Potty Training

Upon bringing home a puppy or rescue dog, two important issues to focus on the first few weeks are building a bond with your new dog and establishing good potty training habits. I always advocate starting your relationship off as a leader who sets the rules of the house. This role as a leader includes teaching your pup where to eliminate. I hope to simplify the whole process in this episode by listing several suggestions to make it the least stressful possible on you and your dog. I also would like to share some memorable stories of clients who sought out my help to potty train their dogs. Over the years, I have found that people will tolerate ALOT when it comes to potty training. Either they have poor information to begin with, or they are okay with ‘accidents’ in the house. Many times, I start helping clients after potty training has become a problem. Their dog just doesn’t seem to get the concept. They want their dogs to only eliminate outside, but they unknowingly have been sending them mixed signals. Pet parents have to be willing to change what they have currently been doing. What they have been doing hasn’t worked, so most clients are usually open to trying different tactics. I have had a lot of success with my suggestions and this is what I would like to pass on to you. As I tell my clients, even with rehabbing certain behavioral issues such as jumping or nipping, if plan A doesn’t work, try plan B. If plan B doesn’t work, go to plan C, and so on. This strategy works for potty training too.Remember, initially, dog training involves teaching the humans how to communicate effectively with their dog first and then training the dogs. Many people successfully potty train their dogs without any assistance. It is what comes naturally and logically to them and they have a cooperative dog. I know this because I ask every client if there are any issues with potty training. I don’t stop there. I ask more questions to find out if that is really true. Sometimes, the client tells me that potty training is not an issue, but then the dog has an accident right in front of me. This can be a touchy subject when this “occasional accident” has been happening for over a year.Other clients tolerate accidents for so long hoping that the dog will figure it out as they get older. This never has led to success. Whether the dog is large or small, I have been to homes where the dog has had “accidents” in the same places on and off for many months, that turn into years, and then for the rest of the dog’s life (which means the humans have given up and just accepted their dog’s indoor potty habits). Story #1One client had two dogs, but was focused on potty training the puppy. When I arrived, the puppy was in a crate. The older dog was loose in the house and greeted me very happily, but was jumping on me. I thought this would be an easy appointment - show the client how to have her dog greet people without jumping and give some suggestions for potty training the puppy. After all, half of the job was done because she was already using the crate! She was just using it for some other purpose unbeknownst to me. The client let the puppy out and put her in a pen she had set up with pee pads. The puppy immediately peed and was excited to meet me. So much for the easy appointment. I gave this client all the tips I have listed below, but she didn’t like how I used the crate for potty training. Needless to say, I never got a call back for further advice!Exceptions to potty training outdoorsPotty training outdoors is the most desirable place for dogs to eliminate. However, there are exceptions where pee pads or diaper wraps are necessary. For example, pee pads will help if the dog has had surgery and has very limited mobility. There are also dogs that are in their last stage of life and do not have control of their bladder and bowels. There are options for these cases, such as diaper wraps and confining the dog to a certain part of the house that makes clean up easier. However, confining a potty trained older dog after they have had full rein of the house can be very challenging. I also make an obvious exception with newborn puppies. They cannot control their bowels and urine the first several weeks of their life. Their Mom will lick them to stimulate to go and will ingest what is excreted. Yick! When they are 6-8 weeks, they can be taught to start going outside. Some breeders take it upon themselves to start that process before they are placed in their forever home. This can be a tremendous help, but the pet parent still has to figure out how to do what the breeder did, in their own home. Herein lies the challenge. Using fake grass outsideI have had clients whose dogs were trained to eliminate on fake grass on a deck right outside of thei