 TOA
PAYOH VETS
toapayohvets.com
Date:
28 August, 2010
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Focus: Small
animals - dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs & rabbits |
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Two cases of
toilet-training puppies by first-time owners in
Singapore
Dr
Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
Written:
28 August, 2010 |
 toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129 |
TOILET-TRAINING CASE STUDIES
CASE 1. PEES EVERYWHERE WHEN LET
OUT OF THE PLAY PEN
An Indian family with a daughter
studying what she liked -
coaching netball sports at the
polytechnic brought in a small
poodle for the 3rd vaccination
as I had vaccinated it for 2
vaccinations at the Benji Pet
Shop.
Discussing about toilet-training
is a very interesting subject
and if there is humour in the
discussions, it will be fun and
laughter. This puppy was
paper-trained in her playpen.
However, she pees everywhere
when let out of the playpen 1.5
months after purchase. Why this
poodle does not go to the
newspaper when let out?
"Is the playpen closed up so
that the puppy cannot get in to
pee on the newspapers? Some
owners do that," I said.
The mum said: "The playpen was
open but the puppy does not go
inside and pee on the
newspapers."
"Is the paper changed often?" I
asked.
"Yes," the homemaker mum said.
"Every time she pees, I change
the papers."
The mum said: "When the puppy
pees outside the approved
papers, I will pick her and put
her inside the playpen so that
she will pee inside."
"It is too late usually," I
said. "The puppy does not know
why."
"If you let
go,
then your puppy will let
go too."
The English language sometimes
can be a source of humour as the
mum and daughter laughed.*
*For readers who may not
understand the complexities of
the English language, I mean "If
you let
(the puppy) go
(everywhere in the apartment),
then your puppy
will let go
(pees and poop everywhere)
too.
I advised: "The secret to
success is to confine the puppy
to a small area outside the
playpen for another 1-2 weeks.
In this way, the puppy knows
that she must go to the papers
to pee. Then increase the area
to one room, then after 1 week
or so, to two rooms and so on."
"By permitting roaming to the
whole apartment, it is like
putting your puppy onto a
football field. Your puppy
cannot detect the newspapers and
pees in every bedroom."
I advised neutralising of all
floors with white vinegar:water
and 1 part to 3 parts
respectively. Letting the puppy
so much freedom after 1 week of
confinement is a common practice
in Singapore as many owners are
puppy lovers. They feel sorry
for the poor puppy being
confined. But they have no time
to observe the signs of
elimination and put the puppy
back onto the newspapers with
oral commands and then praises.
In this case, the mother did do
it but it could be too late
(after the puppy had peed).
Therefore the puppy would not
know why. In addition, the
apartment floor is full of urine
smells and the puppy simply pees
everywhere!
CASE 2. TOILET-TRAINING TWO
PUPPIES
Date of Interview: 18 February
2010
Written by: Tanya Trevethick
Edited: Dr Sing
I did not do any editing. An
excellent piece of writing by a
vet intern who will be studying
vet medicine in the UK soon.
Description
Two male salt & pepper Miniature
Schnauzers around three years of
age at the time of interview are
owned by two men in their late
30s. They were house-trained as
puppies at the same time by the
current owners.
Equipment
At the time of interview, 3 pee
trays were placed in the
bathroom of an HDB apartment and
shared between both dogs. The
trays are near a wall; paper is
not used. Neither dog has a
preference for any particular
tray.
Process
When the puppies started to
eliminate, the owners carried
them to the pee tray. The
puppies were confined, with the
confinement area gradually
increased as the puppies got
used to using the pee tray.
Puppies were confined most of
the day except when allowed out
at a regular time each day to
play.
Management
The owner washes out the pee
tray and grate after every use.
The grate has never needed
replacing as it did not rust.
The dogs pee two or three times
a day and poop twice a day (once
in the morning and once at
night). The dogs are fed once a
day on dry commercial dog food
with very occasional treats.
Motivation
No treats were given after use
of the pee tray. Puppies were
spanked when they lifted their
legs too high resulting in urine
on the adjacent wall.
Difficulties
Training took a long time, two
or three months instead of the
usual two to four weeks. This
could indicate that training two
puppies together at the same
time is harder than training
just one. Also, the owners were
at work during the day thus the
puppies were not trained
continuously throughout the day.
Success Rate
100% at time of interview. The
dogs use the pee tray all the
time, never soiling other parts
of the bathroom or the house.
The male dogs also do not lift
their legs fully when urinating
(one does not lift at all), as
they get spanking and scolding
when they do it. Thus no urine
is sprayed onto the adjacent
walls or floor area outside the
pee tray. The owners noted that
the dogs do not use the tray
when it is unclean; this is the
rationale behind their washing
it after every use. |
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