Q: I read your article on training an adult dog to go outside to relieve himself. I have already done all this and the problem of my dog still occasionally relieves himself in the house. I have a Bichon who was given to me when he was 1 year old. His first owners kept him tied up in their basement and would relieve himself all over the place. Since I have had him, he has been neutered, retrained with a leash when going outside (so he doesn't think it's playtime), and used enzymes for cleaning up. He has done remarkable in asking to go outside but still wants to go in the basement as well as "marking" his spot occasionally here and there. It is not a "full" relief though. Is there hope that he will eventually stop, or because his first year of his life he had no discipline and obedience, as well as love? This little guy is my "baby" and I would anything for him. Do you have any suggestions? Thank You.
A: The marking is not a matter of disobedience, it's instinct. Male Bichons can be difficult to housetrain, and it sounds like you have done really well with a dog who was forced as a puppy into pretty much the worst possible bathroom habits! His instincts to be clean were probably quite damaged.
Neutering him was exactly the right thing to do. You need to supervise him 100% as long as this problem is going on, whenever he is loose in the house. He needs to either be in the room with you at all times, so you can watch him, or in his "safe place," such as a crate. One thing this will prevent is tiny marks you didn't know he made, which would then further stimulate him to mark there again. Every mistake he makes in the house just confuses the poor dog more!
When you find a spot that is still wet, try full-strength white vinegar occasionally instead of the bacterial enzyme product. If the spot has dried first, you must use the enzyme product, vinegar will not neutralize the odor. If the spot is still wet when treated, white vinegar will neutralize the odor, and it also seems to carry a scent message that repels the dog from using that spot again. Don't count on it too much, but it could help a little.
Another thing some breeders of small dogs swear by is a "belly band." The idea is a soft strap around his tummy that holds a pad in place to catch urine. They say it catches the mess, and occasionally a dog will decide he really doesn't like the idea of "wetting himself." However, don't leave it on too much, because it would cut off air circulation to that area, and therefore could promote infection.
You may make it all the way with this dog, or you may always have to supervise him. Your progress so far is excellent. You didn't mention how long ago he was neutered, but if it was less than 4 months ago, there could still be a further reduction in hormones that will help you, too. I'm so glad this little guy has found a good person to love him. Bichons have wonderful temperaments.
Update: Thanks so much for responding to my e-mail. I'm glad I found you on the internet! My Bichon was neutered the month I received him, so he has been neutered for over 2 years. I do keep a constant watch over him and so does the rest of my family. This is not a problem as he follows me where ever I go! As I stated he lets us know 99% of the time that he wants to go outside, and if he does slip out of our sight and if he has done something wrong he has that look in his face and I'll say what did you do?, and he puts his tail in-between his legs (if he has done something wrong). He knows what I am saying as well as knowing he did wrong! I assume this is what I will have to do forever, but I have never had a dog that I enjoyed so much and loved, so I won't even care! He is so fun, very loving, affectionate and smart! He even kisses our cat! I would be lost without him. He is so human and knows every thing that I say. Is it true that Bichons are the only dog that just about knows the whole human language? This is what I have heard. I seem to believe it because he does everything I say and knows exactly what I'm talking about or knows what I'm going to do, (except for him to not mark his spot in the house). I'm totally amazed at his intelligence! He does everything except for answer the phone! (If he could I'm sure he would! ) Thanks again for your input! I will always keep you in mind when I need expert advice on my best friend!
A: I know it seems that he knows he has done wrong, but that's not actually what is happening. Dogs are incredibly better at reading body language than we are. He knows you are unhappy with him, and this body language you see in him is his telling you that he doesn't want you to be mad.
Try an experiment. When for some reason you know he has made a mark, use a happy voice. Use the same words--What did you do?--but a tone like he is the most wonderful dog in the world. Make sure your whole body looks happy and smiling.
You will discover that he does NOT know what your words mean, or what it is he did that you don't like. Why would he? In the dog world, marking is normal, and is not a bad thing or any kind of insult!
Making the dog look like he feels sorry satisfies some impulse in human beings, but it doesn't train the dog at all. In fact, quite the reverse--it can create new problems. Among dogs, telling the other dog they did wrong is the action of a split second--then it's over.
Dogs don't dwell on making each other feel sorry. A dog who does get this kind of treatment from other dogs is in huge trouble. As a result, when we make our dogs feel this way, they experience a great deal of stress. You love your little guy, you don't want that for him!
Dogs know some things about us that other people don't know, because dogs are better at reading body language than most people are. But, it wouldn't be fair to your dog to put on him the burden of understanding all your words. Dogs do not use words in their world.
They learn what a lot of our words mean, based on the CONTEXT--we say these words, then something happens every time. Soon they hear the words, and they expect that thing to happen. They don't understand the deeper meaning of the words, but they learn that these words are a "signal" for another event that usually happens after the words.
I have a very, very high opinion of the intelligence of dogs, and I don't think humans can fully understand a dog's intelligence. We can appreciate it and we can benefit from it. The better we understand our dogs, the better we can treat them. We just must not expect dogs to understand all the things humans understand, and in the same ways that humans do.
Dogs know things about the world that we don't know, based on a dog's keener senses of smell, hearing, and body language. But dogs don't know anything about money. They may not even realize they are eventually going to die. They do not speak, and they probably do not think in terms of words. If any dogs do think in terms of words, it's probably more on the level of phrases they have learned through close contact with a loving human. Imagine how different the world is to them?
We can greatly benefit from letting our dogs show us as much of their world as we are able to comprehend. At the same time, it's only right for us not to hold them responsible for understanding things about our world that are simply beyond their ability.