You too Can Potty Train Your Pooch (Part II - Supervision, Containment & Schedules)
In the last entry I discussed nutrition and how it plays a role in your dog's potty habits. Now I will walk you through the basics of how to actually potty train your puppy (or older dog).
First decide where your pooch is going to potty. Indoors on a potty pad or outside? If outside, in a specific area of the yard or does she have free roam of the yard to potty wherever she see fit? If you are training for an indoor potty spot, pick the area where you want the potty pads to live. Ideally this will be in a small room like a bathroom, laundry room or spare bedroom. If you are using a playpen, you can put the pads in the playpen, but ideally the pen is where it will always be. Having them in a consistent location in the house will make it easier for puppy to learn where to go. Now that you've decided where Fifi will potty...
SUPERVISION & CONTAINMENT
If you cannot be present to supervise your dog, it is necessary that you contain them where they cannot make a mistake. If you let them have the run of the house before they are ready, you will always come home to messes and will find it nearly impossible to teach them where the right spot is. There are a number of ways to contain your pooch while you're out. But before you decide what the right way will be in your home, you need to know a couple of things.
Like human infants, puppies are not physiologically able to hold their bladder and bowels for an extended period of time. Their bladder and bowel control just doesn't exist yet. It is while they are growing that it is easiest to teach them how to recognize the sensation of need and how to get to the right place in time. It is generally not recommended that you give serious effort to potty training before a puppy is roughly 8 weeks old. This doesn't mean that you can't make every effort to put them in the right spot at the scheduled times noted below, but you cannot really expect a puppy younger than 8 weeks to have any sense of being in one spot over another for the purpose of pottying.
So how long can your puppy "hold it?" You can take their age in months and that is roughly the number of hours they can "hold it," give or take about 30 minutes. If you're puppy is 2 months old, she can hold it for about 2 hours, 4 months = 4 hours, 6 months = 6 hours, give or take about 30 minutes.
You need to have an understanding of how long your puppy can wait to potty because it will effect the kind of containment you can use depending on your own schedule.
Crates: Crate training is a very popular method for potty training and can be highly effective. However, there are some specifics that are necessary to note. To properly use a crate to potty train, it needs to be only just big enough for Fifi to turn around and lay down comfortably with little more than an inch between her and any wall. If she has any more room, she can use one part of the crate to potty and another to "live in." As I said in part I, dogs instinctively do not want to mess where they live. So if you give her enough room to make a potty spot and a living spot, she will use the space in this way. Conversely, if you give her just enough space, but leave her confined for longer than she is able to hold it, you will be forcing her to potty where she lives. This will then become a learned behavior and will undermine all your efforts to effectively potty train for your house.
If you are going to use a crate it is necessary that you are available to come home and let Fifi out to her potty spot every 2 hours in the beginning. As she gets older and is able to hold it longer, you can ask her to, but in the beginning, if you cannot be home to let her out every 2 hours, you will be making for a very long and frustrating road for both of you.
Bathrooms/Laundry Rooms: These can be excellent confinement spaces. First off, they usually have hard floor which is easy to keep clean. Second, they are small spaces but not so small as a crate. You can put a bed for Fifi to snuggle in, a couple toys and line the entire floor (except where the bed is) with potty pads. It's important that the entire floor get lined because you do not want Fifi to have access to potty on the unprotected floor when you're not there to correct her. It is the unsupervised mistake that leads to learning that pottying on the unprotected floor is OK. If your dog is a teacup or toy size, you will even want to put potty pad behind the toilet between the back of the toilet and the wall. Puppies will go behind there if they can and you don't want them to learn that this is an OK place to potty.
Playpens: This can be an excellent option as you can put the playpen in any room of the house. This allows you to create quiet time for puppy while still keeping them in the same general space. They don't feel so isolated, but you don't have to be as vigilant in your watching them. Just like in the bathroom/laundry room you would want to put her bed, a couple toys and line the rest of the floor with potty pads. This way if she is not on her bed (her living space) she is on a potty pad and cannot miss. If you want to use a playpen on a carpeted floor, you may want to cut a couple of plastic garbage bags open and spread those out before you put the potty pads down. This will create an extra barrier between puppy and floor just in case she moves or damages a potty pad.
So whichever method you decide is best for your lifestyle and the dog you have, the basics are the same: If you are home and available, supervise them so you can anticipate their need to go, praise them for a job well done and correct them if they begin to have an accident. If you cannot be home, or are doing something that prevents you from supervising, they must be contained where they cannot make a mistake.
SCHEDULES & ROUTINES
Dogs are creatures of habit. They thrive with routines. If you create a schedule for your pup it will be much easier to to successfully potty train and quite possibly much quicker as well.
When does Fifi have to potty? When should you be taking her to her designated potty spot?
Once she is actively going potty you can say, very quietly, "good potty." When she has finished completely you can make a big fuss over her. In fact, the bigger the fuss the better. Use a squeaky, happy, high-pitched voice and tell her, "Good girl! You're such a good girl! You went potty where Mommy (or Daddy) wants you too!! You're so smart!!!!" Lots of love and pats are good. You can even offer a teeny little treat, but if you're going to use treats to help potty train, be sure that you give the treat while she is still in the spot where you want her to go and not back in another room. By the time you get back to the kitchen, she has mentally moved on and will not associate any treats given with something she did in another space.
Remove water sources about 1-2 hours before Fifi's bedtime and take her to her designated potty spot just before putting her down for the night. This will help her to be able sleep through more of the night before waking with an urgent need to potty.
2. Shortly after meals can be anywhere from immediately upon finishing to as much as 3 hours later. It will be up to you to learn your dog's biological schedule so that you can anticipate when you need to get her to the right spot. For the sake of discussion, let's say that roughly 30 minutes after Fifi finishes her meal, she needs to potty. Note the time that she finishes eating and you pick up her bowl. If necessary, you can even set a timer. If she needs to potty 30 minutes after a meal, you want to anticipate the need and at 25 minutes announce to her that it's time to potty. Say it sweetly. If she will follow you, great! If not, you can pick her up for the first few trips, or even better, put on her leash and lead her to the right spot. ALWAYS TAKE THE SAME PATH THROUGH THE HOUSE TO GET TO THE RIGHT SPOT. THIS WILL HELP HER LEARN HOW TO GET TO THE POTTY AREA. If your dog potties outside, when you get to the door that she will go to, announce again that it's time to go out and potty, then open the door and go outside with her. Repeat the praise process discussed in #1. The important thing here is that you are anticipating her need to go and taking her there before the need gets urgent for her.
3. If you've been out, then she has been confined, so she will likely need to go. "Holding it" while confined coupled with her excitement at your return will certainly stimulate her need, so be quick in getting her to the right spot. You can have lots of love and cuddles and pats after potty time. Especially in the early stages of training, it's important that pottying takes priority over all else.
4. After naps is just like first thing in the morning.
5. When puppies and young dogs are active and playing, the movement stimulates their digestive and urinary systems. When they are still learning, most dogs will not alert you to their need to go. Instead they will simply move a bit away from the game, or simply turn away from you, and potty. It is important that we anticipate the need to potty during play. Every 20 - 40 minutes (you'll figure out how frequently based on your own specific dog's body) move the game to the potty spot. If the potty spot is outside, you can simply move the game outside and they will find a spot to go. If you're using potty pads inside, interrupt the game with the announcement that it's time to go potty and bring them to the right place.
6. How does your dog signal you that it's time to go? Dogs display in specific ways that they are about to potty. Some of it is pretty standard for most dogs, other bits of body language are unique to your dog. When you go with them to potty, pay close attention to exactly what they are doing just before they begin to potty. Do they sniff with a certain sense of determination? Does their tail go up a little further, or off to one side? Does one ear twitch or turn in a certain way? Do they start to run in circles at top speed with their nose glued to the ground like they're looking for something? If you notice the same body language every time you are out with them when they potty, then you will learn what to look for inside. When you see those telltale hints, be quick! Announce potty time and get them to their spot.
THE ACTUAL POTTY TRAINING PROCESS (At Long Last!)
So now we know what kind of diet to have Fifi on, how we're going to confine her, what kind of schedule to create and how to anticipate from her body language that she needs to go. But how do we actually teach her where to go???
When it's time to potty, announce it to her. Pick a command that will mean it's time to go potty. Make sure the whole family uses the same language. Announce, "Fifi, let's go potty." Taking the same path through the house every time, bring her to the right spot. Once you're at the potty spot, tell her quietly, "go potty." At this point you just want to wait quietly. Be patient. Don't stare at her and don't rush her. Let her sniff the pads a bit and decide where is a good spot for her to go. Once she begins to potty you can say, very quietly - almost in a whisper, "Good potty." Don't distract her while she's doing the right thing. Once she's finished you should make a big fuss over her. Hugs, kisses, pats and praise, "You're such a smart dog! You potty just where I want you too. You're soooo good!" If you want to use treats as part of this training, be sure they are teeny little tidbits. Dogs, and especially puppies, potty a lot. If you give them a big chunk of treat for every potty, they will either not eat their regular meal due to fullness or you will end up with an overweight dog. Treats for dogs are not so much about the actual treat as the psychological process of getting something that smells good. So long as it smells interesting to your pup, you can give them someting as small as a crumb.
Whether your dog potties outside or in, it is necessary that you stay with them and supervise as they potty. This allows you to learn what their signals are so you can anticipate their need based on their body language. It also allows you to be certain that they did in fact potty because you actually see it happen. And, perhaps most importantly, it allows you to be present to praise them as soon as they've done what they were there to do.
Many people say that they put their pup outside for an hour or 2 only to have him potty on the kitchen floor as soon as they came back inside. This is because dogs are pack animals. If you "kick them out" they may just sit by the door and wait for you to let them back in. It's amazing how long a dog can wait under those circumstances - even little puppies can surprise you. If you go out with them, then they are not alone and you will see them go.
In part III of this blog I will explain how to wean down from an entire floor covered with potty pads down to just one or two pads. I will also discuss how to use potty pads with young puppies even when the goal is to have her be an outside pottier.
OUTSIDE POTTY ISSUES
Many dogs like to explore once they're outside and even if you're out with them, they may find that exploring and sniffing is more rewarding the pottying. For these dogs the best thing you can do is put them on a leash. This limits their access to the yard. Pick an area that will be the potty spot. Go and stand there. Tell them "potty time." Wait quietly but do not walk around. They have the freedom of the 6-foot leash that you have put them on. Once they have pottied you can reward them by letting them off the leash for a few minutes before going back inside.
Utilizing a leash also allows you to teach your dog that there is one area where they are allowed to go. If you always take them to the same spot near the fence or under a big tree, this will quickly smell like potty spot to them and they will be drawn to this area for the purpose of elimination. This is helpful in that your whole yard won't be a potential bathroom which makes it easier for you to keep clean and a more pleasant place for you to spend time.
STUBBORN DOGS - 5 & 1 GAME
Some dogs just don't seem to want to go when you tell them. If you know that she needs to go because she just ate, but Fifi is standing there looking at you and refusing to budge, use the leash. You can do this even for inside potty spots. Put Fifi on her leash. Take her to the potty spot and tell her your command to go. Wait quietly for 5 minutes. If she does not go, take her inside (or back to another room). If you are attempting outside potty, simply stand inside right at the door that you use to get to her outside potty spot. Wait for one minute - 60 seconds - and then bring her back outside. Repeat this until she potties for you.5 mintues at her potty spot, 1 minute inside. KEEP HER ON THE LEASH THE ENTIRE TIME, EVEN FOR THE 1 MINUTE INSIDE PART. By keeping her at the door and on the leash, you are able to watch her. If she starts to get into a potty pose while you're inside, you can quickly move her out to the potty spot (even if it's less than 60 seconds). If she is not on a leash, then she is free to go in another room and poop behind the sofa.
The 5 & 1 game works with inside potty spots as well. Simply take her out of the potty area and to another room, preferably one with hard floors just in case she does start to mess during that 60 second wait. You repeat the 5 minutes at the potty spot and 1 minute away until you have success. This game works best when you know Fifi must have to potty because it's first thing in the morning, or long enough after her meal, etc.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE IS AN ACCIDENT
If you catch her in the act: If you catch Fifi mid-pose and actively going, you can correct her. One firm, loud (but not screaming) "No!" followed by a very sweet invitation to go potty. Scoop her up and carry her if necessary. Most dogs will reflexively stop pottying if they are picked up. Once you get her to the spot, tell her sweetly to go potty. Wait for her to finish and make a big fuss over her for going in the right spot. If you are not using treats and you find you are having a lot of accidents, but she finishes when you take her to her designated spot, you may want to use treats. The firmer the verbal scold at the wrong spot and the bigger the praise/treat at the right spot, the clearer the lesson is as to where she should be going.
Some people suggest using an empty soda can with some rocks or coins inside that you can shake to startle your dog. This could work, but requires that you have them on you at all times, but stashed in such a way that they never make any noise at all until you shake the can. The scold must happen immediately upon seeing the mistake in action. Personally I find the first verbal "No!" is usually sufficient. If it is not, add a single sharp clap of your hands. Not the soft, happy claps that occur during play time, but a single, loud, sharp report along with the "No!" works very well.
If you find a mess after the fact: If you find evidence of a potty in the wrong spot, it does not matter if it's old, dried and crusty or if it's fresh and Fifi is still checking it out. All you can do is tell yourself that you will be more vigilant in the future and clean it up. You cannot scold Fifi for this. Let me repeat that. YOU CANNOT SCOLD FIFI FOR A MESS YOU FOUND AFTER THE FACT. If you rub her nose in the mess and scold her she will not learn not to potty in that spot. She will learn that her human has a really odd obsession with her potty.
If you come home and yell at her when you find a mess, she will look sheepish. She will lower her head, put her tail between her legs and take on what humans interpret as a "guilty" look. Do not mistake this for understanding. She is simply presenting submissive body language that is used among dogs to lessen an attack. She understands that you are angry. She may even begin to associate that her human is often angry when it gets home from being gone. But Fifi will not make the connection that her human is angry over a potty that Fifi did moments ago or possibly hours ago.
MAKING MESSES OUT OF SPITE
Many people believe that their fully trained dog potties in the wrong spot out of spite. This is not true. Dogs do not have a concenpt of spite. They do not do things with the specific intent of making their owners mad. Probably 98% of the time the reason for these messes is that the dog is not in fact fully potty trained. There is no such thing as "85% potty trained." People will often say that their dog is potty trained except for the ocassional accident that happens perhaps once or twice per week. That is not potty trained. A potty trained dog is one that does not have accidents in the house. This dog will alert her owners of her need to go if she does not have ready access to the her potty spot. If the owner does not give her access in a timely fashion, and Fifi simply cannot hold it any longer, she may potty as close to her potty spot as possible (this is typically at the door that leads to her potty spot). This is different than having an accident. In this case, Fifi did alert, but was not given access in time.
I said 98% of the time it is simply not a fully trained dog. What about the other 2% of the time? Some dogs will act out if they are feeling stressed. If there are major changes to the routine or household, some dogs will regress a bit in this training. If you move to a new home, remodel, get a second dog, lose a dog, have a baby, someone moves in or out, or someone dies, you may see a temporary regression of potty training behavior. It is usually temporary and only requires a minimal amount of retraining. If the dog is stressed, she may "act out." This is not a spiteful behavior. It is more akin to a cry for help. She is telling you in the only way she knows how that something is wrong and she is not comfortable or happy. In this situation your best option is to return to more vigilant schedules with loads of praise for going in the right spot. This will help to re-establish a routine for your dog and reassure her that all is well.
MISTAKES AS AN INDICATOR OF HEALTH ISSUES
If you have an older dog that is fully potty trained and has been for years, that suddenly begins having accidents and nothing in the household has changed, it is time for vet visit. In fact, any time you see a dramatic change in behavior that you cannot immediately explain by a change in household routine, you should take Fifi in for a checkup. Minor illnesses such as a cold or urinary tract infection to major issues such as bladder or bowel cancer can affect your dog's potty habits. If she has suddenly begun having accidents "for no apparent reason" it is best to get her checked out to be sure it is not being caused by an illness.
In the next section I will discuss products and tools that will help with potty training.
First decide where your pooch is going to potty. Indoors on a potty pad or outside? If outside, in a specific area of the yard or does she have free roam of the yard to potty wherever she see fit? If you are training for an indoor potty spot, pick the area where you want the potty pads to live. Ideally this will be in a small room like a bathroom, laundry room or spare bedroom. If you are using a playpen, you can put the pads in the playpen, but ideally the pen is where it will always be. Having them in a consistent location in the house will make it easier for puppy to learn where to go. Now that you've decided where Fifi will potty...
SUPERVISION & CONTAINMENT
If you cannot be present to supervise your dog, it is necessary that you contain them where they cannot make a mistake. If you let them have the run of the house before they are ready, you will always come home to messes and will find it nearly impossible to teach them where the right spot is. There are a number of ways to contain your pooch while you're out. But before you decide what the right way will be in your home, you need to know a couple of things.
Like human infants, puppies are not physiologically able to hold their bladder and bowels for an extended period of time. Their bladder and bowel control just doesn't exist yet. It is while they are growing that it is easiest to teach them how to recognize the sensation of need and how to get to the right place in time. It is generally not recommended that you give serious effort to potty training before a puppy is roughly 8 weeks old. This doesn't mean that you can't make every effort to put them in the right spot at the scheduled times noted below, but you cannot really expect a puppy younger than 8 weeks to have any sense of being in one spot over another for the purpose of pottying.
So how long can your puppy "hold it?" You can take their age in months and that is roughly the number of hours they can "hold it," give or take about 30 minutes. If you're puppy is 2 months old, she can hold it for about 2 hours, 4 months = 4 hours, 6 months = 6 hours, give or take about 30 minutes.
You need to have an understanding of how long your puppy can wait to potty because it will effect the kind of containment you can use depending on your own schedule.
Crates: Crate training is a very popular method for potty training and can be highly effective. However, there are some specifics that are necessary to note. To properly use a crate to potty train, it needs to be only just big enough for Fifi to turn around and lay down comfortably with little more than an inch between her and any wall. If she has any more room, she can use one part of the crate to potty and another to "live in." As I said in part I, dogs instinctively do not want to mess where they live. So if you give her enough room to make a potty spot and a living spot, she will use the space in this way. Conversely, if you give her just enough space, but leave her confined for longer than she is able to hold it, you will be forcing her to potty where she lives. This will then become a learned behavior and will undermine all your efforts to effectively potty train for your house.
If you are going to use a crate it is necessary that you are available to come home and let Fifi out to her potty spot every 2 hours in the beginning. As she gets older and is able to hold it longer, you can ask her to, but in the beginning, if you cannot be home to let her out every 2 hours, you will be making for a very long and frustrating road for both of you.
Bathrooms/Laundry Rooms: These can be excellent confinement spaces. First off, they usually have hard floor which is easy to keep clean. Second, they are small spaces but not so small as a crate. You can put a bed for Fifi to snuggle in, a couple toys and line the entire floor (except where the bed is) with potty pads. It's important that the entire floor get lined because you do not want Fifi to have access to potty on the unprotected floor when you're not there to correct her. It is the unsupervised mistake that leads to learning that pottying on the unprotected floor is OK. If your dog is a teacup or toy size, you will even want to put potty pad behind the toilet between the back of the toilet and the wall. Puppies will go behind there if they can and you don't want them to learn that this is an OK place to potty.
Playpens: This can be an excellent option as you can put the playpen in any room of the house. This allows you to create quiet time for puppy while still keeping them in the same general space. They don't feel so isolated, but you don't have to be as vigilant in your watching them. Just like in the bathroom/laundry room you would want to put her bed, a couple toys and line the rest of the floor with potty pads. This way if she is not on her bed (her living space) she is on a potty pad and cannot miss. If you want to use a playpen on a carpeted floor, you may want to cut a couple of plastic garbage bags open and spread those out before you put the potty pads down. This will create an extra barrier between puppy and floor just in case she moves or damages a potty pad.
So whichever method you decide is best for your lifestyle and the dog you have, the basics are the same: If you are home and available, supervise them so you can anticipate their need to go, praise them for a job well done and correct them if they begin to have an accident. If you cannot be home, or are doing something that prevents you from supervising, they must be contained where they cannot make a mistake.
SCHEDULES & ROUTINES
Dogs are creatures of habit. They thrive with routines. If you create a schedule for your pup it will be much easier to to successfully potty train and quite possibly much quicker as well.
When does Fifi have to potty? When should you be taking her to her designated potty spot?
- First Thing in the morning & last thing before bed
- Shortly after meals
- Right when you get home from being away
- After naps or long rest periods
- every 20-40 minutes during active play time
- Any time your friend tells you she needs to potty (when she signals that it's time)
Once she is actively going potty you can say, very quietly, "good potty." When she has finished completely you can make a big fuss over her. In fact, the bigger the fuss the better. Use a squeaky, happy, high-pitched voice and tell her, "Good girl! You're such a good girl! You went potty where Mommy (or Daddy) wants you too!! You're so smart!!!!" Lots of love and pats are good. You can even offer a teeny little treat, but if you're going to use treats to help potty train, be sure that you give the treat while she is still in the spot where you want her to go and not back in another room. By the time you get back to the kitchen, she has mentally moved on and will not associate any treats given with something she did in another space.
Remove water sources about 1-2 hours before Fifi's bedtime and take her to her designated potty spot just before putting her down for the night. This will help her to be able sleep through more of the night before waking with an urgent need to potty.
2. Shortly after meals can be anywhere from immediately upon finishing to as much as 3 hours later. It will be up to you to learn your dog's biological schedule so that you can anticipate when you need to get her to the right spot. For the sake of discussion, let's say that roughly 30 minutes after Fifi finishes her meal, she needs to potty. Note the time that she finishes eating and you pick up her bowl. If necessary, you can even set a timer. If she needs to potty 30 minutes after a meal, you want to anticipate the need and at 25 minutes announce to her that it's time to potty. Say it sweetly. If she will follow you, great! If not, you can pick her up for the first few trips, or even better, put on her leash and lead her to the right spot. ALWAYS TAKE THE SAME PATH THROUGH THE HOUSE TO GET TO THE RIGHT SPOT. THIS WILL HELP HER LEARN HOW TO GET TO THE POTTY AREA. If your dog potties outside, when you get to the door that she will go to, announce again that it's time to go out and potty, then open the door and go outside with her. Repeat the praise process discussed in #1. The important thing here is that you are anticipating her need to go and taking her there before the need gets urgent for her.
3. If you've been out, then she has been confined, so she will likely need to go. "Holding it" while confined coupled with her excitement at your return will certainly stimulate her need, so be quick in getting her to the right spot. You can have lots of love and cuddles and pats after potty time. Especially in the early stages of training, it's important that pottying takes priority over all else.
4. After naps is just like first thing in the morning.
5. When puppies and young dogs are active and playing, the movement stimulates their digestive and urinary systems. When they are still learning, most dogs will not alert you to their need to go. Instead they will simply move a bit away from the game, or simply turn away from you, and potty. It is important that we anticipate the need to potty during play. Every 20 - 40 minutes (you'll figure out how frequently based on your own specific dog's body) move the game to the potty spot. If the potty spot is outside, you can simply move the game outside and they will find a spot to go. If you're using potty pads inside, interrupt the game with the announcement that it's time to go potty and bring them to the right place.
6. How does your dog signal you that it's time to go? Dogs display in specific ways that they are about to potty. Some of it is pretty standard for most dogs, other bits of body language are unique to your dog. When you go with them to potty, pay close attention to exactly what they are doing just before they begin to potty. Do they sniff with a certain sense of determination? Does their tail go up a little further, or off to one side? Does one ear twitch or turn in a certain way? Do they start to run in circles at top speed with their nose glued to the ground like they're looking for something? If you notice the same body language every time you are out with them when they potty, then you will learn what to look for inside. When you see those telltale hints, be quick! Announce potty time and get them to their spot.
THE ACTUAL POTTY TRAINING PROCESS (At Long Last!)
So now we know what kind of diet to have Fifi on, how we're going to confine her, what kind of schedule to create and how to anticipate from her body language that she needs to go. But how do we actually teach her where to go???
When it's time to potty, announce it to her. Pick a command that will mean it's time to go potty. Make sure the whole family uses the same language. Announce, "Fifi, let's go potty." Taking the same path through the house every time, bring her to the right spot. Once you're at the potty spot, tell her quietly, "go potty." At this point you just want to wait quietly. Be patient. Don't stare at her and don't rush her. Let her sniff the pads a bit and decide where is a good spot for her to go. Once she begins to potty you can say, very quietly - almost in a whisper, "Good potty." Don't distract her while she's doing the right thing. Once she's finished you should make a big fuss over her. Hugs, kisses, pats and praise, "You're such a smart dog! You potty just where I want you too. You're soooo good!" If you want to use treats as part of this training, be sure they are teeny little tidbits. Dogs, and especially puppies, potty a lot. If you give them a big chunk of treat for every potty, they will either not eat their regular meal due to fullness or you will end up with an overweight dog. Treats for dogs are not so much about the actual treat as the psychological process of getting something that smells good. So long as it smells interesting to your pup, you can give them someting as small as a crumb.
Whether your dog potties outside or in, it is necessary that you stay with them and supervise as they potty. This allows you to learn what their signals are so you can anticipate their need based on their body language. It also allows you to be certain that they did in fact potty because you actually see it happen. And, perhaps most importantly, it allows you to be present to praise them as soon as they've done what they were there to do.
Many people say that they put their pup outside for an hour or 2 only to have him potty on the kitchen floor as soon as they came back inside. This is because dogs are pack animals. If you "kick them out" they may just sit by the door and wait for you to let them back in. It's amazing how long a dog can wait under those circumstances - even little puppies can surprise you. If you go out with them, then they are not alone and you will see them go.
In part III of this blog I will explain how to wean down from an entire floor covered with potty pads down to just one or two pads. I will also discuss how to use potty pads with young puppies even when the goal is to have her be an outside pottier.
OUTSIDE POTTY ISSUES
Many dogs like to explore once they're outside and even if you're out with them, they may find that exploring and sniffing is more rewarding the pottying. For these dogs the best thing you can do is put them on a leash. This limits their access to the yard. Pick an area that will be the potty spot. Go and stand there. Tell them "potty time." Wait quietly but do not walk around. They have the freedom of the 6-foot leash that you have put them on. Once they have pottied you can reward them by letting them off the leash for a few minutes before going back inside.
Utilizing a leash also allows you to teach your dog that there is one area where they are allowed to go. If you always take them to the same spot near the fence or under a big tree, this will quickly smell like potty spot to them and they will be drawn to this area for the purpose of elimination. This is helpful in that your whole yard won't be a potential bathroom which makes it easier for you to keep clean and a more pleasant place for you to spend time.
STUBBORN DOGS - 5 & 1 GAME
Some dogs just don't seem to want to go when you tell them. If you know that she needs to go because she just ate, but Fifi is standing there looking at you and refusing to budge, use the leash. You can do this even for inside potty spots. Put Fifi on her leash. Take her to the potty spot and tell her your command to go. Wait quietly for 5 minutes. If she does not go, take her inside (or back to another room). If you are attempting outside potty, simply stand inside right at the door that you use to get to her outside potty spot. Wait for one minute - 60 seconds - and then bring her back outside. Repeat this until she potties for you.5 mintues at her potty spot, 1 minute inside. KEEP HER ON THE LEASH THE ENTIRE TIME, EVEN FOR THE 1 MINUTE INSIDE PART. By keeping her at the door and on the leash, you are able to watch her. If she starts to get into a potty pose while you're inside, you can quickly move her out to the potty spot (even if it's less than 60 seconds). If she is not on a leash, then she is free to go in another room and poop behind the sofa.
The 5 & 1 game works with inside potty spots as well. Simply take her out of the potty area and to another room, preferably one with hard floors just in case she does start to mess during that 60 second wait. You repeat the 5 minutes at the potty spot and 1 minute away until you have success. This game works best when you know Fifi must have to potty because it's first thing in the morning, or long enough after her meal, etc.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE IS AN ACCIDENT
If you catch her in the act: If you catch Fifi mid-pose and actively going, you can correct her. One firm, loud (but not screaming) "No!" followed by a very sweet invitation to go potty. Scoop her up and carry her if necessary. Most dogs will reflexively stop pottying if they are picked up. Once you get her to the spot, tell her sweetly to go potty. Wait for her to finish and make a big fuss over her for going in the right spot. If you are not using treats and you find you are having a lot of accidents, but she finishes when you take her to her designated spot, you may want to use treats. The firmer the verbal scold at the wrong spot and the bigger the praise/treat at the right spot, the clearer the lesson is as to where she should be going.
Some people suggest using an empty soda can with some rocks or coins inside that you can shake to startle your dog. This could work, but requires that you have them on you at all times, but stashed in such a way that they never make any noise at all until you shake the can. The scold must happen immediately upon seeing the mistake in action. Personally I find the first verbal "No!" is usually sufficient. If it is not, add a single sharp clap of your hands. Not the soft, happy claps that occur during play time, but a single, loud, sharp report along with the "No!" works very well.
If you find a mess after the fact: If you find evidence of a potty in the wrong spot, it does not matter if it's old, dried and crusty or if it's fresh and Fifi is still checking it out. All you can do is tell yourself that you will be more vigilant in the future and clean it up. You cannot scold Fifi for this. Let me repeat that. YOU CANNOT SCOLD FIFI FOR A MESS YOU FOUND AFTER THE FACT. If you rub her nose in the mess and scold her she will not learn not to potty in that spot. She will learn that her human has a really odd obsession with her potty.
If you come home and yell at her when you find a mess, she will look sheepish. She will lower her head, put her tail between her legs and take on what humans interpret as a "guilty" look. Do not mistake this for understanding. She is simply presenting submissive body language that is used among dogs to lessen an attack. She understands that you are angry. She may even begin to associate that her human is often angry when it gets home from being gone. But Fifi will not make the connection that her human is angry over a potty that Fifi did moments ago or possibly hours ago.
MAKING MESSES OUT OF SPITE
Many people believe that their fully trained dog potties in the wrong spot out of spite. This is not true. Dogs do not have a concenpt of spite. They do not do things with the specific intent of making their owners mad. Probably 98% of the time the reason for these messes is that the dog is not in fact fully potty trained. There is no such thing as "85% potty trained." People will often say that their dog is potty trained except for the ocassional accident that happens perhaps once or twice per week. That is not potty trained. A potty trained dog is one that does not have accidents in the house. This dog will alert her owners of her need to go if she does not have ready access to the her potty spot. If the owner does not give her access in a timely fashion, and Fifi simply cannot hold it any longer, she may potty as close to her potty spot as possible (this is typically at the door that leads to her potty spot). This is different than having an accident. In this case, Fifi did alert, but was not given access in time.
I said 98% of the time it is simply not a fully trained dog. What about the other 2% of the time? Some dogs will act out if they are feeling stressed. If there are major changes to the routine or household, some dogs will regress a bit in this training. If you move to a new home, remodel, get a second dog, lose a dog, have a baby, someone moves in or out, or someone dies, you may see a temporary regression of potty training behavior. It is usually temporary and only requires a minimal amount of retraining. If the dog is stressed, she may "act out." This is not a spiteful behavior. It is more akin to a cry for help. She is telling you in the only way she knows how that something is wrong and she is not comfortable or happy. In this situation your best option is to return to more vigilant schedules with loads of praise for going in the right spot. This will help to re-establish a routine for your dog and reassure her that all is well.
MISTAKES AS AN INDICATOR OF HEALTH ISSUES
If you have an older dog that is fully potty trained and has been for years, that suddenly begins having accidents and nothing in the household has changed, it is time for vet visit. In fact, any time you see a dramatic change in behavior that you cannot immediately explain by a change in household routine, you should take Fifi in for a checkup. Minor illnesses such as a cold or urinary tract infection to major issues such as bladder or bowel cancer can affect your dog's potty habits. If she has suddenly begun having accidents "for no apparent reason" it is best to get her checked out to be sure it is not being caused by an illness.
In the next section I will discuss products and tools that will help with potty training.
Posted by The Good Dog Blog at 5/16/2009 11:35 AM 
Categories: Potty Training
Tags: house breaking Potty training
Categories: Potty Training
Tags: house breaking Potty training
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