By Norma Jeanne Laurette ​

​As adults, we are responsible for the energy we put forth into this world. We are also responsible for the attitude and behaviours we bring to the table and how our words and behaviour affect those around us. I’m not saying we are responsible for someone else’s happiness, I’m not saying we don’t all have bad days or deal with life’s challenges and I’m not saying that physical, emotional and mental stresses can’t make our lives very difficult. What I am saying is that when we choose to share our lives with anyone else, whether it’s a spouse or partner, or bringing children or animals into our home, we are responsible for the energy we choose to share with them. They deserve our respect and the best we can give them, and by what we do or do not do, we make their lives and our own better or worse. I’ve always said, it’s not what happens to us but how we choose to handle it that defines our character. As responsible adults, it’s important to contribute positive energy for ourselves and those around us because whether it’s good or bad, our behaviour has a ripple affect. Unfortunately, many dog guardians are unaware of how their energy and behaviour affects those around them, including their dogs.
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Our dogs need a natural, nutritious and balanced diet. They also need fresh, clean water, sufficient exercise and quality sleep to stay healthy. But there’s another form of nourishment that’s just as important and often overlooked. Dogs also need emotional security, trust and recharge, because a dog can be physically fed yet emotionally starved (R1) (R2). This emotional nourishment comes from safety, social connection, canine enrichment, freedom, autonomy, predictability, play, exploration, communication, decompression and the ability to engage in natural dog behaviours. Without their basic needs met, many dogs begin to struggle emotionally, even when they live in loving homes (R1) (R3). What many guardians see as disobedience or bad behaviour is often the emotional equivalent of malnutrition (R2) (R4). A dog that barks excessively, reacts aggressively, destroys furniture, panics when left alone, becomes hyperactive, shuts down or struggles to settle may not be difficult or stubborn, it could simply be emotionally malnourished (R1) (R5). For more information about nutrition see Canine Nutrition – Essential For Your Dog’s Health & Longevity and Canine Nutrition – Raw For Dogs. For more information about canine enrichment ideas see my article Best Canine Enrichment Options For Mental Stimulation & Boredom Prevention.

​Dogs are sentient beings with biological, psychological and emotional needs. Emotional nutrition is everything that supports a dog’s psychological wellbeing and emotional stability. Just as protein helps build muscle, and nutrition supports physical health, emotional experiences help build resilience, confidence, adaptability and emotional regulation (R1) (R6). Dogs were not designed to spend most of their lives isolated, over-stimulated, constantly corrected or deprived of natural outlets but unfortunately, many dogs are surviving on the equivalent of emotional junk food (R2) (R7). They may receive training, an abundance of toys, walks and affection, but still lack some of the deeper emotional nutrients that help them truly thrive.

​Sniffing, chewing, digging, exploring, appropriate barking, playing, foraging and investigating the environment are not meaningless behaviours, they are emotional nutrients. Natural behaviours help dogs decompress, release stress and excess energy, process information and regulate emotions. When dogs are constantly interrupted or punished for behaving like dogs, frustration builds. Many behaviour problems begin when dogs lose the healthy outlets required for normal canine behaviours (R8) (R9). For more information about meeting your dog’s needs see our section about the Canine Hierarchy Of Needs in our book Blueprint To A Happy Dog.

​One of the most overlooked emotional nutrients is autonomy. Dogs benefit from having some control over their environment and daily experiences. The ability to choose when and where to rest, when to engage or move away from someone and when and how to explore their environment can reduce stress significantly. A life built entirely around constant restraint and control can quickly drain emotional resilience (R7) (R12). For more information about autonomy see my articles entitled Why Dogs Need Freedom Of Choice and Autonomy & A Well Behaved Dog.

​Dogs need more than just physical sleep, they also need emotional rest. Many dogs live in environments filled with nonstop noise, stimulation, pressure and expectations and without sufficient decompression, the nervous system never fully settles. An emotionally nourished dog has plenty of opportunity to fully relax and nurture the vagus nerve without constantly being stimulated. (R2) (R13). For more information about the vagus nerve see Healing The Vagus Nerve In Dogs: Natural Ways To Reduce Anxiety & Promote Calmness.

​Emotional starvation does not always look sad. Sometimes it appears loud, chaotic, aggressive or completely shut down. A dog that’s emotionally undernourished can become hyperactive, reactive, clingy, restless, destructive, withdrawn or emotionally overwhelmed. These behaviours are often misunderstood as stubbornness or disobedience when in reality they can be signs that the dog is struggling emotionally and lacking the support, fulfilment, security or balance required to cope with daily life.

Many emotionally undernourished dogs also struggle with frustration tolerance, impulse control and difficulty adapting to change. These behaviours are frequently symptoms of emotional distress rather than personality or training flaws (R1) (R5). For more information about stress and anxiety see my article Stress & Anxiety In Dogs: How To Protect Your Dog’s Wellbeing.

Many guardians attempt to fix emotionally driven behaviours through stricter obedience or increased control, but training cannot compensate for emotional deprivation. A dog cannot thrive emotionally while living with chronic stress, confusion, isolation, fear, overstimulation or lack of fulfilment. This is why some dogs continue struggling in spite of understanding cues and signals. (R2) (R14).
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Positive training can help provide emotional nutrition, as it contributes to bonding, builds communication, confidence, trust, predictability and safety however, even positive training is only one piece of the puzzle. For information about positive training see my article Positive Dog Training: The Science, Ethics & Proven Results.

​Unless there are underlying health issues, when dogs are emotionally nourished, unwanted behaviours often change with no intervention. Dogs that are emotionally fulfilled tend to recover from stress more quickly, learn more efficiently, have better impulse control, cope with change more successfully and relax more easily. They tend to show fewer frustration and stress-based behaviours and are more emotionally stable overall (R1) (R6).
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Our goal when training should not be just about control, it should be about overall emotional wellbeing. Emotionally healthy dogs are not just easier to live with, they are happier, more resilient and better able to navigate our human-centric world (R3) (R15).

​(R1) Overall, K. L. (2013). Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats. Elsevier. Comprehensive reference on canine emotional health, stress, coping behavior, and behavioral disorders.
(R2) Horwitz, D., & Mills, D. (2009). BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine (2nd ed.). British Small Animal Veterinary Association. Discusses stress, emotional responses, environmental influences, and canine behavioral wellness.
(R3) McMillan, F. D. (2017). Mental Health and Well-Being in Animals. CABI. Explores emotional resilience, welfare, and psychological health in animals.
(R4) Pryor, K. (2006). Don’t Shoot the Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training (Rev. ed.). Bantam Books. Foundational work on positive reinforcement and behavior change.
(R5) Yin, S. (2009). Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats. CattleDog Publishing. Discusses stress signals, fear responses, and humane behavior modification.
(R6) Beerda, B., Schilder, M. B. H., van Hooff, J. A. R. A. M., de Vries, H. W., & Mol, J. A. (1999). Chronic stress in dogs subjected to social and spatial restriction. Physiology & Behavior, 66(2), 233–242. Research examining the effects of restriction and chronic stress on dogs.
(R7) Bender, A., Strong, H., & Newberry, R. C. (2021). Effects of environmental enrichment on the behavior of dogs housed in kennels. Animals, 11(2), 563. Research on enrichment and canine welfare.
(R8) Horowitz, A. (2016). Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell. Scribner. Explains the importance of scent exploration and natural canine behaviors.
(R9) Hubrecht, R. C. (1995). Enrichment in puppyhood and its effects on later behavior of dogs. Laboratory Animals, 29(1), 70–76. Research related to enrichment and emotional stability.
(R10) Friedman, S. G. (2009). What’s wrong with this picture? Effectiveness is not enough. Good Bird Magazine, 5(2), 12–18. Discusses humane training and emotional welfare during learning.
(R11) Topál, J., Miklósi, Á., Csányi, V., & Dóka, A. (1998). Attachment behavior in dogs. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 112(3), 219–229. Study examining dog-human attachment relationships.
(R12) Rooney, N. J., Gaines, S. A., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. (2007). Behavioural and glucocorticoid responses of dogs to kennelling. Physiology & Behavior, 92(5), 847–854. Research on confinement, stress, and canine welfare.
(R13) Levine, E. D., Ramos, D., & Mills, D. S. (2007). A prospective study of two self-help CD based desensitization and counter-conditioning programmes with the use of Dog Appeasing Pheromone for treatment of firework fears in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105(4), 311–329. Discusses stress recovery and decompression.
(R14) Ziv, G. (2017). The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs—A review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 19, 50–60. Review of research examining aversive training and stress.
(R15) Hiby, E. F., Rooney, N. J., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. (2004). Dog training methods: Their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare, 13(1), 63–69. Study comparing training methods and canine welfare outcomes.
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Photo By Norma Jeanne Laurette

By Norma Jeanne Laurette ​

​​Potty training also known as housebreaking or house training is one of the first and most important lessons for any new puppy. Dogs don’t instinctively know where you want them to eliminate or why, meaning that clear, positive and consistent training is essential.

​Dogs don’t understand right from wrong. Punishing a puppy for having an accident teaches it nothing, except that its person can be scary and unpredictable. It’s unfair and counterproductive, causes fear and damages the human/canine trust bond. It often causes dogs to hide when they need to go, making the house training process more difficult than it needs to be.

Instead, focus on prevention, supervision and rewarding the behavior you want. By repeating a successful pattern again and again over a period of time, eliminating outside becomes a deeply rooted habit. Remember that good habits are just as hard to break as bad habits.

​Punishment can cause stress, anxiety, fear and a myriad of behavioral problems including aggression. As frustrating as accidents can be, it’s crucial to remain calm in order to nurture your puppy’s trust and respect. For more information about the affects of punishment in training see our first book Blueprint To A Happy Dog.
Track Your ProgressTrack your progress by marking accident-free days on a calendar as well as the number of accidents in each day. Gradually increase the length of time between outside breaks by 10 minutes at a time after achieving a few accident-free days.

​Tips for Crate Success

• Choose the right size (room to stand and turn around only).
• Make it a comfortable “den” with bedding and chews.
• Feed meals and chews inside to associate it with positive experiences.
• Gradually increase duration only when your puppy is relaxed.​

​Some puppies panic when confined and respond better with more space. Passive paper training is another option when crate training isn’t suitable, such as for puppies that panic, high-energy puppies, puppies that soil the crate, when the puppy has to spend more than a very short period of time confined, etc.

Personally, I prefer passive paper training when I can’t watch my puppy because it’s less stressful for the pup. Set up an exercise pen or a secure, blocked off, puppy-proofed area (removing all inappropriate objects it could chew on). Cover the entire floor covered with newspaper and add a comfy bed, toys and chew options at one end. Gradually reduce the paper size over time as you achieve housebreaking success when the puppy is outside of the passive paper training area.

When it’s necessary to protect the floor under an exercise pen, place the exercise pen on top of a tarp with the edges of the tarp outside of the exercise pen to prevent the puppy from chewing on it.
For puppies that panic when alone, see my article Separation Anxiety.

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• Don’t leave food or water down because what goes in must come out. If the puppy is constantly eating and drinking, it will be constantly defecating and urinating, making it difficult to create a housebreaking schedule.
• After feeding, pick up the food bowl until the next meal, as well as if the puppy walks away without finishing its food.
• Offer drinks of water hourly to prevent dehydration and take the puppy out immediately after drinking. This will make it much easier to predict when the puppy will need to urinate.
• No food or water 2 to 3 hours before bedtime, as an empty puppy is less likely to have accidents or wake up because it needs to eliminate.
• Provide plenty of safe canine enrichment opportunities and appropriate chew toys when alone or confined.
• Take your puppy for a walk or play with it just before bed, as a tired puppy is more likely to sleep through the night.
• Be patient. Some puppies are housebroken within a few weeks, while others take months. Every dog is different and consistency is the key.
• If accidents persist or return after successful housebreaking, or the rate of urination increases, consult a veterinarian to eliminate physical causes, as well as a qualified, positive dog behavior expert to make sure you are not missing any important aspects of the potty training program.

For 50 canine enrichment ideas see my article Best Canine Enrichment Options For Mental Stimulation & Boredom Prevention.

​(R1) Dunbar, Dr. Ian. Housetraining. James & Kenneth Publishers, 1986.
(R2) Dunbar, Dr. Ian. Housetraining Supplement. James & Kenneth Publishers, 1986.
(R3) International Animal Studies Behavior Course, 1994. (R4) Pryor, Karen. clickertraining.com/node/289.
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Photo By Norma Jeanne Laurette