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Ask Yvette

Dear Yvette

Our new puppy has accidents when people come over to the house. What can we do to stop this? She even does this when we are pretty sure that she doesn't have to go. The more people try to be nice to him, the worse it seems to get.

Bart

Imagine for a minute that you are the size of your puppy. Then imagine for a moment how it feels to have these huge, giant stranger lean over you and make odd faces. It does not matter if the giants are saying, �Ooooh � what a cute puppy!� because you do not understand the words.

That is what your puppy goes through with new visitors. It is common for young dogs to piddle when they lack confidence and someone appears a little intimidating. And no, I do not think your friends are intentionally being intimidating. Being small next to someone big is enough to start this chain of evens off.

This problem is actually quite easy to remedy. First, make sure your puppy has plenty of opportunity to socialize with a variety of people. It is not enough to walk around a suburban block or go to the dog park. Socialization is about exposing your pup to things that are new. If you have lots of young people in your family, then make a point of visiting with seniors. If your circle of friends belongs primarily to one ethnic group, then take a stroll in an area of town that offers some diversity. If you live in a quiet neighborhood, take a stroll in an area what has more activity. Get veterinary clearance and get out there.

The next step is a puppy class that combines socialization with obedience. If your puppy is a little too submissive, a class can give them the confidence they need. The obedience is important too. It teaches your puppy to work with you when around other dogs.

At home people should ignore this puppy after entering the house for about 10 minutes. This includes you. Most people want a calm and relaxed adult dog at the door. Making a fuss winds a dog up. Excitement can lead to piddling. There are other benefits to quiet entries. It becomes easier to teach sit at the door. This builds confidence.

Although there is no attention being paid to the puppy, you can have guests toss a few pieces of kibble away from the door and walk by. Have a cookie jar near your door to make this convenient.

When your guests are ready to visit, have them turn sideways. They should also get down to the puppy's level. Keep the interaction calm. Always feel free to reward what you like. If your puppy sits, take a moment to reward great behaviour.

As your puppy's confidence grows, the piddling will start to go away. At this point, visitors can visit earlier. But they should still turn sideways. Most dogs are intimidated when people lean over them. Direct eye contact is fighting posture. Turning sideways reduces the threatening body language.

Finally, do not discipline your puppy for piddling. Just clean it up and forget about it. They can't help it. Their bladders are immature. If the problem continues, speak to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian might want to rule out a bladder infection.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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