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FULLS CRIPT PROVIDED FOR PRICING REFERENCE//
I’m in Love with My Dog
If you own a dog, you have found that it is almost impossible not to love this highly intelligent and trainable animal. One challenge you will face when training your dog is where and when it will go potty. Whether you own a small, medium or large dog, we hope you will find valuable information that you can use to potty train your puppy or adult dog.
There are a number of factors to consider in potty training, such as who is responsible for the training of your dog, the secrets of potty training, and how do you speak to your dog in a language it can understand. This book will provide the answers to these questions and will put you on the path to potty training success.
What’s that Smell? The Honeymoon’s Over – Housetraining Your Bundle of Joy
When you open your home to a new dog, whether it is new puppy, or a rescued or adopted older dog, you are going to have to work on potty training. This is the inevitable time when the honeymoon is over and you need to get to work. This day usually occurs when you walk into your home and realize that your once well-maintained house now smells suspiciously similar to the local animal shelter, or when you get out of bed in the morning and step into an unwelcome surprise left by your new pet.
Very young puppies will most likely not be potty trained when you acquire them. Older dogs that were housetrained in their previous home may begin to have potty issues in your home. This can be the result of a number of factors. If your rescued or adopted dog was a stray for awhile, it may have forgotten its potty training.
Your Dog Needs Training – for Both Your Sakes
Responsible dog owners should understand that they really need to work on potty training their dog. Potty training is important for both you and the dog.
Have you ever visited your local animal shelter? If you have, you remember the smell quite clearly. Despite the best of efforts by the staff at these shelters, the sheer quantity of dogs that pass through makes keeping the facility completely odor-free virtually impossible. If you fail to potty train your dog, you might soon find that your home takes on a scent similar to that of the shelter. Your house may also be damaged by repeated accidents. You don’t want to live in a mess like that and neither does your pet. Potty training is a must in any pet home.
Potty training your dog can have many benefits for you. Whether you train your dog to go potty outside, or you train your smaller dog to go in a litter box, your home will thank you. The havoc that untrained dogs can wreak on a house can be detrimental. Some of these problems include:
• Carpets can be difficult to clean and may stain or trap odors.
• Wood floors can be damaged or stained.
• It is tiring to clean up after an untrained pet several times a day.
• Accidents always seem to happen at inconvenient times.
There are many highly-effective cleaning methods available, but prevention is always best.
As much as you want to housetrain your dog, your dog also wants to be trained. Dogs do not like messes and would much prefer to have a method of relieving themselves that would allow a clean living environment. One reason the crate training method is so effective is that dogs are reluctant to relieve themselves in their living space. Confining your dog to its living space for a limited amount of time will encourage it to wait until you can bring it to an acceptable location for toileting.
It’s Your Responsibility
As a dog owner you have the responsibility to teach your dog where it is acceptable to go potty. If you neglect training, your dog may make its own assumptions about where it should go potty. It is very likely that you will not agree with its chosen location.
You probably put a lot of thought into choosing your dog. Your dog, however, had no say in the matter. You will enjoy a great deal of benefits from dog ownership. In return you should make your dog’s life as fulfilling as possible.
If you truly care for your dog you want to take care of it as a way of demonstrating your love for it. There is no better way to do this than training your dog. Dogs want to live in a clean environment. Potty training your dog gives it a chance to help keep its living space clean. Your dog will also enjoy potty training because it likes working with you. The time you spend potty training your dog will help the two of you to form a lifelong bond.
Most dogs will do their part when it comes to potty training but they need a great deal of help from the owner. Consistency is the key to responsible potty training. Your dog should be kept on a consistent schedule, disciplined consistently and praised consistently. This means that you should walk your dog or take it in the yard on a regular schedule. You need to use your preferred method of discipline each and every time you catch your dog going potty in the house. Also offer praise each time your dog goes potty in an acceptable location or asks to go outside.
Anger is not an appropriate response when you find that your puppy or dog has had an accident in the house. Think about the situation. Did you forget to take your dog out to potty before you left the house? Were you gone for longer than the dog could be expected to hold it? Did you forget to confine your dog to a crate if you were only going to be out of the house for a short period of time? If you answered yes to any these questions, you share the blame for the accident with your dog. One of the primary rules of dog training is: always give your dog the best possible opportunity to succeed.
I Tried to Get Her to Go in the Toilet and She Almost Drowned! The Art of Potty Training
It may seem completely natural for dogs to just know they are supposed to go outside or in a designated area but it just isn’t that easy. Dogs need to be taught where it is acceptable to relieve themselves and where it is unacceptable.
If left to its own devices, your new puppy may establish its own potty routine. Your puppy is very likely to decide your new shoes or even your bed is the perfect place to relieve itself. Once it makes up its mind retraining it can be significantly more difficult. For this reason it is wise to start potty training your dog very early on.
Not all dogs are created equally. You may have two littermates that are virtually identical, but one may have more trouble potty training than the other. In this case, the difference may be hard to pinpoint, but there are some clear-cut differences between the different breeds.
Potty training, like obedience training, is closely linked to your dog’s personality or temperament. Most dogs are highly intelligent and can learn very easily. They also respond well to positive reinforcements and may be intimidated by harsh corrections or discipline. In potty training your dog, you should maintain a positive attitude and be consistent in the behaviors you will reward. This will help to ensure your pet the greatest degree of success in its potty training endeavor.
Due to their size, smaller breeds are generally more difficult to train than larger breeds. Smaller breeds may not be able to wait as long as larger breeds and may require more frequent opportunities to potty.
Age of the dog is another factor in the potty training equation. The general rule of thumb for potty training is: puppies are able to hold for one hour longer than their age in months. For example; a two-month old puppy should be taken outside to go potty approximately every three hours. It should also not be held accountable for mishaps that occur when it is left unattended for more than three hours.
Larger breed adult dogs should have no difficulty holding for several hours. However, through trial and error you will learn what your dog’s threshold is. Once you figure this out you can develop a strategy for how often you need to take your dog out to avoid accidents in the house.
An older dog can be challenging to house train, but it is certainly possible. It is often more difficult to potty train an older dog because you may be dealing with ingrained behavior. If your adult dog has been allowed to go potty in the house for a number of years, teaching it this is wrong after it has learned it is acceptable can, be confusing for the dog.
In general puppies can begin potty training when you first bring it into your home. They may have even started their potty training while they were still with their mother. However, you should be patient with puppies. Remember most puppies can only hold for about 3 hours. Care should be taken to closely monitor your puppy during these three hours between potty breaks. If it appears to have to go, take it out immediately even if it was just outside. Giving your puppy the best possible chance to succeed will help it to achieve its potty training goals earlier.
Although young puppies can begin potty training early and may even completely learn they need to relieve themselves in a dedicated area, until the puppy grows and is able to go for more than a few hours without relieving itself you will still have to take it out often. In most cases you will be taking it out almost as frequently as you did while it was potty training.
Unless there are medical conditions, adult dogs can begin their potty training the first day they enter your home. Care should be taken not to confuse submissive peeing and marking with failure to potty train. If you do not know the history of the adult dog you are adopting, it is wise to assume it will need to be potty trained. Starting a potty training program from day one will help to minimize accidents.
Consider what you want to accomplish in your training: do you want your dog to relieve itself outdoors, on papers or in a litter box or crate; these are fairly simple actions that will most likely take only a few days for the dog to get the idea. Teaching your dog a more complex behavior like, ringing a bell, pawing at the door, responding to a clicker, transitioning to outdoors, or giving you a verbal cue when it wants to go out, will take a bit longer for the dog to learn.
Medical conditions, especially in an older dog, can also factor into potty training. If you suspect medical conditions may be the source of difficulties in the potty training process, it is recommended that you consult a veterinarian. Conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease may cause your puppy or dog to urinate frequently.
Some trainers believe spaying or neutering a puppy at a very early age can result in lifelong incontinence issues. If you believe it is an issue, you should consult your veterinarian before spaying or neutering your pet. He can offer you information from his personal experience you can use to make your decision regarding this issue.
Be careful to not confuse “mistakes” with dominate behaviors like marking. This can include urinating on specific locations where the scent of other dogs remain or even urinating on people, other pets or objects belonging to people. Although this type of behavior is not really a potty training issue, many new dog owners make the assumption that their dog is not making progress in its training. Marking is considered a dominant behavior, and spaying or neutering may be the solution to this problem.
The sex of the dog can also have an effect on potty training, but the evidence supporting this theory is inconclusive. Both intact males and females may also be harder to potty train than their spayed or neutered counterparts.
Finally the time commitment by the owner can have a significant effect on the potty training process. Owners who are dedicated to potty training their dog enjoy a much higher level of success than those who do not put much effort into teaching their puppy or dog. As an owner, if you have the time to devote to properly potty train your puppy, you will find the process to be much simpler.
Timing is everything. Purchasing or adopting a puppy a week before you go on a vacation can be detrimental to the entire potty training process. The progress you make is likely to be lost while you leave the puppy in the care of someone else during your vacation. You will also miss out on an excellent opportunity to bond with your dog during this time. This lost bonding time can make potty training, obedience training and any other training you wish to pursue with your dog, such as competition training, more difficult in the long run.
Now let’s move on to:
Methods of potty training your dog:
Crate training is a popular training method that is highly effective for all types of dogs.
If you wish to utilize the crate training method, you will have to purchase or borrow a crate in the right size for your dog or puppy. These crates are readily available at pet supply stores.
The theory behind crate training is dogs will not relieve themselves in their living space. For this reason the crate you choose should be only large enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around and lie down. If it is larger, the dog will designate one area for relieving itself and will sleep in another portion of the crate. This can pose a dilemma for owners of large breed dogs that wish to use a crate for both potty training and adulthood. To help solve this problem, some crates have optional dividers available. These dividers can section off the crate to keep the puppy in a smaller area during potty training and can be removed as the puppy grows.
Once you have acquired a crate, it is time to introduce your dog to the crate. Crates can seem intimidating for some dogs. Some puppies may be curious about the crate and walk right in while others may need more encouragement. It is important to remain positive when introducing your dog to a crate. Use treats to encourage your dog to enter the crate. If the dog is hesitant at first, start with small steps and praise it for simply sniffing the crate. Next offer praise for putting even one paw into the crate. Once you coax your dog completely into the crate, keep the sessions short to avoid overwhelming the dog. You might want to leave the door open at first and gradually begin closing it as your dog gets more comfortable with the crate.
After your dog is used to it, you can begin using the crate for potty training. The key to crate training is your dog goes into the crate every time you are unable to closely supervise it between trips outside. This would include short trips away from your home as well as times when you are home but distracted with other tasks. Consistency is important because accidents reinforce negative behavior. Each time your puppy fails, and is not corrected, it learns that the inappropriate behavior is acceptable. To avoid this problem, make every effort to ensure success for your puppy so you are reinforcing desirable behaviors.
While you should be sure to place your puppy in the crate each time you take a short trip away from your home, you should not do this for longer trips. You cannot expect your young puppy to hold elimination for an entire day at work. For this reason, you should confine your puppy to a larger area during these times. This area should be large enough for the puppy to relieve itself and still remain comfortable. In this situation, it is acceptable to permit this behavior. It would be unfair to the puppy to confine it to a smaller area when it is not physically possible for it to hold relieving itself that long.
Taking regular potty breaks is also important during the crate training method. You should take your puppy outside at regular intervals to give it the opportunity to relieve itself. Each time you take your puppy outside give it a command to encourage it to go potty. This command can be anything of your choosing. As your puppy gets older and enjoys success at potty training, you can gradually increase the duration of time between potty breaks. Although puppies prefer not to relieve themselves in their living space, they will do so if they do not have any other options. This is why it is important to take your puppy out regularly.
Confining your puppy between potty breaks and taking it outside at regularly scheduled intervals will be very helpful in potty training your puppy and will set it up for success. Each time your puppy relieves itself in a desirable location, it is important to praise and reward your puppy. Offer enthusiastic praise and a sought after treat to really let your puppy know it has pleased you.
Finally, it is very important to always be consistent when potty training your puppy. If you work to ensure you are training your puppy consistently, you will find the process of potty training to be a very smooth one.
Clicker training:
Clicker training can be used for a wide variety of purposes including potty training. Most dogs respond well to a clicker.
A clicker is a small handheld device with a button that emits a clicking sound when the button is depressed. The first step in using the clicker to is a process known as loading the clicker. This is basically teaching your puppy to associate the sound of the clicker with something good.
The click and treat method is often used to load the clicker. In this method you click the clicker and immediately offer your dog a treat. Repeat this pattern ten times each session, and do three-to-four training sessions each day. After only a few days your puppy will understand the clicker is a reward.
After loading the clicker, you can begin potty training your puppy. Closely monitoring your puppy at all times is an important part of this process. Unlike the crate method, where you can leave your puppy unattended for short periods, when using the clicker method your puppy must be watched constantly. If you remain alert and notice signs such as sniffing around, leg lifting or squatting, you can realize when the puppy is about to relieve itself. If you notice your dog preparing to relieve itself, take it outside, or to the desired location immediately to increase its chances of success.
If your dog has an accident while under your supervision, there is the need for correction. If your puppy begins to relieve itself indoors, clap your hands or give a verbal command such as a sharp “No.” This may startle your puppy momentarily and may cause it to stop. This gives you the opportunity to not only correct undesirable behavior but also to take the dog outside quickly to help it succeed at relieving itself in a desirable location.
While you are monitoring your puppy, it is also important to take it outside often for frequent potty breaks. It is important to take your puppy out when it appears to be looking for a place to go, but is also important to take your puppy out at regular intervals. It may only potty on some of the trips outside, but it is important to keep trying.
Once again, consistency is important. Each time, take the dog to the same location, and give it the same verbal or visual clue to go potty. Some examples include, “Go potty,” “Hurry up,” or any other phrase you wish to use. Some owners also wish to use hand signals in their training. The American Sign Language (ASL) sign for the word bathroom is a popular choice for those who use signs in potty training their puppy.
When your puppy does potty in the desired location, it is time to click and treat. This is the praise and reward you offer your puppy for offering a desired behavior. The work you put in on loading the clicker will ensure that the click and treat your puppy receives for going potty outside is a worthwhile reward for the puppy. The timing of the click and treat is important and may take some practice.
Offering the reward as soon as the puppy starts to relieve itself may cause the puppy to become excited and stop. It may understand it is being rewarded for going potty but once it receives the reward it loses focus. A better option is to offer the reward immediately after the puppy finishes going potty. Giving the reward immediately after the desired behavior is important because it ensures the puppy will understand why it is being rewarded.
Consistency cannot be over emphasized. You should be consistent in all aspects of the training to avoid confusing your puppy. This includes consistency when you take the puppy outside, the words you used to encourage your puppy to relieve itself, and the praise and reward you offer when the desirable behavior is offered.
Paper training:
Paper training is the tried and true method of teaching your puppy to relieve itself on either papers or puppy training pads. This can be used as either a transitional method aimed at teaching your puppy to go outside or as a final training method where going potty on the papers or pads is the ultimate goal.
As with most training methods, you need to find a worthwhile reward for your puppy. In most cases a simple, “Good boy,” combined with a tempting treat will suffice.
One useful tip for the paper training is to place paper towels soaked with your pet’s urine in the location where the papers or pads are placed. This scent may encourage your puppy to relieve itself in this particular location. When you clean up after your puppy’s accidents saving a paper towel to place in the paper or pad location can help your puppy learn where it should go potty.
Consider where the paper or pad needs to be located. A location with a rug is undesirable because the papers and pads may soak through. Hardwood floors may also be destroyed. In general a concrete floor, such as the one in a garage or basement, is ideal for paper training. Another factor to consider in choosing a location is if you want papers or pads in one place or scattered throughout the house. Some dog owners opt for a strategy of several locations in the thought that this will allow the dog to be more successful. However, this can be very confusing to your dog. Designating one specific location for the pads or papers gives your dog a more defined potty area and actually discourages mistakes.
Care should be taken to closely monitor your puppy, take it to the potty location often throughout the course of the day. Always praise enthusiastically and offer a reward when the puppy is successful.
Paper, or pad training can be a permanent toilet training solution, however, this method is not usually favorable for larger breeds. Paper training can also lead to odors in the house. Family members may grow used to this odor and barely even notice it after awhile, but visitors are often likely to notice an offensive odor immediately when they enter your home.
Paper training can also be used as a transition to toileting outside. The main difference is the location of the papers. For permanent paper training, an ideal location is chosen inside, while with transitioning the papers are usually moved closer to the door.
When using paper training as a transitional device, teaching the puppy to relieve itself on the papers is more important than teaching it to relieve itself in a particular location. This is important because the progressive steps of this method involve moving the papers closer to the door as you and your puppy work toward a goal of full potty training. The papers are gradually moved toward the door, and eventually outdoors, to send the message that the puppy should go potty outside.
It is critical to repeat the importance of consistency. If you want your dog to be consistent, you also have to be consistent. This means monitoring your puppy at all times when it is roaming free, taking your puppy out on frequent potty breaks, offering the same cues to your puppy, and being consistent with your rewards when your puppy is successful. Consistency on your part will lead to consistency on your puppy’s part. When you are consistent, your puppy is less likely to become confused.
Litter box training:
Litter box training utilizes the same methods as paper training, except the litter box is substituted for the papers or pads. This method is also most well-suited for smaller breeds. For example: The toy and miniature Poodle may be well suited for this method while standard Poodles are not likely candidates.
We have covered only a few of the most popular options for potty training your dog. A professional trainer or your veterinarian may be able to offer other methods. The methods described in this book can be used independently or in conjunction with each other. For example, the clicker training method can be used in conjunction with any other potty training method. Using the clicker as the reward phase is one way to join two methods.
Learning which method or combination of methods will work best for you and your puppy is the part of the art of potty training. This may take some experimentation and trial and error, but the process isn’t usually complicated. You will realize fairly quickly whether or not a particular method is working out for your puppy. If you have success with a particular method, stick with it until your puppy is fully trained. If after a few days you notice no improvement, you might want to try another method.
Walks
Two of the most common questions regarding taking your dog for a walk include:
• How many walks per day?
• How long should walks be?
There is no exact pattern that works for all dogs. There are as many answers as there are types of dogs...
Experimentation and trial and error are very important in determining the amount and duration of walks your dog will require. If your dog is having frequent accidents, you are not walking enough. You may want to consider adding an additional walk. For example; if you normally walk your dog at 5:00 am and again at 4:30 pm, but notice your dog has an accident at around 2:45 pm each day, you might want to consider moving the 4:30 walk up a little bit and adding a walk later in the evening.
In general, small dogs will need more frequent walks than large breed dogs because of their proportionately smaller bladders. This means they will need to go out more often than their larger counterparts. With a large dog, you may only need two-to-three walks per day, but a smaller dog may require three-to-five walks per day.
The duration of the walks can vary as well. Fifteen minutes sounds like a normally sufficient amount of time to walk your dog but this may not always be the case. The fact of the matter is some dogs are just really picky about where they relieve themselves. Some dogs will search and search for just the right spot before they go, while other dogs are happy to potty just about anywhere along the walk. If you have a particularly finicky dog you may have to allot more time for each walk to ensure your dog finds the perfect spot it is looking for.
The size of your dog can also contribute to the duration of your walk. Larger breeds may require longer walks than smaller breeds. Smaller breeds are not capable of walking as far as larger breeds and may tire more quickly. You will need to monitor your small dog to determine how long of a walk it needs.
Don’t forget the side benefits of walks: they are good both for you and your dog. Remember, your dog (and you!) needs exercise to stay fit.
Discipline:
No discussion of potty training a dog would be complete without mentioning disciplinary tactics. The best strategy for dealing with accidents occurring when you are not present is to remain calm and clean up the mess without disciplining your dog. Although there are some dogs that seem to know what they have done is wrong even hours after the accident, most dogs will not make the connection between their accident and being disciplined. They may be confused and wonder why they are in trouble.
Correction methods may be used for accidents occurring in your presence. If you catch your dog in the act of having an accident you can either give it a verbal command such as a stern, “No,” clap your hands, or even pick up your dog and take it outside. You can also use a combination, such as clapping your hands as you say “No” and then picking up your dog to take it outside. All three of these methods are effective corrections because they startle the dog into stopping and send it the message that what it was doing is wrong. When you take the dog outside to finish going potty be sure to offer praise and a reward for the desired behavior. You may still be upset with your puppy for its accident but it is important to be consistent in your training and to praise desirable behaviors.
Special Situations
There are a number of special situations that can affect the outcome of potty training. Some of these include:
• The older dog that suffers from age or illness
• The rescued dog that endured trauma
• The poorly trained dog that has developed bad habits
Each of these situations warrants unique training techniques. Although these situations may be challenging to the owner, overcoming the obstacles associated with these situations is definitely possible with hard work and dedication to the training. It is beyond the scope of this book to deal with specific solutions when the dog does not respond to the basic methods given. If you are concerned about a medical problem, for the sake of your dog, consult a veterinarian. If the dog is exhibiting a serious behavioral problem that is affecting his potty training a professional trainer should be consulted.
Older dogs often experience problems with potty training. Some of the problems may include a regression in training and illness which causes incontinence issues. Of these two situations, illness may be the most difficult for owners to deal with. Owners may be forced to come to terms with the possibility that age or illness has caused an unfixable problem in their dog. However, even when the situation is not fixable there are strategies for managing the problem.
Rescue dogs can also be a challenge in the potty training process. Most rescue dogs come to their new homes with some degree of baggage from their former homes. Whether they were surrendered, went stray, or lost their previous owners to death or infirmity, it is certainly understandable that rescue dogs may forget previously learned potty training skills or have difficulty learning potty training skills in their new homes. The trauma that brought the dogs to rescue is usually substantial enough to create a variety of training problems. It not surprising that potty training would have its own unique barriers for rescue dogs.
Finally, another potty training dilemma is the adult dog that was not properly trained as a puppy. Incorrect training as well as complete lack of training can both serve to foster bad habits in a dog. In most cases, the owners realize they were negligent in potty training and are seeking a way to reverse the poor habits which were established due to a lack of training or poor training as a puppy.
Dealing with an adult dog that never learned proper skills as a puppy can be difficult. This situation is complicated because as a puppy the dog established patterns which it believes to be acceptable. Old habits die hard, and an adult dog may be reluctant to give up bad habits once they are established.
Fortunately, retraining an adult dog is possible. It is definitely not an easy process, but it is possible. The keys to retraining an adult dog include patience, perseverance and consistency. If an owner wishes to correct a problem he or someone else has allowed to occur for years, he will have to commit to put a great deal of effort into retraining the dog to achieve this goal.
Let’s start by dealing with:
The Older Dog
When an older dog that was previously fully potty trained begins to have accidents it can be quite alarming for the owner. The cause for concern comes from a number of factors. Many owners begin to think their dogs have become lazy or have forgotten their previous potty training skills. Still other owners will fear an illness or disorder is causing incontinence in their beloved pets.
Yes, it is possible an older dog may seem to forget its previously established potty training skills. When this happens, it is possible that the dog is attempting to exert its power by acting rebelliously. If you suspect that incontinence in an adult dog is due to rebellion, some signs to look for include:
• Acting defiantly in other areas of training
• Urinating in high traffic areas in plain view of the owner
• Urinating on the owner or objects belonging to the owner
• Not appearing remorseful if caught in the act
When it is determined that stubbornness or rebellion is the underlying issue in the inability to potty train, it will most likely be necessary to modify the potty training tactics or to incorporate additional steps into the process. Modifications to the process may entail making the training less of a power struggle between owner and dog. Adding steps to the process usually involves dealing with the stubbornness first and then working on the potty training.
Sometimes simply taking a few minutes each day to focus on training or hierarchical play can mitigate this problem. Fixing the problem may be as simple as re-establishing the pack order and reminding the dog that the owner is the alpha.
If your dog is not responding, a dog trainer who specializes in behavioral training can be quite useful in this situation. In selecting a trainer, it is important to search for one who has a great deal of experience with behavioral issues related to rebellion. Choosing a trainer with this experience will greatly simplify the process of re-establishing the pack order. This, in turn, will get the dog back on track to going potty in desirable locations.
Although outbursts of rebellion are not common in older dogs there is always the possibility that changes in the home can spark these feelings. Moving, the birth of a child or the addition of a new pet can all spark feelings of rebellion in an adult dog.
Dogs may not have advanced communications skills which enable them to accurately describe their feelings but they certainly have the ability to express themselves. An owner who knows his dog well will most likely recognize the signs of distress in his dog. Distress can manifest in a number of ways. Regression in potty training is only one such example. Dogs in distress over an emotional situation may also become aggressive with other pets, vying desperately for attention from the owner, act out in rebellion, and experience changes in appetite.
Illness:
While potty training issues which result from rebellion in older dogs may be fairly simple to deal with, illness can be a significantly more complicated issue. Unfortunately older dogs are especially prone to becoming subject to illnesses or disorders which may result in incontinence. When this is the case, the assistance of a veterinarian may be required.
One very common reason for incontinence in older dogs is the inability to walk. Older dogs that begin to experience joint discomfort or muscular pain may be hesitant to go outside to go potty. These dogs may require a great deal of assistance in dealing with the reversal of potty training.
An older dog experiencing pain may not have forgotten to go outside, but may be physically unable. In this case the owner will have to offer a great deal of assistance to help the dog. This may entail carrying the dog outside repeatedly to go potty. It may also be necessary to hold up the dog or offer physical support to prevent it from falling.
When a dog is suffering from this type of debilitation it is recommended to have a veterinarian evaluate the dog. She or he may be able to offer suggestions for making the dog more comfortable, prescribe medications which will alleviate pain, or ultimately help you to make the decision to euthanize your pet if there is nothing that can be done to ease its suffering.
A veterinarian can also determine if there is a medical condition which is causing the incontinence. Some conditions which cause incontinence may be treatable and alleviate the discomfort your dog is feeling as well as eliminate the incontinence problem.
There are a number of medical conditions which can increase the urge to drink which ultimately increases the urge to urinate. There are other conditions that make the dog feel the urge to go.
Diabetes can result in incontinence in a dog. Diabetes causes increased water consumption and increased urine production. Because of this, the urge to urinate becomes more frequent and powerful. Dogs suffering from diabetes may urinate indoors out of necessity as opposed to a lack of training.
There are a number of medical conditions that can affect the older dog, the best approach in an older dog that starts to demonstrate toilet problems is to start with a thorough examination by your Vet.
The Rescued Dog
Adopting a dog can be an excellent way to add a new dog to your home. There are many wonderful dogs that are in need of homes and making the choice to adopt one is a truly selfless action which can give a deserving dog a chance to enjoy a wonderful life. It may also save a dog from euthanasia in a crowded shelter.
It is important to remember dogs of any age will likely require additional potty training after they enter your home. Additionally, you should understand that an adopted dog may not be comfortable in your home for a few weeks and possibly even a few months.
The good news about potty training a rescued dog is that it likely had little or no training, so you can start from scratch and employ whichever potty training techniques you prefer. Young puppies are like sponges and can learn new behaviors very quickly. This is fortunate because potty training a rescue dog may not be significantly more difficult than potty training a puppy purchased from a breeder or acquired soon after it was weaned from its mother.
Older rescue dogs may be more difficult to deal with in terms of potty training. New owners are likely to have some potty training to do with any adult rescue dog. This is true even of adult dogs adopted from a known background. These dogs may have been potty trained in their previous homes and may have not had accidents in their previous homes. However, this does not mean they will be accident free in a new home.
The trauma of losing its home and spending time in a shelter can cause even the most well-behaved adult dog to forget its manners. Stress is one emotion which may cause dogs to act strangely. The dog is being introduced to a foreign environment and people it is unfamiliar with. The dog will not be able to understand what is going on and will likely miss its previously family terribly. This can manifest in toileting problems.
Not knowing how or whether the dog was potty trained in its previous home, can present problems. A dog that was potty trained according to a particular method may not respond well to other types of training. Also, a rescued dog may become confused easily if the potty training in its new home directly conflicts with the potty training it received in its previous home.
Another reason potty training a rescued dog may be problematic would be that the rescue dog may have developed habits which can be difficult to correct. If a rescued dog has been permitted to go potty indoors for awhile, the habit of going potty inside may be difficult to break. Potty training an adult rescued dog will take a great deal of patience and hard work, but it can be accomplished.
The adult rescued dog may have no concept at all of potty training. This may occur because the dog spent some time in the shelter. In a shelter environment dogs are not always taken out regularly for walks. Volunteers do their best to ensure each dog goes out regularly but there may be times when this doesn’t happen. Dogs that are housed in a shelter for an extended period of time may become used to going potty in their kennel. Kennels in an animal shelter are often large enough to allow the dog to have a separate area for sleeping and eating as well as eliminating. The kennels are usually cleaned regularly, but, because the dog is allowed to eliminate in its kennel, it may forget it is unacceptable to go potty indoors.
When time spent in the shelter causes the adult dog to forget its potty training, a refresher course may be required. There may be some trial and error in determining which training techniques will be most effective for the rescued dog.
Many potential adopters make the mistake of thinking adopting an adult dog will save a great deal of time in training. However, this is not always the case. Owners who expect their adult dog to be fully trained the day they bring it home are setting themselves up for disappointment. The important thing to remember about adopting an adult dog is it can be trained. The old adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is not entirely true.
It is important to realize rescue dogs may need some time to adjust to their new surrounds before training begins in earnest. However, potty training should begin immediately. This is important because allowing a dog to go potty in an unacceptable location reinforces the behavior as acceptable to the dog. This means each time it is allowed to go potty in the house, it learns this behavior to be acceptable. You may wish to hold off on obedience or competition training until your new rescue dog has had an opportunity to become more comfortable in your home, but you should not defer potty training during this time of adjustment.
Being tolerant of mistakes made by a rescue dog is acceptable, but you should correct inappropriate potty behaviors if you catch the dog in the act. You should take every possible opportunity to reward desirable behavior as well.
It is worth mentioning that the training methods and techniques used to potty train rescued and adult dogs are not different from the methods and techniques used to train puppies. The only difference when training a rescued dog, is a higher level of patience may be required. This is because you will most likely be simultaneously working on potty training your dog and assisting it in adjusting to your home and its new surroundings.
Understanding this and remaining patient with your rescued dog will greatly simplify the potty training process for both you and your new dog. Because stress can greatly exacerbate problems with potty training, it is important to keep the training relaxed and positive. If you remain calm, your dog’s stress level will be minimized. This will help to ensure the greatest degree of success.
Conclusion
Bringing home a new puppy or rescued dog can be a very exciting experience. I hope this book has helped bring you a better understanding of the art of potty training your dog. The full book, which you purchased with this audio book, will provide more helpful details.
May you experience all the pleasure, love, and companionship your furry friend will provide.
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I’m in Love with My Dog
If you own a dog, you have found that it is almost impossible not to love this highly intelligent and trainable animal. One challenge you will face when training your dog is where and when it will go potty. Whether you own a small, medium or large dog, we hope you will find valuable information that you can use to potty train your puppy or adult dog.
There are a number of factors to consider in potty training, such as who is responsible for the training of your dog, the secrets of potty training, and how do you speak to your dog in a language it can understand. This book will provide the answers to these questions and will put you on the path to potty training success.
What’s that Smell? The Honeymoon’s Over – Housetraining Your Bundle of Joy
When you open your home to a new dog, whether it is new puppy, or a rescued or adopted older dog, you are going to have to work on potty training. This is the inevitable time when the honeymoon is over and you need to get to work. This day usually occurs when you walk into your home and realize that your once well-maintained house now smells suspiciously similar to the local animal shelter, or when you get out of bed in the morning and step into an unwelcome surprise left by your new pet.
Very young puppies will most likely not be potty trained when you acquire them. Older dogs that were housetrained in their previous home may begin to have potty issues in your home. This can be the result of a number of factors. If your rescued or adopted dog was a stray for awhile, it may have forgotten its potty training.
Your Dog Needs Training – for Both Your Sakes
Responsible dog owners should understand that they really need to work on potty training their dog. Potty training is important for both you and the dog.
Have you ever visited your local animal shelter? If you have, you remember the smell quite clearly. Despite the best of efforts by the staff at these shelters, the sheer quantity of dogs that pass through makes keeping the facility completely odor-free virtually impossible. If you fail to potty train your dog, you might soon find that your home takes on a scent similar to that of the shelter. Your house may also be damaged by repeated accidents. You don’t want to live in a mess like that and neither does your pet. Potty training is a must in any pet home.
Potty training your dog can have many benefits for you. Whether you train your dog to go potty outside, or you train your smaller dog to go in a litter box, your home will thank you. The havoc that untrained dogs can wreak on a house can be detrimental. Some of these problems include:
• Carpets can be difficult to clean and may stain or trap odors.
• Wood floors can be damaged or stained.
• It is tiring to clean up after an untrained pet several times a day.
• Accidents always seem to happen at inconvenient times.
There are many highly-effective cleaning methods available, but prevention is always best.
As much as you want to housetrain your dog, your dog also wants to be trained. Dogs do not like messes and would much prefer to have a method of relieving themselves that would allow a clean living environment. One reason the crate training method is so effective is that dogs are reluctant to relieve themselves in their living space. Confining your dog to its living space for a limited amount of time will encourage it to wait until you can bring it to an acceptable location for toileting.
It’s Your Responsibility
As a dog owner you have the responsibility to teach your dog where it is acceptable to go potty. If you neglect training, your dog may make its own assumptions about where it should go potty. It is very likely that you will not agree with its chosen location.
You probably put a lot of thought into choosing your dog. Your dog, however, had no say in the matter. You will enjoy a great deal of benefits from dog ownership. In return you should make your dog’s life as fulfilling as possible.
If you truly care for your dog you want to take care of it as a way of demonstrating your love for it. There is no better way to do this than training your dog. Dogs want to live in a clean environment. Potty training your dog gives it a chance to help keep its living space clean. Your dog will also enjoy potty training because it likes working with you. The time you spend potty training your dog will help the two of you to form a lifelong bond.
Most dogs will do their part when it comes to potty training but they need a great deal of help from the owner. Consistency is the key to responsible potty training. Your dog should be kept on a consistent schedule, disciplined consistently and praised consistently. This means that you should walk your dog or take it in the yard on a regular schedule. You need to use your preferred method of discipline each and every time you catch your dog going potty in the house. Also offer praise each time your dog goes potty in an acceptable location or asks to go outside.
Anger is not an appropriate response when you find that your puppy or dog has had an accident in the house. Think about the situation. Did you forget to take your dog out to potty before you left the house? Were you gone for longer than the dog could be expected to hold it? Did you forget to confine your dog to a crate if you were only going to be out of the house for a short period of time? If you answered yes to any these questions, you share the blame for the accident with your dog. One of the primary rules of dog training is: always give your dog the best possible opportunity to succeed.
I Tried to Get Her to Go in the Toilet and She Almost Drowned! The Art of Potty Training
It may seem completely natural for dogs to just know they are supposed to go outside or in a designated area but it just isn’t that easy. Dogs need to be taught where it is acceptable to relieve themselves and where it is unacceptable.
If left to its own devices, your new puppy may establish its own potty routine. Your puppy is very likely to decide your new shoes or even your bed is the perfect place to relieve itself. Once it makes up its mind retraining it can be significantly more difficult. For this reason it is wise to start potty training your dog very early on.
Not all dogs are created equally. You may have two littermates that are virtually identical, but one may have more trouble potty training than the other. In this case, the difference may be hard to pinpoint, but there are some clear-cut differences between the different breeds.
Potty training, like obedience training, is closely linked to your dog’s personality or temperament. Most dogs are highly intelligent and can learn very easily. They also respond well to positive reinforcements and may be intimidated by harsh corrections or discipline. In potty training your dog, you should maintain a positive attitude and be consistent in the behaviors you will reward. This will help to ensure your pet the greatest degree of success in its potty training endeavor.
Due to their size, smaller breeds are generally more difficult to train than larger breeds. Smaller breeds may not be able to wait as long as larger breeds and may require more frequent opportunities to potty.
Age of the dog is another factor in the potty training equation. The general rule of thumb for potty training is: puppies are able to hold for one hour longer than their age in months. For example; a two-month old puppy should be taken outside to go potty approximately every three hours. It should also not be held accountable for mishaps that occur when it is left unattended for more than three hours.
Larger breed adult dogs should have no difficulty holding for several hours. However, through trial and error you will learn what your dog’s threshold is. Once you figure this out you can develop a strategy for how often you need to take your dog out to avoid accidents in the house.
An older dog can be challenging to house train, but it is certainly possible. It is often more difficult to potty train an older dog because you may be dealing with ingrained behavior. If your adult dog has been allowed to go potty in the house for a number of years, teaching it this is wrong after it has learned it is acceptable can, be confusing for the dog.
In general puppies can begin potty training when you first bring it into your home. They may have even started their potty training while they were still with their mother. However, you should be patient with puppies. Remember most puppies can only hold for about 3 hours. Care should be taken to closely monitor your puppy during these three hours between potty breaks. If it appears to have to go, take it out immediately even if it was just outside. Giving your puppy the best possible chance to succeed will help it to achieve its potty training goals earlier.
Although young puppies can begin potty training early and may even completely learn they need to relieve themselves in a dedicated area, until the puppy grows and is able to go for more than a few hours without relieving itself you will still have to take it out often. In most cases you will be taking it out almost as frequently as you did while it was potty training.
Unless there are medical conditions, adult dogs can begin their potty training the first day they enter your home. Care should be taken not to confuse submissive peeing and marking with failure to potty train. If you do not know the history of the adult dog you are adopting, it is wise to assume it will need to be potty trained. Starting a potty training program from day one will help to minimize accidents.
Consider what you want to accomplish in your training: do you want your dog to relieve itself outdoors, on papers or in a litter box or crate; these are fairly simple actions that will most likely take only a few days for the dog to get the idea. Teaching your dog a more complex behavior like, ringing a bell, pawing at the door, responding to a clicker, transitioning to outdoors, or giving you a verbal cue when it wants to go out, will take a bit longer for the dog to learn.
Medical conditions, especially in an older dog, can also factor into potty training. If you suspect medical conditions may be the source of difficulties in the potty training process, it is recommended that you consult a veterinarian. Conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease may cause your puppy or dog to urinate frequently.
Some trainers believe spaying or neutering a puppy at a very early age can result in lifelong incontinence issues. If you believe it is an issue, you should consult your veterinarian before spaying or neutering your pet. He can offer you information from his personal experience you can use to make your decision regarding this issue.
Be careful to not confuse “mistakes” with dominate behaviors like marking. This can include urinating on specific locations where the scent of other dogs remain or even urinating on people, other pets or objects belonging to people. Although this type of behavior is not really a potty training issue, many new dog owners make the assumption that their dog is not making progress in its training. Marking is considered a dominant behavior, and spaying or neutering may be the solution to this problem.
The sex of the dog can also have an effect on potty training, but the evidence supporting this theory is inconclusive. Both intact males and females may also be harder to potty train than their spayed or neutered counterparts.
Finally the time commitment by the owner can have a significant effect on the potty training process. Owners who are dedicated to potty training their dog enjoy a much higher level of success than those who do not put much effort into teaching their puppy or dog. As an owner, if you have the time to devote to properly potty train your puppy, you will find the process to be much simpler.
Timing is everything. Purchasing or adopting a puppy a week before you go on a vacation can be detrimental to the entire potty training process. The progress you make is likely to be lost while you leave the puppy in the care of someone else during your vacation. You will also miss out on an excellent opportunity to bond with your dog during this time. This lost bonding time can make potty training, obedience training and any other training you wish to pursue with your dog, such as competition training, more difficult in the long run.
Now let’s move on to:
Methods of potty training your dog:
Crate training is a popular training method that is highly effective for all types of dogs.
If you wish to utilize the crate training method, you will have to purchase or borrow a crate in the right size for your dog or puppy. These crates are readily available at pet supply stores.
The theory behind crate training is dogs will not relieve themselves in their living space. For this reason the crate you choose should be only large enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around and lie down. If it is larger, the dog will designate one area for relieving itself and will sleep in another portion of the crate. This can pose a dilemma for owners of large breed dogs that wish to use a crate for both potty training and adulthood. To help solve this problem, some crates have optional dividers available. These dividers can section off the crate to keep the puppy in a smaller area during potty training and can be removed as the puppy grows.
Once you have acquired a crate, it is time to introduce your dog to the crate. Crates can seem intimidating for some dogs. Some puppies may be curious about the crate and walk right in while others may need more encouragement. It is important to remain positive when introducing your dog to a crate. Use treats to encourage your dog to enter the crate. If the dog is hesitant at first, start with small steps and praise it for simply sniffing the crate. Next offer praise for putting even one paw into the crate. Once you coax your dog completely into the crate, keep the sessions short to avoid overwhelming the dog. You might want to leave the door open at first and gradually begin closing it as your dog gets more comfortable with the crate.
After your dog is used to it, you can begin using the crate for potty training. The key to crate training is your dog goes into the crate every time you are unable to closely supervise it between trips outside. This would include short trips away from your home as well as times when you are home but distracted with other tasks. Consistency is important because accidents reinforce negative behavior. Each time your puppy fails, and is not corrected, it learns that the inappropriate behavior is acceptable. To avoid this problem, make every effort to ensure success for your puppy so you are reinforcing desirable behaviors.
While you should be sure to place your puppy in the crate each time you take a short trip away from your home, you should not do this for longer trips. You cannot expect your young puppy to hold elimination for an entire day at work. For this reason, you should confine your puppy to a larger area during these times. This area should be large enough for the puppy to relieve itself and still remain comfortable. In this situation, it is acceptable to permit this behavior. It would be unfair to the puppy to confine it to a smaller area when it is not physically possible for it to hold relieving itself that long.
Taking regular potty breaks is also important during the crate training method. You should take your puppy outside at regular intervals to give it the opportunity to relieve itself. Each time you take your puppy outside give it a command to encourage it to go potty. This command can be anything of your choosing. As your puppy gets older and enjoys success at potty training, you can gradually increase the duration of time between potty breaks. Although puppies prefer not to relieve themselves in their living space, they will do so if they do not have any other options. This is why it is important to take your puppy out regularly.
Confining your puppy between potty breaks and taking it outside at regularly scheduled intervals will be very helpful in potty training your puppy and will set it up for success. Each time your puppy relieves itself in a desirable location, it is important to praise and reward your puppy. Offer enthusiastic praise and a sought after treat to really let your puppy know it has pleased you.
Finally, it is very important to always be consistent when potty training your puppy. If you work to ensure you are training your puppy consistently, you will find the process of potty training to be a very smooth one.
Clicker training:
Clicker training can be used for a wide variety of purposes including potty training. Most dogs respond well to a clicker.
A clicker is a small handheld device with a button that emits a clicking sound when the button is depressed. The first step in using the clicker to is a process known as loading the clicker. This is basically teaching your puppy to associate the sound of the clicker with something good.
The click and treat method is often used to load the clicker. In this method you click the clicker and immediately offer your dog a treat. Repeat this pattern ten times each session, and do three-to-four training sessions each day. After only a few days your puppy will understand the clicker is a reward.
After loading the clicker, you can begin potty training your puppy. Closely monitoring your puppy at all times is an important part of this process. Unlike the crate method, where you can leave your puppy unattended for short periods, when using the clicker method your puppy must be watched constantly. If you remain alert and notice signs such as sniffing around, leg lifting or squatting, you can realize when the puppy is about to relieve itself. If you notice your dog preparing to relieve itself, take it outside, or to the desired location immediately to increase its chances of success.
If your dog has an accident while under your supervision, there is the need for correction. If your puppy begins to relieve itself indoors, clap your hands or give a verbal command such as a sharp “No.” This may startle your puppy momentarily and may cause it to stop. This gives you the opportunity to not only correct undesirable behavior but also to take the dog outside quickly to help it succeed at relieving itself in a desirable location.
While you are monitoring your puppy, it is also important to take it outside often for frequent potty breaks. It is important to take your puppy out when it appears to be looking for a place to go, but is also important to take your puppy out at regular intervals. It may only potty on some of the trips outside, but it is important to keep trying.
Once again, consistency is important. Each time, take the dog to the same location, and give it the same verbal or visual clue to go potty. Some examples include, “Go potty,” “Hurry up,” or any other phrase you wish to use. Some owners also wish to use hand signals in their training. The American Sign Language (ASL) sign for the word bathroom is a popular choice for those who use signs in potty training their puppy.
When your puppy does potty in the desired location, it is time to click and treat. This is the praise and reward you offer your puppy for offering a desired behavior. The work you put in on loading the clicker will ensure that the click and treat your puppy receives for going potty outside is a worthwhile reward for the puppy. The timing of the click and treat is important and may take some practice.
Offering the reward as soon as the puppy starts to relieve itself may cause the puppy to become excited and stop. It may understand it is being rewarded for going potty but once it receives the reward it loses focus. A better option is to offer the reward immediately after the puppy finishes going potty. Giving the reward immediately after the desired behavior is important because it ensures the puppy will understand why it is being rewarded.
Consistency cannot be over emphasized. You should be consistent in all aspects of the training to avoid confusing your puppy. This includes consistency when you take the puppy outside, the words you used to encourage your puppy to relieve itself, and the praise and reward you offer when the desirable behavior is offered.
Paper training:
Paper training is the tried and true method of teaching your puppy to relieve itself on either papers or puppy training pads. This can be used as either a transitional method aimed at teaching your puppy to go outside or as a final training method where going potty on the papers or pads is the ultimate goal.
As with most training methods, you need to find a worthwhile reward for your puppy. In most cases a simple, “Good boy,” combined with a tempting treat will suffice.
One useful tip for the paper training is to place paper towels soaked with your pet’s urine in the location where the papers or pads are placed. This scent may encourage your puppy to relieve itself in this particular location. When you clean up after your puppy’s accidents saving a paper towel to place in the paper or pad location can help your puppy learn where it should go potty.
Consider where the paper or pad needs to be located. A location with a rug is undesirable because the papers and pads may soak through. Hardwood floors may also be destroyed. In general a concrete floor, such as the one in a garage or basement, is ideal for paper training. Another factor to consider in choosing a location is if you want papers or pads in one place or scattered throughout the house. Some dog owners opt for a strategy of several locations in the thought that this will allow the dog to be more successful. However, this can be very confusing to your dog. Designating one specific location for the pads or papers gives your dog a more defined potty area and actually discourages mistakes.
Care should be taken to closely monitor your puppy, take it to the potty location often throughout the course of the day. Always praise enthusiastically and offer a reward when the puppy is successful.
Paper, or pad training can be a permanent toilet training solution, however, this method is not usually favorable for larger breeds. Paper training can also lead to odors in the house. Family members may grow used to this odor and barely even notice it after awhile, but visitors are often likely to notice an offensive odor immediately when they enter your home.
Paper training can also be used as a transition to toileting outside. The main difference is the location of the papers. For permanent paper training, an ideal location is chosen inside, while with transitioning the papers are usually moved closer to the door.
When using paper training as a transitional device, teaching the puppy to relieve itself on the papers is more important than teaching it to relieve itself in a particular location. This is important because the progressive steps of this method involve moving the papers closer to the door as you and your puppy work toward a goal of full potty training. The papers are gradually moved toward the door, and eventually outdoors, to send the message that the puppy should go potty outside.
It is critical to repeat the importance of consistency. If you want your dog to be consistent, you also have to be consistent. This means monitoring your puppy at all times when it is roaming free, taking your puppy out on frequent potty breaks, offering the same cues to your puppy, and being consistent with your rewards when your puppy is successful. Consistency on your part will lead to consistency on your puppy’s part. When you are consistent, your puppy is less likely to become confused.
Litter box training:
Litter box training utilizes the same methods as paper training, except the litter box is substituted for the papers or pads. This method is also most well-suited for smaller breeds. For example: The toy and miniature Poodle may be well suited for this method while standard Poodles are not likely candidates.
We have covered only a few of the most popular options for potty training your dog. A professional trainer or your veterinarian may be able to offer other methods. The methods described in this book can be used independently or in conjunction with each other. For example, the clicker training method can be used in conjunction with any other potty training method. Using the clicker as the reward phase is one way to join two methods.
Learning which method or combination of methods will work best for you and your puppy is the part of the art of potty training. This may take some experimentation and trial and error, but the process isn’t usually complicated. You will realize fairly quickly whether or not a particular method is working out for your puppy. If you have success with a particular method, stick with it until your puppy is fully trained. If after a few days you notice no improvement, you might want to try another method.
Walks
Two of the most common questions regarding taking your dog for a walk include:
• How many walks per day?
• How long should walks be?
There is no exact pattern that works for all dogs. There are as many answers as there are types of dogs...
Experimentation and trial and error are very important in determining the amount and duration of walks your dog will require. If your dog is having frequent accidents, you are not walking enough. You may want to consider adding an additional walk. For example; if you normally walk your dog at 5:00 am and again at 4:30 pm, but notice your dog has an accident at around 2:45 pm each day, you might want to consider moving the 4:30 walk up a little bit and adding a walk later in the evening.
In general, small dogs will need more frequent walks than large breed dogs because of their proportionately smaller bladders. This means they will need to go out more often than their larger counterparts. With a large dog, you may only need two-to-three walks per day, but a smaller dog may require three-to-five walks per day.
The duration of the walks can vary as well. Fifteen minutes sounds like a normally sufficient amount of time to walk your dog but this may not always be the case. The fact of the matter is some dogs are just really picky about where they relieve themselves. Some dogs will search and search for just the right spot before they go, while other dogs are happy to potty just about anywhere along the walk. If you have a particularly finicky dog you may have to allot more time for each walk to ensure your dog finds the perfect spot it is looking for.
The size of your dog can also contribute to the duration of your walk. Larger breeds may require longer walks than smaller breeds. Smaller breeds are not capable of walking as far as larger breeds and may tire more quickly. You will need to monitor your small dog to determine how long of a walk it needs.
Don’t forget the side benefits of walks: they are good both for you and your dog. Remember, your dog (and you!) needs exercise to stay fit.
Discipline:
No discussion of potty training a dog would be complete without mentioning disciplinary tactics. The best strategy for dealing with accidents occurring when you are not present is to remain calm and clean up the mess without disciplining your dog. Although there are some dogs that seem to know what they have done is wrong even hours after the accident, most dogs will not make the connection between their accident and being disciplined. They may be confused and wonder why they are in trouble.
Correction methods may be used for accidents occurring in your presence. If you catch your dog in the act of having an accident you can either give it a verbal command such as a stern, “No,” clap your hands, or even pick up your dog and take it outside. You can also use a combination, such as clapping your hands as you say “No” and then picking up your dog to take it outside. All three of these methods are effective corrections because they startle the dog into stopping and send it the message that what it was doing is wrong. When you take the dog outside to finish going potty be sure to offer praise and a reward for the desired behavior. You may still be upset with your puppy for its accident but it is important to be consistent in your training and to praise desirable behaviors.
Special Situations
There are a number of special situations that can affect the outcome of potty training. Some of these include:
• The older dog that suffers from age or illness
• The rescued dog that endured trauma
• The poorly trained dog that has developed bad habits
Each of these situations warrants unique training techniques. Although these situations may be challenging to the owner, overcoming the obstacles associated with these situations is definitely possible with hard work and dedication to the training. It is beyond the scope of this book to deal with specific solutions when the dog does not respond to the basic methods given. If you are concerned about a medical problem, for the sake of your dog, consult a veterinarian. If the dog is exhibiting a serious behavioral problem that is affecting his potty training a professional trainer should be consulted.
Older dogs often experience problems with potty training. Some of the problems may include a regression in training and illness which causes incontinence issues. Of these two situations, illness may be the most difficult for owners to deal with. Owners may be forced to come to terms with the possibility that age or illness has caused an unfixable problem in their dog. However, even when the situation is not fixable there are strategies for managing the problem.
Rescue dogs can also be a challenge in the potty training process. Most rescue dogs come to their new homes with some degree of baggage from their former homes. Whether they were surrendered, went stray, or lost their previous owners to death or infirmity, it is certainly understandable that rescue dogs may forget previously learned potty training skills or have difficulty learning potty training skills in their new homes. The trauma that brought the dogs to rescue is usually substantial enough to create a variety of training problems. It not surprising that potty training would have its own unique barriers for rescue dogs.
Finally, another potty training dilemma is the adult dog that was not properly trained as a puppy. Incorrect training as well as complete lack of training can both serve to foster bad habits in a dog. In most cases, the owners realize they were negligent in potty training and are seeking a way to reverse the poor habits which were established due to a lack of training or poor training as a puppy.
Dealing with an adult dog that never learned proper skills as a puppy can be difficult. This situation is complicated because as a puppy the dog established patterns which it believes to be acceptable. Old habits die hard, and an adult dog may be reluctant to give up bad habits once they are established.
Fortunately, retraining an adult dog is possible. It is definitely not an easy process, but it is possible. The keys to retraining an adult dog include patience, perseverance and consistency. If an owner wishes to correct a problem he or someone else has allowed to occur for years, he will have to commit to put a great deal of effort into retraining the dog to achieve this goal.
Let’s start by dealing with:
The Older Dog
When an older dog that was previously fully potty trained begins to have accidents it can be quite alarming for the owner. The cause for concern comes from a number of factors. Many owners begin to think their dogs have become lazy or have forgotten their previous potty training skills. Still other owners will fear an illness or disorder is causing incontinence in their beloved pets.
Yes, it is possible an older dog may seem to forget its previously established potty training skills. When this happens, it is possible that the dog is attempting to exert its power by acting rebelliously. If you suspect that incontinence in an adult dog is due to rebellion, some signs to look for include:
• Acting defiantly in other areas of training
• Urinating in high traffic areas in plain view of the owner
• Urinating on the owner or objects belonging to the owner
• Not appearing remorseful if caught in the act
When it is determined that stubbornness or rebellion is the underlying issue in the inability to potty train, it will most likely be necessary to modify the potty training tactics or to incorporate additional steps into the process. Modifications to the process may entail making the training less of a power struggle between owner and dog. Adding steps to the process usually involves dealing with the stubbornness first and then working on the potty training.
Sometimes simply taking a few minutes each day to focus on training or hierarchical play can mitigate this problem. Fixing the problem may be as simple as re-establishing the pack order and reminding the dog that the owner is the alpha.
If your dog is not responding, a dog trainer who specializes in behavioral training can be quite useful in this situation. In selecting a trainer, it is important to search for one who has a great deal of experience with behavioral issues related to rebellion. Choosing a trainer with this experience will greatly simplify the process of re-establishing the pack order. This, in turn, will get the dog back on track to going potty in desirable locations.
Although outbursts of rebellion are not common in older dogs there is always the possibility that changes in the home can spark these feelings. Moving, the birth of a child or the addition of a new pet can all spark feelings of rebellion in an adult dog.
Dogs may not have advanced communications skills which enable them to accurately describe their feelings but they certainly have the ability to express themselves. An owner who knows his dog well will most likely recognize the signs of distress in his dog. Distress can manifest in a number of ways. Regression in potty training is only one such example. Dogs in distress over an emotional situation may also become aggressive with other pets, vying desperately for attention from the owner, act out in rebellion, and experience changes in appetite.
Illness:
While potty training issues which result from rebellion in older dogs may be fairly simple to deal with, illness can be a significantly more complicated issue. Unfortunately older dogs are especially prone to becoming subject to illnesses or disorders which may result in incontinence. When this is the case, the assistance of a veterinarian may be required.
One very common reason for incontinence in older dogs is the inability to walk. Older dogs that begin to experience joint discomfort or muscular pain may be hesitant to go outside to go potty. These dogs may require a great deal of assistance in dealing with the reversal of potty training.
An older dog experiencing pain may not have forgotten to go outside, but may be physically unable. In this case the owner will have to offer a great deal of assistance to help the dog. This may entail carrying the dog outside repeatedly to go potty. It may also be necessary to hold up the dog or offer physical support to prevent it from falling.
When a dog is suffering from this type of debilitation it is recommended to have a veterinarian evaluate the dog. She or he may be able to offer suggestions for making the dog more comfortable, prescribe medications which will alleviate pain, or ultimately help you to make the decision to euthanize your pet if there is nothing that can be done to ease its suffering.
A veterinarian can also determine if there is a medical condition which is causing the incontinence. Some conditions which cause incontinence may be treatable and alleviate the discomfort your dog is feeling as well as eliminate the incontinence problem.
There are a number of medical conditions which can increase the urge to drink which ultimately increases the urge to urinate. There are other conditions that make the dog feel the urge to go.
Diabetes can result in incontinence in a dog. Diabetes causes increased water consumption and increased urine production. Because of this, the urge to urinate becomes more frequent and powerful. Dogs suffering from diabetes may urinate indoors out of necessity as opposed to a lack of training.
There are a number of medical conditions that can affect the older dog, the best approach in an older dog that starts to demonstrate toilet problems is to start with a thorough examination by your Vet.
The Rescued Dog
Adopting a dog can be an excellent way to add a new dog to your home. There are many wonderful dogs that are in need of homes and making the choice to adopt one is a truly selfless action which can give a deserving dog a chance to enjoy a wonderful life. It may also save a dog from euthanasia in a crowded shelter.
It is important to remember dogs of any age will likely require additional potty training after they enter your home. Additionally, you should understand that an adopted dog may not be comfortable in your home for a few weeks and possibly even a few months.
The good news about potty training a rescued dog is that it likely had little or no training, so you can start from scratch and employ whichever potty training techniques you prefer. Young puppies are like sponges and can learn new behaviors very quickly. This is fortunate because potty training a rescue dog may not be significantly more difficult than potty training a puppy purchased from a breeder or acquired soon after it was weaned from its mother.
Older rescue dogs may be more difficult to deal with in terms of potty training. New owners are likely to have some potty training to do with any adult rescue dog. This is true even of adult dogs adopted from a known background. These dogs may have been potty trained in their previous homes and may have not had accidents in their previous homes. However, this does not mean they will be accident free in a new home.
The trauma of losing its home and spending time in a shelter can cause even the most well-behaved adult dog to forget its manners. Stress is one emotion which may cause dogs to act strangely. The dog is being introduced to a foreign environment and people it is unfamiliar with. The dog will not be able to understand what is going on and will likely miss its previously family terribly. This can manifest in toileting problems.
Not knowing how or whether the dog was potty trained in its previous home, can present problems. A dog that was potty trained according to a particular method may not respond well to other types of training. Also, a rescued dog may become confused easily if the potty training in its new home directly conflicts with the potty training it received in its previous home.
Another reason potty training a rescued dog may be problematic would be that the rescue dog may have developed habits which can be difficult to correct. If a rescued dog has been permitted to go potty indoors for awhile, the habit of going potty inside may be difficult to break. Potty training an adult rescued dog will take a great deal of patience and hard work, but it can be accomplished.
The adult rescued dog may have no concept at all of potty training. This may occur because the dog spent some time in the shelter. In a shelter environment dogs are not always taken out regularly for walks. Volunteers do their best to ensure each dog goes out regularly but there may be times when this doesn’t happen. Dogs that are housed in a shelter for an extended period of time may become used to going potty in their kennel. Kennels in an animal shelter are often large enough to allow the dog to have a separate area for sleeping and eating as well as eliminating. The kennels are usually cleaned regularly, but, because the dog is allowed to eliminate in its kennel, it may forget it is unacceptable to go potty indoors.
When time spent in the shelter causes the adult dog to forget its potty training, a refresher course may be required. There may be some trial and error in determining which training techniques will be most effective for the rescued dog.
Many potential adopters make the mistake of thinking adopting an adult dog will save a great deal of time in training. However, this is not always the case. Owners who expect their adult dog to be fully trained the day they bring it home are setting themselves up for disappointment. The important thing to remember about adopting an adult dog is it can be trained. The old adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is not entirely true.
It is important to realize rescue dogs may need some time to adjust to their new surrounds before training begins in earnest. However, potty training should begin immediately. This is important because allowing a dog to go potty in an unacceptable location reinforces the behavior as acceptable to the dog. This means each time it is allowed to go potty in the house, it learns this behavior to be acceptable. You may wish to hold off on obedience or competition training until your new rescue dog has had an opportunity to become more comfortable in your home, but you should not defer potty training during this time of adjustment.
Being tolerant of mistakes made by a rescue dog is acceptable, but you should correct inappropriate potty behaviors if you catch the dog in the act. You should take every possible opportunity to reward desirable behavior as well.
It is worth mentioning that the training methods and techniques used to potty train rescued and adult dogs are not different from the methods and techniques used to train puppies. The only difference when training a rescued dog, is a higher level of patience may be required. This is because you will most likely be simultaneously working on potty training your dog and assisting it in adjusting to your home and its new surroundings.
Understanding this and remaining patient with your rescued dog will greatly simplify the potty training process for both you and your new dog. Because stress can greatly exacerbate problems with potty training, it is important to keep the training relaxed and positive. If you remain calm, your dog’s stress level will be minimized. This will help to ensure the greatest degree of success.
Conclusion
Bringing home a new puppy or rescued dog can be a very exciting experience. I hope this book has helped bring you a better understanding of the art of potty training your dog. The full book, which you purchased with this audio book, will provide more helpful details.
May you experience all the pleasure, love, and companionship your furry friend will provide.
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