A Pawfun Blog reader asks: About 3 months ago, I adopted a 5 year old Lhasa-Poo from the animal shelter. He and another small dog had been surrendered because the owners had lost their jobs and home. He was in the shelter for 5 days.
He is an adorable little dog, very, very loving and just wants to be held and petted. He loves to snuggle down in bed with you and he loves to play fetch. His name is Tucker. I also have a 5 year-old male Chocolate Lab that I have had since he was a puppy, Hershey. He is very mellow and lets Tucker rule the roost.
There are two things Tucker does though, that I would like to correct.
- The first is that he seems a little sensitive around his hind quarters and sometimes he will growl at me if I touch him there.
If I then scold him for growling he will really growl and bare his teeth. That makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
- The second issue is that he potties in the house.
I have a huge fenced-in dog area. I let the dogs out to go potty and get fresh air. They can be out for sometimes 10,15,20 minutes. When I let them back in, Tucker will go directly to the kitchen and pee on the floor if I am not watching him. He will also poop in the house even though he has just been out. When I do let him out he seems to stay at the door and bark because he wants to be with me all the time.
Do you think he is too nervous being outside, maybe he was used to be walked on leash to potty, he is so intent on being with me that he won’t leave the door to do his thing, is he angry at me ????
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I love this little guy but he frustrates me terribly.
Pawfun’s holistic dog trainer, Anna Bettina Johnson, says: Congrats on your new adoption! It is so fun to have a new companion, but can also be nerve-wracking at times. Let’s address the potty issue first!
Potty Outside = Praise
It is not uncommon for an adult dog to lapse in their house-training when they come into a new home.
You mentioned a couple of key things: He potties inside when you are not watching him and he stays at the door and whines when you let him out. It is very important that you teach him the right thing to do. Right now, he doesn’t know.
It is also very important that he is never punished for accidents, because that’s exactly what they are. He has anxiety when you put him out. When you let him back in and his anxiety subsides and he remembers he has to pee – and then does.
So, every time you take him out, go out with him, and bring yummy treats. When he pees outside, offer his praise & a treat. Pretty soon, he will happily be trotting outside & quickly going potty so he can earn your praise & a yummy treat. Once that happens, you can wean him off the treats.
Be patient with him, he is still a little confused & overwhelmed by the major changes that have taken place in his life.
Now, let’s address the more serious issue of his sensitivity to being touched in the hindquarters.
Growling = Warning
One thing you should never do with a dog who growls is punish him!
Growling is your dog’s way of trying to communicate with you, he could be saying:
That hurts; that feel uncomfortable; I don’t like when people touch me there; or even, someone hurt me there.
Whatever his reason for growling, he’s telling you that his association with being touched there is not positive.
If you punish him for growling you are doing a couple of things: reinforcing the fact that he should be worried as well as teaching him that warning you doesn’t work. Dogs who think warning doesn’t work jump right to biting – with no warning – and that’s not what you want!
First, get his health checked
The first thing you need to do is get a vet health check & make sure that he doesn’t have any pain or other issues associated with his hind end.
If his health check comes back clear, then you need to take steps towards giving him a positive association to being touched there.
Start with some SUPER yummy soft treats. Sit on the floor close to him, start petting his body & slowly move to his hind end. Don’t get far enough that you cause him to growl, stop before that, offer praise & a treat. Repeat this several times.
Praise, treat, repeat + patience
Once you think he is very comfortable, take your petting just a little bit further. If he allows you to go just a bit further offer praise & a treat, repeat. Each step you take, you will be getting closer & closer to his hind end. If he ever growls, go back a step & work more there. Pretty soon, he’ll be completely comfortable allowing you to touch him all over!
Your new companion will need a little time & patience, but I’m sure in no time he’ll be a happy, confident little friend!
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