Essential Tips for Dog Toilet Training

Dog toilet training is best done while your pet is still a puppy because if you wait until he is older, he would already have learned some bad habits that are very difficult to break. This part of puppy training basically involves teaching your dog WHERE he is supposed to urinate or defecate. Here are some basic tips to get you started on dog toilet training.

Designate An Acceptable Area

Dog toilet training requires you to designate a permanent elimination area and take note of specific times when you should take your puppy to this area. These times are right after he wakes up (even after a short nap), after eating his meals and snacks, right after you take him out of his crate, before his bedtime, and every time he whimpers at night. When you bring him to the designated area, be sure to stay with him until he is done eliminating. Offer praises as soon as he is done.

Use Positive Reinforcement For Best Results

If your puppy urinates or defecates where he shouldn't, don't punish him with either harsh words or physical violence. Dog toilet training requires patience and positive reinforcement. Instead, clean the area immediately and make sure you don't leave traces even of your dog's odour. As long as he can smell his odour there, he will think it is okay to "let go" in that area. After cleaning up the mess, make a point of ignoring your dog for a few hours. Give him back your attention and approval only when he exhibits positive behaviour.

How To Communicate Effectively

Bear in mind that a puppy does not speak your language. Teach him the way you would teach a child. Remember that what may seem very simple instructions to you can be quite confusing for him. Consistency and patience are the essential factors of effective dog toilet training. If you tell him to "go potty" once and then say "go poo-poo" another time, the puppy may not understand that you mean exactly the same thing. So be sure to always use the same words for each command and ask all members of the household to do the same.

Whenever you're in the house, it is a good idea to keep your puppy close to you at all times so that you are sure to notice the signs that he is ready to go potty. Bring him to the elimination area as soon as you see him sniffing or circling around. As mentioned above, you have to practice patience because dog toilet training isn't much fun at all. Just take comfort in the fact that it doesn't have to go on forever and that the end result is having a well-behaved and happy animal companion.

The age at which a puppy can control elimination varies from one dog to the next, but it is generally advisable to begin dog toilet training when the puppy is about eight weeks old. You can expect house training accidents to happen during the first two months of training, but if you are conducting the training properly, these accidents will soon cease to happen.

Dog Training Tips - Dog & Puppy Toilet Training

 Potty training your dog 

Toilet training, or as it is sometimes referred to, potty training a dog or a puppy is generally thought of as being a difficult, onerous task. It is common for new dog owners to resign themselves to the fact that their puppy will toilet inside on a regular basis until it is old enough to know better.

A few simple considerations when toilet training 

In fact this does not need to be the case. Dog potty training is actually very simple. There are two major considerations to consider for dog toilet training to be successful. They are:

1. Eliminate opportunities for the puppy or dog to toilet inside.
2. Praise the puppy or dog on every occasion that it toilets outside.

Inside or Outside? 

If the puppy is allowed inside - contain it by using a dog containment pen, in an area where it can be observed. There are numerous dog pens available at pet stores or on the internet. If possible contain the puppy next to an open door so that he has the option to take himself outside to toilet. If given the choice between indoor and outdoors, a dog will naturally toilet outdoors. By containing the puppy in this manner, the opportunities for it to toilet at will inside the house are all but eradicated. Every time the pup wakes up ensure that it goes outside (you will have to take it outside if it is not contained next to an open door).

Establishing a routine when toilet training

When you do take the pup outside it is important to take it to the exact same spot in the garden to toilet. This will encourage the puppy to potty at that location due to the fact that there will be scent left from previous toileting. The pup will soon associate this area with toileting.

Give the puppy a command such as 'toilet' or 'be quick' every time you take it to that area. Continue to repeat the command when the pup is in the area and especially when the pup is in the actual process of toileting. This will assist the pup to associate the command with the action of toileting. In a short amount of time with this routine the puppy should be able to toilet on command, at that location.

 Praise your puppy

The most important part of the puppy toilet training process is to ensure that the pup is praised, every time that it toilets in the desired area. This is essential. This positive reinforcement will speed up the puppy toilet training process immensely. Always take your pup to that exact spot, always use the same command and always praise the pup when it is toileting there.  

Housebreaking your puppy

If the pup ever does toilets inside, do not discipline it and certainly do not ever rub its nose in the mess. Many people think that rubbing the puppy's nose in the mess will stop it from toileting inside. Nothing could be further from the truth.   

Simply take the pup outside to the same spot, and issue the command to toilet. If he toilets there, again lavish him with praise. Whether or not he does toilet there is not important - the important fact is that you have reinforced to the puppy where it should toilet.   

If you yell at the pup, hit him or rub his nose in the mess, you will only compound the problem. This will not stop the pup from toileting inside; it will only complicate things by making the puppy toilet inside where you can't see him!   

Keep it consistent

Simply put; eradicate the pups opportunities to potty inside, take him to the same spot outside, repeat the command and concentrate on the positive, which is a lot of praise when he toilets there.

In no time at all the puppy will happily take himself to that spot because you have provided a lot of positive reinforcement and made the whole ordeal very simple for both of you. 

Shih Tzu, unfortunately - Toilet Training1

You know, newspaper planned to go pee ...