potty training 101

“Ah, isn’t he cute, just look at him…peeing on the floor!” A dog will not pass the therapy test if it cannot hold its bladder so proper potty training is essential.
Don’t fret this as potty training is easy, but you have to make the time to do this. A small puppy should go out after play, after every nap, after eating, and every hour in-between! If you purchased an older dog that was kept in a kennel thereby eliminating when ever he felt like it you will also have to start a potty training regiment. Although an older dog may not have to go out as often, you must still keep a watchful eye on him. Take the dog on a leash to the area in the yard you want him to eliminate. Repeat the phrase ‘go potty’ (or whatever phrase suits you) over and over, even as he is eliminating. Don’t speak in a high pitched voice as it may confuse him and he’ll forget about needing to potty and want to play. Use a calm monotone voice as if you were a robot. Once he has finished his business, click (with the clicker you bought for training, see below if you have not started basic obedience yet)  and reward.

 There will be times when you will take the puppy out and the slightest breeze in the air may turn his attention away from eliminating, try to get his focus back to the task at hand by walking in a circle and returning to the potty area. Should he just stand there and look at you, give him a few seconds to rethink what he is out there for. If after a total of ten to fifteen minutes he does not eliminate bring him back inside and keep him under a watchful eye. Wait another ten to fifteen minutes and try again. To keep him under watchful eye you can either crate him or tether him to you so he must stay near you at all times. The younger the dog the more distracting the outside world will be so your reward has to be something  to work toward for the dog and it should be the only time the dog gets this particular reward. Hot dog slivers or cheeese chunks work well.

Should your dog ever have an accident after you have brought him back inside or whenever you have left him alone, never scold him. If you catch him in the act of eliminating in the house, calmly say “oops” and bring him outside to finish up. Remember to click (with the clicker you have bought for training) and treat once he is done. Let me explain what your dog thinks when you walk through the door and find he has left you a special package. The door opens and your dog greets you whole heartedly even if you’ve only been gone two minutes. You see the mess and start ranting a bunch of human garble as your hands are trying to scoop up the poop. Your tone of voice is getting angry as the poop rolls off the paper and back onto the floor hitting you new leather shoes! It is your tone and body language that sets the pace for the dog’s reaction as he slinks away from you, his head seemingly hung low in guilt. “He knows what he’s done, right? Wrong!” The only thing the dog takes from this experience is that every time the person he adores walks through the door he gets hollered at. He has no idea why you are angry, rather he only associates that mood with you walking through the door. The best thing to do is greet him happily as the damage has already been done and you can’t turn back the clock, so just clean it up with no reaction. I have also heard of people who say you should rub his nose in it. So I pose these questions to them. “ If you poop and I rub your nose in it each time, wouldn’t you eventually start pooping in spots so I would not find it?”

Well, that is what your dog will start doing. To avoid an unpleasant greeting he will start pooping in your closet, your shoes, and behind furniture. Toilet training your puppy is the same as toilet training a two year old child, it takes time, patience, and repetition. Should your dog soil in the house use a solution of white vinegar and water to clean it up. Never use ammonia based cleaners as a dog’s urine is ammonia based and his nose will lead him back to that spot. There are also cleaning solutions on the market specifically for dog and cat markings.

basic obedeince training method for clicker  www.clickerlessons.com