Answers
DOG
66 Your Dog March 2020Alternative
rewards
TRAININGWhat’s causing this
inside toileting?
BEHAVIOURKate says: It’s brilliant that
you are giving your dog the
opportunity to go outside more
frequently, and are rewarding him
when he does toilet outside. Carry on with
this, as the more this behaviour is rewarded,
the more likely he is to keep doing it.
If you do see him toilet inside, it’s
important not to punish him or tell him
of. This could frighten him or it could be
interpreted as attention, which may be
rewarding the behaviour. Instead, don’t
acknowledge it and calmly encourage him
into a dif erent room of the house so he is
out of sight while you clean the area. Ensure
you use an enzymatic cleaner (which you
can get from most pet shops) to remove any
scent he may still be able to smell that could
encourage him to urinate again in the area.
It could be that something frightenedyour dog while he was outside, so he might
not feel comfortable toileting outside at
certain times or when he can see or hear
certain things.
If the behaviour persists, it might be
a good idea to keep a diary of how often,
and at what times of day, he urinates inside
as this would help you to identify any
patterns. It would also be good to visit
your vet again as he or she will be able to
double-check that there aren’t any health
concerns, and will be able to refer you to
a certii ed clinical animal behaviourist.
Sourced via the Association for the
Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) or
the Animal Behaviour and Training
Council (ABTC), he or she can give you an
individualised plan to help modify your
dog’s behaviour after establishing why this
could be happening.If your dog suddenly starts
weeing inside, you need to get
to the cause of the problem.Q
Our two-year-old Jug has started weeing indoors, which he has not done
before. We have tried taking him out for toilet breaks more frequently, and are
rewarding him every time he toilets in the correct place. We had him checked
out at the vet’s and the vet doesn’t think there is any underlying health condition.
Do you have any suggestions on what’s causing this and how we can correct it?
Jenny Aspling, Cardiff.Q
I am currently trying to train my
dog to recall, and I’ve been told
by several people to reward him
each time he does it. However, no matter
what treats I use, he has no interest in
eating on walks. What can I do, and are
there any other forms of reward that do
not involve eating?
Mike Douglas, Devon.Tony says: Food is known as
a primary reinforcer, which means
it is a necessity and all healthy
animals enjoy eating. This is why
food treats are so rewarding for a dog. If
a healthy dog refuses food outdoors, it is
usually for one of three reasons:1
The dog is over-anxious or over-excited.
Start your recall exercise in a quiet
and calm location, perhaps without other
dogs present.2
The dog is full up. It would be like going
out to a restaurant for a birthday treat
just after you have i nished a Sunday lunch...
is that a treat? Don’t feed your dog before
a training session. Cut back on any titbits
the dog may receive during the day, and use
them for training. If your dog is hungry, he’ll
work for the food.3
The treats are dull. Consider food treats as
a ‘doggy currency’. For example, a piece
of chicken is the £50 note; a piece of kibble
is 50p. For recall, pay big — chicken or liver
cake usually make for a mighty reward.
Food is a common reward in training
because it’s quick to deliver, you can do
many fast repetitions, and the bottom line,
dogs have to eat anyway. However, you can
vary the rewards. For example, produce your
dog’s favourite toy after he returns, or toss
a tennis ball after the recall. A clever reward
is to allow the dog to return to the thing you
called him away from. Imagine he’s enjoying
a smelly patch of grass; call him away, praise
him on return, and then say: ‘Of you go’, and
send him back to the fun of snii ng
the grass.Food is known as
a primary reinforcer.