How to Potty train a dog
Knowing how to potty train a dog is one of the most important skills for a new dog owner. Even if you have had dogs before, it is useful to get a few extra tips. And if you have just picked up your first dog or puppy, you will want to know that you are going to be able to house train your new pet quickly and easily to save mess in the house.When it comes to the question of how to potty train a dog, there is not very much difference between an adult dog and a puppy except that puppies are easier to teach. Most adult dogs have been house trained but they often have accidents when they first arrive in a new home because of excitement or stress. You can use the same techniques that you would use for a puppy.
The first thing to do is to decide on how you will reward the dog or puppy whenever she does something right. To avoid confusing the dog, it is best if this will be a reward that you can use right through all of her training.
Think twice before using food as a reward, especially with potty training. You will have most success if the dog is fed on a strict schedule. Giving snacks at other times is just going to make it harder to predict when she will need to go potty. It is usually better to reward her with approving words, petting and play.
When you have your rewards planned, you need to start figuring out when the dog is likely to need to poop or pee. The most common times are right after waking up, after eating, during or after exercise or play and when the dog is excited or stressed.
With many dogs, if you watch carefully you will notice that they do certain things right when they are about to make a mess. They might head for the same place or they might circle around, sniffing the floor.
So any time when you think the dog is likely to need it, you can take her outside. Do not just let her run free but keep her on a leash and take her to the corner that you want her to use for her bathroom. This might be a place she has picked out herself in the past. Wait there with her.
If nothing happens, take her right back to the house. Don’t reward her by letting her play in the yard if she has not done what you wanted.
If she does go ahead and use her bathroom, reward her with praise, patting and maybe some play right after. Don’t wait until you are back in the house for the reward – it must be immediate if she is to understand that it relates to her potty behavior.
There is one more thing to remember when you are figuring out how to potty train a dog. That is never to punish the dog for having accidents in the house. A puppy, an old dog or a sick dog does not have much control over these things and you will just end up with a fearful dog.
If she thinks she will be punished for messing in the house, she will not stop, she will just try to hide it from you. This makes it harder to train her because she will not let you see when she needs the bathroom, and you end up with mess in hidden places that may be much more difficult to clean up. Instead, focus on rewarding the right behavior. That is how to potty train a dog easily.
