Effective Ways to “Potty Train” Your Dog

Many people love having a dog as a pet. Many people view dogs as a companion who is also a member of their family. Like young members of a family, dogs do not know where the proper place to “do their business.” This article discusses some effective ways in which someone can train their dog to understand that going to the bathroom in the house is not okay.

When someone first gets a puppy, they must do a good job of constantly watching their dog. If the puppy begins acting suspicious, they may need to go to the bathroom. Bring them to the yard and have them go to the bathroom early on into their puppy life. This will implant into the puppy’s brain that the yard is where they need to “do their business.”

Another effective way to train your dog is to ease them into new rooms. Blocking off certain rooms in your house early in the dog’s life is a productive way to ease them into proper bathroom training. Many dogs that poop or pee in a house do it in rooms that they are newer to. Get the dog used to a few rooms at a time. Make them spend time at a certain part of the house and once they feel comfortable with that room, block that room off and get the dog acquainted with a different part of the house. Dogs tend to stay in one part of the house for a large majority of the day. Getting the dog very comfortable with every room in the house at a gradual pace will help the dog to stay away from going to the bathroom in the house.

Rewarding your dog is an example of how positive reinforcement works. After your dog goes to the bathroom successfully in the yard, reward them with a treat. Once you find a treat that your dog enjoys, begin not rewarding the dog with the treat until they successfully make it back into the house. This will help to train your dog to come back to the house after going to the bathroom so they do not roam around for too long.

If you find that your dog has done their business inside the house, there are ways to effectively scold your dog to let them know that this is not okay. Taking your dog to the sight of the accident and pressing their nose close to their waste and giving them a light smack of the head will let the dog know that what they did was bad. This does not mean to physically harm your dog. Just give them a hard enough hit to let them know that you are not just giving them a pat on the back. Using a spray bottle is another effective way to let your dog know that going to the bathroom in the house is not something that is good to make a habit of.

Training a dog may seem like a process that is never going to end. The key is to have plenty of patience when dealing with dogs. Do not get lazy when training your dog. Sticking with these procedures day in and day out will pay off in the long run. Over some time you will have a dog who will come to you and let you know when they have to go to the bathroom, then go to the bathroom in the yard and come back to the house to be treated with a delicious dog treat. After your dog is trained to go to the bathroom, they will have learned obedience and teaching them other fun tricks will be very easy!