How to Survive Potty Training!

Guidance to help you make your way through potty training.

• Eliminate, then initiate!

When trying to potty-train a dog, no matter the age, you must make the dog aware that play time comes AFTER they go to the bathroom. So when you let the dog out to the bathroom, keep them on a leash. When they try to initiate play time, do not respond. Keep them walking and let them sniff the area, but as soon as they eliminate, take the leash off. It's party time!!! Make a big deal out of it! Praise them and play with them. Some people even reward them with a little bit of treats. You want the dog to realize that when they go outside as opposed to inside, it's a fantastic thing. They then get the play time they wanted!

• What goes in must come out.

When working with any dog, you will learn that if you feed or give them water, they will need to go to the bathroom after a time. Some dogs will give distinctive cues, and some are more subtle. If your dog starts sniffing intensely after being fairly calm and chill, then take your dog out. Some dogs will begin to make a racket: barking, whining, scratching, or making noise to inform you that it is time to do business. Once you and your dog get familiar, you will start to catch onto their cues, which will help keep you both happy. But even if they didn't need to go that bad, it's better to be safe than sorry.

• Routine is key

Since humans have a typical bathroom routine in the morning, it would make sense that your dog would also like to relieve themselves upon awakening. Another routine to help you and your dog when they have been alone for about three hours is to take them outside for a break. I understand that may be difficult for the typical office worker with an eight-hour shift. This is why most people either hire a dog walker, enlist the assistance of family, friends, and neighbors, use doggy daycare, or install a doggy door. It wouldn't be humane to ask an employee to hold "it" for eight hours, so it isn't good to ask your dog to do what you couldn't do yourself.

• Supervision or kennel time

As someone who has worked with several puppies before, I can say emphatically that if you don't have eyes on your dog, they are probably destroying something. That is until they have learned how to manage their destructive ways. If you don't want it ruined, don't leave it unattended. If you don't want your new friend to become a less-than-welcome guest, keep them within your sight. If you aren't able to, invest in a crate or kennel. I will have another article going over the benefits of crate training your dog shortly. If that isn't an option, prepare a space that will not be difficult to clean, such as a laundry room or a bathroom.

• Rule of the Month to the Hour

There is a "rule" that trainers and some dog owners abide by when working with a dog under a year old. How old your dog is in months is how long they can hold their bladder in hours. If your dog is three months old, then you can generally expect that your puppy can hold its pee in for roughly three hours. It tends to cap out at about eight hours for a medium to large dog and six hours for smaller dogs. Once your pup is six to eight months old, you should start finding that they can hold their bladder for about that long.  

• Health issues

It's imperative to consider your dog's health as well. If your dog is suddenly peeing or pooping inside the house when they have never done so before, you may need to take them to the vet. Changes in behavior are a good indication that your dog may not be feeling well.

My husband and I had a sweet, purebred mutt that was perfect in almost every sense. She NEVER had accidents inside the house, except when she got older. She started to have accident after accident inside all of a sudden. While at the vet, we found that she was suffering from severe inflammation, which resulted in her accidents. So, if your dog is acting differently from their normal behavior, it's always a good call to take them to the vet. 

•  Don't rub their nose in it!!

The old tactic of when you find a dog's mess, rub their nose in it to teach them not to do it. Studies have shown that dogs who have been punished for having accidents by either rubbing their noses in it or yelling or other negative reactions, take longer than dogs who aren't to potty train. If you happen to find your dog in the process of having an accident, try to interrupt calmly as best as possible and get them outside to finish. Please don't make a big deal out of it by yelling, or getting angry because that will increase the chances of them trying to hide when they need to relieve themselves. If you find an accident that you didn't see happen, clean it up and forget about it. Your dog certainly has, so punishing them is counterproductive because they will have no idea what they are being punished for.

• Good cleaners will be your friend.

Accidents will happen, but the best thing you can do is to prepare for them. The best way to prepare is to have a good cleaner on hand. One of the most important things to understand about dog feces and urine is that it contains pheromones. This is why when a dog has an accident, they tend to relieve themselves again in the same place. Pheromones are like a neon sign telling your dog where to go again. Most traditional cleaners can remove the stain and the odor that you and I can sense. But they are not able to remove the pheromones. Pheromones are difficult to remove completely, so your best bet is to acquire an enzymatic cleaner. I will publish another article shortly with things to look for in a cleaner for dog messes, but your best bet is to look for a cleaner that specifically states that it is an enzymatic cleaner.