All right. This is going to take some motivation and maturity on your part. The process may be a little
stressful, but once it's done, it's done and you can relax and move on.
A general rule of thumb is to "take your dog outside every one hour less than their age in months".
Example:
If your dog is 4 months old you should take him out every 3 hours.
There are two exceptions. At night, you may take him out every one hour MORE than his age in months (4 months/5 hours).
Until your dog matures, you will have to set an alarm to take him out. Yep. It bites, I know. But it's only temporary.
And the second exception is, once your dog reaches 8 hours, that's the limit. A healthy adult dog should NOT be
forced to hold it for more than 8 hours. So if you work longer than that, try to come home at lunch, or start to form
really close friendships with the neighbors. ;-)
DO NOT RUB YOUR DOG'S NOSE IN A PILE OF CRAP AND SCOLD HIM!!! He won't understand. He'll think he's getting
in trouble because there is poop in the house, NOT because he did it. You could put ANY dog's poop in the house and
he will still expect to get into trouble. You MUST catch him in the act!!!
When you DO catch him in the act, don't scream, hit or frighten your dog. Give him a firm "No!" and take him
outside immediately to help him make a mental connection. Keep in mind that if you scare the bajeebers out of your
dog when he's pottying in the house, he will learn to fear you and will find places to go where you can't catch him
(i.e. behind the couch, under the bed, inside the curtains, etc.).
Here's what to do...
STEP 1. Grab those treats! Yes, going potty is natural, but we want to reward your dog when he goes
in the right spot at the right time.
STEP 2. Once you're outside, watch your dog's body language closely. Try to identify what your dog
does before he goes. Does he turn in circles? Does he go back and forth? Does he sniff in one spot for like an
hour? Make a mental note of it, because from now on, when you see that body language, you're going to command
"Go Potty!"
STEP 3. When your dog "assumes the position" give him light praise while he's going, but don't
bother him to the point where he stops to investigate your activity.
STEP 4. When he's finished, THEN you can give him praise that's more fun and slip that yummy treat
onto his slobbery kisser. Let him know how smart he is for going outside. He'll start to hold it indoors JUST so he
can get that wonderful reward for doing it outdoors. =D
*** Trouble Shooting ***
Here are some problems you might have and some answers that might help...
I can't tell when my dog needs to go.
Of course, you should be taking him regularly, but there are times when a dog will go out, come back in, then make
a mess shortly afterward because he can't speak to tell you he had leftovers. Try putting a small bell on your
door knob where your dog can reach. Ring it every time you go out, and be sure to ask "need to go
outside?"
before you ring it. Eventually, he will ring it on his own if he needs to go out. If not, instead of YOU ringing
it, lead him by the collar until his nose touches and rings the bell, before you take him out.
My dog is potty trained but he has occasional accidents anyway.
Just because your dog is potty trained doesn't mean he will be perfect from that moment on. In fact, even the most
well-trained dogs will have accidents if they are ill or hurt. Also, if anything changes in your dog's life that
makes him anxious or uneasy, he may have potty issues as well. Have him checked out by the vet, and if you get a
clean bill of health, resort back to basic potty training until the problem passes.
