Problems with toilet training are common.
Meet Bruno - a 15 week old Pugalier.
He's a cross between a Pug and a Cavalier.
Bruno may be a beautiful playful puppy but mother and daughter Lisa and Laura are struggling
to get him to poo and pee in the right place.
He's really playful and he has his moments where he's just running round everywhere.
And then when he goes all tired he's really soft and just if you want him weeing and pooing
everywhere he'd be quite a little bit like the perfect dog.
Yesterday when I got up everybody was still in bed and Bruno had had a run of the house,
and there was just poo all up the house and the room downstairs, and actually on my son's
bed as well.
Bruno's toileting has taken its toll on the living room floor.
Repeated scrubbing with disinfectant has left patches on the carpet.
Behaviour Expert Jane Hanshaw has come along to see if she can help solve the problem once
and for all.
Now then, trouble, are you having toilet training problems are you?
So has he got free ' tell me about his lifestyle.
Are you using those puppy pads at all?
He uses them sometimes but not - hardly ever.
When were' out he's in the kitchen and he's got a puppy pad in there was well.
And he sometimes uses that.
But not to poo on.
He don't normally use it to poo on, he normally just wees on that.
So where does he normally pee and poo then?
if he's in the kitchen he'll poo on the floor anywhere.
But is that carpet in there?
No, it's not carpet.
Yeah.
Otherwise he'll just poo wherever he wants to poo.
Anywhere apart from walks.
Okay.
We've tried to ' to watch him and pick him up and put him onto his ' his training mats
and everything.
But he tends to stop doing what he was going to do and wait, won't do it on the training
mat, and then he''ll wait until you've sort of left him alone and then he'll go and do
it somewhere else when you're -so it''s constant watching really.
He's got free range of the house then?
He has . he has when we're in.
Yeah.
But when we're out he tends to go in the kitchen.
So that's probably some of your problem.
So the key to toilet training is really, really good observational skills.
And if you're going to have him everywhere, then you need to be with him.
Think of your puppy as a toddler, When he has to go he has to go.
You wouldn't expect a toddler to be potty trained in a couple of days.
And it's the same with a puppy.
Watch out for any sniffing and circling behaviour in the house.
If you do see that, then get him to your chosen toileting area outside as quickly as possible.
Take him to that toilet area, after every rest, after every meal, after every drink,
after every play session, and then probably every hour as well.
And you have to think about that it's your job to keep your eye on your puppy.
Don't use disinfectant to clean up the mess, that leaves a remnant of scent and that means
that's where I peed.
Rather use a biological washing powder and then wipe it over with a solution of surgical
spirit.
So shall we - can you show me where the garden is.
Yeah, I/ll take you down to the garden.
Right, thank you.
Toilet training is hard work.
Become an expert at watching your dog.
Decide where you want him to toilet.
Usually the most logical area is the garden.
So this is the behaviour we want.
We're looking for sniffing, circles, nose down, bottom up, starting to just bimble about
and that's the sort of behaviour you want to be looking for when he's in the living
room.
So when you see him starting to sniff, you see him starting to circle, pick him up, bring
him straight out into his toilet area.
Never tell your puppy off for accidents.
Otherwise he might start to worry about toileting around you and then you're going to make the
problem much, much worse.
Also please don't run his nose in it.
That's just cruel.
At this moment in time he doesn't see this as his toileting area, so you could pick the
area of the garden that you want him to toilet in.
So I would get that mat that's got some pee on, bring it out there and then we'll see
if we can encourage, just with that scent, to sort of say this is where you toilet.
The other thing you can think about doing at that, is you can put a phrase to it.
So my own phrase is ''be quick'.
So as he's performing, I say to my dog, 'be quick,' and then he realises that that's the
- that's a word to go with that action.
Then once he knows what that 'be quick' means, you can take him to a toilet area and then
you can get him to perform on command or on cue.
And if you want to be thinking when he gets it wrong it's really your thought, okay.
He's a toddler, you're teaching.
Once that phrase ''be quick' becomes ingrained, then take your dog out for a walk, give him
a chance to sniff and to perform and put that ''''be quick' to it.
That''s the start of getting your dog to toilet on command outside.
Within minutes Bruno performs.
Hey!
Be quick.
Good boy.
Be quick.
Good boy.
What a good puppy.
So that's exactly what I want you to do.
As he's performing, you - you can use your own word, it doesn't matter.
You can use 'carrots', as long as you're teaching him what the word means, use that word and
praise him.
With dedication, good routine and exercise, toilet training is achievable and Bruno certainly
seems to be getting the hang of it.
Be quick.
Good boy.
And running makes them go to the toilet, running helps them to poo.