THE PET CONNECTION By Gina Spadafori Pet Columnist

The first step in turning an adult dog into a reliable house pet is to embrace a key concept: There's no such thing as a "partially" house-trained dog. He either is house-trained or he isn't.

Why is this so important? Because if you have a dog who is "sometimes" reliable, you have a dog who really isn't getting the picture, probably because no one took the time to teach it to him properly in the first place. And that's what you'll have to do.

Before you train him, though, make sure you're not dealing with a sick dog. If you have a dog who was perfectly house-trained and isn't any longer, you must determine that what you have really is a behavior problem, not a medical problem. So check with your veterinarian. If you've just adopted an adult dog, you should have him checked out, too, before assuming he's not house-trained. Not only is ruling out medical problems the fair thing to do, it's also the only sensible route: You won't be able to change the habits of a dog who can't help what he's doing wrong.

Once you've ruled out medical problems, house-training an adult dog uses the same principles as house-training a puppy, except that you have to be even more diligent because you'll be doing some untraining, too. You need to teach your dog what's right before you can correct him for what's wrong. To do this, spend two weeks ensuring he has nothing but successes by never giving him the opportunity to make a mistake. Here's how:

-- Leash him to you in the house, so you can monitor his every move during his training period. If he starts to mess, correct him with a sharp "no," take him outside, give your "go" command -- I use "hurry up" with my dogs -- and praise him for doing right.

-- Use a shipping crate to contain him whenever he's not on leash with you. A grown dog can be confined a lot longer than a puppy can, and it's not unfair to confine him for four or five hours at a stretch -- assuming, of course, that he's getting his regular exercise at other times. If you go to work, you can leave him in the crate with a couple of chew toys to keep him busy and a radio playing to keep him company.

-- Take him outside first thing in the morning, as soon as you get home from work and just before you go to bed, when you put him in his crate for the night. Always remember to give your "go" command, and praise, praise, praise when he does as you wish.

The most difficult part of house-training an adult dog is often the owner's attitude toward limiting the pet's options in such a way as to make success possible. And that means a crate and a leash. People seem able to accept a crate more with puppies, perhaps because they enjoy the respite they gain when their little terror is confined. You may not like the idea of crating and leashing your adult dog, but bear in mind you won't need to do it forever. But you will need to do it for now.

If you've been consistent, your dog will likely have a good idea of what's expected of him at the end of the two weeks, and you can start to give him a little freedom. Don't let him have the run of the house yet. Keep his area small and let him earn the house, room by room, as he proves his understanding of the house rules.

Accidents will happen. If you catch him, correct him with a sharp "no," take him outside and give him the chance to set things right. Give your "go" command, and praise if he does. Clean up the mess promptly and thoroughly, so he won't feel so inclined to refresh his smell there. If you aren't catching him but you're still finding messes, you're not keeping close enough tabs on him. Go back to the crate and leash and start over.

Consistency and patience are necessary for house-training an adult dog. If you have both, you will likely succeed. Without them, you'll have a very difficult time getting the results you're hoping for. If after a couple of weeks you still seem to be getting nowhere, ask your veterinarian for a referral to a qualified behaviorist.

Date Published: 5/30/1999

    

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of Dogs for Dummies, Cats for Dummies and Birds for Dummies. She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her at petconnection@gmail.com.