Cheap Pet Insurance

July 24th, 2009 by Geraldine Dimarco

Sure, we all love our dogs. The indoor poop and the pee spots are unfortunate incidents that happen to come with the package. Wouldn’t it be great though to not have to deal with cleaning up his mess anymore? With your patience and these tips on potty training dogs, it can be done.

Not a lot of people jump for joy at the mention of house training dogs. As a result, some people who adopt older dogs will be surprised to find them still untrained in ‘doing their business’ outside. While it may be easier to teach puppies to eliminate properly; adult dogs can still be taught correct toilet behavior anytime.

It is much simpler to train a dog how to do something than to guide him in unlearning wrong habits. A lot of times, you will end up feeling frustrated. What you should do instead is to teach him a new way of doing things in place of the former. In this case, its using an outdoor area for relieving himself.

Find a suitable spot outside your house to use for his toilet needs. Bring him out for a walk fifteen minutes after he finishes eating. Walk around the designated spot saying ‘go potty’ or ‘get pooping’ whatever word or phrase you want him to associate with the activity. Repeat it until he finally does and praise him profusely right after. This will let him know that this particular code word is a signal to eliminate. Do this for a few weeks using the same pattern you have started out with. In house training dogs, patience and consistency are fundamental.

When accidents do happen in the midst of your training plan, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Potty training sometimes takes a while. If you see the poop but not the dog, do not look for the culprit and start yelling. He will not understand why you are getting mad. If you catch him in the middle of the crime, startle him and bring him quickly outside to finish. Reward him with a treat and praises right after. Be extra attentive to your pet post meal to avoid future accidents.

When the accidents do happen inside your home, make sure you clean up the mess thoroughly with a deodorizing antibacterial solution immediately. This will get rid of stains and more importantly, any smell it will leave behind. The principle in potty training dogs is that they will return to their spot to do it again and they will find it by sniffing the place out. Make the canine’s cage as small as comfortably small as possible to avoid more accidents to occur indoors.

Do not bring food and water to your pet two hours before sleeping or else you might find yourself sleepily leading him out at night for toilet breaks. Take him out to walk early morning or right after he finishes nap time. When you have successfully accomplished training him to go potty outdoors, ensure that going outside is accessible and convenient for him. An open back door will encourage him to continue his newly found talent in discharging outside.

Potty training dogs is a priority for the responsible pet owner. It serves as good mental exercise for your dog and your home will be thankful to you for it.