Canine Capers: The Matter of Confidence

By Lesley Liddle

Lesley Liddle is a certified service and pet dog trainer. First Mate Lulu is a Corgi/Red Heeler with spots like a baby harbor seal; Crewman Leonard is a Chihuahua/Doxie with tall ears like a rabbit. Both dogs have very short legs and were originally found in California shelters.  Lesley has average legs and can be found on Orcas Island.

Confidence is an attribute a dog needs in order to survive well. Without confidence thinking is confused and learning impaired. Confidence is acquired through successful experiences. It gets diminished by frequent unhappy and fearful experiences. Shelter dogs are often lacking in confidence, as are dogs who live in isolation in fenced backyards. Fortunately you can help build your dog’s confidence by doing simple activities with your dog such as taking daily walks or providing play dates with other dogs, playing games like hiding treats around the living room or backyard and praising your dog for finding them, and telling your dog how marvelous and smart he is when he does some little thing you like. All these good experiences help your dog to believe he’s hot stuff. Giving your dog a safe and comfortable “cave” to hang out or sleep in is nurturing, as is letting your dog lounge by your chair while you read. Giving rewards of lavish praise and treats for positive behavior instead of punishment for accidents is a skill that boosts both you and your dog’s confidence in one another. This type of training is the opposite of the old saying that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

We have all probably experienced how hitting, name calling and anger drain confidence really fast. Fear, and confusion, submissive wetting, low self esteem can be the sad result in dogs as well as children who are often punished . Punishment can confuse and even escalate rather than eliminate undesirable behavior. For instance, punishing a pup in the act of urinating in the house will likely only teach him to hide from you when he needs to pee. He may then only pee out of your sight. If you want him to pee outside, take him out, say “go pee” or whatever you want, watch and praise him mightily when he does, and make sure to get him outside often to the same spot the first few days so that he does not have accidents in the house. Vigilance the first week makes all the difference. If you are sloppy and allow your pup to roam around freely and mess in the house at the beginning you will have a harder and longer time training correct behavior.

Many shelter dogs do unusual things out of stress the first couple of weeks after adoption. They often urinate inappropriately a few times. This usually corrects itself as they settle in. Punishment is not appropriate. Keeping the dog under watchful eye and close to you either leashed or in the same room enhances your bond and eliminates possible mishaps. Dogs do not naturally mess their own nests. The dogs most difficult to house train are the puppy mill dogs who have lived their lives in small cages and have been forced to mess in their own space. This is exceedingly unnatural and cruel. A healthy confident dog will see your entire house as his nest and will never mess it on purpose. If your dog continues or suddenly begins to have accidents in the house, the possibility of illness must be considered and a veterinarian consulted.

I have only had one dog who was unable to be house trained, and that was a puppy mill fox terrier. Her name was Emily and she had lived her short life in a small cage on a stack of cages in a garage. Her mother could barely walk, the situation was so appalling and my husband and I were so young and newly married that we took Emily home. She was about two months old and it shortly became obvious that she was mentally challenged. Although adorable looking, she could learn almost nothing, never came to her name or became potty trained. She spent her time jumping up and down hysterically, peeing indescriminately and when outside with us running off without ever looking back. At six months of age she squeezed out the door one day and ran head on into the wheel of a neighbor’s car that was barely moving. She died instantly. Although we grieved for her, we knew the accident was probably a blessing. Emily was a dog without much potential, never mind the confidence, and none of it was her fault.