POTTY TRAINING: Puppies -- and Stubborn Older Dogs

You may not believe it, but you can train puppies and older dogs to go to the bathroom on command. Many puppies can hear words that are repeated and associate them with what you want them to do. For instance, when your puppy is outside relieving him or herself, say go potty.

If you do this enough, the puppy will soon associate the phrase 'go potty' with relieving him or herself. This will train the puppy to go potty on command. Word association is the best way to train your puppy.

If your puppy goes to the bathroom in the house, you can say, "No, go outside," then take the puppy outdoors. After a while, the puppy will use this word association with something they should not do indoors but outdoors.

There is never a need to spank a dog when you are using command training. The puppy will associate the word 'no' with bad behavior and will learn to go outside rather than indoors.

The first thing that you must do is take the puppy outside and tell it to go potty. The puppy must stay outside until he or she goes. You will continue to instruct the puppy to 'go potty' until they finally do. Then you should praise the puppy for a good job. After a while, the puppy is going to learn that going potty outside makes you happy.

You should choose one specific spot for command training to relieve themselves. They will associate this spot with going potty.

The way you praise your puppy and treat them will have a positive affect on command potty training. If you use the phrase 'go potty', be precise and clear. Some puppies may hear the word as 'no' if you are not clear.

You could also choose a different phrase such as 'potty' or 'do your job' and make it sound less like 'no potty'. You can command train your puppy for any word command and they will eventually learn it.

The one thing you must do is be consistent. Do not use different phrases or words that should mean the same thing, the puppy does not understand this and will become confused.

When using any type of command training, you should use praise as well as little puppy treats. This just helps reinforce a good job and the puppy will associate the command with what you want them to do so they can have a treat.

A puppy as well as an older dog wants to please their owners. You just need a little patients and understanding to accomplish this.

Command housebreaking a puppy can be done indoors or outdoors. If you prefer the puppy to urinate outdoors, this will work well. If you prefer the dog to urinate on paper or puppy pads indoors, you will place the puppy on the pad and instruct him or her to potty. This has to be done all the time.

Many times, after a puppy is completely potty trained, you can stop the commands.

Dog Days-How Training Benefits Both Pet Owners And Pets

Whether you are a new pet owner or you have had a pet in your home for some time, you know how delightful, and frustrating, owning a pet can be.

The joy of bringing a new puppy or dog into your household can be insurmountable. After all, there is no relationship quite like the one that is developed between you and your dog.

A dog can provide unconditional love, hours of entertainment, and genuine friendship. Or, a dog can provide unconditional messes, hours of destruction, and a genuine nuisance!

How do you ensure that your dog behaves in the manner of the first scenario described above? If you are thinking that the answer is "breed" you are partially correct. Indeed, breed does play a role in a dog's behavior. But an even greater factor in the dog's behavior is based on the training he receives. Good dog training resources can go a long way toward helping.

The Benefits of Training

If you are like most people, you are extremely busy. Some days, there just doesn't seem like enough hours to take care of yourself, let alone a dog! But, the time that you spend training your dog will reward you and your relationship for many, many years to come.

There are five main benefits of training:

1. It builds a relationship.
2. It corrects behavioral problems.
3. It stimulates intellect.
4. It encourages inclusion.
5. It saves time.

Let's explore each benefit in further detail.

1. Training Builds a Relationship.
   
   There is no better way to create a bond with your dog than through the process of training. You may think that training begins at the time you decide to try new tricks, but it actually begins at the very moment you acquire your dog.
   
   Your dog is constantly watching you and learning from your actions. He learns from the way you react to his actions. He looks to you for guidance, for food, for warmth, for comfort, and for playtime.
2. Training Corrects Behavioral Problems.
   
   Barking at anyone who passes by the front window, chewing up your favorite pillows, digging through your freshly planted garden, bolting out of an open door...do any of these actions look familiar to you?
   
   When you have developed a trusting bond with your dog, you can teach him how to correct these behavioral problems. He will learn by your reactions whether or not his actions are acceptable to you. No doubt, he will test his limits!
3. Training Stimulates Intellect.
   
   Yes, it is true that dogs are very curious creatures. With exposure to so many unusual smells, sights, and sounds, dogs can't help but want to explore. It's in their nature!
   
   Most dogs have the capacity to be very intelligent. But, they need to be stimulated first, and then they will be motivated to learn. Training is a huge benefit for stimulating your dog's intellect.
   
   
4. Training Encourages Inclusion.
   
   The sense of "inclusion" is very important to a dog's security. From the earliest days of being a part of a litter, your dog feels comfortable being a part of the pack. That includes the pack of your household.
   
   You may be the primary dog trainer, but everyone in your family or household should take the time to train your dog. When he receives this undivided attention from everyone, he feels like part of the pack.
   
   
5. Training Saves Time.
   
   Another huge benefit of training your dog is that it saves you time. Taking the time to train your dog now, will actually save you time in the long run. For example, if you take the time to train your dog to behave properly inside the house, you will actually be saving time cleaning up mischievous messes that he could create in the future-if he didn't have the training.

HOUSETRAINING YOUR DOG

Everyone has heard of litter training the cat, but you should know that it is possible to start puppy litter training on your little one so that they learn where to go when they need to relieve themselves.

This will more than likely not work on an older dog, but it can be done with a puppy. Smaller breed dogs will do very well with this method of potty training, but if the dog breed is going to be large, you may not want to use this method.

Larger dogs could fill the litter box up at one time and may miss the entire box.

Remember a few things if you choose to puppy liter train your little one, you have to have contact with the dog at all times and you should take the puppy to the litter box every time he wakes, eats, drinks or exercises.

The litter box will replace a need to take the puppy outside. Therefore, you must follow the standard puppy training tips.

It does not have to be hard to litter train the puppy, but you do need to set the box up correctly.

Puppy training a puppy using a litter box will require a large sized litter box that the puppy can easily get in and out of. You should put plastic down on the floor about two inches wider than the litter box in case of an accidental miss.

You may have to keep one spot of urine in the litter box so that the puppy smells it and knows that this is where he or she belongs. You do have to keep the box clean, but for a puppy, you should keep a little urine spot in the box until they are accustom to using the litter box.

You can use cat litter in the litter box, which will help with the smell more so than shredded paper will. Scoopable cat litter will work very well, but you do have to scoop it two or three times a day. You will also use more cat litter than you would with a one cat. Housetraining puppies can be very easy if you choose this method.

If you live in an apartment or have no yard for the puppy to go, this will be ideal.

Training an older smaller dog to use the litter box will take more time. You will have to be persistent about placing them in the litter box whenever you think that they should go outside.

If the dog asks to go outside, you could then place the dog in the litter box. Again using the litter box for a well-trained housedog should be the last resort and only if you live in a place with no yard.

Older dogs are harder to change once they have been allowed to potty in the house, but with time and dedication, you can break them of bad behavior and get them to use the litter box.

You will need to place the litter box in a place that is easy for the puppy to get to at all times. Make sure it is out of the way from foot traffic and company.

POTTY TRAINING WITH PAPER

Housebreaking a puppy using paper is a consideration, but can cause some other problems in the future. When you decide to paper train a puppy, you have to use a specific method in order to eventually get the puppy to use the outdoors to relieve him or herself.

This can be a little frustrating if not done correctly. You need to start paper training the puppy as soon as you bring him or her home. Place the paper somewhere close to a door that the puppy will eventually go out when they learn to relieve themselves outside.

You will need to place the puppy on the paper when you think it is time to potty. This should be done quite often so that the puppy realizes that this where they should go to the bathroom.

It is best to use about three pieces of paper to start. As the puppy becomes accustom to going on the paper, you will eventually start taking away a piece of paper while moving it closer to the outside door.

Keep in mind that taking the dog outside is also recommended when paper training. The paper is for times when you cannot get to the puppy and take him or her outside. As you move the paper closer to the door and take a piece away until you are down to just one piece, you should move the paper outdoors.

The puppy should have learned where to go and will ask to go out the door to reach the paper. When the puppy has accomplished asking to go outside for the paper, you can then take the paper away and allow the puppy to use the yard to relieve him or herself.

There are some downsides to paper training that you must be aware of before starting. If you lay a piece of paper down anywhere in the house, chances are that the puppy is going to use this to relieve him or herself.

Potty training puppies to use a newspaper has its upsides, but you do have to be careful not to leave paper on the floor anywhere else in the house. If the puppy is a fast learner, this process should only take a month or so. Some dogs however will need longer.

You have to have patients when potty training a puppy with paper.

Potty training puppies with paper can be easier on people who have bust schedules, but you will have to change the soiled paper many times a day. This is important when potty training a puppy.

If you have a puppy that pees a lot, you may want to use plastic under the newspaper so it does not soak through to the floor. You can also place the newspaper on a vinyl floor so that it is easier to clean after every paper change.

You should take the shortest amount of time to paper train a puppy, but do not rush the puppy when you are moving the paper closer to the door.

RE-HOUSEBREAKING YOUR MATURE DOG

There is a certain element of surprise, perhaps even shock, when the owner of a perfectly trained and well-behaved adult dog suddenly steps in a puddle. "No, it can't be!" He shrieks.

The possible alternative, such as a defrosting refrigerator, leaky water pipes, or a spilled cup of coffee give way to the awful truth; he actually sees the loyal household dog in the act of soiling inside the house. The screaming and disbelief was followed by the slam of the back door as the old family pet is quickly banished out-of-doors like a nine-week old puppy that had just had an accident. Such harsh and fast action in such an instance can have serious and detrimental effects on the older dog.

Whenever a completely housebroken dog starts urinating in the house, there is a medical or psychological cause involved. The medical reasons will be covered first, since the majority of cases can be traced to that cause, rather than the psychological. It is important that the reasons for such behavior be pointed out and thoroughly checked before any retraining techniques are instituted. Most dog owners know that the aging process of their dog will manifest itself in a gradual loss of hearing, followed by diminished vision. Squeezed somewhere in between, signs of arthritis might show up, decreased in appetite, more frequent naps, and other tell-tale signs which may become evident.

What is not widely known is that toilet training is one of the first things to go! Because this fact is not widely known and realized, it causes frustration and confusion to the dog owner who suddenly thinks that his dog has forgotten, is not as smart as previously thought, is lazy, or has turned into a sneak. Such behavior on the part of a perfectly housetrained dog could simply be the first signs of the inevitable aging process. In this aging process, the muscles of the bladder gradually lose their control. In the male, the aging process can also cause the prostate gland to enlarge, and this will produce an inflammation which will cause him to urinate often.

Kidney diseases occurs in about 76% of dogs over eight years of age. When a dog ages, there is a gradual degeneration of kidney tissue with a weakening of the kidney function. The older dog should drink at least twice the amount of water than a younger dog since the older dog's kidneys will require it. Naturally, this will involve more frequent urination, thus more trips to the bathroom. Where the middle-aged dog would have required being let out in the morning and once at night, the aging process will require more freedom outdoors. In most cases, the older dog will try to make his needs known to his owner. However, the owner, who is used to a regular routine, just isn't tuned in to the dog's new requirement. Then, the old dog is left with just one alternative. It's just as embarrassing to him as it may be to the owner.

In such cases, shaming and scolding will only make the situation worse, especially if the dog tried to communicate, only to have his communication fall on deaf or inattentive ears.

How does a dog owner determine if his dog is getting old?

How can he know that the "accident" that just happened is the result of the aging process that the dog is going through? These are difficult questions, since a dog five years of age can be considered old, while a six-year old dog may still be, to a certain extent, a puppy. No two dogs are exactly alike. One dog's metabolism may be old at four years while another may not show signs of the aging process until eight or ten years old.

The first solution is to go to your vet. The reason is simple - the aging process is not the only medical reason why a perfectly well-housetrained dog may suddenly backslide and forget his toilet training. The reason for the unwanted activity must be discovered and properly dealt with though. Unwanted activity, when not properly corrected, can soon become a learned reaction. Your dog's vet can examine your pet and rule out such possibilities as nephritis, diabetes, or both.

These two diseases can cause a dog the inability to hold urine. A urinary tract infection may be the cause, whether your dog is considered old or simply middle-aged. Your vet can check to make sure parasites or infections are not causing the incontinence. Whether your dog is young, middle-aged, or old, a thorough medical examination by a vet is the first and most important aspect to consider when a dog that was perfectly housebroken suddenly forgets and has accidents. Only when all possible medical causes are ruled out should you start examining the possible psychological causes. To have a better understanding of the many possible psychological causes, we must start with the simple and progress to the complex. If you own a male who quite suddenly forgets that he is housebroken, examine the possibility of a female in heat right next door.

The compulsion to lift a leg in such cases is very overpowering and surpasses even the most rigid puppy training. The problem here is, once the "mark" is left on the leg of the dining room chair, the scent remains long after the female dog next door completes her heat cycle. The scent instinctively draws the dog back to that same location for repeated leg raises.

The problem becomes worse if shag carpeting is involved. Wiping it up with water magnifies the problem because of the possibility of mildew. Mildew is notorious for attracting dogs. This type of accident (and it is considered an accident) is quite normal when a female dog is in heat nearby. Even the well-trained dog feels the compulsion to leave his marking. This lets the female dog know (or so the male dog thinks) that there is a perfectly capable and willing stud close by. One of the best formulas for removing the urine scent from furniture, drapes, and carpeting is club soda.

Removing it is a must if you are to return your dog to the status of the well-trained household pet that you know he is. Scolding and verbal reprimand at the time of the accident is perfectly in order as long as you have ruled out medical causes. These are difficult questions, since a dog five years of age can be considered old, while a six-year old dog may still be, to a certain extent, a puppy. No two dogs are exactly alike. One dog's metabolism may be old at four years while another may not show signs of the aging process until eight or ten years old.

The first solution is to go to your vet. The reason is simple - the aging process is not the only medical reason why a perfectly well-housetrained dog may suddenly backslide and forget his toilet training. The reason for the unwanted activity must be discovered and properly dealt with though. Unwanted activity, when not properly corrected, can soon become a learned reaction. Your dog's vet can examine your pet and rule out such possibilities as nephritis, diabetes, or both.

These two diseases can cause a dog the inability to hold urine. A urinary tract infection may be the cause, whether your dog is considered old or simply middle-aged. Your vet can check to make sure parasites or infections are not causing the incontinence. Whether your dog is young, middle-aged, or old, a thorough medical examination by a vet is the first and most important aspect to consider when a dog that was perfectly housebroken suddenly forgets and has accidents. Only when all possible medical causes are ruled out should you start examining the possible psychological causes.

To have a better understanding of the many possible psychological causes, we must start with the simple and progress to the complex. If you own a male who quite suddenly forgets that he is housebroken, examine the possibility of a female in heat right next door. The compulsion to lift a leg in such cases is very overpowering and surpasses even the most rigid puppy training.

The problem here is, once the "mark" is left on the leg of the dining room chair, the scent remains long after the female dog next door completes her heat cycle. The scent instinctively draws the dog back to that same location for repeated leg raises. The problem becomes worse if shag carpeting is involved. Wiping it up with water magnifies the problem because of the possibility of mildew. Mildew is notorious for attracting dogs. This type of accident (and it is considered an accident) is quite normal when a female dog is in heat nearby. Even the well-trained dog feels the compulsion to leave his marking. This lets the female dog know (or so the male dog thinks) that there is a perfectly capable and willing stud close by.

One of the best formulas for removing the urine scent from furniture, drapes, and carpeting is club soda. Removing it is a must if you are to return your dog to the status of the well-trained household pet that you know he is. Scolding and verbal reprimand at the time of the accident is perfectly in order as long as you have ruled out medical causes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Jerry Mace owner and head trainer for http://www.mydogneedshelp.com I have been involved with the training of dogs for over 20 years.

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