Guide to Dog Potty Training

It goes without saying that if you don't potty train your dog, your house will become your dog's bathroom - yikes. Of course, you don' t expect your dog to sit on a potty like a kid, rather dog potty training means getting your dog accustomed to curb itself in a specified area around your house. Ideally for dog potty training, this area should be an out of the way place like a backyard corner where you can allow some odor. Dog potty training will require utmost patience since dogs are far less conscious than humans in learning this skill.

As a general rule, a dog is hard to be fully potty trained until it gets six months old. However, with greater care and patient overseeing during your dog potty training you might make your dog a special case.

Methods of Dog Potty Training

There are two main types of potty training a dog: passive or newspaper training and active or crate training.

Dog Potty Training Method: Newspaper training - requires a separate room or chamber for the dog. Line the whole floor with newspaper and put the dog' s paraphernalia (food, toys etc.) inside. As the dog spends its time there, he defecates on the newspaper. Once the habit is established, start confining the newspaper to a smaller territory within the room. The dog is likely to use that portion for nature' s call. By just changing the newspaper, you make sure your house will be clean of the dog' s waste. This method of dog potty training requires less time and is ideal for working people or even those who are too busy at home to watch the dog for its bathroom need. Remember to keep the bathroom corner clean and use a deodorant.

Dog Potty Training Method: Crate method of dog potty training - requires a lot of time and much patience. You are going to accustom your dog to control its bowel movements, i.e. hold the waste until you curb the dog outside. Start as early as possible, a young puppy is ready to follow this (but do not expect perfection). Buy a puppy crate and put your pet in it (for older dogs, a dog cage is used). The crate is large enough to let the puppy sleep or sit comfortably but not so large to allow the pet to eliminate in a corner. After every forty minutes or so, take the puppy outside to the marked corner and let it defecate. After the pet goes potty, pet it for reward. Repeat the process until the pet learns to control his urge and shows uneasiness when in need of going outside to be curbed. Remember that during your dog potty training sessions not to punish your dog.

(c)  Tyler's Ideas 2006