Potty training dogs (that is, adult or mature dogs) is not much different than potty training a puppy. There are however a number of things that you need to watch out for. The main question that needs to be asked is ‘why is it necessary to potty train your adult dog’. There could be a number of factors that makes this necessary and the appropriate action or training can only be started if you know what the factors or circumstances are.
The trickiest of these is the situation where your dog was house trained, but suddenly seems to have forgotten everything and starts messing in the house again. One example of this is if they start wetting their bed. This is a common occurrence, especially in spayed bitches, and can actually not be solved by dog potty training as the reason is medical. Spaying a bitch alters the oestrogen levels of a dog. The bladder is controlled by 2 muscles – one of these is done consciously, i.e. when the dog is awake she can ‘keep it in’ or release it and urinate. The other muscle is controlled by hormone. If this hormonal control does not work, and the dog is sleeping thereby releasing the control of the fist muscle, bed wetting is the result. This condition can fortunately be treated and your vet will be able to prescribe a hormone treatment that will solve the problem.
Most animals including dogs use scent to mark their territory. This is done with a urine spray. If your dog suddenly starts doing this, it could be an indication that they feel threatened. Things to look out for are changes in circumstances that could make the dog feel vulnerable. These could include a move to a new house or the addition of a new baby or puppy to the household. Once the dog has adopted and accepted to these new circumstances and is confident of his position in the pack (family), this behaviour should stop naturally. If not, a dog behavioural expert might be consulted.
If dog toilet training has never been done with the dog, simply apply the same principles as used when potty training your puppy. If your dog has done dog obedience training, this added training aspect should go very quickly and easily.
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I have read a lot of articles on potty training. Well written and informative.