How To Potty Train A Dog

Potty training can seem a difficult task to teach a dog, but it is actually pretty easy. Accidents do happen but if you follow these guide lines you should be able to have a potty trained dog in a matter of a few short weeks. Some dogs may take a little longer, but every dog can learn not to go to the bathroom in your home.

1. Pick up the food and water. Sounds pretty simple, but make sure that your dog does not have access to additional water sources (toilet, water dispensers, hoses, ect.) or food (garbage, counter food, ect.). Get the dog on a schedule that they get food and water a few times a day. If the day is a hot day or the dog is active more water will be required, but there should not be more then what you would be able to drink at one point. Smaller dogs will require less
2. Input, output. Following the first guide line is very important. If we know when and how much is going into the dog, we can guess when and how much should be coming out of the dog. Dogs will generally need to go to the bathroom 30 minutes to an hour after they have drank or eaten. Some dogs are faster some are slower. I like to get dogs on a schedule to go before or after their meal, then a few hours later throughout the day.
3. The crate. The crate or kennel can be a very useful tool in helping house break your dog. Give your dog the opportunity to go potty out side, 5 to 10 minutes. Some may need less some may need more. This is all about giving the dog a reasonable amount of time to go to the bathroom. If the dog goes, they can be out. If they have not gone, they can go back in the kennel. Dogs naturally do not want to soil where they sleep or lay. Give the dog some time, and then bring them back outside to go to the bathroom. Repeat this step until the dog has gone to the bathroom. Then supervise the dog.
4. Limit space. Some owners do not kennel the dog, that’s okay. This does not mean that potty training cannot be accomplished. Simply limit the space that the dog is in. You might keep the dog in a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or other smaller spaces. This should be a space that you do not mind that the dog will go to the bathroom, because accidents are going to happen. Once you can trust the dog with one room give them more space, until you can trust the dog to be out.
5. Don’t make a deal of it. No one like when their dog uses the house as a toilet. Correct the dog, but don’t make it a huge deal. I have seen too many dogs afraid to go to the bathroom in front of their owners, the dog holds it until they can’t or they sneak off and go to the bathroom in your home. If the dog goes in the house correct it and bring them right outside.
6. Look for the signs. Most dogs give some sign that they need to go. Some wait at the door, whine, get more active, bug you, paw at the door, sniffing more. Most dogs show some of these signs. Some dogs might be subtle in how they show they need to go, but almost every dog does.
7. Put it to command. Every time you do go outside to bring the dog to the bathroom say go potty or some variation of the command. Just like we can teach our dogs to sit, come, and stay, down. We can also teach them to go to the bathroom on command. Start by saying “go potty, go potty” keep saying this until the dog has gone to the bathroom. If they do, make that a big deal like they won the super bowl. If they don’t go to step 3.
8. That’s the spot. Every time you bring your dog out to go, use the same spot in the beginning. This spot is familiar in smells and tends to lead to less distraction. Spots that other dogs have gone are a great way to start. The dog then can smell that this is a place that others have gone, must be okay for me. Once the dog gets the hang of it. You can start by bring them other places.
9. Be patient. Not all dogs get this right away. Be patient though. If you give this enough time it will work. Also have some good cleaner on hand to make sure that the smells of the dogs elimination has been removed.