Potty training dogs is very similar to potty training a child. It is completely normal for a puppy to have trouble holding it for the first few months. It is mainly up to the owner to train their pet as to where they are allowed to relieve themselves.

No matter how old your dog is, the way to teach him to be clean is the same! If you can't supervise him, you must restrict his space, take him out as often as possible and clean all traces of odors with water and vinegar. You must prevent, make sure that your companion understands that he can only do his business in the agreed place. Of course, it can happen in some rather rare cases that your dog's uncleanliness is medical or behavioral. Indeed, he could suffer from separation anxiety or a urinary infection. Only a veterinarian or a canine expert will be able to help you in this case to define the problem.

The cage

A crate can be defined a bit like an "umbilical cord" helping to manage the cleanliness of your baby or adult dog. It goes without saying that if you are at home but cannot supervise him, it will be better to put him in a crate or in a restricted area. You can also attach his leash around your waist to restrict his range of action. This way, you will not be able to lose sight of him and you will more easily notice the warning signs. The crate is not mandatory to teach your dog to be clean, but it is very useful and will help in the process. It must become for your dog his home, his den, a place where he feels good. It should never be a place of punishment.

The ideal size of the cage

An animal will not soil the place where it rests, so it is important that its home contains only the appropriate space to accommodate it. No more. It must be able to lie down comfortably, get up and change position. If you want it to learn to hold itself quickly, it must not have a corner in its cage where it could do its business and then go back to lie down. Start by offering it a more restricted place, and the more it learns to hold itself, the more you can enlarge its space.

Monitor your puppy

A puppy urinates about every 30 minutes at around two months of age and every hour from four months of age. Do not punish the dog for urinating or defecating in the house, as this will make him anxious and he will defecate in a corner where he can eat his feces to make them disappear. If you show anger towards him, your dog may associate your approach with something negative. If you catch him in the act, take him to the place where you want him to defecate, ideally always the same one, as he will smell its scent and this will help him learn.

It is a good idea to take your beloved pooch out very often, for short periods of time. Yes, it will take a lot of time and energy, but he will learn more quickly this way!

It is therefore important to take it out frequently:

Of course, if he does his business, REWARD HIM! As long as he hasn't been clean for a certain period of time.

If it helps prevent unwanted urges, remember that before your puppy pees or poops, he will probably exhibit one or more behaviors. Every dog ​​is different, so they won't all do the same thing!

Observe it carefully and rely on these few common signs:

Cleaning is important!

It's important not to just mop the area your dog has soiled, because he'll come back to it because of the smell. Often, people use bleach, Windex, or similar products, but most of these products contain ammonia or have a basic pH, which encourage your dog to come back to the same spot by reinforcing the natural smell of his poop! Just go with a mixture of water and vinegar! This is the most effective according to experts.

Behavioral causes

Anxiety: Urinating helps him release some of his stress. There is no point in punishing him, as his problems may get worse! If necessary, consult a dog trainer or a dog behavior expert. They will be able to help you and assess your needs.

Health problem

Could the reason be medical? Here is a short list of ailments that could affect your dog:

If you think this may apply to your pet, contact your veterinarian immediately.

No matter what you do, never take away your puppy's water. He must have access to drinking water at all times. Instead of taking it away, try to reduce the amount he ingests. For example, put a few ice cubes in his bowl. He will still have access to water, but it will melt very slowly. In a cage, you can use a bottle like for rabbits. It hangs easily, flows slowly and avoids messes. Your puppies are small and their metabolism is very fast while they are growing. This also means that the liquid ingested is very quickly absorbed and then eliminated. If you do not offer water to your puppy at all times, he is very likely to become dehydrated.

In summary

Remember this: you were only potty trained when you were about two or three years old, and your parents put a lot of effort into it! So it's normal for your dog to take a while to get the hang of it!

THE TRAINING MAT

As with many topics, the pee pad is neither black nor white. The use that we make of it can present advantages, but also disadvantages, and this, in addition to being very often the victim of various myths.

The advantages

The dog can relieve itself when it needs to!

Dogs are often left alone for several hours because their owners are away for work or something. This requires them to hold it for 6 to sometimes even 10 hours! Compared to the average human, they go to the bathroom several times a day and the rare times they have to hold it can reach levels of near torture! So, by providing your dog with a training mat, you are at least giving them the chance to relieve themselves a few times while you wait to get home!

Yes, many dogs are able to hold it for long hours without making a mess in the house, but we can easily imagine the discomfort that this can cause them on a daily basis. And let's not forget that a puppy's sphincter is not yet mature enough to hold urine for more than an hour or two. Disposable mats of this type actually become a fairly practical tool for a few hours, because we are at home or because we cannot get up at night to take our dog out to do its business.

It is practical for reactive, fearful, timid dogs.

You may have a reactive, fearful or timid dog who will ask to go outside more often, which, let's be honest, requires a lot of involvement, even a lot. You have to be on the lookout and ready to intervene quickly EVERY TIME he encounters a trigger, and we don't always know what that trigger might be, which becomes a real management of every moment.

For some extreme cases, using the pee pad ensures that each outing is dedicated to rehabilitation work and that the dog's pace is respected.

The disadvantages

It is not environmentally friendly and is expensive.

Indeed, daily potty mats can represent a lot of waste and costs. It is certain that there are eco-friendly, cheaper alternatives, a bit like baby diapers. They are made of fabric and are machine washable. In fact, you can even make your own if you are at all handy with a sewing machine. There are also synthetic grass squares that can be washed with a water jet.

Pee everywhere

Often times, the dog you are trying to train on the carpet will start to poop all over the other carpets, towels, or any other fabric on the floor. Sorry to break it to you, but it can be hard for a dog to tell the difference between the carpet in your home and the carpet he is supposed to be using for his business. And when you bring your dog to visit, it can quickly become uncomfortable if he starts urinating on your host's doormat.

The simplest solution would be to give your dog a way to differentiate between a training pad and a house pad: place the pad in a plastic cat litter box or tray with the edges visible. This will help your dog learn to differentiate between the "box" and the pad.

The myths

As with everything else, pee pads are no exception! There are some myths surrounding them that we are going to clear up today.