Dogs, Moving and Yikes! Carpet!

Question:
"I have a girl dachshund. She was potty trained or acted potty trained for the first couple months. She has been peeing and pooping in the house when we are gone. It feels like she is doing it because she is upset that we left. But I could be wrong. Do you have any classes that can help with this? We will be moving into a place with carpet and she will destroy it if we dont get her trained."

Answer:
A longtime potty-trained dog can suddenly start peeing and pooping in the house if it is struggling with a transition. Just like children, dogs take time to adjust to a new house. Step into your dog's paws for a second, and imagine 5 guys come into your house, move all of your stuff in a couple hours, drive off, and then you're crated and taken to a place you've never smelled before.

Moving is a major transition for a dog. Your home is your dog's domain and territory--it's all he knows! It is very comforting for a dog to be in its own home. When he is uprooted suddenly, he's going to express his confusion and anxiety by peeing and pooping (and for some reason, it feels extra good to do this on carpet!).

To reduce the stress of moving, gradually introduce your dog to the new surroundings. Just like you would show your children the new house, take your dog to the new place. Let your dog sniff, smell, and acclimate to the new place. On move day, it is imperative that your dog sees you moving furniture from one place to the other. Take him on at least two move runs, and let him see what's happening!

If you're one of the lucky ones and have a crate-trained dog, put the dog in the crate when you can't supervise the dog. Remember to keep some chew toys in the crate! An hour or so later (after you've figured out where the furniture is going to go), take the dog outside where you want the dog to relieve himself. If the dog does not relieve himself, without being mad at the dog, take the dog back to the crate.

An hour or so later (after you've unpacked your dishes), take the dog back to the yard and allow him to relieve himself. If you succeed, praise the dog! Otherwise, repeat the process until the dog relieves himself outside. This method can be used even if your dog has not previously been crate-trained.

If your dog marks an area it needs to be cleaned with Nature Miracle. Regular cleaners do not have the enzymes that kill the dog scent! When a dog smells that scent, it's like when a human hears a fountain and suddenly needs to pee! You MUST get rid of the dog scent to keep the dog from peeing in that same marked territory!

Barry O'Dea of On Command Dog Training is Northern Nevada's leading dog trainer.