The City of Austin in partnership with Emancipet will provide a free rabies shot, collar and tag, microchip and spay/neuter for dogs/cats in these zip codes:

• 78701
• 78702
• 78721
• 78723
• 78724
• 78741
• 78744
• 78745
• 78753
• 78758

These free animal services have a value of more than $150. (at least!)

The Spay Street Program will help the City address the issue of the homeless pet population in the community thus reducing the risk of animals being euthanized.

Instructions for Spay Street Program free services:

No appointment needed, simply take your animals to Emancipet:

7201 Levander Loop, Austin 78702 Monday- Saturday, except second Wednesday of every month. Please bring proof of residency (ie: drivers license w/current address or a bill or official piece of mail with your name and address on it).

Call (512) 587-7729 for additional information.

• Drop off is between 8 and 9 a.m.
• Pick up is between 4 and 5p.m.
• All dogs are to be leashed and all cats must be in carriers
• Kittens & Puppies must be 8 weeks of age or older

Benefits of spaying/ neutering your pet:

1. SAVES YOU MONEY! Financially caring for 1 pet vs. all of their offspring. (not to mention reduced risk of ovarian and testicular cancer in dogs and cats!)
2. No more stray males hanging around your property to breed with your female.
3. Siblings won’t breed with each other and/ or their parents.
4. No need to find homes for unwanted litters.
5. Reduces aggression in male dogs and reduces tendency to roam.
6. Microchip cuts down on theft of dogs and helps with recovering lost animals.
7. Males are less likely to mark and/ or spray inside your home.
8. No more mess to clean from females in heat.
9. Females will not try to escape to go breed outside your home or property.

For more information or if you live outside of the qualifying zip codes and need assistance, please call the Spay Street Public Health Educator: 512-972-5832 or visit www.EMANCIPET.org for specials like this one:

If you are considering breeding your dog, please visit here first: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/

Please spay/neuter your pets!

Sincerely,

Your Pet Sitters and Dog Trainers at Leaps N’ Hounds

You’ve just gotten home from a long day at work.  You walk in the door and greet your happy, wagging dog only to get a wet mess in return.  The dam has burst, there’s no stopping the flow, and your fun hello has turned into a pee nightmare!   Before you know it your dog is stepping in the mess, jumping around with his peepee paws, and all you can do is try your best to manage this unsanitary scene before it spreads further.    The only thing that is worse is when it happens to your house guests.  Yikes – This is not a fun way to start a party.

Excitable Urination, as it is often called, results from an over-sensitivity to things that should be normal activities, but get built up as big events in the dog’s mind.  Common with younger dogs with weak bladders who still find the world around them very stimulating, or dogs who have had very limited exposure socially, these “accidents” often happen during greetings, rough play, or any activity the dog finds stimulating.  So if you are getting turbo-dog who wags, jumps, and slides around in his own pee in your honor at the door, chances are this is the challenge you are faced with.

Jack was so excited to see us as a puppy, it took a lot of self control to step away from a face like that and wait for him to calm. It paid off though, and now he can get through a hello pretty easily - so long as you don't mind some puppy kisses.

Submissive urination is a similar problem that may be contributing to, or the sole cause of, these sudden messes.  It may also be a result of exciting events like greetings, but may also happen when doing something as simple as being picked up or pet.  This behavior is often coupled with cowering or noticeable nervousness and fear, although it can also be a purely respectful behavior since urinating is a sign of the ultimate submissive.   This can often be observed when one dog cowers under the chin or belly of another, appearing calm but visibly nervous or tense.  Extremely submissive and less confident personality types often struggle with this, as well as dogs who have been neglected or trained using pain and fear techniques that break their trust with humans.

So how do you treat it? Unlike marking and full blown potty accidents, these types of  “accidents” are  more psychologically rooted.  They should never being addressed using correction or any type of punishment.  They must be treated holistically, addressing the root causes of behavior through improving the dog’s confidence, social skills, and self control.  In other words, training your dog out of this habit may take some time and dedication on your part.  The good news is:  It isn’t hard to do.

The exercises below illustrate a few of the most holistic approaches to treating these problems.  They are intended to build confidence, increase calm behavior, socialize, and remove any of the things people often do to unknowingly contribute to the problem.  Please note that having your dog checked out by a vet first is always recommended, as there can be medical issues that cause weak bladder control that should be ruled out first.

1.  Calm greetings result in calm behavior. Teach your dog to greet you calmly by waiting until they have relaxed before rewarding them with a hello, eye contact, or any physical touch.  It may seem cruel in human terms to ignore your excited dog after a long day of being away, but for dogs your actions translate to one thing:  Calm behavior gets attention; excited behavior is ignored.  Dogs will always do what works for them 100% of the time, so if excited doesn’t work, then excited will eventually go away.  Keep a look out for the calm behavior you want (ie: your dog comes and sits next to you calmly) and only reward that behavior with attention.

Start out by setting a time limit: No one touches, looks at, or talks to the dog in the first 5-10 minutes that you are home. Meanwhile everyone has ample time to set their things down, take their shoes off, and generally settle into being home too.  Once the dog has had ample time to relax and is demonstrating calm behavior, then everyone can say their hellos in a calm fashion one person at a time.  This is best done seated in a calm living space of the house where the dog is already accustomed to relaxing with the family.  IF the dog becomes excited at any time during greetings and begins to jump, cower, or become overly energetic (the signs that lead up to urination), simply ignore the dog, get up and walk away.

2. Redirect Energy and Avoid Messes. Assign one person to calmly and silently take the dog out immediately for a potty break when you get home.  If they can’t make it to the back door without releasing, keep a leash by your front door and get them outside before you go in.  Remember that this is within the time that everyone should be ignoring the dog, so interaction during this time should be limited to leashing and waiting (no petting, talking, or eye contact) – All attempts to get attention by the dog should be ignored and no commands should be given by the person.  Once they have pottied and have calmed down a bit outside, let them in the house off leash and continue the ignoring exercise until they calm.  If it is difficult to leash your dog, use a slip lead that easily slips over their head and pulls snug without fussing with a collar and clip leash.

3. Leave the Home Calmly.  Like your greetings, your exits also need to be calm and uneventful.  Avoid emotional departures where you hug and talk sweetly to your dog, as these are often misunderstood by dogs.  Your dog doesn’t know English, so instead of hearing “Bye-bye, sweetheart!  I’m sorry I have to leave,”  while you adoringly pet and hug them, your dogs sees you becoming distraught and hears you making worrisome sounds.  Seeing you visibly upset and sad does nothing for your dog but stress them out while they wait for you all day.   This makes your arrival home even more important to them, adding to any excitement they already feel.
It’s all about body language and tone for your dog, so act like leaving is no big deal with a brief good bye.  If you feel bad, reward them instead by giving them a little treat just before you head out the door.  This will help take their mind off of you potentially abandoning them, and may even add a little positive association to your departure.

4. Practice.  The more often you practice polite calm greetings (or any exciting scenario your dog struggles with), the more they will desensitize to the event.  So take note of what you usually do when you leave and arrive home, set up the exercise, and repeat it a few times a day.  Try this for a month and see how far your dog comes in a few short weeks.

5.  Play & Exercise. Walks, jogs, agility challenges and play all help a dog keep their nerves at bay and will increase confidence on a daily basis.   Teach your dog a few games to play in the house in case of bad weather like  Find the Toy. Be sure to challenge your dog on daily outings using your obedience training.
Keep it fun and use safe obstacles that your dog is not afraid of to work on balancing, crawling under or going over things.  Park benches, playground equipment, basic agility equipment or just sitting and staying at curbs can be easy little ways to make the walk more interesting and fulfilling for your dog.   Layer on the praise when they do well – dogs love a job well done.

6. Exercise the Jaws.  Chewing is also an exercise that older and younger dogs need consistently.  This activity has a noticeably calming effect on dogs, so don’t assume a dog is done chewing just because they aren’t destructive.   Behaviors resulting from boredom can manifest in many different ways including stress, which easily contributes to issues with submissive and excited urination.  Chewing helps relieve stress.    Our favorite chews are raw bones and sweet potato chews (Sams Yams is a great substitute for rawhide).  We find our dog’s stay calm and content if they get bones about twice a week, but this varies depending on the dog.  Choose whatever safe items your dog responds to for chewing*, adjust the frequency as needed, and monitor them for safety.

7. Socialize, Socialize, Socialize. Hands down the most fun, important and commonly overlooked exercise your dog can benefit from is meeting and playing with other dogs and people in new places.  Dogs are social animals, so being cooped up in a house all the time is not natural.  For healthy dogs that can handle the excitement, dog parks are a great option for burning steam and meeting some new faces (or should we say butts?).  Taking a trip once a week for 20 minutes can make all the difference and boost confidence rapidly.   For really energetic types, try enrolling your dog in a once or twice a week play group or dog daycare session.    If your dog is timid, fearful, or anti-social already, take it slow and keep it fun, making sure not to overwhelm them.  Set up a play time with a neighbor’s dog who you know is nice and social that can teach them a few things, or just practice meeting new people on walks one at a time.

8. Kennel. Last but certainly not least:  Use Your Kennel.

As den animals, dogs often find kennels soothing and reassuring (even though they may not act like it at first).  When introduced properly, this makes the kennel a perfect tool for reducing anxiety.   This will not work if your dog has a negative association with the kennel, so training your dog to accept the kennel first is a key step.   While we tend to feel guilty for limiting their freedom while we’re gone, a dog with too much freedom may become confused, shifty, and nervous.  This freedom can actually increase the level of anxiety and excitement we witness when arriving home, whereas a dog who has been napping safely all cozy in their kennel for a few hours will often greet us well-rested and calm.  While many dogs grow out of their kennels as they become more confident in their home, it is common for even the most well-socialized and confident dogs to need their kennel throughout life.  Don’t have a kennel?   Set up a cozy space in a laundry room or under a desk or large table for your dog to snuggle up in while you’re gone to see if that helps.  Practice teaching them to go to their bed on cue.  The odds are good that they will accept this space and use it to feel safer while you’re away.

What not to do:

You are building confidence and teaching your dog, so keep this in mind before you react.

• Never punish your dog for excited or submissive urination.  Even the slightest sounds of disappointment can make this problem ten times worse.   Everyone’s silence, understanding, and patience on this matter is key to resolving the problem faster.
• Do not talk to, look at, or touch your dog when they are excited.  Every bit of attention they receive while in this mind-frame only increases their excitement and rewards their behavior.  Eye contact counts because it lets your dog know they have your attention.
• Do not give your dog treats right after arriving home. When leaving this is ok since you are attaching a positive association with your exit.  But when arriving this will only increase your dog’s excitement and reward excited behavior.

May all your hellos be dry, polite, and wagging.

*Note:  Some chemicals used to create, color and preserve various pet chews on the market are not good for the animal and may contribute to behavioral problems and obesity.  Take the time to read the ingredients and stick to naturally preserved or all natural choices for healthy chews and happy dogs.

Potty Training can feel like a monster of a project, so we’re creating this series to cover the process in parts. This is written directed at puppies but it works with older dogs too. It’s almost never too late to potty train your dog, regardless of age or size.

Uh-oh. What is that smell?

These are the tools you’ll need for quick success:

1. Potty Treats These aren’t just any treat, these are magic treats! We are aiming to motivate here, and that puppy needs a reason to want to go outside. Since the idea of pleasing you doesn’t come until later (you may have noticed everything is a joke to a puppy), food is the fastest way to get most dogs headed to the door. Our secret weapon: Easy Cheese and/or Natural Peanut Butter! You only potty train once and there isn’t much a dog won’t do for Easy Cheese. If you are using them for something else, stop and reserve those special treats just for post-potty bliss. There are plenty of other options you can use for chew toys, kongs, etc. If you have a picky dog, use both treats, switching from one to the other every 3rd or 4th time to keep it interesting. Timing is everything, so make sure you are treating immediately after your puppy is done going and stay close to them. *Important! Don’t use too much! Peanuts and cheese can both constipate your pup, so keep it to a taste. A Great Dane puppy gets about a nickel-sized dollop, so scale it down accordingly. They don’t need a peanut butter mustache to know they have done a good job.

2. A Potty Word Tell them what you want, but keep in mind you will be saying this a lot. Popular choices are: ‘Go Potty’ and ‘Hurry Up.’ Of course there are always the standards: Tee-tee, poo-poo, #1 and #2 (all of which still make us giggle despite our efforts to act maturely). Some people get creative with their potty commands. One of our clients prefers the term, “bombs away,” while another simply calls it, “tinkle time.”
Anyway, use your potty word in an excited tone when in the back yard and waiting for the ‘magic’ to happen. Praise with it too, saying something like, “Good boy! Good potty!” You can also use it at your door on the way out, which brings us to our next item on the list.

3. Potty Bells Hang small, light-weight bells from door that your dog exits through to go potty. Ring them before going out and say your potty word in a happy tone. Your dog will learn to associate the bell noise with going out and the potty word. Sometimes this takes weeks, sometimes months; but if our cats can do it without any coaching, so too will your dog. Using bells gives your dog an easy method to communicate with you and helps prevent demanding barking and door scratching,.
You can buy potty bells online (search for poochie bells to get an array of options), or make them with a little ribbon and some bells from the craft store. We like to add a little mesh pouch to the top of ours to hold a few treats just to speed the process along. We’ll sneak a few treats in there when the pup isn’t looking and wait for them to sniff them out. As soon as they jump up to get the treats, the bells make noise and we run for the door. The puppy is praised, the door is opened, the puppy goes out, and after a few times the puppy starts to realize that the bell noise means go outside. VIOLA! Communication is born!

4. A Potty Place Pick a good spot for #1 and #2 – your dog will want to do them each separately. If using your backyard, pick a corner or the side of the house and keep it scooped up on a regular basis. A few piles here and there are OK to remind your pooch what that spot is for, but land mine city will make them want to avoid the place all together. Teaching them to go in specific spots not only prevents your back yard from becoming a big toilet, your dog will recognize what you are waiting for much faster this way and develop some clean habits of their own.

5. Leash and Collar How do you expect to take them to the potty place and give them the magic treat without having them on a leash? Puppies romp, roll, and play whenever they’re awake. They don’t have time to focus, so if you expect to get them out and treated on time, then you better have them connected to you. Even if your puppy remembers they need to go outside to go potty, chances are good that half way out there they will become distracted by a leaf, a feather, or the kryptonite of all dogs: the dreaded squirrel. They may forget entirely why they were out there to begin with. Even if your puppy goes, odds are good that they will become distracted mid-potty! As soon as they finish, they are off to the next interesting smell! If not on leash, you will likely be treating your dog after a refreshing chase around the back yard yelling: “Stop! Come here! No, no!” To which your puppy will think: “I almost like the chase more than the treat. Let’s do that again!” Trust us: stick to the leash.

6. A Den Space Otherwise known as a kennel, this can be the traditional crate (plastic or metal box with a door) or a small, confined, and puppy-proofed space ideally on tile floor. Their den is more than just where they sleep and stay when you are gone, it is the space where they learn bladder control. Thankfully dogs are clean animals, which means a healthy puppy that is at least 12 weeks will know that pottying in their bed is smelly and gross. This is usually something they pick up from their mothers and litter mates. This creates the desire to hold it until they can get out, hence giving you the opportunity to put them in the right place at the right time to go. So you are teaching them bladder control, a potty schedule, and preventing accidents all at the same time!
How long can your puppy hold it? To estimate add +1 hour for every month of age. So if your puppy is 3 months old (approximately 12 weeks) they can hold it for about 4 hours max during the day. If you are going to be gone longer, leave your dog in a den space that is large enough to house a potty pad so that they can go if they need to. Otherwise the den space only needs to be large enough for them to turn around and lay down. Think: snuggly cave bed.

7. Time and Patience Puppies are babies, and older dogs’ minds operate similarly to that of a 4-year-old child. While different dogs learn at different rates, it is not fair or reasonable to expect a puppy to potty train in a matter of days. For many it takes weeks and even months to truly understand. The more dedicated and consistent that you are, the faster your dog will train. Going into it expecting anything different will only disappoint you, aggravate your puppy, and disrupt the delicate bond that is forming between you and your dog. Be patient, be present, and prepare. Avoid common mistakes: never spank or yell too harshly at your dog for accidents. You’ll only scare them and create an unstable dog who is too shy to go potty in front of you. A simple “uh-uh, bad dog” will usually do the trick.
Watch them like you would a toddler, catch them if they have an accident, and consider it an opportunity to teach them where they should be going: Watch, Catch, Teach. If you can’t be home in time to let them out, call a friend, neighbor, family member, or pet sitter to come do it for you. Set time aside to potty train your puppy and give it all of your effort up front. Sure, you may be up early in the mornings and out freezing your butt off or sweating while you wait for your dog to go, but it’s a few weeks or months of your life – a drop in the bucket compared to the 10-20 years of potty-trained bliss you will be spending with your furry friend once the work is done.

Future Potty Training blogs to come will cover: exceptions to the rules, creating a schedule, potty triggers, common problems, and tricks of the trade. Happy pottying, or should we say: BOMBS AWAY!