The biggest tip I can give dog owners about potty training a dog does actually not relate to anything that you should do, but is rather something that you should never do. Never, ever rub your dog’s nose in a mess that they have made. I you see your dog starting to make a mess, react immediately with a stern NO. When you do that, notice their reaction. It should be very clear from their reaction to your rebuke that they know that they have done something wrong. Put yourself in your dog’s shoes – what have I done wrong? Am I not allowed to pee? At first, they definitely won’t know that the problem is not with what they are doing, but rather where they are doing it.
The next step is to take them either outside or put them on a puppy training pad where they are allowed to do their business. At first, they may not continue with their business – remember that they have not yet figured out what exactly they did wrong! Eventually the will have no choice but to continue. Nature calls, so be patient. Once they have finished their business praise them lavishly. See how exited they get to receive praise. The question however still remains in their mind – what have I done right now?
It is only after you have repeated this process a couple of times that they will start understanding what it is that you require from them. As will all training, you need to repeat the process consistently and have a lot of patience. The reward comes when your dog finally gets the message. Once this is achieved, they will do what they can to please you and messing inside will be a thing of the past. There might still be an accident occasionally especially if they get so involved in other activities that they forget that they need to go outside before they can do their business, but this is normal. The same actually happens to kids when you potty train them – even after they understand the message, it takes time to form this new habit, but, once done, potty training your dog is something that does not need refresher training.
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Whatever we try and do, potty training a dog stays a messy business.
Thank heavens it is over fast.