Did you just find another puddle in your house? Or did you walk into the living room and discover a pile of poop? Do you feel like you are spending all your time taking the dog outside or cleaning up messes in the house?
You are not alone, but you do not need to be in this situation. Your puppy or adult dog can be fully potty trained and you can be free of cleaning up “accidents” all the time.
By Subscribing to our FREE Course on Dog / Puppy Housebreaking you can have a fully housebroken dog in a few short weeks. Follow the step-by-step house training instructions and free yourself from watching your dog constantly – plus you will be able to actually enjoy having him around you.
Puppies under six months of age are not fully developed and will have trouble being able to hold their urine and feces. However, if you learn to understand when they are likely to potty, you can anticipate their needs and get them out to a potty place at the right time.
Does your dog eliminate at the same area in the yard?
If not, you may need to start over on training him where to potty. Put his leash on him when you take him out and always take him to the same area. Always use a word such as “business” to let him know what you want him to do. Stand still and hold the end of the leash so he cannot investigate the entire area but is limited to a specific part. And do not let him play until he has done his business.
Does your dog only have occasional accidents?
First make sure he does not have any health problems. Then try to understand when he has his accidents – is it 30 minutes after eating, while he is playing, right after he gets up (or is released from his crate), when greeting people, etc. Once you can identify when he has problems, you can use our customized Dog / Puppy Housebreaking Course to try the correct solutions to the problem.
Does your dog only mess when you leave him alone? Does he only do it in a certain room of the house? Does he mark your furniture? Learn what causes these behaviors and how to work with your puppy or adult dog to solve the problem.
If you work and must leave your dog at home for long hours, you need to learn how to effectively crate train your dog as well as how to successfully potty train him so that he always eliminates in the appropriate place at the appropriate times.
Potty training, like all other types of dog training, involves positive reinforcement. Learn how to deal with accidents appropriately without hitting your dog or “making a big deal” out of it.
Some breeds are easy to house train as they don’t like their living quarters to be messy or smelly or they really like to please their owners. Other breeds are more difficult to housebreak. Others may need a special type of housebreaking. However, with patience and persistence, your dog can be completely housetrained.
Basics of Potty Training A Dog
It is important for your dog to have an established routine and for you to be consistent in your expectations of him. The easy way to establish a routine is that any time there is a break during the day or a change of direction in your dog’s day, take the dog to his potty place.
The five keys to your success are:
- When your dog wakes up, take him to the potty place.
- Feed your dog on a regular schedule which will eventually be twice a day, about 10-12 hours apart. After he eats or drinks anything, take him to the potty place.
- After your dog plays or exercises, take him to the potty place.
- Withhold water for two to four hours before your dog goes to bed.
- Just prior to going to bed, take him to the potty place.
Depending on the age and background of your dog, you may need one of the variations suggested in the training course.
You may also want to understand the various methods of potty training and when to use which method. One potty training method may fit your dog and lifestyle better than the others.
