Having a pet dog at home is something that is very rewarding. Some people may prefer getting a puppy while others prefer an older dog. Getting an older dog may be more beneficial at times because they are more mature and can be better companions than puppies. Although there is a saying that “you cannot teach an old dog new tricks”, teaching an older dog, especially about potty training, is not actually as hard as it seems. In fact, older dogs are easier to train than puppies.
When it comes to potty training, these are helpful tips that you can use to potty train an older dog:
1. When potty training an older dog, you must remember that your focus must be about teaching the dog to relieve himself outdoors, rather than teaching him not to relieve himself inside the house. Keep in mind that it is easier to teach an older dog to DO something instead of NOT DOING something. So if you notice that your new dog companion has an old habit of relieving himself inside the house, it would be easier to help him learn a better alternative to eliminate an old bad behaviour instead of preventing him to potty inside the house.
2. Choose a spot where you want your dog to relieve himself, for instance, a small corner in your lawn. It would be easier to potty train an older dog if you are consistent about where you want him to poop or urinate. Going to the same place over and over again, would help the dog learn the right place faster. It would also help if you do not clean the spot entirely until your dog learns to go there when he needs to go potty.
3. Use specific words when referring to potty. An older dog might get confused if you use different phrases to mean the same thing. So be sure to use words and actions that your dog can properly and easily associate with his potty schedule.
4. Always make sure to clean every trace of poop or urine that your dog may accidentally have put inside the house. It is important for you to remember that a dogs’ sense of smell is very keen and the smell of any urine or poop in your house might make him think that it is the place to go potty. If you must, use a deodorizing cleaning solution to eliminate odours that might stick to your floors and carpets.
5. Make this a habit. Take your dog outside every morning when he wakes up. Take him to his regular potty place so that he would think that this is an act that he must regularly do.
6. Lessen your dog’s food and water intake before he sleeps. This will prevent him from urinating on his bed while sleeping.
7. Make it easy for your dog to go outside through a doggie door or leave your back door open. However, if this is not advisable in your area, just leave a bell for your dog to reach. Take your dog outside each time he rings the bell so that he would know that ringing is a signal for him to go out and potty.
With regular practice and a lot of patience, it is definitely possible to potty train an older dog.
Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org.
