Is putting paper down on the floor confusing a somewhat house trained dog?
My newly adopted dog is supposed to be house trained. he is good most of the time. However, when I leave I have been putting down new paper. Is this teaching him to tinkle and poop inside?
Jul 29, 2010 | 4 | Dog Training
July 29th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Yes it is. If you allow the dog to pee and poo inside, of course it is teaching him to go inside.
Use a crate to confine him when you cannot watch him, and get a neighbor or dog walker to help you out mid day if you cannot let him out.
July 29th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Yes, don’t confuse him by allowing him to go inside sometimes. If he
is not fully housetrained, then get him a crate to be in when you’re gone. If he is though, then he should be fine in the house by himself without making a mess.
July 29th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
In one word: Yes. There is no "middle road" when house training. Either he is, or he isn’t. There is no such thing as "partially" trained. Your dog is only house trained when he goes outside 100%.
July 29th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Well, I don’t totally agree with the others. I think it’s best to try to 100% commit to house training your dog to go outside. However, there are times when you are going to be gone for awhile and if your dog is still a puppy, you can’t keep him in a crate for several hours. Sometimes it’s better to restrict them to the kitchen or in an exercise pen and put papers in it to save the floor. Dogs are pretty smart and as he grows older, he can control his bladder better and will be able to hold it. He will also "get it" that he’s supposed to go outside.
However, if your dog is already housetrained and is old enough to hold it for a few hours, then I do think that putting papers down is confusing.