[porschefied]

>>The reason for this is that she (the dog) hasn't domiciled the upstairs (yuck).

Hello -- You mean your dog hasn't had an accident upstairs, or hasn't starting sleeping upstairs?

The dog is happiest when she is next to the family. Her poor little brain will not understand what is going on, that kids she loves and cats (who she certainly thinks are beneath her in pack-rank) can freely go upstairs.

She knows "upstairs" is a special place that belongs to you, her people. Unless you block it off, she will want to go upstairs when you are not home. But if you have a dog to whom obstacles mean nothing, that would just be a problem the dog would solve -- by busting through, or eating through, or maybe getting caught in and then panicking and hurting herself.

You can train her to have a place to go to, like a dog bed, or couch, and give it a name, so that "go to your bed" will get you the response you want. I recommend the book, Culture Clash by Jeanne Donaldson, for an excellent description of how the dog brain works and also training assistance.

Those electro-shock training devices should be banned as they are frequently misused. And teaching a dog through fear is not the way to go.

I rehabilitated my American bull terrier (from animal shelter) from dog post-traumatic stress disorder to being a very happy friendly dog using food rewards (and consistency and kindness of course). Good luck with your dog and your training project.

-Shelley