How to Management Helps Prevent Dogs From Urinating in the House

Whether you are dealing with a new puppy that needs to be house-trained or a rescued dog that likes to mark on your sofa, very likely you are very frustrated about the whole ordeal. Getting mad at the dog may be tempting, but as humans we know better, and therefore we must try to invest in our superior thinking skills before even thinking about extreme and outdated measures such as swatting the dog's bum with a rolled up newspaper, pushing a puppy's nose in the mess, or even getting rid of the dog!

Indeed, gone are the days of such ill treatments, and as we progress away from the prehistoric training methods of 20 years ago, we discover that there are much better methods to train our dogs to not urinate or mark in the house. If you own a puppy, please read my following hub about how to potty train your puppy and read it like if it was a bible:

''Secret Strategies for Potty Training Your Puppy''

If you are dealing with a previously house-trained dog which has started to urinate in the home, out of the blue, please consider urinary problems. Many dogs each year are scolded for urinating in the home and often the poor souls were simply sick or getting old! You can read about urinary tract infections and some other urinary ailments here:

''Causes of Urinary Incontinence in Dogs''

One type of urination, that deserves particular attention is a dog that urinates when the owners leave. This is most likely a form of separation anxiety that requires attention. Affected dogs urinate or defecate on carpets, rugs, beds or inside crates when left alone. These are dogs that are perfectly capable of holding their bladders and bowels in normal circumstances. Here is a helpful hub:

Dog Separation Anxiety Tips

And then, there are those cases of rescued dogs or intact males who decide it is a good idea to start marking inside the home. This, along with puppy house training is what we will address here. If you tend to punish your puppy or dog for urinating or marking in the home, sooner or later something will happen: your dog will learn to potty out of your sight. The common frustrating cliche; of puppy goes potty on the rug the moment I turn away, or Rover goes mark the couch right when I go in another room, is the most common result. In these cases, management is your best friend

Management, may pretty much sound like to common sense, but it is outstanding the number of people who do not resort to these simple strategies! Management means simply to deal with the problem by attempting to reach a goal even though not directly. In other words, if your dog tends to go upstairs and use the second floor as a bathroom, you will save yourself and your dog a whole lot of time and energy if you would simply install a baby gate or a barrier so to prevent access to the upstairs. Dogs ultimately do not have to have the full reign of the the house, a few off limit areas will make life much easier and happy!

There are many other management tools; many known, others not so known.. for instance, if you have a puppy that has learned to go potty in the home out of your sight because it has associated you with punishment, stop punishing and invest in an umbilical cord. In other words, attach the leash to his collar and connect the leash to your belt. This way, your puppy is always under your control and if you see him ready to squat you can always clap your hands to startle him slightly, giving you time to take him outdoors or carry him out, if need be. You can also get good in recognizing pre-potty signs indicating it is time to go outside, everybody wins this way!

And of course, the most recommended management tool is the crate, crates can be man's best friend when used as a management tool. Use it when you cannot supervise your dog, or when you leave the house. Of course, if you decide to go this route, make sure you introduce it properly and gradually. Here is a guide on introducing new puppies or rescued dogs to a crate:

How to Make Your Dog Loves its Crate

Note: Very important is to clean all soiled areas promptly and correctly using a good enzyme cleaning product with odor neutralizers. This may help a puppy or adult dog who has learned to smell previously soiled areas to decide where to potty. The smell of previous soiled areas are in the doggy-world the equivalent of a ''bathroom sign at a restaurant'', puppies therefore, want to continue to go there since their smell is still there.

However, the use of such products may increment territorial marking, indeed, the will to add a fresh ''layer'' on a previously marked area is common in dogs. Ever seen how intent dogs are to mark areas again outdoors after it rains? Another good reason why management is the best way to deal with house soiling problems!

Management is the simplest way to deal with dog problems. Dog raids the trash? Limit your dog's access to such area. Dog barks in the yard? Keep him inside with you and your family. Dog steals underwear? Put it in a basket out of reach. Dog tends to escape? Invest in a long line. Why make life so difficult when it can be easy! You would not leave bottles of chemicals and broken glass at a toddler's reach, so why would you put your dog to fail and even get mad at him, on top of it for doing something wrong? Put your dog up for success by limiting areas likely to be soiled and keeping your dog under supervision. This will ultimately lead to a much happier and fulfilling life and many less heartaches!