Dear Concrete: When puppies are originally housebroken they are trained to go on certain surfaces. Hopefully, it’s the nice lush grass outside and not the plush carpet inside! So as a puppy he learned that it was good to go outside on grass. Now that you have moved to the big city, your Pug is confused about the surfaces he’s presented with. In his mind, only grass or earth is an acceptable place to eliminate. Fortunately, your pup is young enough that the transition to concrete won’t take too long to master. Your best bet is to pretend like you are housebreaking him from scratch. Start over and teach him to be a city dog.

Welcome to Gotham!

You might want to start with setting up a small indoor toilet area for him in a litter box near the door. When it’s time for his “walk” put a leash on him and have him eliminate in the litter box. Fill the litter box with newspaper and get him to go on the paper. Then eventually add a thin piece of concrete that feels like the sidewalk under the newspaper. Then remove the paper and have him use just the concrete. Praise him and give him a treat when he is a good boy. Always remember to put his leash and collar on just like he would be going outside.

When he’s use to that surface, try him outside. Have him sleep in his crate and first thing in the morning, take him out, pick him up and carry him downstairs for the first few times. Place him in the same area where you want him to go. This will reinforce his routine as to where and when he should do his business. Use a term, my favorite is, “Gotta go pee pee?” and then we go out for our walk. Once at his new location, give him his new command and when he goes, give him lots of praise and a treat, just like when he was in the apartment.

Have patience with him and eventually he will learn that you want him to go on his new surface. Remember New York has a pooper-scooper law so be prepared with baggies on your walk. An alternate method for training might be to find a small patch of grass for him outside and then move him over to the concrete, but I believe starting over with housebreaking and an indoor newspaper routine will bring results quicker. As for the wet problem, try booties on his paws or try spaying down his concrete slab in the apartment and just teach him to stand on wet concrete. Once he’s used to it, he should have no problem.

Lisa’s Pick of the Litter

The 2005 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship was simulcast live on Animal Planet and Discovery from Tampa, Florida on January 15 and 16.

Invitations for the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship were extended to the top 25 dogs in every AKC-recognized breed and variety, every all-breed Best in Show winning dog in America from the qualifying period of October 8, 2003 to October 5, 2004, and select dogs from recognized foreign registries. Newly invited this year were all dogs completing their AKC championship requirements, with all points earned from the Bred-By-Exhibitor class, during the qualifying period.

“Given the select nature of an invitation-only event for top-ranked dogs, we are delighted that our total entry increased by nearly 1,000 dogs this year – a more than 50 percent increase over 2003,” said Ron Menaker, Show Chairman.

Seventy-one Dachshunds (three varieties) lead the entry tally followed by 33 Chihuahuas (two varieties) and 29 American Staffordshire Terriers. Four breeds – the Brittany, the Cocker Spaniel (three varieties), the Poodle (three varieties) and the Havanese – each boast an entry of 27 and the Pug and Bulldog with 26 round out the top-entered breeds at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.

            

Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian Elkhounds, is the Club Communications Manager at the American Kennel Club. Contact her at ask@lisa-peterson.com or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470.