Fall 2009 â¢ V ol. 43 No. 3 - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA

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Ask a Trainer Housetraining Help from the Experts Q: – I have a 3-year-old German Shepherd. Recently, she’s started having accidents in the house. I’ve tried to correct her by gently scolding and walking her outside, but she still has accidents! What’s the best way to teach her that outside is the place to do her business? – Sally in Tierrasanta A: This is an important topic and a common behavior question among pet parents. In addressing your dog’s undesired elimination habits, first you should also check with your veterinarian to rule out the possibility of any medical issues. If there is no medical explanation for the accidents in the house, then consider the following possibilities. Dogs relieve in undesirable places due to a variety of behavioral reasons: 1.) preference for certain locations, 2.) inability or unfamiliarity with “holding it” for the amount of time necessary, 3.) not knowing the designated relieving place, 4.) not feeling comfortable in the area or on the surface of the desired place, and/or 5.) discomfort with the route to the desirable relieving area. It is not uncommon for people to think that they should punish their dog for soiling in the house. In fact, the opposite is true. Punishment not only delays successful housetraining, it tends to create other behavioral issues as well. The dog may lose trust in you, especially in relation to the act of elimination. This will likely cause the dog to hide and try to go indoors out of your sight, thus perpetuating the undesired behavior. Instead of punishment, use managed confinement with supervised freedom as well as positive reinforcement to house train your dog. During times of supervised freedom, spend time reinforcing your dog for calm behaviors when hanging out in the house with you. When you are not supervising your dog, allow her to rest comfortably in a crate or enclosed area with a nice chew toy. When you take your dog out of the crate, guide her directly to the relieving area on leash. Give your dog food rewards, or at least be good company, on the way to the relieving area. When you reach the area, be calm and quiet to avoid distracting your dog from her job of finding a good spot to relieve. When your dog eliminates outside, gently praise her, walk away from the spot and then deliver a food reward. After giving the reward, do not rush back in the house – instead, spend time outside doing some rewarding activity (such as playing fetch or tug) with your dog. If it is unrealistic to confine your dog in a crate or enclosed area, spend more time supervising and reinforcing her for going to the desired place. Encourage your dog’s desire to go to the relieving area, even when she does not have to relieve. Once your dog starts sniffing around, she will likely relieve there at some point, so be ready to reward. When supervising your dog indoors, watch for signs that she “needs to go,” such as sniffing, circling, or trying to find a secluded area. If you see your dog doing any of these behaviors, redirect her to the desired relieving area. If she does not go outside at that time, keep her under close supervision when inside, and take your dog back outside within a few minutes to try again. Set your dog up for success by initially taking her out more often than necessary. Once you get to know her system and relieving habits, you can anticipate when she is most likely to go. If your dog does have an accident in the house, remove her from the location neutrally, not drawing any attention to the soiled area. Then clean the area when the dog is not there. With dogs, err on the side of trust, safety, and positive reinforcement. Some dogs need to feel more secure during the relieving time because it is one of the most vulnerable acts an animal engages in. To summarize, reinforce your dog for relieving in the desired place, and prevent her from going in undesired places through supervision and managed confinement. There are many services available at the San Diego Humane Society that address important aspects of a successful housetraining program. Our helpful lecture “Happily Ever After with Your Dog” is free to attend for dog parents that adopted from the San Diego Humane Society. Our group class, “Head Start,” also offers a lot of great tips. Finally, we offer private behavior training sessions either on campus or in your home. To sign up for a class or private session, please call the Health and Behavior Support Center at (619) 299-7012 x2334 or x2335. Margaret Lenoir Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT) and San Diego Humane Society and SPCA Trainer For more information about classes and tips for introducing a new dog to your household, contact our Behavior Helpline at (619) 299-7012 x2244 or visit www.sdhumane.org. 16 www.sdhumane.org AnimalFare • Fall 2009
San Diego Humane Society and SPCA For the Animals Food/Treats: • Cat and Dog Treats: – Bonito flake cat treats – Dog biscuits (e.g. Milk Bones) – Natural Balance rolls – Soft-type dog and cat treats • For Behavior Training and Veterinary Use: – Canned Chicken – Cheeze Whiz – Meat-flavored baby food • For Nusery: – KMR Kitten Milk Replacer (powdered) – Royal Canin dry kitten food – Nutro kitten food (canned) • Purina One dog food (canned) • Purina One cat/kitten food (canned) Toys/Enrichment Items: • Cat/kitten toys and scratchers • Dog Chew Toys: – Nylabones – Pig’s ears – Pressed rawhide bones – Bully sticks • Plastic children’s pool Other: • Agility tunnel • Baby blankets • Bathmats with rubber backings • Cat litter (clumping and non-clumping) • Disposable plastic feeding trays • Disposable pee pads • Dog and cat grooming brushes and combs • Dog houses • Hard-sided warm water recirculating blanket* • Heating pads (electrical, non-automatic shutoff type) • Grooming Tool Kit* • Kleenex tissue (white) • Newspapers • Portable CD players with built in speakers (battery operated and AC adapter) For the Society Miscellaneous/Other: • AA, AAA and D batteries • Bleach • Dawn dish soap • Cardstock, various weights and colors • Defibrillator* • Digital animal temperature thermometers* • Double-sided adhesive mounting squares • EZ-Up tent for special events* • Flashlight mount for vehicle* • General office supplies (see website for details) w i s h l i s t • Gift wrap supplies (cellophane, ribbon, tissue, etc.) • Investigations Field Evidence Kits* • Latex balloons and disposable helium tank(s) • Lint rollers and refills • Paper towels • Party/non-denominational holiday decorations (new) • Printer ink cartridges (HP color photo printer #95) • Reflective safety vests • Silk flowers (assorted) • FRS two-way radios (cordless, with chargers)* • Plastic trash bags (45 gallon or larger) • Wet/dry Vacuum (small canister, heavy duty style) • Ziploc bags Gift Certificates/Cards to: • Grocery stores • IKEA • Michaels • Office Depot • Target • local gas stations, restaurants, movie theaters and bookstores *please call for more details For more information about Wish List items, please contact devast@sdhumane.org or (619) 243-3401. H Thank You to Our Media Friends Tune in to learn about the San Diego Humane Society! The following media outlets provide regular coverage on adoptable animals, behavior training advice and other information for the San Diego Humane Society at no cost. For questions or comments on any of our media outreach efforts, contact pr@sdhumane.org or call (619) 243-3419. San Diego Union-Tribune KFMB-TV Channel 8 KUSI-TV Channel 9/51 XETV San Diego 6 Magic 92.5 FM San Diego Suburban Newspapers Pet of the Week (Thurs. in the Our San Diego section) Adopt a Pet section (Quarterly) Pet Friends (Fri. at 6:50 a.m.) Pet of the Week (Sat. at 8:40 a.m.) Ask Dr. Mark segment (2 nd Wed. of every month at 7:40 a.m.) Adoptable Pets (Every third Sun. at 8:30 a.m.) Jagger and Kristi’s Kritters segment (Monthly on Mon. at 8:30 a.m.) Pet of the Week (Every Thurs. in La Jolla Light and Friday in the Del Mar Times, Carmel Valley Leader, Solana Beach Sun and Rancho Santa Fe Record) AnimalFare • Fall 2009 www.sdhumane.org 17
Page 1 and 2: Fall 2009 • Vol. 43 No. 3
Page 3 and 4: From the Mailbox Thank you Humane S
Page 5 and 6: cover story Humane Society through
Page 7 and 8: 2 3 4 5 6 7 Photos: 1) Thousands of
Page 9 and 10: Retirement Plan Giving - A Gift Wit
Page 11 and 12: Photo: Stacey Zeitlin Photo: Shanno
Page 13 and 14: Bear (Mary Vannoy) Karen Ulvila Geo
Page 15: Jesse Jen DeMik & Aili Kato Johnny
Page 19 and 20: AUGUST 2009 Calendar of Events The

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Fall 2009 â¢ V ol. 43 No. 3 - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA