Relieving Troubleshooting

Sometimes pups get confused about relieving or struggle with one or more of the relieving guidelines. This document will help answer questions about some of the most common areas raisers may encounter relieving challenges.

The best way to teach puppies to not relieve in the home is prevention! Offering well timed opportunities for the puppy to use their outdoor relieving area will help solidify good habits.

Puppies who are not reliable in the home must be supervised closely when they are not in their YES Space or in a crate. Learn to spot the signs that the puppy needs to go out: unsettled pacing, sniffing, circling, whining, suddenly breaking away from another activity, going to the door, etc. Young puppies have small bladders and immature systems; they need opportunities to relieve frequently! Plan to offer potty opportunities after waking, eating, and playing as well as at regular intervals throughout the day. Until the pup is completely reliable (and you’d trust them not to have an accident on your great aunt’s antique rug!), keep up supervision in your home to prevent as many accidents as possible.

If the puppy has an accident in the home, the soiled area should be cleaned completely with a stain and odor remover solution such as Natures Miracle. This will eliminate any evidence of the accident and prevent the puppy from being drawn back to the area in the future.

If your pup is having relieving accidents in jacket, it’s important to understand why this might be happening. One great way to figure that out is to keep a relieving log (Pee & Poop Chronicles: Puppy Relief Schedule). Keeping track of your pup’s relieving needs can help you learn their biological schedule, which will help to avoid accidents in jacket. Reach out for support with figuring out the pup’s schedule!

Other helpful tips include:

• Ensuring the pup understands and is willing when cued with "Do your business!" on leash, on hard surfaces, at home and away from home.
• Only taking the pup on outings just after it has been fully relieved. An ‘empty’ puppy is less likely to have accidents.
• Keeping outings short so that the pup returns home prior to needing to relieve again.

• Not taking pups to places where they have already had two or more accidents.

If your pup is refusing to relieve on hard surfaces but willing to relieve on leash, on cue, on porous surfaces, it’s important to help them learn to relieve on all surfaces again. Working guides must be willing to use opportunities to relieve on any surface and not wait for preferred surfaces.

The basics include:

• Only offering relieving opportunities on hard surfaces. Throw a little party when they finish – get silly with your happy voice and use plenty of food rewards!
• Restrict free access to porous surfaces unless they are ‘empty’ then use free time in a yard or play area as an additional reward for relieving on a hard surface.
• If they ‘hold it’ for more than 10 minutes instead of relieving on hard surfaces, on leash when you know they need to relieve, try leaving them in an x-pen for an extended period. If they relieve in the x-pen, reward with a happy voice and food. Continue using the x-pen until they are willingly relieving off leash in the x-pen within 10 minutes. Then transition back to a leash in the same location.
• Stick to only offering hard surfaces for relieving until the pup is back to willingly relieving wherever offered. You can then gradually reintroduce other surfaces, as long as the puppy remains willing to use hard surfaces when offered!

In Puppy Pit Stops: Relieving Skills Away from Home, we share important tips if your pup is hesitant or refusing to relieve away from home:

• Be patient! It may take the puppy longer than usual to relieve in a new place, especially if it doesn’t have potty smells that naturally encourage puppies to go. You may need to repeat the “Do your business!” cue if the pup gets distracted.
• Some puppies can be anxious about pooping in new places (people too!) A fun game of tug can help them not only relax, but physical activity may also stimulate the gut – marathon runners know this very well! Reach out for support if the puppy constantly needs extra help to poop away from home.
• Have a good sense of the puppy’s schedule so you know when they are likely to need to “go” but also keep an eye on their body language (getting antsy or unsettled, rushing or slowing, pulling off to the side). Your goal is to offer frequent enough opportunities that the pup never needs to “ask” – but it’s better that they do than relieving in the mall or grocery store without warning!

If your pup doesn’t cast forward and continue moving when you give the "Do Your Business!" cue, they may not need to relieve. If this is happening regularly when you are sure that they need to relieve, it may help to try leaving them in an x-pen for an extended period off leash. If they relieve in the x-pen, throw a little party (happy voice and food rewards!) when they finish. Continue using the x-pen until they are willingly relieving off leash in the x-pen within 10 minutes. Then transition back to a leash but keep them in the x-pen in the same location. When they are willingly relieving on leash in the x-pen then remove the x-pen and go back to just on leash again. Always praise and reward when they relieve and don’t show any frustration if they are slow or hesitant. We need them to be relaxed and willing to cast and relieve on leash.

Scent marking consists of the dog releasing a small amount of urine. It generally happens to claim territory or leave a ‘calling card’ for other dogs in the neighborhood. But it can also happen if a dog is anxious or frustrated. It is normal, natural, hormonal behavior that occurs mostly in intact males. While it is often correlated with lifting a hind leg, it isn’t always the case. Dogs can scent mark without lifting a leg; they can even do it while walking. It might happen indoors or outdoors, at home or on outings. Marking behavior is inappropriate in the home (of course!) and on walks or outings. It’s okay if dogs mark during their free time in the yard in areas you give them access to.

To discourage leg-lifting behavior during leash relieving opportunities, keep teenage male pup away from vertical objects such as trees, bushes and the sides of buildings. It’s also important to take care when walking hormonal male dogs to keep them away from vertical objects and areas where other dogs may have marked previously. If a pup has marked in the home, follow the instructions above regarding pups who have indoor accidents.

Any relieving issue needs to be addressed quickly before the pup practices habits that may be difficult to break. If your puppy is struggling with relieving challenges, reach out for support as soon as possible.