Having a toilet trained dog makes your life easier and far more pleasant. Here are some useful toilet training tips.
Be patient, it won’t happen overnight
In most cases, toilet training is something that will take time - so try to be as patient and as relaxed as possible. Your hard work will pay off, but if you expect toilet training to happen quickly, then you’re going to be both disappointed and stressed. Also, every dog is different, so don’t compare your dog’s efforts to another dog’s.
If you are toilet training a puppy, also remember that they don’t have full control over their bodies until they’re older, so accidents are more likely to occur.
Be positive
As well as being patient, you need to be positive. By positively encouraging and reinforcing your dog’s correct behaviour (doing their business outside), you are sending the message that toileting is a positive activity that they will get praised for.
If you punish and scold, toilet training will take longer
If you smack, scold or rub your dog’s nose in their business, you’re telling them that going to the toilet is something they’ll be punished for. This is distressing for your dog, and also makes toilet training ten times harder and longer. If your dog makes a mess in the house, simply clean it up without making a fuss.
When cleaning, don’t use an ammonia-based product (the ammonia smells like urine, which will make them want to re-mark that area).
One way to positively toilet train your dog
· Give her the opportunity to go
Give your dog the opportunity to go to the toilet on her own. You can do this by taking her outside at ‘high-go’ times, like first thing in the morning, shortly after meals etc.
· Be outside with her, and reward her immediately
Every time she does her business outside, reward her immediately by giving her lavish praise, a food treat or her favourite toy. By giving her a treat immediately after toileting, you are telling her that she’s done a good thing, and she’ll want to continue doing that good thing in order to get the rewards. Once your dog is fully toilet trained you can wean her off the treats.
How to speed up toilet training
The best way to speed up toilet training is to be around your dog as much as possible in order to offer positive reinforcement, and also, to read the signs for when she needs to ‘go’. The more consistent opportunities you give your dog, the quicker she’ll learn. Your dog will have her own individual signs for needing to go to the toilet, but the most common ones are:
· Sniffing an area
· Changes in her walk
· Changes in her tail position
· Stopping on a spot and circling
Your patience will pay off
Toilet training can be a very stressful and unpleasant process, but by investing some time and patience upfront, you’ll have a lovely, house trained dog forever.