Our new Shih Tzu puppy hides from us, only coming out when no one is around. She also lowers her head when we pet her. I know it takes time, but I’ve heard some dogs will start interacting with their new environment after 1-3 days, and tomorrow will be her third day here. I just want her to be

a happy puppy. What should I do and how should I do it?

Renee T.

Dear Renee,

Poncho here! My certified dog trainer mom thought it best if I take this one. First off, allow me to say “atta girl!” for being inquisitive, aware of your situation and taking the time to ask questions about your new puppy. I’d also like to commend you for being such a keen observer of her body language and your ability to listen to what she’s “saying.”

Once a young pup myself, I can speak firsthand as to how learning to trust new people, places and situations takes time and practice. I’m happy to pass along a few simple dog training tips you can use to help your wallflower fido become the more confident canine you’d like her to be.

Treats, Love and Understanding

Let’s start with a few knowledge nuggets regarding the topic of fear. I’m talking about fear as it relates to her feelings, her emotional state and her ability to make her own decisions.

The primary stage of your dog’s life when she’s most open to new people and situations is 0-3 months — a very narrow window in which sociability wins out over being afraid. If your pup wasn’t introduced to a variety of people and situations during this time, then chances are it’ll be tougher for her to adapt, since the fear response starts to win the race as she ages. However, not all hope is lost. You can certainly teach her anything she is physically and mentally capable of doing, including trusting and enjoying her new life with you and all that’s in it!

Here are a few steps you can take:

• Keep It Simple. During this crucial teaching time, you’ll want to keep things simple and fun. All you have to do is pair something your bashful bow-wow might be uncertain about with something she already loves! For instance, since we animals must eat, you and others can provide extra-yummy goodies for her, such as pieces of grilled chicken or steak (I love when my mom does that!), allowing her to approach you. If she’s still hesitant, try tossing pieces toward her, building the trail of trust till she is confident enough to approach.

• Adjust Expectations, Little by Little. Believe me, you’ll want to take baby-steps when working with her. As long as she continues to advance toward you, accepting your kindness and that of strangers, you can keep forging ahead at a slow-and-steady pace. If and when she decides to back off, respect her wishes and allow her to make that choice.

• The Triple-P of Giving Treats. Once she begins to show signs of confidence, coming toward you and being close to you, begin hand-feeding her. Others in your home can do this as well. As she gets more comfortable, you can begin the Triple-P Treat Training Plan: Pet, praise, then present the treat. Petting should begin with light touches under her chin, working your way around as she gets more comfortable. And — this is really important — all petting should be followed with a yummy nibble of treat goodness. I recommend making the top of her head the last location, since hands reaching over will cause her to pull back.

As for additional situations and locations, repeat the same steps in places you want her to enjoy hanging out. Over time, she should learn to believe that her new world is a fantastic place and her confidence should build, making it easier for her to accept and believe that novelty is the spice of life!

Paws and Reflect

Fearfulness is a normal reaction across many different species. Your pup is responding in a way that is innate — avoiding in order to survive. It can be difficult to not take it personally, but keep in mind that developing a relationship with strangers, especially those of a different species, is more about building trust and not about liking. With a caring dog-mom like you being patient, allowing her to set the pace, giving her control over her environment and being able to make her own decisions, your bashful bow-wow will begin to enjoy her life with you in time and blossom into that self-assured pup you want!

Dear Inquisitive Canine is written by Joan Mayer and her trusty sidekick, Poncho the dog. Joan is a certified professional dog trainer and dog behavior coach. Poncho is a 10-pound mutt who knows a lot about canine and human behavior. Their column is known for its simple, commonsense approach to dog training and behavior, as well as its entertaining insight into implementing proven techniques that reward both owner and dog.

Joan is also the founder of the Inquisitive Canine and developer of the Out of the Box Dog Training Game, where her love-of-dog training approach highlights the importance of understanding canine behavior. If you or your dog have questions about behavior, training or life with each other, please email them directly.

A Pooch’s Perspective is exclusive to the Edhat community. It will include dog behavior Q&A, dog behavior and training tips, along with a side-order of canine quips – because well, that’s just who I am.

I encourage you to check out, read through, ask questions and leave comments. Edhat is built on community involvement, and I agree with and am honored they have welcomed this Pooch’s Perspective to their family.

Have your own question you’d like me to address? Send me an email directly – I’d be happy to give you my pooch’s perspective.

"Legal" Alternative for Chewing

I’ve been hearing a lot of this lately: “Ouch! My puppy’s teeth are like needles!” Yep – that’s what puppies do. Bite, chew, nip, shred and chomp some more. Their mouth is the perfect tool to explore the world and all that’s in it.

So what are new puppy owners supposed to do to help the situation? The following are a few simple steps those who may be experiencing this painful situation, in a pretty painless way.

• Know your animal: Remember, dogs use their mouths to explore the world! This means, if it appears interesting, and it’s within reach, it will be investigated. Dogs also use their mouths (and teeth) to play with things, destroy things, and just for lots of fun! (Especially when he or she is teething).
• Be aware of what you might be training: Attention, whether positive or negative, can cause a behavior to happen more often, so be careful of what you’re paying attention to – you may just be inadvertently rewarding a behavior you don’t want.
• Provide “legal” outlets for your puppy or adult dog: Providing outlets for your dog to chew and play with will help redirect that energy to a more appropriate place. This way, he or she can get all of his or her energy out, while making the humans happy. Chew bones, playing tug with an actual tug toy, soft squeaky toys, and interactive food toys are just a few options for your pooch to get the attention he or she wants, in a way he or she wants, doing what he or she loves to do.
• Provide play opportunities with other dogs: Most dogs enjoy playing with other dogs, but dog-play is a skill that needs to be practiced. Yes, dogs are born with instinctual play skills, but he or she still needs to practice. Set up doggy play-dates with age and play appropriate dogs so your dog can learn how to control his or her mouth with living objects, and not just toys and bones. For additional tips, check out this blog post on dog-play.
• Make it clear your dog is making the better choice: To really help drive the message home, reward your dog with an extra special little treat whenever he or she makes the better choice of playing with these legitimate items, as well as for leaving forbidden items alone. This way, he or she figure out what works to his or her own advantage, while making you happy and proud.
• Management Recommendations: Management means you’re arranging your puppy’s environment that prevents him or her from practicing behaviors you don’t want. If you haven’t taught your dog what you want, or if you don’t have the time or energy to monitor your dogs behavior, then you’ll want to keep him or her from making choices you don’t want them to make. This means, sequester your dog to an area with enrichment to keep his or her mind (and mouth) occupied. However, avoid giving a “Time Out!” by just sending him or her to a crate, yard or another room without anything to do. That would be too punishing. A bully stick or food enrichment toy in another area is certainly a fine option.

Remember, when developing your training and management plan for puppy nipping and chewing,  determine what you want from your dog, teach him or her what you want, provide appropriate outlets and reward heavily for making the better choice. This will make everyone happy, including your dog and everyone else in the household.

I recently purchased a Maltese/Pekingese mix. He is only 13 weeks old, but his biting habits are getting worse. No one can sit without him biting their feet or attacking their shoes. I have tried putting him in his crate after saying “no” to him. But nothing seems to deter him. Do you have any suggestions?

— Kathy

Dear Kathy:

Ah, yes, bees gotta sting, birds gotta fly and dogs gotta … mouth, chew and chomp! What a great question! Thank you for taking the essential steps in finding a solution for precluding those “Jaws” interactions with your puppy’s sharp, needle-like teeth. Isn’t it amazing how something that small can cause that much pain and discomfort?

I have a few suggestions to help you teach your dog how to use his mouth appropriately, including when, where and how. As a certified professional dog trainer, I like to first address why it’s important to provide dogs with appropriate outlets for chewing and mouthing. Then we will explore specific training exercises that are similar to the lessons I teach in my dog and puppy training classes.

Biting, chewing and mouthing are all normal behaviors for dogs, especially pu

ppies since they will be teething over the next few months. Dogs throughout their lives use their mouths for exploring their world and all that’s in it. (It’s similar to how us humans use our hands for everything.) Dogs also use their mouths for eating, play and passing the time away — chewing is just gosh-darn fun! In addition to play and activities, our beloved canines also use their mouths to indicate when he or she is stressed, or isn’t happy with something, someone or a specific situation.

Regarding training exercises and a management plan, I’ve divided the following information into sections that cover the above topics, including chewing, mouthing and biting:

• When it comes to chewing, it’s vital to set your dog up for success. You can teach and reward the behaviors you want by doing the following: Provide acceptable and rewarding chew items that your dog enjoys, especially when you have company and might not have enough time to interact with your dog. Chew bones, interactive food toys and other dog friendly (and safe) toys should be available for your dog at all times.

• Reward your dog for making the right choices. You’ll also want to place emphasis in teaching your dog that chewing on those allowable items is the right choice. This means that you’ll want to reward him with extra treats, petting and praise whenever he is chewing on those items — at least initially, until you observe him in action choosing his doggy items and ignoring forbidden articles. Once he’s doing that, you can acknowledge with good ol’ praise. However, I’d reward with a treat on occasion just to provide extra positive reinforcement. After all, it never hurts to say “Thank you!”

You’ll want to experiment with different chew items until you determine your dog’s favorites. Just because we think our dogs should like something doesn’t mean he or she will. Observe and go from there. Then you’ll know what to stock up on.

• Mouthing and allowable interaction through play activities: Tug and fetch are fun games as well as great outlets for extra energy. To help create rewarding times together, make sure toys are large enough for both your hands and his mouth to be on. If it’s too small, he might end up mouthing your hand. Reward your dog for playing nicely with both continued play and attention from you, along with a treat now and again. This extra bonus really boosts the message that he is making the right choice.

• A positive way to teach “bite inhibition”: As a trainer, I have one specific rule for tug should jaws misfire — teeth hit skin, game is over! Similar to “hitting below the belt” and being “timed out,” our dogs need to learn it’s uncool for his or her teeth to come into contact with our skin no matter how delicate hands are. If this should happen, you can certainly give a “time out” and stop playing. This type of penalty is one way for us to teach dogs “bite inhibition,” which is when he or she learns about controlling the intensity of his or her jaw pressure.

He will recognize, “Hmm, when my teeth hit her hand she just walked away. But as long as I kept my mouth away from her hand and on the toy, then we kept playing. I think I’ll do that from now on!” You’ll just want to make sure that these intermissions are only about 20 seconds. Afterward, you will want to resume play, ensuring you provide your dog the opportunity to make the right choice.

Another great way to provide your dog with activities in which he can use his mouth and learn about bite inhibition is through dog play. Puppy classes, puppy socials, puppy daycare and setting him up on “play dates” with other dogs of his size and temperament are ideal settings for him to learn how to use his mouth. Just make sure you are either there monitoring play, or that the instructors are maintaining a safe and friendly environment. For more on what to look for in dog play, click here to read a Dear Inquisitive Canine column on safe and friendly dog play behavior.

• Determine if it’s play or if he or she is uncomfortable and/or unhappy: A dog that snaps or bites during times when he or she is not in a playful mood can often be sending a message that he or she is uncomfortable about something. It could be a health issue or something or someone in the environment that is causing your dog to feel apprehensive and nervous. If this is the case, you’ll want to investigate further, and even consider consulting with your veterinarian (for health-related issues) and a professional trainer such as myself for behavioral concerns.

As fun as it is for your dog to want to play with your feet, you’re not a human squeaky toy, so it’s great planning on your part that you want to take the time to teach him to make better choices.

With a little patience and understanding, taking the time to train your puppy to understand what you want combined with managing his environment when you’re not training, you’re sure to end up with a canine companion with the mouth that’s as soft and gentle as the rest of him.

— Dear Inquisitive Canine is written by Joan Mayer and her trusty sidekick, Poncho. Joan is a certified professional dog trainer and human-canine relationship coach. Poncho is a 10-pound mutt that knows a lot about canine and human behavior. Their column is known for its simple common-sense approach to dog training and behavior, as well as its entertaining insight into implementing proven techniques that reward both owner and dog. Joan is also the founder of The Inquisitive Canine, where her love-of-dog training approach highlights the importance of understanding canine behavior. If you or your dog have questions about behavior, training or life with each other, e-mail them directly.

I recently adopted Tucker, my 4-month-old male border collie and lab mix, as a friend for my 3-year-old dog Polo, another male of the same mixed breed. Upon meeting Tucker I was taken over by his rambunctious behavior, but I figured he was a puppy and that this was something normal, and as time went on he’d begin to adapt to our family and his new brother Polo.

However, a few negative behaviors still remain. Tucker is constantly picking on Polo, which is at times a gesture to begin to play, which Polo accepts, but when he does not, Tucker does not understand that he needs to stop. I am afraid Tucker may injure Polo, as he bites his neck quite vi-iously, and sometimes, this playing will lead to a fight of barking, flying fur, and biting.

I feel as if they are two alphas under one roof, and while I want them to get along, I don’t want either of them getting hurt. Also, Tucker has a way of getting into anything and everything he can get his snout on, constantly jumping up on tables and eating things that are simply inedible by anyone.

I feel like I am at a loss, as me and my family have tried all sorts of ways to correct these repetitive and undesirable behaviors such as time-outs, pennies in a jar, a mechanism that makes click sounds, a low-deep “NO” command, and many other humane ways. He also gets very defensive and vicious when passing by other dogs during a walk.

I fear these things will never stop and he may no longer be able to be part of our family. This is very troubling as I’m sure you can imagine.

Are there any steps we could take to trying to correct this behavior? A friend whose dog is in-credibly well-behaved had mentioned doggy boot camp, can you recommend any that are in the Tri-state area as we live in Connecticut?

Thank you

Lauren Pascoa

Dear Lauren,

Congratulations on the adoption of your new pup Tucker! He sounds quite lively, and one entertaining bundle of energy! To answer your question, yes, there most certainly are steps you can take to resolve the issues you are having in order to reach your chosen goals!

The behavior scenarios you’ve described sound like normal tendencies of a highly spirited puppy. I do understand your frustration, and reasons for wanting to correct these unwanted behaviors. As a reward-based, certified professional dog trainer I suggest the best approach to reach your goals would be to replace these objectionable actions with those that you and your family members want. This way Tucker and all others involved will get their perspective needs met.

I have broken down your concerns into four separate areas:

1. Puppy play and tips on socialization
2. Jumping and scavenging or counter-surfing
3. On-leash dog reactivity when on walks
4. Assistance on locating local dog training services.

My sidekick Poncho and I are breaking this advice column into two parts. For this installment we will address the rough-housing (or “ruff” housing!), followed by Tucker’s propensity to counter-surf and rummage through the home. In the next edition, we will provide training tips for leash-walking and resources on how to find local assistance.

• Tucker and Polo’s dog-play session: Your young spirited puppy, who also happens to be a mix of higher-energy breeds, wants to play with his older brother, who has most likely mellowed with age. And although Polo is still on the younger side, he’s probably had enough play experience to know how much he’s willing to tolerate from a puppy. Also, if Polo was an “only child” for most of his life, he might need some time to adapt to having another dog in the house, as well as a younger tireless one.

• A few tips to help both dogs enjoy life with each other during play would be:
  • Reward both dogs for any and all nice play behavior! Be a cheerleader for both Tucker and Polo when they are playing nicely – ‘happy talk’ from you (and other humans) along with an occasional treat will send a message of “Nice play time boys!”, then you’ll get more of it. You can also reward Tucker when he is “listening” to Polo’s requests for backing off.
  • Monitor play: Dog play can appear to be quite intense at times (and often is). You’ll know it’s consensual if both dogs remain together and interact. Watch for reciprocal behavior be-tween the dogs. For more about interpreting proper dog socialization and play, visit my dog training blog.
  • Puppy classes and socialization: Reward-based puppy training classes are key for helping younger dogs develop into well-mannered, well-socialized adult dogs. You’ll also want to consider setting up play-dates for Tucker with other puppies to help him develop good play skills. In fact, proper socialization for dogs is important at any age. But don’t take my word for it, check out what my own inquisitive canine Poncho has to say about dog socialization.

• Scavenging throughout the house: Hunting and foraging are normal behaviors of dogs. If given the opportunity he or she is likely to take it, especially with a younger pup. Dogs are quite keen at finding their own forms of entertainment, which makes it even more important for you to manage your environment, along with arranging specific outlets for Tucker to target his energy. Here’s one other dog that enjoys the sport of counter-surfing. My sidekick Poncho has provided some nice dog training tips to help with scavenging.

• A couple of other handy tips would be to provide motivational interactive dog friendly toys that Tucker likes. (Not ones you think he should like but ones that he actually likes to play with). Reward Tucker for playing with his own toys. Yes, I mean give him a little treat and a “Good boy!” for all of those times Tucker chooses to pick up his own toy. As a double reward, please acknowledge with praise and a treat for those times when he ignores the forbidden items that were left out.

Which brings me to one of the simplest solutions: if you don’t want Tucker getting into something, put it away. Management may not teach Tucker exactly what you want, but it certainly sets him up for success by preventing him from practicing behaviors you don’t want.

Puppy behaviors can be exhausting, but remember, Tucker will soon outgrow many of them, becoming the well-adjusted good-mannered adult dog you all want. With guidance in his play sessions, and providing alternate outlets for Tucker to help relieve all of his energy, I’m sure you’ll be reaching your dog training goals before you know it.

Remember to tune back in for the next installment of Dear Inquisitive Canine where we revisit the art of loose leash walking, and provide a few resources on where inquisitive dog guardians can find local dog training services.

As a certified professional dog trainer, these are a few of my top tips for puppy and dog proofing one’s home:

Ensuring your pet’s safety in and around the house and yard:

• Make sure yard enclosures are secure and safe. Including fences and gates. Also look for areas that might be prone to digging or jumping up and over for escape – Remember, if dogs become bored, and find more entertaining options outside your yard, he or she will figure out a way to get to them!
• Make sure others that come onto the property are aware there is a dog on the premises and they take the same measures of keeping gates closed – “Beware of Dog” and other visible signs are important to let others know you have a pet on the property.
• If one has a pool, provide fencing around pool or dog away from water until he or she is old enough to swim (if it’s appropriate for that specific dog) and has learned how to swim and get out of a pool. (Dogs need to learn this skill).
• Make sure plants, flowers and foliage in yard are dog friendly. This includes things like leaves, berries and flowers that fall from trees.
• If there are plants that attract bees, be aware that many dogs like to ‘hunt’ bees and can get stung. (Just ask Poncho – just one trip to the vet and we were replacing Mexican sage and lavender with ferns).

Protecting your home from a pet’s ‘accidents’, chewing , and other obstacles associated with new pet ownership:

• Manage your home: When one is not training, MANAGE! This means: close doors to rooms dogs (and other pets) aren’t allowed. Remember, if it’s within reach and appears interesting it WILL be investigated!
• Manage your pet: Keep a watchful eye on all pets, especially new ones coming into the home! House-training often needs to be taught whenever an animal goes to a new home. Create a designated area to help manage the animals environment until he or she has adapted well and boundaries are established.
• Provide enrichment: Mental and physical activities are key to helping animals maintain a fulfilling environment! If he or she is enjoying life with options he or she is provided, he or she won’t spend time making up their own activities – like digging up flower beds, jumping fences or dumpster diving in the kitchen. This means provide CHEW items that the puppy enjoys chewing, not what owners think he or she should like, interactive food toys to provide meals, and an area to dig and play that’s within the confines of your own property.
• Take the time to teach and train your dog behaviors that will help establish and maintain boundaries – The following are just a few I teach my clients and their dogs in my dog training classes and private dog training sessions:
  • “Go to Your Place” teaches him or her to settle on a bed or mat (or crate). If your dog is spending time and comfy in one specific designated area, then he or she is not off wandering around finding other things to do (or chew, or pee on etc.)
  • Sit/Down/Stay: For when doors are being opened to the great outdoors, or into forbidden rooms. (These are the main behaviors I teach  in my Setting You up For Dog Training Success eBook!)
  • “Leave it!” Leave things alone…especially the 22 pound roast turkey sitting on the counter, a little too close to the edge.
  • Coming when called: For when door dashing is a bigger motivator!
• Socialize your puppy: Training is very important, but exposing your puppy to new people, sights, sounds, smells, situations and environmental changes are optimal for raising a healthy and happy pet. Well structured puppy socials, “pass the puppy” with friends and family in your own home (or in homes of your friends and family), meeting dogs who are healthy and up-to-date on his or her vaccinations are all great ways to begin socializing your new pup to his or her surroundings.

Finally, when it comes to adopting an animal of any species, remember it’s important to be aware of the type of animal you’re bringing into your household. Understanding the behaviors of that animal, especially species specific traits, will help you develop realistic expectations, setting everyone up for success with your new relationship.

What does this mean for us humans? That we have to stay on top of it with management and making sure we’re offering him the opportunity to go outside! AND, following my own recommendations I provide in my FREE House-Training eBook, here’s the most important dog training tip, we have to make sure we reward him heavily for going potty outside whenever he does! I don’t care how old an animal is, you can never thank him or her enough for dragging their butts outside to go to the bathroom..rain or not.

So, with the latest weather conditions my husband and I have been on top of our game! And, because the rain has been non-stop, we’ve been able to do a lot of consistent repetition – which is ideal for instilling behaviors!

For the first couple of days we were having to carry Poncho out to the yard. Sometimes he would “fake it”, but I know my boy – so I’d play “NBA Player” and set a screen – blocking him from running back towards the house – even though the door was closed I still wanted him to sniff around where he usually goes. If he wasn’t successful in the backyard, we’d take him out front – we often have more success there since it’s one of the only things he does in the front yard. So there I would stand, in the rain, but I had an umbrella. At first I was following him around protecting him from the rain, but sometimes that would cease the process, so I stopped doing that – I can learn too

Regardless of where or when, after every potty event we would immediately head back in and reward with a treat – and/or toss of a toy! Well, after the third day into the process I’m proud enough to say that Poncho is motivated enough to head out on his own, after one cue – sure he looked back at me a few times with “that look” on his face. But I prompted him with my happy talk to stay put until he was finished. I didn’t have to go with him – I was outside but under the awning – and, it was in the backyard! And what was the pay-off? For him it was a single salt and vinegar potato chip from Trader Joe’s…for me, a clean floor

So remember folks, as both a certified professional dog trainer and dog mom, this is what I suggest when it comes to house-training:

• Reward your animals for making the desired bathroom choice – no matter his or her age.
• Manage your environment to set everyone up for success.
• Download our Free House-Training eBook if you need some dog training tips!

Could you tell me why my 13-year-old lab, who has never had an accident in the house, will sometimes pee when my parents watch her. They have a female lab and so she likes to stay there, I just don’t know why she discreetly pees when she’s there. It has happened only four or five times over many years, but it is four or five times too many!

Cheers!
Deena
Dear Miss Deena,

I’m sorry to hear about this frustrating situation you’re having with your dog, especially since this isn’t her usual MO. I’m sure it makes you nervous about dropping her off for sleepovers at your parents’ house. Being a dog myself, I can certainly address the “why.” But first, allow me to ask you a few questions:

Is she completely and fully going potty … I mean “aaahhhh …” emptying her bladder? Or, is she “marking” her territory. Yes, believe it or not, you chicks mark your territory, too — it’s not just a guy thing.

Are there small amounts left in areas where the other dog hangs out? Or are there big puddles left near doorways, as if she was trying to tell someone she wanted to go outside?
Is she eliminating in the same place over and over again? If so, has it been thoroughly cleaned?

Some triggers that tell us dogs we need to potty are:

• Scent: If there are any remnants from any other animal (even from when she was there before) this might be telling her to “go potty.” There are special cleaners that will help get rid of the odors. And just because you or your mom and dad can’t smell anything, doesn’t mean your dog can’t. Remember, there’s a reason why humans aren’t used for bomb sniffing detection — doggy snouts are much better equipped.

• Texture: As the old saying goes, “If it feels good, do it.” Us dogs favor those lovely carpets, ahhhh, they feel so good on our feet … plus they hold a lot of smells … reminds us of the great outdoors. Sometimes tile and brick, or nice comfy bedspreads make great places, too. Hey, we all have our favorite facilities, right?

• Previous learning: It’s the same place she went before, so this has become her routine.

OK, so by now you’ve narrowed down how much she goes at one time, and if it’s marking her territory, or just going potty because she had to go! Whatever the reason, it’s something you and your parents don’t want … doesn’t make for an a-pee-ling house guest. Here are a few things you can do to empower your dog to develop good house manners. I know they’ve worked for yours truly.

• When you arrive at your parents’ house, put your dog on leash, take her to where you want her to go potty, and wait … wait … wait … until she does, then: throw a party!!! She gets a yummy treat, and then she gets to go inside. When she is inside, she needs to be watched. If the humans get sidetracked easily, they might want to keep her on leash, nearby. Your dog shouldn’t be allowed to walk around aimlessly. Something might trigger her to go potty again. This wouldn’t be fair to her — set her up for success, not failure.

• Arrange it so that one of you two-legged folks walks her outside on leash periodically to potty, and again reward her for when she does, (if you need to, my mom the dog trainer says you can use some of her regular meal). Both yummy treats and off-leash freedom are her rewards. She should be taken out 30-40 minutes after she’s had anything to drink or eat, after she’s been sleeping or napping, and if she’s been inside for awhile. Watch her body language — does she all of a sudden wander off and start sniffing around? That might be her cue of letting you know she “needs to go,” so please pay attention.

• If she is marking her territory, you’re going to want to follow the same plan as basic house-training, keeping a watchful eye on her, and providing rewards for eliminating outside. One key recommendation: reward her for ignoring places she likes to mark. If you or your parents see her making her move, interrupt with a happy voice “No, no, honey, outside we go!” — then with gentle hands, escort her outside to potty. Like you humans, we dogs don’t appreciate being yelled at, especially if we’re fulfilling a biological urge.

With consistency, the “going outside I get rewarded with yummy treats, freedom, petting and praise” becomes the better choice … vs.the “going inside I get nothing.”

As for the “discreet” part, well, you know us canines are mentally similar to a human toddler — we understand “safe and dangerous” not “right and wrong.” We also lack self control, have really sharp teeth, and don’t wear a diaper. There might have been a time that she had an “accident,” then got in trouble, so she’s learned it’s safer to go when no one is around. You know, like those times you might be driving over the speed limit when the cops aren’t around? Yeah, I thought so … I know a little something about human behavior, too …

So again, the best plan of attack: house-training basics! Just like if you were to come to my house, I’d have to show you where the bathroom is, and if I forgot, you’d meander off to find it yourself. I’d have no one to blame but myself if you went potty in the “wrong” place.

*Looking for additional information on house-training for your dog? Check out our free eBook on teaching your dog house-training skills they can use in and out of your own home.

— Dear Inquisitive Canine is written by Joan Mayer and her trusty sidekick, Poncho. Joan is a certified professional dog trainer and human-canine relationship coach. Poncho is a 10-pound mutt that knows a lot about canine and human behavior. Their column is known for its simple common-sense approach to dog training and behavior, as well as its entertaining insight into implementing proven techniques that reward both owner and dog. Joan is also the founder of The Inquisitive Canine, where her love-of-dog training approach highlights the importance of understanding canine behavior. If you or your dog have questions about behavior, training or life with each other, e-mail them directly.