How To Toilet Train Your Dog
Toilet training your dog isn’t hard but it does take time and patience. Your dog will need you to be very alert and to watch for the signs that he gives when he needs to go outside. Whether you have a young puppy or an older dog that hasn’t been toilet trained, your dog will need you to teach him what he needs to learn.
When you first get a new puppy or dog you should ask if they have any any kind of previous toilet training. Some puppies or dogs may have been paper trained or even taught to use a litter box. If that’s the case you can start by using papers or a litter box indoors and gradually move them outside.
Most puppies probably won’t have have any toilet training when they come to live with you. You’ll be starting with the basics. You can count on your puppy having some accidents. This is a normal part of house training and something that your puppy can’t help. He doesn’t understand what you want him to do yet.
You can help your puppy learn what you want by making it easy for him. That means taking him outside frequently and giving him lots of praise when he uses the bathroom outdoors. Give him every opportunity to do the right thing. When you take him out, stay outside with him and give him lots of time. Don’t rush him. Some puppies may play first or take a long time to choose just the right spot. If you become annoyed you will only make him anxious and he probably won’t use the bathroom at all. So, take a cup of coffee with you or a cola and give him lots of time.
You should plan on taking your puppy outdoors at the following times:
- When he first wakes up in the morning
- As soon as he eats and drinks
- After he plays
- After he wakes up from a nap
- Before bed time
It’s also a good idea to feed your puppy at least two to three hours before bed time so he has time to relieve himself before he goes to sleep. You should also put his water up before he goes out for the last time at night. This will help him make fewer trips outside at night. If your puppy is very young he may need to go out during the night at least once.
While you are toilet training your puppy you will have to keep a careful eye on him in the house. Some people recommend restricting your puppy to just one or two rooms so it’s easier to watch him until he is house trained. (This also makes it easier to keep a puppy from chewing on things.) You should observe your puppy for signs that he needs to go out: sniffing the floor, looking for a private spot, going back to places where he’s had an accident before, wandering by the door to go out. If your puppy does any of these things you should take him outside quickly. Praise him and reward him for giving you the signals that he needs to go out. He’s catching on.
It may take several weeks or a couple of months before your puppy is fully toilet trained. Some breeds are easier to toilet train than others. If you are house training an adult dog you can follow this same process. Adult dogs usually catch on very quickly and can be toilet trained in just a few days or weeks.
