Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 30, 1994                   TAG: 9401280032
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Karen Davis
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HOUSE TRAINING A PUPPY CAN BE AS EASY AS

"If you set a schedule and follow the plan like a recipe, you'll get a good result," said Pam Jackson, canine behaviorist and owner of Canine Complex Inc. "The key is being consistent and persistent."

The basic concept to understand about house training is that a puppy doesn't have physical control any more than a human infant does, Jackson said. The bladder control muscle does not fully mature until the puppy is about 4 months old.

So until the puppy develops physical control, either take him outside to use the bathroom every few hours or place him on newspapers put down in one area of the house for that purpose. Do this on a regular schedule - and always first thing in the morning, after each meal, after play and before bedtime - and the puppy should learn the routine after a few weeks.

Many people make the mistake of trying to outdoor train and paper train a puppy at the same time, Jackson said.

"This only confuses the dog," Jackson said. "Paper training actually teaches the dog that it's OK to go inside the house."

In some households, however, it may be more convenient to paper train the puppy, particularly if he's going to be an indoor dog. But if you expect the puppy to eventually do all of his eliminations outdoors, it's best to outdoor train him from the start.

Teach only one method at a time, but follow the same regular schedule, whichever method you choose.

To facilitate housebreaking a new puppy, Jackson recommends crate training. "Dogs are den animals, and they won't soil the area where they sleep and eat," she said.

"A lot of people think crate training is like confining an animal to a cage," but a dog actually refers to the crate as his den and feels secure in there, Jackson said.

Of course, "It's cruel to leave a dog in a crate more than six or eight hours at a time, especially a puppy that cannot hold its bladder," Jackson said. Four hours is about the maximum time.

So, if you work all day, come home at lunch to take the dog out, if possible, or recruit a neighbor or pet sitter to take him out for you.

If you stay at home, take the puppy out more often, preferably every hour on the hour at first, to prevent any chance of accidents. As the puppy matures, gradually increase the intervals between trips outdoors.

Even if your yard is fenced, take the puppy out on a leash at first, and stay with him until he eliminates. When the mission is accomplished, praise the puppy, pat him and tell him what a good dog he is for going to the bathroom where you want him to go. Take him back to the same spot each time, and he will learn quickly by the scent what is expected of him.

Use a key phrase each time you take him out, such as "Let's go potty," so he'll associate the sounds with the intended mission. Always use the same door, too, and he'll eventually learn to go there when he wants "out."

If the puppy has an accident in the house, do not punish him. Rubbing his nose in an accident is not only unsanitary, it's senseless; the puppy will not associate your "punishment" with his mistake.

Even if you catch him in the act and punish him, you may make him think he's not supposed to use the bathroom anywhere at all. Then you may end up with a neurotic dog that holds it as long as he can, and when he can't any longer, lets go wherever he happens to be.

How do you deal with accidents without compounding the problem and creating undesirable behaviors?

If you catch the puppy in the act of squatting, take him outside immediately and without fuss. If you come home to a mess, calmly remove the dog to another room and clean up the accident.

"It's important not to let the dog see you clean up the mess," Jackson said. "He may get the idea that it's OK to go in the house because you're just going to clean it up anyway."

Clean up accidents with enzymatic products that dissolve the odor. Any traces of scent left will attract the dog back to the same spot. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners, since ammonia is a urine byproduct and also will attract the dog.

House training can take from two weeks to two months, Jackson said, depending on the dog's age and breed and on the owner's approach. Certain breeds, and older, outdoor dogs, may take longer to house train. In general, larger dogs tend to mature faster than smaller dogs, Jackson said.

Send general-interest questions to The Pet Podium, in care of the Features Department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.