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Q:
How do you stop a 4-year old dog from urinating on the rugs due to
separation anxiety? We have had him for about 4 months and can't
leave the house for 10 minutes without him eliminating on the floor.
He is a wonderful dog but very insecure. Thanks for any help you can
give me?
A:
First of all, it would be helpful if you hired
a professional trainer (who uses only positive methods) to determine
if the cause of this problem really is separation anxiety. The
trainer will get a complete history of the dog including his diet,
daily routine, how long the behavior has been going on, what
training methods have been tried, whether there are other animals in
the house, etc.
It's possible this is a learned behavior. Some dogs have
inadvertently been taught to eliminate whenever their humans leave
the house and the dog thinks that elimination at these times is a
perfectly normal thing to do.
It's critical in situations like this to never punish a dog or
correct him even a second after he has eliminated. There's no such
thing as, He knows he did something wrong because he acts guilty.
Of course the first thing you need to check out is his health to
make sure there are no physiological problems contributing to the
situation. That being said, if he truly is insecure, three things
are necessary:
- Set him up for success.
That means don't let him eliminate in
inappropriate areas while you're gone. Baby gates are
one option to managing this situation.
- Change the way he feels
about being left alone. This is easy but
requires a professional to set you up on a step-by-step
program.
- Training. Training
your dog to do different behaviors increases confidence.
Your training should include gradual departure and
return routines so he becomes assured you will always
return.
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Our DVD,
The
Dog Whisperer, will really help in the training
aspect (www.dogwhispererdvd.com). Also, my book,
The Dog Whisperer,
has a section on separation anxiety.
And I also suggest two books
I'll be Home Soon by Patricia McConnell, which also deals with separation
anxiety, and "
Help for your Fearful Dog " by Nicole Wilde.
I hope this helps.
Very best wishes and good luck to both
of you!
The Dog Whisperer Your Fearful Dog
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The Dog Whisperer Vol. 1
Beginning & Intermediate Training
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