What happens when your dog loses the ability to control his bowel movements? What do you do when you realize that your well-trained life companion who has been potty trained for years all of a sudden starts urinating and defecating all over the house?

Well instead of punishing your dog and making matters worse, you may want to look into the fact that he may have a condition known as incontinence.

Incontinence is the inability to control urination and/or defecation. The same term is also used to describe the reduced control that is sometimes apparent in geriatric animals.

The condition can be very upsetting to owners, as it warrants constant vigil to avoid cleanups. Many owners believe that the affected animal is either uncomfortable or in poor health. Some owners are repulsed and unable to cope with this type of problem.

Incontinent dogs should be carefully examined by a veterinarian to determine whether the problem is due to old age (lack of sphincter control) or a condition that can be treated. Urinary incontinence could be caused by conditions of the bladder and urethra.

A relatively common cause in older spayed female dogs is reduced estrogen levels. This type of condition may respond well to hormone treatments.

Fecal incontinence has been associated with damaged anal sphincter muscles, which perhaps can be surgically repaired, or injuries to the lumbar or pelvic area, with results from a nerve damage.

Nerve disorders usually are difficult to treat. Where loose stools associated with improper feeding are a part of the problem, dietary adjustments may be helpful.

The saddest situation is one in which the dog owner, unaware of possible corrective measures, believes that incontinence cannot be cured and automatically warrants euthanasia.

Even if the problem cannot be handled medically, some minor adjustments may make the incontinent dog easier to live with, and thus prevent the injustice of sending a faithful companion to his death.

Take this example: An 11 year old, spayed, female dog is healthy in all other respects, but had had urinary and fecal incontinence for about 1 1/2 months.

There are several things that a veterinarian might do for the dog. With a diet change and medical treatment, the incontinence could be reduced to the point where the diapers and bloomers were working acceptably. Other affected dogs have responded well to paper training or installation of a pet door.

If you follow your vets orders the problem can be manageable.

Daniel Millions
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/incontinence-what-it-means-to-your-pet-132829.html

It is very important to housetrain your dog as early as possible. Little pups, like human babies, do not have bladder control till they are about 3 months old. So they will have to be toilet trained right from the beginning.

How do you house train a dog?

Dogs have a natural instinct for cleanliness. They don’t soil or spoil their area unless they can’t help it. There are certain methods by which you can housetrain your pet.

Mark a living area

The dog has to be given his own little area. A dog crate comes of great use for this purpose. Though he may not take to the crate immediately, adequate training will help him get used to it as ‘his own’ place. The crate should be just the size for him, not too large. One side can be covered with waste paper, in case he loses bowel control. Do not shut him out from the family – always keep his crate in a corner inside the house, where he can easily be supervised.

Mark his toilet area

Take the dog out first thing in the morning. Carry him out, so that he doesn’t do his thing the moment he touches the floor! Let him sniff around a place outside and decide the place for his potty. Praise him once he is done, so that he learns that the particular area is his bathroom!

In case you are not at home for long periods of time, train the pup to ease himself on a stack of newspapers you’ve placed for him. In case he messes up some other place, just clean it up and patiently train him till he learns his toilet manners!

Walk him a bit

Spend some time with him in your backyard and wait for him to finish his potty. Letting him walk around helps him with his bowel movement. This could take anything between 5 and 50 minutes! Praise him when he completes his job. Take him out every two hours or so, or when he starts getting restless, so that he won’t unwittingly ruin your home and furniture.

Introduce him to the whole house

Once your pet has learned to identify his living area and toilet area, he will seldom have accidents at home. Now, you can open him up to the whole house, one room at a time. Keep moving his den from room to room, while always keeping an eye on him. Once he gets comfortable, he will start considering the whole house as an extension of his den.

Treat your pet with love and respect

An accident in the house may have happened only because your pet couldn’t help it. So do not nag or scold the pet, merely treat him with love and talk reassuringly. If the problem continues, you might want to get him checked for bladder or bowel dysfunction.

Housetraining older dogs
The above-mentioned methods can be used to train a grown dog too. Dogs are fast learners, so he will know to mark his own area and will seldom create a mess anywhere else.

House training only involves a little time and effort on the part of the owner. When trained properly, a pet tends to keep his schedule for a lifetime. Once the dog gets old enough, he gains full control over his bladder and bowel function, so he can be left alone for long periods of time.

George Kane
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/house-training-your-dog-100490.html

He is definitely not housebroken at all. He goes wherever whenever. I tried housebreaking him the same way I have puppies with a crate and watching him like a hawk. He doesn’t even offer to potty in his crate (he LOVES his crate). I take him out he is still getting used to a leash he will pee outside but as soon as we set foot inside he goes to the kitchen and does his business.

He is a rather large mutt as well so his poo is not small LOL

Any tips are greatly appreciated…

and as always if you would like vote for my friends dog (I ask everywhere lol)

http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=24ED9A47F238ADDB6179F1D7750B1321

well, first of all, make sure that you praise him when he goes potty outside, and scold him right away when you catch him going potty inside. then take him right back outside again.

also, when you clean up his pee/poo inside the house, make sure you use bleach or an enzymatic cleaner so that he won’t be able to smell where he previously went potty.

he’s not pottying in his crate because that’s probably where he sleeps, and dogs never potty where they sleep b/c they want to keep it clean.

Similar to the nutritional value of your pet’s food is the feeding schedule. Remember that dogs like humans need to eat on regular basis, delicious and nutrients loaded food and other treats should be closely observed as part of the dog’s diet. Snacks and mealtimes should be given at intervals in a good feeding schedule.

Devise a feeding schedule depending on your dogs age and health, this will enable you provide nutritional requirements that supports the dog’s diet. Mature dogs often eat a single meal during the day, but two meals are a good option.

Older dogs seldom require a feeding schedule variation from any mature dogs, though a dog’s dietary requirements change with time.

Younger dogs require frequent meals in the course of the day. Puppies that are nursing should be allowed to nurse on demand. As you change your puppy’s diet from milk to solid dog food, you could be required to give meals four or five times a day. When the puppy becomes accustomed to the new diet, you can decrease the feeding schedule to three times in the course of the day.

Time consistency should be maintained in administering your dog’s diet throughout the day. Deciding the time is solely your personal responsibility, just ensure that that you stick to that time once established for a successful diet program. Don’t vary feeding times drastically, e.g. if your feeding schedule requires that you feed your dog at 7:00 AM before work and 7:00 PM after work, stick with the schedule the whole week.

It should not be a surprise when your pet becomes antsy at 6:00 AM in expectation of breakfast. Your dog’s diet is essential to him and he is justified for being anxious with anticipation.

Treats too should be incorporated into the dog’s diet as part of the dog’s daily feeding schedule. If you teach your dog to expect a treat each morning after your breakfast, the pet will become accustomed to the ritual and will therefore expect you to live up to your promise.

Feeding schedule is important because it keeps your dogs diet on track. Daily dog feeding routine is easy to establish. An established dog feeding schedule will also make it easy to tell when to implement an elimination schedule. When house training an adult dog or teaching a puppy potty basics, its essential that you learn how to note when the dog needs a break or wants to go out. Sticking to a feeding schedule reinforced by a healthy diet will make the task easy. This could prove useful when you travel with the pet. Once you learn how to identify your dog’s elimination schedule, it then becomes easy to plan proper potty stops. You will also be able to tell whether your pet is feeling stress by the change to the established schedule. Learn to uphold normalcy and custom as much as you possibly can.

Just as the substance that forms your dog’s diet is important, so is the way you present it. A successful dog diet is based on value and schedule. An established eating schedule will teach your dog when to expect meals, hence save you from those begging tricks that land your hand in table craps or cupcakes which could be harm the pets health.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/feeding-plan-to-a-dogs-diet-the-significance-of-one-753469.html

Crate dog training is easier than you think…

One of the best things you can do for your puppy early in life is crate training.

Many people are under the misconception that crate training a puppy is cruel but this is far from the truth.

Dogs actually get a lot of benefit from having been crate trained and they generally come to like the fact that they have been crate trained.

Many people also assume that crate training is difficult, but this is also far from the truth.

Dogs, naturally avoid soiling the area where they will eat and sleep and this is one of the reasons why crate training is important.

It is essential to take notes of the times when your puppy likes to eat, sleep, and ‘go to the toilet’ because this will help determine the best times for the crate training.

Crate dog training is not about keeping your dog locked up for extended lengths of time.

Crate training needs to be handled with the care that one would expect from a family member.

You should remember that, done correctly, crate training will enhance the lives of both you and your dog.

There are bound to be mishaps along the way when your puppy might ‘mess’ in the crate but he/she should not be punished for this, as it is highly unlikely that it would have been intentional.

Crate training is the best method of potty training a puppy by far, so it is well worth doing when they are young to eliminate one area that can be a problem with dogs, as they grow older.

While it might seem that your dog doesn’t like crate training initially, (many dogs will fuss, whine and bark when they first start crate training) most crate trained dogs learn to love their crate as their own place, much like children have their favorite blanket for security that they will carry around.

Crate dog training usually starts with short periods of 10 to 15 minutes slowly building up to two hours as they become more accustomed to their crate.

Michael Silvester
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/heres-a-quick-way-to-crate-dog-training-116381.html

How long it will take you to house train your dog depends on your dedication to the training process and your puppy’s maturity and learning rate.

Things you will need to housetrain your puppy are a properly fitted crate, a collar and leash, some treats, and time and patience.

You also need to pick a spot for your puppy to go potty. Using the same spot each time will help the puppy recognize that this is where he should go, and the smell from going there other times will help him go potty faster when you take him out.

I don’t recommend using doggie litter boxes or those puppy pads. If you want your dog to always go potty in the house fine, then use this article to teach them to go there. But don’t complain to me when your dog starts going other places in the house. Dogs often times cannot tell the difference between a puppy pad and your expensive rug. All they know is its ok to go potty in the house so any area with a roof is fair game for elimination. Also trying to paper train a dog and then trying to switch the dog to going outside is counterproductive and confusing for the dog. Doing this will only slow the training down. So forget the puppy pads and start teaching your dog to go outside from day one. If you have already been using them throw them out and start all over from the beginning, but keep mind the process may take a little longer the second time around since once your dog has bad habits they are hard to break. Its much easier to prevent them than to correct them later.

When looking for a crate you want one that is big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lay down. You don’t want it so big that he can lay in one end and use the other end as a bathroom. If he can do this trust me he will. There are all kinds of different styles of crates: the two most common are wire and plastic. But they come in mesh, wicker, all sorts of different materials now. I would recommend choosing either a wire or plastic one, especially for puppies that like to chew. Here are some pros and cons of plastic and wire crates.

Plastic: These come in several sizes so can accommodate nearly every size of dog. They also give a more den like feeling to the dog and have less of a cage look. The disadvantage to these crates is that you may need to buy more than one to accommodate a growing puppy, and they take up more room if you want to store them even though they usually will come apart in halves for storage. There are also some newer plastic crates that will fold up similar to a wire crate.

Wire: Like the plastic crate these also come in a variety of sizes. They do look more like cages though, something that can be fixed by purchasing a cover for it. A cover will also help some dogs feel more secure in a wire crate. The advantage of these is that you can buy a size to fit your dog when it is full grown. Wire crates have dividers available for purchase so that you can make the crate fit your puppy. These also have a storage advantage in that most fold up very neatly and can be stored easily.

Next you will need to introduce your puppy to its crate. Just sticking the puppy in there without a positive introduction can be very stressful for the pup. I like to bring a new puppy home on a day off, and try to pick it up as soon as possible in the morning. This way I have all day to introduce the puppy to the crate so that by bedtime the puppy will feel pretty comfortable with its crate and shouldn’t fuss to much.

Start by showing the puppy the crate and let him explore it. Next show your puppy a treat and then toss it inside. When your puppy goes in to get the treat praise him excitedly. Repeat this a few times and then end this session. If your pup won’t go all the way in the crate to get the treat try throwing it closer to the door, or even outside the door and then gradually toss it farther back, until the pup goes all the way in.

After an hour or two have another session with crate. If your pup went all the way in the last time start there, if not start at the point you left off. After a couple times of going in the crate and coming right back out you can shut the door. But let the pup out after a second or two. Repeat this gradually increasing the amount of time the pup is in the crate. If you do this several times the first day by the time your ready for bed your pup should be pretty comfortable with the crate. I also like to repeat this process for a day or two after the pup comes home.

Also remember that whenever your dog is crated you need to remove any type of collar, even a buckle collar can catch on a crate and strangle a dog.

Now that you have your crate set up and your pup introduced to it you need to put your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies 8 wks to 6 months should be given three meals a day. After six months this can be cut down to 2 meals. Free-feeding (having food available all the time) is not recommended. It can lead to obesity and makes it harder to housetrain your puppy. Another disadvantage to this feeding method is that it will be harder for you tell if your dog is off food which can be a sign of illness. Feeding on a schedule allows you to predict when your puppy will need to go out. If you know when it went in you can predict when it will come out. You will want to divide your dog’s full daily amount into three smaller meals. Give him the food and after twenty minutes take away the bowl whether there is food in it or not. Dogs will generally consume all they want in twenty minutes. Take your puppy to his potty spot about 15-20 minutes after he has finished eating. Repeat the go potty command while you are waiting for him to go. When he starts to go tell him good boy go potty, and when he has finished give him a treat and make a big fuss over him.

I’d also like to tell you how to tell if your puppy is getting to much or to little food. The recommendations on dog food bags are just a starting point. Start with that amount and then watch to see if your dog needs more or less. The way to tell is to do a rib check. You shouldn’t be able to see the ribs, if you can add more food. You should be able to easily feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat, if you have trouble feeling the ribs, cut back the amount of food.

In addition to having to go out after meals your puppy will also need to go potty after he wakes up from a nap, after playing, and first thing in the morning and before bed. Signs that your puppy needs to go out: are restlessness and circling an area while sniffing. If your puppy does these things it’s a safe bet to take him out. Remember though that individual dogs have their own signs of needing to go to the bathroom and you will soon pick up on these signals as well.

When you are out for potty breaks you should stand still, if he wants to play ignore him. You want him to know that it is time to go to the bathroom not time to play. If you allow him to play before he goes to the bathroom he may start to hold out on you to extend his playtime. Once he has gone to the bathroom however you can play all you want. Stay outside with your dog for about 10 minutes to wait for him to go, if he doesn’t go in ten minutes just pick him up and carry him back inside matter-of-factly. No treats or playtime on the way in. When you get back into the house he will either need to be crated or watched like a hawk. Try again in ten minutes. Repeat until he goes.

Another mistake a lot of people make when they bring their new puppy home is to allow him free run of the place. This will only hurt your training and will also cause your dog to get into a lot of trouble. Young puppies need to be watched. When your puppy can’t be watched he should be in his crate. This way he can’t make a mistake or get into trouble.

Accidents:

The only time you can punish your puppy for having an accident in the house is if you catch him in the act. Even then it’s less of a punishment and more of a redirection. If you see your puppy going to the bathroom in the house, startle him with a sharp NO and take him outside to finish the job. When he finishes outside, give him a treat and lots of praise. Back inside the house clean up the mess and use an enzymatic cleaner (such as OUT or Nature’s Miracle) to remove all traces of the mess so he won’t be tempted to use the same spot. Most carpet cleaners will leave traces of the mess that you can’t see or smell, but your pet can.

If you find a mess after the fact, well to bad that one is your fault, you should have been watching the puppy. Simply clean it up and try to watch more carefully. If you try to scold your pup after the fact he will have no idea what you are mad about and will be confused and may even become scared of you. NEVER, NEVER rub your dogs nose in urine or feces. It is not only disgusting but it also has no training value what so ever. Hitting your dog with anything including a rolled up newspaper is also unacceptable.

Young puppies may need to use the bathroom during the night, so I advise putting the crate in your bedroom. This way if the puppy sounds restless you can take him to the bathroom. This will also make your puppy feel more secure because he is close to you. If you do need to take your puppy out in the middle of the night make sure you allow him to go to the bathroom only. No playtime for these outings. Still give him a treat and praise, but do so in a quieter manner than you would during the day. This way you won’t get him all riled up the middle of night. Remember if you let him get away with playing in the middle of the night he will begin to expect it, and you don’t want that. How long night time outings will last depends on the age of your puppy, and how fast his bladder matures.

It also helps to have his last meal of the day at least two hours before bed and take away his water an hour before bed. You don’t want to put it in the crate with him, it would be unfair to the puppy to expect him to have a supply of water and then not have to go to the bathroom all night long. The only thing that should be in your dog’s crate are a chew toy and maybe a doggie blanket. Although some pups will urinate on absorbant materials that are in their crate, if yours does remove it. Also if you see that your puppy is chewing on his blanket it should be removed. If the puppy ingests part of the blanket it could cause an intestinal blockage. If that happens emergency surgery is needed to remove the blanket from the intestines.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but that is what puppies are. They are also a lot of fun and that should make up for the work part of having a puppy. And just keep in mind that one day soon you will have a beautiful dog who is housetrained and is a joy to have around.

(Note: if you are going to use this article to train a dog that had previously been housetrained and is now having accidents, please contact your vet first. If your dog suddenly "forgets" his housetraining it can be a sign of infection, and that needs to be treated. Once you have confirmed that the dog is healthy with your vet, then refresh your dog with this article)

Your best bet would be to confine the dog to a very small area (crates are ideal) where he only has room to lay down. Dogs don’t like to soil their bedding (until they’ve been taught they have no other choice). Take him outside frequently and offer lots of praise when he potties.

You might want to tether him to you while he is loose in the house. That way, you won’t miss him sneaking off to potty. If he gives any indication of having to go (sniffing, pacing, whining, circling, etc.), try a trip outside.

potty training adult dogs is typically easier than a pup. They have more blatter control and can usually pick things up quick.

Be sure to not scold him in any way when he does go in the house. Just make a mental note to watch him better.

Training older dog issues require some adaptability. When you’re considering training older dog techniques, you have to keep in mind what senior dog problems your older dog has.

Here are some of the training older dog considerations you need to think about:

1. Older dogs may have joint problems. There are some things your older dog isn’t going to be able to do. If, for example, you are trying to teach your senior dog to jump up, if your dog isn’t doing what you want, it may be because the jump is physically difficult for him because he has older dog joint problems. Even simple tasks like sitting and lying down can be hard for dogs.

Be aware that your older dog might not be responding because of pain or stiffness. Don’t get impatient with a slow-to-respond older dog who could have joint problems.

2. Many senior dogs have trouble hearing. Training older dog techniques must take into account the possibility that the dog may have dog hearing loss and not be able to hear commands.

If you’re not sure if your older dog has dog hearing loss, do a little experiment. Wait until your senior dog has his or her back to you and then say the dog’s name. If your dog doesn’t respond, he likely can’t hear you.

To compensate for the dog hearing loss, incorporate hand signals into your training. For example, use a come here motion when teaching the dog to come. Use a flat hand, palm facing away from you to teach a dog to stay. Point to the floor when you want the dog to sit. Make a motion with your hands like an umpire calling a batter safe when you’re telling your dog, no.

You may need to use your hands to give praise too. Most training uses treats AND verbal praise for the best effect. If your dog can’t hear the praise you give, it could slow down your training older dog efforts. Choose a hand or body movement that tells your dog you’re happy with him.

3. Senior dogs can have bladder control issues. When you’re considering potty training older dog techniques, keep in mind that your older dog may have problems with his bladder. The potty training efforts will go more smoothly if you take your dog outside frequently. The fewer accidents you allow, the easier it will be to potty train your older dog.

4. Older dogs can have attention-span issues. You know how people tend to get more child-like when they get older? Dogs do too. They can revert back to some puppy-like qualities. One of those qualities can be a shortened attention span. Good training older dog efforts take this into account.

Teach your senior dog in small chunks of time. A few minutes several times a day is better than one longer block of time.

When you keep these special senior dog considerations in mind, you’ll have far better results when you set out to succeed at training older dog.

Ande Waggener
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/training-older-dog-requires-adaptability-55387.html

When we got them, they were allowed inside our house with us, but once they turned a year old we just kept them outside. We bought one of those dog houses with an A/C and heater. So they lived outside mostly.

Now that one of my dogs ate rock, and just came out of surgery today. We are deciding to keep them inside, the first thing that comes to mind is potty training….

The one that came out of surgery, was in his crate and he just had his meds all 10 pills… So he was kinda drowsy so I guess he just soiled in his sleep?

So how and Where do we start with potty training?

Also what about shedding? I heard there is a brush I can buy at Petsmart to remove excess hair? My parents dont want to have dog hair on there clothes…

First thing to do is get your dogs on a regular schedule. Meals at the same times each day. Exercise (long walks – 45 minutes to an hour) twice a day, before each meal. Feed the dog’s full day ration divided into two parts, and give one part for each meal.

Second, your dogs may want to urinate or defecate while they’re on their walks. If they need to do this, let them do it, but be sure to pick up any messes so your friends and neighbors don’t decide they hate you and your dogs! <grin>

Third, take the dogs out first thing in the morning when they wake up. Don’t just LET them out. Put them on a leash and take them to the spot in the yard where you want them to go, so that they don’t mess up your entire back yard. Clean up immediately after them so that you don’t step in it the next time you take them out.

Fourth, take the dogs out 15-30 minutes after each meal. Again, don’t just LET them out. Put them on a leash and take them to where you want to them to go.

Finally, take the dogs out about every three or four hours during the day. Don’t make them try to hold it longer than that, since they’re not accustomed to living in the house and having to be careful where they go.

As for shedding, there is no way your parents are going to keep all dog hair off their clothes. Dogs shed. But you can get a shedding blade (it’s like a loop with a handle, with one edge of the loop with teeth like a saw, but not as sharp) and a slicker brush that helps to remove loose top hair. Brush them outside to keep the fur from flying all over the house, and again, clean it up right away to keep your parents from getting mad at you for leaving a mess. With the shedding blade, be sure not to press down hard. Just run it in short strokes over the dog to loosen the hair. With the slicker, you can press a little harder, but not too hard or the dogs will hate to be brushed. The slicker is also good for brushing out the dog’s tail if you didn’t get it docked and for brushing their chests. But dogs will shed, and your parents won’t be able to keep all the dog hair off their clothes.

Good luck!