Potty Training Your Dog – 5 Tips

Potty Training Your Dog – 5 Tips

 

One method to consider when

potty training your dog

Potty Training Your Dog - 5 Tips

 

 

 

 

Potty training your dog.  Everyone who has ever owned, or lived with, a dog has an opinion about Potty Training Your Dog – 5 TipsUse treats, don’t use treats, use a crate, don’t use a crate – you get the idea. While no potty training method is steadfast and perfect for every dog, there is one more method you may want to consider. This method is based off of the Monks of New Skeet’s teachings in The Art of Raising a Puppy.

 

  1.  Dog Crates are your house breaking friend

Some people think dog crates training is cruel. Let me rephrase that, some people think keeping animals in cages is cruel, which in many cases it is, but these people extrapolate the idea of a cage to a crate. Crating your dog is very different than caging your dog. A dog crate, while it may look very much like a cage, is your dog’s house. It is his room, his safe place – his place. A dog crate is not a scary place; it is not a place where your dog fears to be. The dog crate is not a place of punishment; it is a place of relaxation and safety. Let me explain.

When we grew up we all had a place that was ours – our room. Maybe we shared the room with a sibling or relative, but that room was were we relaxed. It was were we were most vulnerable – it was where we slept – but we felt safe. Your dog needs that same type of place. Your dog needs a place that lets him know he is safe. Yes, your house is a safe place, but when you first get your dog, he doesn’t know that. The house is big; there are many rooms and doors. Initially your house isn’t safe – there are too many variables. His dog crate on the other hand is simple. No one unexpected is going to be in his dog crate, there is one door, and he can always see it. His dog crate is a place where he can relax.

 

2.  Dog Crates are happy places

Your dog likes his dog crate – don’t ruin that. Many people use dog crates as a place of punishment. Sending a child to their room for punishment is very different than sending a dog to his dog crate for punishment. Your child understands the difference between being sent to his room for misbehaving and going to bed. Your dog doesn’t. If you send your dog to his dog crate for his bad behavior as well as when you have to leave the house, he will always think he is being sent to his dog crate because he was bad. Soon, any time you try and put your dog in his dog crate he may resist. He may run from his dog crate, or fight you when you try and put him in it. You want your dog to voluntarily go into his dog crate. You want him to like spending time in his dog crate.

Potty Training Your Dog - 5 Tips

 

3.  How does any of this have to do with potty training your dog?

 

Crating is an imperative part of potty training. Once you have established your dog’s crate as a happy place, you can keep him in there for extended periods. I know, you have a new dog, you want to play with him, and lock him up. Effective potty training doesn’t work that way though. Keep your dog in his dog crate for two hours. Once those two hours are up, let him out to go to the bathroom. Put a time limit on the amount of time he has. Let’s say 10 minutes. Issue the command for him to go, i.e. ‘Go potty’ and then give him the allotted time to do his stuff.

If he goes, reward him with an hour out of the crate. Let him hang out with you, play with him, give him attention. If he does not go, put him back in the crate for two hours. Don’t tell him he was bad, just put him back in the crate and let him out when the time comes.

 

4.  Won’t your dog pee in his crate?

 

Dogs are like people. They don’t want to soil where they sleep. Your dog will do everything he can to avoid going to the bathroom in his dog crate. If he does go in the dog crate he may have been left in there for too long, or the dog crate may be too big for him. Your dog should be able to hold his bladder for two hours though.

Potty Training Your Dog - 5 Tips

5.  Potty Training Your Dog House  Accidents

 

Dogs are not perfect. You will most likely experience some accidents while potty training. The important thing to remember is to discipline your dog, but don’t put him in his dog crate because he had an accident. Tell him ‘BAD DOG!’, rub his nose in his accident (he doesn’t want his urine on his nose any more than you want it on yours), but don’t send him to his ‘room’. Put him outside, tell him to ‘Go potty!’ and then bring him back inside. After that, watch him, but don’t give him any attention. Make him stay in one place. Don’t let him sit with you, or play with other dogs. He needs to know he has done something bad, but don’t make his dog crate a bad place.