Bringing your dog home

Dog behavior management is an essential part of dog training. In daily management, we control the dog’s environment to stop and prevent unwanted behaviors until the dog is fully trained.

• Crate and manage your new dog the way this page describes.
• Ignore pushy and demanding behavior.
• Be aware of giving too much attention or affection during the first few weeks.
• Have your dog earn all treats and playtime with toys.

• Don’t have everyone come to meet your new dog the minute he or she arrives. Give your new dog plenty of time and space (2 to 3 weeks or longer) to settle in and get to know you first.
• Don’t take your dog to a dog park.
• Don’t introduce your new dog to resident dogs or any other animals for several weeks. Depending on the situation, introductions can be made after a few weeks. Sometimes it takes a few months.

During the first weeks of management, the dog is learning where his or her place is in the hierarchy of your home. Ignore pushy and demanding behaviors (see below), and also limit attention and affection during the first few weeks. This helps your rescue dog understand that he or she does not have equal status with the humans in the household. If your dog is in the crate or practicing staying on a “place,” ignore him or her unless you are giving a command.

Crating is a huge part of management. Crate time depends on your rescue dog’s temperament, how much time you put into training and whether there are other dogs or pets in the home. Ideally, the crate is in a place where the dog can be part of the household, not shut away.

No matter how well you know your own dog, introduce your rescue dog to any resident dogs, or any other household or farm animals, over a period of time. This is very important: one mistake could cause your rescue dog to develop lifelong aggression toward other dogs. It is one of the biggest mistakes new owners make. Remember your new dog is a rescue dog. We don’t know their past traumas, and they will need time to settle into your home.

Dog parks should be avoided.

Food is a valuable resource that we can use for training. Food also helps our dogs see us as the leader, because it is a resource we control. Use caution when feeding your rescue dog for the first several weeks, and keep all other pets and children away from the dog while it is eating. This lets you learn how the dog responds to food. Many rescue dogs have past trauma around food because they didn’t always have enough.

Give the dog at least 15 minutes to finish. Once they have finished, remove the food bowl and any uneaten food. Again, let the dog eat uninterrupted.

Treats should only be given when earned during a training session or when you ask something of the dog.

All treats must be earned. You can give the dog a bone to chew on while he or she is in the crate. Once the dog loses interest in the bone, or you leave for a period of time, take it out of the crate. This helps keep resource guarding from starting and gives the dog a positive association with the crate.

Treat toys like library books: you own all the toys, and the dog can borrow them. For the first few weeks, we recommend the dog doesn’t have a “toy box” with unlimited toys. Instead, give the dog one or two toys at a time and put them away when finished. You can cycle through different toys.

At first, don’t let your rescue dog jump up on couches, beds and other furniture. It can make the dog think his or her status is equal to yours, and it starts unpleasant habits.

A routine for feeding, walking, training and playtime builds your dog’s confidence, and they learn what to expect. Bull terriers thrive in a home with structure and routine.

Even if your rescue dog is fully grown, he or she may never have been house-trained or lived inside a house. Most accidents in the house can be prevented with proper house training and lots of patience.

For a house-training program to work, it should include:

1. Appropriate confinement
2. Diligent supervision
3. Scheduled feedings
4. Enough chances to go potty outdoors

Dogs have a natural denning instinct and usually prefer safe, enclosed spaces for their naps. In the wild, a den is a secure place to sleep without becoming someone else’s meal. If a dog is properly introduced to a crate, he will see it as a safe place away from the hustle and bustle of the house, a place for peace and quiet to nap. Rest periods in snug quarters are a natural part of caring for our dogs.

A crate is close to essential for any dog that is not yet house-trained. At the right size, it is a comfortable, den-like bedroom, and almost all dogs naturally want to keep their bedroom clean. Any crate must be large enough for the dog to stand up without hunching, lie on his side with legs outstretched and turn around with ease. A crate used for house training must be no bigger than that, or the dog will have room for both a bedroom and a bathroom. Most large wire crates come with a divider panel so the crate can grow with the dog.

Eight hours is a good top limit for crate time for dogs over seven months old. For puppies under seven months, or dogs new to living in a home, a good rule of thumb is to crate no longer than the number of hours equal to the dog’s age, minus a year. If you need to leave a dog longer than he can comfortably hold his bladder and bowels, or longer than 8 hours (whichever is less), use a different kind of confinement.

Start crate training while you stay in the same room as the crated dog. Praise often, and let the dog know clearly that you are pleased when he stays in the crate quietly. Frequent trips out of the room, with quick returns and a treat through the crate bars, will get the dog used to your comings and goings. Make your absences longer, and soon you can be gone longer. While in the crate, the dog should not be scolded except for chewing on the crate.

Some dogs will cry and resist the crate at first. This is where time and patience come in. It is up to you to teach them that barking and crying get them nowhere, as long as you ignore it. The crate is never a place of punishment. A couple of safe toys that can’t be swallowed, such as a large Kong, go a long way in helping your dog learn to be quiet in the crate.

• When they wake up
• After playing indoors
• After any kind of excitement
• After eating or drinking, and again 20 to 30 minutes later
• After a long stretch without going

At the start of house training, take the dog out more often to build the habit, then slowly increase the time between trips to what is right for the dog’s age. Most dogs learn to go outdoors quickly. If there are too many accidents, the supervision needs to improve.

If you catch your dog in the act of squatting, say “nope” loud and abrupt, then take him outside.

The “nope” is to startle the dog and interrupt the behavior for a moment, not to scare the dog away. Punishing the dog can teach him not to potty while you are watching. When an accident happens, you must respond right away, while it is happening, not later. Dogs learn by association and have about a second and a half to connect a behavior with a consequence. Unless you catch them in the act, they will have no idea why you are upset.

• Wandering around
• Sniffing the floor
• Circling
• Looking confused or distracted from what they were doing
• Going over to the door, or to a spot they have soiled before

If your dog has an accident, cleanup is crucial. If you don’t remove the smell completely, the dog will be drawn back to the same spot.

On carpet (use caution and check your carpet manufacturer’s guidelines), we have found that pouring baking soda over the wet area right away soaks up the urine. Once it has soaked up, remove the baking soda. Dilute the remaining urine with warm water over the spot, then soak it up again with more baking soda. Remove the baking soda and put a little warm water on the spot. Let it dry overnight, then vacuum. Once vacuumed, apply Nature’s Miracle to the area following its directions.

Your dog should not have free access to the house unless your eyes are on the dog at all times. If he has an accident because you turned your back for 45 seconds, you are teaching him that it is okay to go in the house.

Dogs must go out first thing in the morning. Afterwards, bring the dog inside and give him freedom, but only in the kitchen. A child’s gate at the kitchen doorway is a great barrier to the rest of the house. Let the dog have that space while breakfast is being made and while you eat. After breakfast, when you have time to take him out, feed him his breakfast and take him out right away. Bring him in and put him in his crate, and go about your morning. Around 11:00 am, let him out of the crate and outside to relieve himself. Repeat throughout the day.

Some dogs need more exercise than others before they go. Exercise always increases the urge to go.

Feed your dog at the same time every day, and don’t give extra snacks or treats. This helps them get on a regular schedule quickly.