Common Mistakes to Avoid for Dog Toilet Training
Dog toilet training can be challenging. Have you ever overheard a puppy owner say, "She simply doesn't get it!" Even when I take her outdoors, she pees in the house"?
Some puppies are more difficult to potty train than others, but consistency with the training is a crucial component. It is about rewarding positive conduct while simultaneously preventing harmful behaviour.
Even with all of the available knowledge on puppy toilet training, new dog owners appear to have issues. We discussed a few of them in this blog for your advantage.
Dog Toilet Training Mistakes 1 - Know Your Dog’s Den
The quickest technique of dog potty training is to enjoy the benefits of its "Genetically HardWired Instincts" to keep it from soiling its den.
So now you know what I mean when I say "Den." A puppy's mother teaches it that the DEN is where it feeds and sleeps from birth. And one of the first things Mama Dog teaches in her pups is that they must not pee or defecate in the family den. So as a result, the puppy you bring home is preprogrammed with the following belief:
Potty, Where I Eat And Sleep, Is A Bad Idea.
Potty Anywhere Else Is A Good Thing
This is when the very first misunderstanding arises. Because you and your dog have different ideas about inside & outside.
Your Dog's Version Of "The Den": Untrained dogs frequently have a tiny version of "Their Den," which may consist of only a few areas in your home, for example, their bed or a couch. Each dog is a little different. Such as, their size often varies the time they need to be trained fully. The principle, though, remains the same.
Your Version Of "The Den": Can you understand how your dog might think he's going where he's expected to go when he soaks the carpet exactly next to his bed? Because, from his point of view, he had to leave his nest to pee. However, according to you, the puppy is not allowed to pee anywhere in the house unless you use a pee pad, of course.
So, how do you explain to your dog the differences between what you consider "Your Den" (your whole household) and what he considers it (that space next to his bed)? With proper dog potty training and patience, you can make it right.
Dog Toilet Training Mistakes 2 - Don’t Give Him Un-Earned Freedom
In a nutshell, if you haven't completed thorough dog toilet training, you should not allow your puppy to walk around the house unattended.
Giving a puppy too much independence before he's earned it is the quickest way to set him up for potty failure and frustration for both of you. Just because you know your dog isn't permitted to potty inside doesn't mean he knows, so if he's wandering your house and gets the urge, why wouldn't he just go where he stands because that's most convenient for him?
Tethering is a principle that we passionately believe in. When your dog is inside your home, he must be on a leash. And, sure, you must be holding the other end before you ask! It pushes your dog to be around you, giving you the chance to form a close attachment. Also, if your dog is always within 6 feet of you and you can see him, you can catch him having an accident indoors. If you let him roam loose in the house and later discover a puddle, it's your fault, and punishing the pup for a puddle you found would just scare your dog.
You've got a training scenario if you can find him in the act of getting into the posture or perhaps having an accident. Simply repeat "No" firmly but calmly, lead him outside, and tell him to "go pee." Even if he had already completed peeing on your carpet by the time you arrived, you still had the chance to explain to him that what he had done was not acceptable. Then, celebrate with him if he finishes outside!
Dog Toilet Training Mistakes 3 - Accidents Happens, Don’t Yell at Him
Even if you're doing dog potty training, your puppy may have accidents. When your dog has an accident, you have two choices:
Punish him.
You may also turn this into a training session.
Unfortunately, most people prefer punishment or, in the worst-case scenario, take them to a shelter. Don't panic if you catch your dog going potty in the house! Simply and gently say "no" or "ehh!" and take your puppy out and take him outdoors. If you have a tantrum and startle your dog, he will associate you with something negative, not having an accident or going potty in the home.
From your dog's perspective, he needs to go potty, right? So he doesn't see why you're unhappy over something he does all the time and that he needs to do. You are not toilet training him if you yell at him to prevent going potty "in front of you."
So what should you do?
Positive Reinforcement for Dog Toilet Training
Remember how excited you were when your parents presented you with chocolate for your accomplishments? They made you want to do it again, didn't they? That's an excellent example of positive reinforcement.
Praise, as well as food and toys, are essential to dogs. Positive reinforcement training rewards desired actions with food, praise, toys, or anything else the dog enjoys. Positive reinforcement is one of your most powerful strategies for shaping or modifying your dog's behaviour since the reward encourages them to repeat the behaviour.
Positive reinforcement training has numerous advantages in all aspects of puppy training. Still, it is especially beneficial for toilet training because you aim to prevent accidents by teaching your puppy where to go potty.
Positive reinforcement also helps your puppy develop a strong bond of trust with you. Even the most outgoing puppies can be scared and nervous when they first enter their new homes. Being away from their mother, prior home, and litter-mates is thrilling, but it can also be terrifying. Now is the moment to start forming a loving and trusting relationship with your new puppy.
Because it provides information on what an owner wants and expects, positive reinforcement training has also been demonstrated to be a faster type of learning!
Will using treats promote a dog to ask for food all the time?
The context is crucial. If you feed your dog at the dinner table, he'll most likely stay around for handouts, but if you use treats during training sessions, he'll understand that he's working for a reward.
Instead of disciplining my puppies, here's a tip that helped me figure out how to potty train them rapidly. It's a simple trick that virtually everyone overlooks, but it makes all the difference. Because it teaches your dog to alert you before he needs to go, it eliminates 90% of your dog's accidents within a week of his learning this skill.
Dog Toilet Training Mistakes 4 - Don't’ Ever Avoid the Crate
Crates help a lot in dog potty training. How? Crates are used to keeping dogs and their owners, as well as their belongings, safe. Puppies learn to contain their urine and excrement in crates.
Crates will aid in dog potty training.
If you have a little dog, consider purchasing a small crate so that he learns that having an accident in close vicinity is inconvenient. If you have a large type puppy, you can acquire a large crate and partition it off so that he has a smaller room to play in as a puppy. Nothing wants to sit in its urine and faeces unless raised that way.
Crates protect your belongings!
Don't want your puppy stealing unsafe foods, going into the garbage, or peeing in the toilet while you're gone? Alternatively, they can chew on your cloth, furniture, or cable, posing a choking threat. He can be trained with crates. Another common cause for dogs ending up in shelters is eating walls, sofas, and other prices. Your dog enjoys shredding your belongings because he is a different species and amuses himself in unexpected ways. Crates keep everything safe and everyone in a good mood.
It also, ironically, relieves some of your dog's stress.
Dogs, especially puppies, can become afraid and phobic due to guarding the house and worrying about every noise. Your dog will be more confident in a smaller space.
Will your puppy cry or whine? Oh, yes, he will! If you bring them out every time they scream or throw a fit, your dog will learn to throw bigger, hairier fits in the future. Instead, train a puppy to get out of his kennel when he is quiet, and he will learn that being allowed out of his crate is a reward for being quiet. Even if it's only for a fraction of a second, I only let my puppies out of their kennel when they are calm.
Dog Toilet Training Mistakes 5 - Not Teaching to Use “ I Gotta Go Bell”
Dog toilet training can be exhausting. But wouldn't it be great if you could teach your dog the 'I Gotta Go' command in the same way that you taught your child? So he could give you a heads up before letting loose? You're simply making your potty training efforts tougher on yourself if you don't teach your dog how to let you know when he needs to go.
What did I do to prepare him? First, hang a small Christmas jingle bell on the exterior door doorknob. Then I taught him just to ring the bell when he needed to go to the bathroom.
Does the bell help in dog toilet training? To train your dog to go outdoors, you no longer need to catch him in the act. Instead, he'll let you know!
Your dog will be able to express his want to go outside. He can also reach you from across the house without barking. Barking is another option, but dogs do it all the time. It won't be easy to comprehend his requirements. When your small dog's bladder is about to explode, he doesn't have to run all over the house looking for you and end up having an accident on the stairs or something. This is because he'll know that you'll arrive to assist him with his business if he rings the bell.
Dog Toilet Training Mistakes 6 - Not Using “Go Potty” Command
Using a command in potty training a puppy, might come in handy in various situations. It can be helpful in any weather condition or while on vacation. You may help your dog adapt by teaching them to go potty on command. This will increase their chances of going to unfamiliar settings. As a result, the dog will hear the familiar command and correlate it with the elimination process. The command's familiarity aids in overcoming the unfamiliarity of new settings and surfaces. Best of all, once your dog has mastered this command, going potty becomes nearly reflexive, and your dog performs it without thinking.
Start training your dog to potty on command in a calm spot with few distractions, and if your dog has dependably learnt the cue, you can use it in other places.
Last but Not the Least - Celebrate When He Did It Right
If you're reading this part, I can assume that you learned about all the mistakes you should avoid. So now what to do to make potty training puppy more effective?
Give your dog a high-value treat as they leave to show them that this is precisely what you'd expect them to do. Make this treat truly special, especially at the start. Make sure to reward them only once, when they have finished peeing or pooping, and not throughout the walk. People often undervalue the importance of rewarding themselves when they go outside. This has a significant impact. I've seen situations when people do everything perfectly except praise their dogs for going outdoors. Then, all of a sudden, treats are introduced, and everything changes. You can gradually progress to exuberant praise, such as "excellent girl, good potty."
Conclusion
We've come to the end of our conversation. Dog toilet training can be difficult, but the result is well worth the effort. Not only will practical training teach your puppy to go potty in a specified location, but it will also strengthen your relationship.
I hope you now understand the most typical training blunders and how to avoid them. Patience is required. Your patience mainly determines the training's success. So be cautious. Don't be too rough with your pet. I can't emphasize this enough. It will aggravate the problem.
Before you decide to get a puppy, do further research on raising one. You have no idea how much suffering you can save yourself by following this advice. Then, you can visit Dry Paws for more information on the puppy. We have a one-of-a-kind collection of dog products such as diapers, playpen, pee pad, everything just to make your life easier.
