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Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009

The Old Trainer: Tips for moving with pets

Dear Old Trainer: I just moved to a new place, and my 11-month-old schnauzer, Rupert, has forgotten he was housebroken and has started marking in the house. How do I train him not to?

Also, after moving into a new place how do you keep your cat from running off?

-- Puzzled, Denver

A: Don't worry too much about Rupert, Puzzled. When a dog marks in a new environment it is not a housebreaking issue, it is merely a manifestation of instinctive behavior.

When Rupert lifts his leg in his new house it is not the same as needing to go to the bathroom.

Dog urine is of great interest to all canines and is an important part of their thinking and psychology.

A dog leaves its scent in urine as a message for other dogs. It establishes a claim on territory and allows other dogs to determine the age, the sex, the health and the mating availability of the dog doing the marking.

Marking also builds confidence.

A dog as young as Rupert, when moved into a new environment, will naturally feel the need to mark his new territory. It will be easy for you to train him, but you, and all dog owners who are moving a dog to a new home, should keep the following facts in mind:

1. Most dogs that are neutered or spayed at an early age do not mark in the house. Prevention is better than cure.

2. Although male dogs are more likely to mark urine than females it is common for females to scent mark, too. Often a female dog coming into heat or during it will mark to advertise her availability. A dominant female will also mark. When I walk my pack of dogs, the females mark just as often -- and usually at the same spots -- as the males

3. There are a number of things that can cause an otherwise well-trained dog to mark indoors -- a new house, a new baby, a new pet, a visitor, even a new piece of furniture. Young dogs sometimes feel a desire to mark anything new that comes into the house.

It is an easy problem to solve and only takes a day or so.

Most dogs will never mark inside, or will do so only once or twice when moving into the new house then never do it again.

The first step in training -- and this applies both to a dog being moved to a new house and to new dogs -- is to walk the dog around the house. Explain things to him in a calm voice. Keep an eye on him and say "no" the instant he starts to lift his leg. Take him outside immediately, and pet him and praise him when he marks outside.

The message you are trying to get across to him is that urine marking is fine, as long as it is only done outside.

As in all training, the petting and praise when he does the right thing is the most important part of the training.

When it comes to advice on keeping your cat at home, The Old Trainer can only resort to the immortal words of Butterfly McQueen in "Gone With The Wind": "I don't know nothin' about no cats, Miss Scarlett."

Send your questions to theoldtrainer711@yahoo.com.