Some people decide not to adopt or get a senior dog for fear that these dogs lack proper potty training. These concerns may have some grounds as shelter dogs are not always lucky to have enough walks. But still, even an older dog can be potty trained successfully.
To understand how to potty train your dog correctly you should learn why your dog eliminates inside the house. When you know the reason you will be able to develop the best plan of action.
Why do dogs soil the house?
There are numerous reasons that a dog might soil the house with urine and/or stools.
1) Probably your pet is still too young. If you have a dog who is under a year old, it is probably just not enough for them to go for a walk twice a day.
2) If we are talking about an adult dog, the reason may lie in health problems (for example, cystitis).
3) Sometimes the dog simply doesn’t understand that they should go potty outside the house.
4) Your pet doesn’t have proper walking and feeding schedules. If you always feed your dog at the same time, they will soon develop the habit of doing their toilet “stuff” at a certain time. It would be very hard for you to potty train your dog without having walking and feeding schedules.
5) As a rule, dogs are very particular about the places where they relieve themselves. But if, from an early age, the puppy is kept in a very tight crate that cannot be divided into recreation, food, game and toilet areas, he may start soiling himself. In this case, when he grows old he feels comfortable soiling the house.
6) The dog may urinate out of fear and does so only during a thunderstorm, fireworks, punishment which is too harsh or any particular situation that they find impossible to tolerate.
7) If the dog pisses when you come home, it is a sign of excessive submission.
8) Peeing inside the house may be a manifestation of marking behavior when the dog marks some objects as their property.
How to potty train an adopted older dog quickly?
1) If you have a puppy under 1 year of age, potty training is not that hard. Don’t get upset when you see sudden puddles inside the house. In the morning, it is better to go for a walk faster, before your pet does their “stuff” and in general, try to walk for longer and more often.
2) If we are talking about potty training an adult dog, first of all go to the vet to exclude health problems (for example, cystitis). There is a chance that after medical treatment the potty issues will be gone.
3) If the dog hasn’t been previously potty trained, you should be patient enough. Remember how long your dog can stand before having an “accident” and walk with your dog as often as possible (ideally, walk your dog shortly before you expect that they want to go to the toilet).
If you think that the pet is about to go to the toilet at home (for example, they are spinning or sniffing), give them a command to lay down, get dressed as quickly as possible and run outside. Don’t punish the dog for “accidents” but always praise them for relieving themselves outside. Never give up — dogs can learn at any age and even the dog who has lived their entire life on the streets before you adopted them can be potty trained.
If you see that you can’t handle potty training yourself, address a canine specialist for help.
4) Develop walking and feeding schedules and always stick to them.
5) If your dog pees out of fear, work with this state. As soon as you help your dog to cope with panic, the potty problem will go away.
6) If the dog urinates when you come home, try to improve contact with your pet. Treat them gently, and when you enter your home, do not bend over the dog, only say “hello” and do not pay attention to the dog until the excessive excitement passes. Try not to encourage your dog’s overexcitement.
7) Carefully wash the places where your dog’s potty “accidents” took place. You can use a weak vinegar solution for this purpose. Make sure that there is no smell left.
If your dog’s potty training is not as quick as you expected, don’t give up. Dogs can learn at any age and even the dog who has lived their entire life on the streets before you adopted them can be potty trained.
