How To Potty Train Your Dog

Housebreaking o potty training a dog may sound painful but relax. It really isn't all that difficult. It is your dog's natural tendency to want to keep it's living area clean so once the home is firmly established in your pets mind the problem will be resolved. There are several ways you can assist the process to move faster.

The first thing you want to do when considering how to potty train a dog is be sure your pet is healthy to start with. If your pet has not been to the vet already, make an appointment. Your dog should be checked for overall healthiness and for conditions that would make house training difficult, such as cystitis and kidney or bladder dysfunction.

While your pet is visiting the veterinarian, ask to have them checked for worms and parasites also by way of a fecal exam. Also bear in mind the truthfulness behind mothers' wisdom when she said "You are what you eat."

A poor quality dog food, in addition to contributing to a poor nutritional state, can cause digestive problems resulting in loose stools, thus contributing to your pup's inability to control itself.

The most important aspect of how to potty train a dog is close supervision. This is necessary because your dog or puppy learns by repetition.

If you see your dog showing signs of needing to relieve itself, then immediate action must be taken to get the animal outside to its designated area. Consistency in training is critical. Do not think being lax because it's cold or dark outside is acceptable or your pet will adopt these same attitudes.

Close supervision during dog potty training is also necessary because it gives you time to learn your dogs special quirks such as needing to urinate right after eating or a certain action they take prior to soiling the floor so you can watch for these actions and respond in the future.

Also it allows you to correct a situation while it is still fresh in the dogs mind. While being very intelligent creatures, short term memory is not the strong point for most animals of this species and correcting them after more than a few minutes have passed serves no real purpose.

When you are working on dog potty training remember to limit the amount of water your dog has access to at the end of the day. Otherwise be making a walk with your pet in the middle of the night.

A quick walk outside at regularly timed intervals is advisable to training as this helps your pet to set an internal schedule. Be certain to use a consistent keyword to tell your pet why you are out in the yard such as "potty" or "toilet" or anything you choose and do not return indoors until they have relieved themselves.

Also remember to give praise when your dog relieves itself in appropriate places such as on newspapers or outdoors. Again consistent training is the key.

One of the key things to consider when you are learning how to potty train a dog is giving your dog a limited amount of space.

Baby gates across doorways or a pet crate help to make a more confined area and help your pet to recognize this as his living space. Their natural tendency is to go outside of their own living space to urinate so making this association for your pet will make your job easier. Lining this space with old news papers is a good idea at first as it facilitates a much easier cleanup of any accidents your pet might have.

Also be aware that some surfaces are more pet-friendly than others. Try to confine your new pet to areas of the home with tile or vinyl floors which are much easier to clean. Avoid letting them have access to carpet or hardwood floors which retain odours and can be extensively damaged by an errant pup.

If your pet does have an accident indoors when you are still learning how to potty train a dog, correct the animal immediately and then clean the area using non-ammonia based products.

Instead use an Enzyme based deodorizer to clean the area and be sure to remove all odor of the accident or the animal will repeat the behavior again.

If you follow these simple rules, your carpets and your new pet should be able to coexist peacefully and relatively free from stress and you will have discovered how to potty train a dog or how to potty train a puppy

The first step in making your dog fit for polite company would be to potty train him. Some see this training as a hassle and some as a challenge.

For me, it is part of bringing up a pet.

There are a few things you need to know before you actually start potty training. I enumerate these below:

You need to understand your dog's body language. Watch for signs that will indicate to you when your pet wants to eliminate.

If you own puppies, remember that they need to go potty at fairly frequent intervals - as soon as they wake up, after short naps, after play-time, after meals, before and after being crated and finally, before retiring for the night.

Take your dog for walks at the time that he usually does his potty. Take him out to the yard and then to the same place there every time he needs to answer nature's call.

Praise your dog after he eliminates at the right place. Some dog owners even give their dogs treats. But remember to do this every time he does it right. He will relate the rewards to his having "done it right" and zero in on the spot where you want him to defecate regularly.

With time, you can try signal training. This is so that you know when your doggie wants to go. You can hang a bell at his level near the door and teach him to push it with his nose or pat it with his paw on his way out.

Until a dog has been fully potty trained keep him under strict vigilance. Do not let him roam around the house freely.

Use a crate. A crate-trained dog is usually very happy to get his own den. The advantage of crating is that dogs do not soil the place where they sleep. So, he will naturally not eliminate inside the crate.

Use positive reinforcements while potty training your dog. Do not scold or hit him as you will gain nothing by doing that. He will only associate punishment with your return from outside. If you catch him in the act, a stern 'NO' or 'FREEZE' will do. It will startle the dog enough for him to stop pooping.

Be prepared to return to a soiled home if you are keeping your dog home alone for more than 4 hours as separation anxiety is quite common among home - alone dogs.

Accidents will happen. It is unusual for a trained adult dog to work against its housetraining. But medical problems or health disorders may lead to sudden accidents.