Dear Cathy: I have two small dogs, neither of which are housetrained — a 5-year-old “shorkie” I got four years ago, and a 10-year-old Shih Tzu mix that I just added to the family.

When I first got the “shorkie,” I tried to crate train him, but he would go berserk. He had been thrown out of a car, so was likely very traumatized. Now that I have another dog, it’s getting to be too much cleaning up pee and/or making sure they both have diapers on. The diapers are costing me a fortune and not everyone in my house remembers to put them on, so I’m still cleaning up pee five and six times a day. And yes, I let them out very often. Do you have any suggestions?

— Sharon, Terrace, New York

Dear Sharon: Start by retraining both dogs. Establish a schedule where you take them outside at regular scheduled intervals — after meals, playtime, naps, etc. When they “go potty” outside, immediately praise and reward them with treats or affection. Dogs thrive on consistency, so keeping this routine steady will help them understand expectations.

To help things move along more quickly, introduce clicker training. A clicker is a small device that makes a distinctive sound, marking the exact moment your dog does something you want to reward. You will need to teach your dogs how to associate the sound with something positive. Hold the clicker and have a handful of small, tasty treats. Click the device and immediately give your dog a treat. Repeat this during short sessions over a few days. Soon, they will know the clicker means, “Here comes a treat!”

Once the clicker is established, teach your dogs to respond to their names. The moment they make eye contact, click and reward. Practice this until they reliably respond to their name when called.

Next, introduce “sit.” Hold a treat above their nose and slowly move it back toward their tail. Their nose follows the treat, so their bottom will naturally lower to the ground. The moment they sit, click and reward.

Next, use the clicker outside to mark the moment when they go potty. Over time, they’ll understand that pottying outside earns rewards too.

Use clickers that make different sounds for each dog to avoid confusion. If different-sounding clickers aren’t available, train them separately so they don’t mistakenly think they’ll be rewarded for something their sibling did right.

Alternatively, if managing clickers feels too much, assign each dog their unique reward word instead. For example, you could use “Bingo” for one dog and “Bravo” for the other. Always pair the word with a treat or praise immediately after the desired behavior so they learn it means, “You did something right; here’s your reward!” Keeping their cues distinct helps avoid confusion and ensures a smoother training process. Consistency is key so get everyone in the family on board with the training.

Dear Cathy: Regarding your column on declawing, my family has had five indoor cats over the years, during which time we also had a cocker spaniel. One of the cats loved to hide under the tablecloth while sitting on a dining table chair and wait for the dog to stroll by. He would then reach down and slap the dog. Two times this resulted in a claw hitting the dog’s eye, which required vet treatment. This was expensive, and we feared the dog’s sight could be compromised, so we had the cat’s claws removed. This was hard on the cat as he was 9 at the time, but after he healed, he went back to smacking the dog with no damage.

We have had two cats since that were declawed when they were small kittens. Both were done by laser, which meant so little bleeding that the vet told us no tourniquet was needed. Healing was very fast. I hope you will suggest laser declawing in a future column.

— Caroline, Missoula, Montana

Dear Caroline: I appreciate you taking the time to explain your experiences and why you made this decision. While laser declawing has improved aspects of the procedure and recovery, it remains a complex issue with potential implications for a cat’s physical and emotional health. Cats, regardless of the method used, reportedly may develop increased biting or avoidance behaviors as a result of losing their primary form of defense.

While there are always extenuating circumstances, I believe it’s important to focus on exploring alternative solutions for behavior issues whenever possible, such as frequent nail trimming (weekly), soft claw covers or behavior training, that can often help avoid situations that require declawing.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city and state. You can follow her @ cathymrosenthal.