As a result, when their human (in their eyes, their baby) goes out, they worry about them.  To help their babies find their way home, one of the things they can do is go to toilet (either wee or poo) in the hope that this will help their family members ‘smell’ their way back home – because their sense of smell is so good, the scent can be picked up by their family members for miles!

Attention seeking dogs

However, if your dog toilets in the house when you are with them it may well be a way of getting your attention.  Lots of people I have spoken to can’t understand why, after being outside for a while, their dog comes in and either urinates or poos in front of them.  This is a way some dogs will get attention on their terms … most people will react to this behaviour either by telling their dog off, or gasping and saying the dog’s name in a disappointed tone.  So the dog has achieved what it wanted … it got their attention!  It doesn’t matter to the dog whether it’s good or negative attention - just like the naughty child at school that we find in most classrooms - the one who will never sit still, is always fidgeting and is constantly being told off, they continue doing what they are doing because they are the centre of attention!

In both scenarios, people generally react negatively to their dogs’ toileting in the house, either by telling their dog off or making a negative gesture.  However this will not improve the situation:  the dog with separation anxiety they will think that they were right to worry about their baby as they have returned in a bad mood, and will continue to toilet to help their babies find their way home, and the attention seeking dog will be getting just what it wants – attention!

Toilet Training

If your dog toilets in the house, try going back to basics with toilet training. 

• When dog messes in the house don’t tell him off, just ignore the mess, let your dog outside and clear it up when he isn’t looking (use biological washing powder/liquid as this removes the smell and will help prevent scent marking in the same place)
• Take your dog outside first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and always after a meal
• Take your dog outside several times during the day and wait for him to toilet
• When he does ‘perform’ outside praise him immediately and make a big fuss of him

Gradually, if you ignore the behaviour you don’t want, and praise the behaviour you desire, your dog will learn that going outside is good!

Canine Communication

Whilst these tips will help with toilet training, this is only part of Canine Communication and will not be enough to relieve your dog of the day to day stress caused by thinking that he is in charge.  If you’d like to learn more about Canine Communication and how it can help you and your family (both human and canine) live a happy relaxed life, give me a call on 07889 343383.