For anyone who has a puppy or new dog in their home, house training is typically a number one priority. Most of the time, this means teaching a dog to pee and poop outside and not inside, but you can also incorporate wee wee pads if you want to train your dog to go to the bathroom inside. This can come in handy if you work long hours outside of the home, and can be done painlessly with some smart management tools and a bit of thoughtful attention. Follow these instructions in order to house train your dog:
(1) Determine your chosen "go spot"
Set-up the wee-wee pad in the chosen spot.
(2) Visit the spot often
Practice bringing your dog to the wee-wee pad.
- Determine your chosen “go” spot in your home
- Set-up the Wee-Wee pad in that spot
- Practice bringing your dog to the Wee-Wee pad
- Reward her whenever she uses the “go” spot!
(3) Reward generously!
When your dog goes in the right spot, reward them with an extra special reward. Make sure to give it to them after they go, not while they’re going — you don’t want to distract them!
(4) Minimize opportunities for mistakes
This is important: Present lots of opportunities for your dog to go to the bathroom in the places you want them to go, and do not provide them with opportunities to go in places where they shouldn’t. So rather than let your dog have the chance to learn how nice it is to go inside, use any of these management techniques to make sure all eliminating happens in the right spots:
- Tethering: If your dog is tethered to you using a leash while indoors, they won’t have a chance to wander off to another room to pee when you’re not looking. This also is a good opportunity to read the signs that they have to go.
- Crating: Most dogs don’t like to relieve themselves in the spot where they hang out (This is one reason why a crate shouldn’t be much larger than your dog). The Frisco fold and carry is a great crate option.
- Carrying: If you have a dog that is small enough to carry, you can control where they are spending their time — and make sure they’re not going in the wrong spots — by simply keeping them under your arm, on your lap, or in a comfortable bag.
- Penning: Keeping your dog in a fixed space is a good way to control where they go. The key is to pen off a spot that is small and that, whenever possible, includes you, so that you can be there to spot when it’s time for an outing.
The moment you allow your dog any freedom from crating (or holding or penning or tethering), it’s important to bring them to the appropriate “go” spot right away. And, if you have a puppy and you’re bringing them outside via stairs or an elevator, carry them outside so they don’t make a mistake on the way out.
(5) Learn to spot the signs a pee is about to happen
Most dogs have a series of things they do before peeing or pooping; by learning to notice these behaviors, you can up your chances of getting your dog to the “go” spot at the perfect moment. Some dog’s signs are more obvious than others, but here are a few telltale signs:
- They spin a few times before going
- They will sniff more than normal before going
(6) Track your progress
Keep a simple log of when your dog eats and when they go to the bathroom. This will help you figure out when to take your dog out.
(7) If they (inevitably) make a mistake, refrain from scolding
If your dog starts to go in the wrong place, stick out your hand, palm up, and bang yourself in the forehead! Why? Because it’s ill-advised to do anything that might cause your dog to be fearful and there is no way to be sure that your dog is making the right association. For instance, they may think going in front of you is the wrong thing to do, or that a specific room should be avoided. The point is, scolding is likely to do more harm than good.
(8) Erase mistakes to avoid repeated mistakes
If there is a place where your dog repeatedly makes mistakes, your first plan of attack should be removing access to that spot without supervision. You can also remove the culprit (like lifting up a rug) or block an area that tempts problems. You should also make sure to do the best job you can at getting rid of any reminder that it was ever a good place to go. An enzymatic cleaner should be part of your cleanup routine. At Petcademy, our preferred one is Anti-Icky-Poo.
(9) Think about what your dog is eating
What goes in affects what comes out! If you’re having a hard time house training a dog, consider changing up your dog’s diet — especially if your dog is eating dried food or canned food. A diet with fewer processed ingredients will usually be better absorbed by your dog’s body and will result in less output waste. (Read the full guide on what to feed your dog).