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Heres a post i wrote on my forum...should help you out...
Potty training is one of the most important things a dog should know for a dog an owner to live happily together. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always go so well. The reason you see many dogs at pounds and shelters is because of behavioral problems such as not being able to pick up potty training as fast as the owner wants it too. Truth of the matter is it could take as much as 6 months for a young pup to understand and be fully proofed. Many owners just don’t have the patience to put up with it when it’s really the owners fault for not using proper techniques to train the dog.
Crates are an excellent way to keep a puppy safe and secure while it can’t be watched. When the puppy can’t be watched 100%, he goes in the cage. Now you will hear people tell you that cages are cruel but really there not. As a matter of fact, it could save your dogs life. If someone has told you cages are cruel, they are thinking too much like a human. Dogs are naturally den animals and feel safer in their cage more then any other place. Now your dog will whine, scream, bark, scratch etc… this doesn’t mean he doesn’t like his cage, it means he would rather be with you. Cages are also great because dogs won’t go to the bathroom in it because it would be polluting their den. If your dog has that problem, then the crate size should be made smaller, only big enough for him to move around in. That being said, we can begin Potty Training your dog….
1. Set up a strict eating and drinking schedule for your dog. Free feeding can really mess up potty training. The reason for putting your dog on a strict plan is because it gives the owner a sense of control. If you know your dog has to go to the bathroom lets say 30 minutes after he eats, you have the advantage and can avoid mistakes.
2. A dog must always be corrected when he’s done something you do not approve of. That being said, MANY owners do not properly understand how a correction is made. You can’t say NO to your dog in a tone as if you just stepped out of a tomb. It has to be motivated! If you have found droppings or pee on the floor, DO NOT CORRECTS YOUR DOG! It is actually your fault for not having kept your eye on him. That’s when the crate comes in. But if you catch him in the act, a correction must always be given or else potty training won’t get anywhere.
3. When taking your dog out, always use the same door to exit and leave. If you have 3 or 4 doors and you decide to switch it your convenience that will confuse the dog and will have trouble later on in training trying to signal he has to “go”. When outside, take the dog to a specific area every time you take him out. Teaching your dog to go on command. When you have arrived to the place you want your dog to go on, repeat the phrase you would like to get your dog use to going on that cue. I use “Go Pee” and “Go Potty” very generic and there’s no vulgar words incase I have children around me. Walk up and down the grass repeating the phrase. When your dog does decide to go, keep repeating it very lively while he’s “flowing” and when he finishes, give him MEGA praise. Really fuss him up or it. But I tell you now, DO NOT use treats.
4. Scent. If your dog seems to be going in the same place a lot in the house its due to scent. If hes gone there once and continues to go there it means either him, or another dog has gone there. When he smells this, it gives him the OK to “go”. There’s quite a few house cleaning products on the market like Pine-Sol, Lysol, Mr. Clean etc…those just don’t work. Dogs have extremely sensitive smell and will pick up the scent even after its been washed. There’s a product on the mark called “Natures Miracles” This product is an enzyme cleaner and kills the scent to dogs. Excellent product for cleaning up messy carpet stains by your dog.
If you follow these rules properly, you will have a potty trained dog in as low as 2-3 weeks. If you have a pup under 6 months, it could take much longer due to age and bladder incontrolability.
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02-03-2005, 09:11 PM
