House Training an Adult Dog.

Meet Bella!

Bella is a sweet and even tempered, newly adopted Boston Terrier. Bella's new owners have owned Boston Terriers before and have a good handle on the basics as far as training goes. They stumbled on to a perplexing problem when they discovered that Bella was not necessarily house trained. Since one of Bella's new owner's is physically handicapped and the other works a very full time job, this became a significant issue.

First off I must disclose that when an adult dog starts soiling indoors or at inappropriate times, it may indicate potential heath problems. A visit to your veterinarian to rule out a medical condition may be in order. In Bella's case we were able to determine that it was due to a drastic change in her normal routine, post adoption. Even dogs that may be reliably house trained can breakdown when exposed to major changes. Most likely due to anxiousness and confusion.

When this happens, simply go back to the basics of house training. Re-establishing the rules will help your new dog understand what's expected of them and what is unacceptable. Some tips and tools that can help you take control of the problem are:

• 100 percent supervision is the only way to guarantee that your pooch won't make a mistake.
• The use of crates or indoor leads for when supervision is not an option.
• Restriction of food and water after certain times of day.
• Keeping a log of your dogs natural elimination habits to help create a routine for you and your dog.
• Rewarding successful outdoor eliminations with tasty treats.

For more information on Housetraining or to schedule and appointment with a Zen Dog Trainer, visit Zen Dog Training Online.