69
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017
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TVPJOURNAL.COM
PEER
REVIEWED
Canine House Soiling:
Back to Basics
Kelly C. Ballantyne, DVM, DACVB
Veterinary Behavior at Illinois, Chicago, IL
Despite the general ease of house training, house
soiling is a common behavior problem, reported
in approximately 20% of pet dogs.
1
House
soiling degrades the human–animal bond and
is a common reason for pet relinquishment.
1–3
Screening patients for behavioral issues at every
visit is recommended to identify problems
early and institute treatment before the
human–animal bond is strained or broken.
When house soiling is identified, the first
step in developing an effective treatment
plan is to determine the underlying cause
or motivation for soiling because several
medical and behavioral differentials exist.
PREVENTION:
HOUSE TRAINING
With appropriate preventive counseling, most
puppy and new dog owners are able to house train
their dogs within 1 to 2 months of adoption.
4
There are 2 important house training goals:
• Make elimination in the desired location easy.
• Prevent mistakes.
These goals can be achieved with close owner
supervision, scheduled frequent elimination
opportunities, and confinement ( Box 1 )
when the dog cannot be supervised. Although
some mistakes will happen even with careful
management, frequent mistakes should be
avoided because the dog or puppy may develop
learned preferences for indoor elimination sites.
Initially, the new dog or puppy should be
taken on supervised trips to the chosen
elimination site on the following schedule:
shutterstock.com/Elena Glezerova
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
If the dog or puppy is caught in the act of eliminating indoors,
the owner can attempt to interrupt by clapping or whistling,
and then immediately bringing the pet to the desired location.
BOX 1 Confinement Options for House Training
• Confine the dog or puppy to a crate or pen
• Tether it to a specific area of the house
• Tether it to a family member (also known as umbilical
cord training)
Introduction of confinement should be done gradually
and should be paired with positive experiences to
prevent separation or confinement distress.