Owning a dog and training them to control
their bowels requires a great deal of patience and can
become a rather arduous task. The problem is that dogs by
nature answer the call of nature whenever they feel the need
and don’t really care when and where. All they understand is
their immediate concerns and they just have to go. Potty
training your dog is aimed to correct and guide your new
companion on where and when he should use the toilet. Like
all forms of obedience training his basic toilet instincts
need to be changed to conform to your domestic needs by the
gentle use of conditioning.
Fundamentally, there are four key elements that can help you
in potty training your dog. Sometimes the best way to toilet
train dogs is to confine them using either crates or cages
for this purpose. Make sure that the crate or cage is big
enough for your dog allowing him enough room to turn around
and lie down. The main purpose of doing this is to
discipline his bowel movements using another basic instinct
to help you. Dogs usually don’t want to mess their den so
they will normally tend to find a way out of their crate to
either urinate or eliminate their bowels.
It is not intended that you should imprison your pet as this
would be cruel but to place them in confinement after a meal
and they will soon give some sort of signal that they need
out. Remember, you are only taking advantage of a dog’s
basic need to keep his personal accommodation clean. By
doing this repeatedly every time your dog needs to potty
will create a regular toilet pattern which your dog will
follow even when he is no longer confined no his crate or
cage.
Using a leash is an important aid in training a dog to
potty. The leash will keep the dog from running away and is
a perfect tool for controlling your dog and directing him to
the place where you want him to potty. It is very important
that you train your dog to understand certain commands such
as "go potty" so that he will associate these words with his
toilet needs. In order for your commands to be understood
and remembered by your dog it is very important that you use
the same words over and over again. Similarly, never forget
to direct your dog to the place where he is suppose to potty
every time you give the potty command. Lastly, don’t forget
to reward or praise your dog for every correct response that
he makes. A happy dog is better and easier to train.
In potty training your dog, it is very important that you
search for the proper timing when to finally give your dog
the freedom to potty on his own. There are dogs that are
quick to potty train while there are some that requires more
time. Either way you need to exercise a lot of patience and
you also need to be extra observant to see how well your dog
is coping with the training.
It may well be a good idea to provide a baby gate for your
dog to limit its area of freedom. A leash is also essential
especially for dogs who love to chew things, dig on the
ground and toilet anywhere indiscriminately. Dogs give
certain indications when they need to potty. All you need to
do is to be extra conscious of these signs. Some of the
potty displaying signs made by dogs can be easily detected
when suddenly they become uninterested in play, or become
restless and run out of the room, and of course, there’s the
I-want-the-toilet look. Ultimately, you will become very
familiar with all these potty warning signs and eventually
this will make the whole potty thing easier for you and for
your dog.
