How to train a puppy to toilet outside: instructions and recommendations

Before going outside with the puppy

Here's what you need to remember before you start taking your puppy out of the house:

While you have not yet trained your dog to relieve himself outdoors, and his latrine is located in any corner of the house, it is important to carry out comprehensive wet cleaning of the premises every day (2-3 times a day).
Your pet's waste must be removed as soon as it has finished its business.
It is strictly forbidden to walk the puppy on the street until deworming has been carried out and all necessary vaccinations have been completed.

When all the important conditions have been met and the necessary preventive measures have been taken, only then can you begin to train the dog to use the toilet outside.

We teach according to age

Two ages - two different approaches.

Little puppy

The baby cannot control his urges. Experts believe that training can begin after the age of 4 months. At this stage he reaches such a development that allows him to endure.

Key points to remember:

The puppy is still very small and at first will not be able to control itself; for this, you must have a tray or diaper at home.
Before starting training, you can pour a little earth into it to get used to the smell of the street.
You will need your full attention. It is necessary to note those signs that indicate that the puppy wants to “relieve himself.”
You need to take him out at the first sign of concern.
Walk down the street until all the necessary things are done. There are a lot of interesting things there that will prevent you from concentrating on the task at hand. Switch his attention to you.
If you go outside after your puppy has eaten, do not play with him until he has had a bowel movement.
Don't be lazy, go outside even at night. The faster you toilet train your pet, the stronger your nerves will be.
And don’t forget about praise: pat the puppy on the head and reward him with a treat.

From the moment you start training your dog, you need to remove the tray and diapers from the apartment. If the puppy is already accustomed to “doing business” in one place in the apartment, then it is easier for him to go there than to go outside with you. You simply replace his habit of going to the litter box with the habit of going outside to the toilet.

A young dog may pee with joy when meeting you. Don't scold her for this. But take a closer look, maybe the dog has a cold.

Adult dog

What to do if your new pet is an adult dog. It is clear that he has already formed his own habits. And even if the dog is accustomed to being walked on the street, when moving to a new home due to stress, the opposite situation may arise.

At its core, the process is no different from how we train a puppy. You just need to take the animal outside more often, especially 20 minutes after feeding.

But, given age, there are also some peculiarities:

An adult animal can already control its urges and endure.
You need to take him outside 3-4 times a day.
Since the dog can already control itself, it can be punished for situations with bowel movements at home.
Punishment should not be intended to cause pain, it should simply be to express in this way one’s displeasure with the dog’s behavior.
Just like with a puppy, take your time.

It is more difficult to train an adult dog to do anything, especially since it all depends on where it came from. Perhaps the dog lived in a kennel and was accustomed to relieve itself in any available place.

For an adult animal, the method of toilet training using a tray and diaper is not suitable. The dog must immediately learn to leave waste on the street.

Basic Rules

Here are some rules that will help you and your pet:

You need to take the puppy outside 5-10 minutes after feeding, and also immediately after he wakes up.
It is recommended to walk puppies up to six months every 2-3 hours. The more often you take your pet out, the easier it will be for you to train your dog to have a bowel movement outside. After six months, the number of walks can be reduced to 2-3 times a day. This should be done gradually.
Pay close attention to your baby's behavior. If he begins to fuss, sniff, and look for a comfortable place, then immediately grab him and run outside.

When little Dzhekushka appeared in our house, I deliberately went on vacation so that he would not feel lonely. To be able to take him outside as often as possible. Subsequently, my husband and I even took turns running home from work just to take him out for a walk. And, I must say, this bore fruit very quickly. After his first walk, Dzheksik learned not to go to the toilet at home within a week. So don’t be lazy to devote more time to your pet during the first time he stays in your home, so that later you don’t reap the fruits of your laziness.

When little Jacksik asked to go outside for the first time, it was 2 am! What to do, get up and go. After that, he no longer went to the toilet at home.

Reward for correct behavior

A few more tricks:

After the puppy has done all his business, praise him well, give him a treat, and play with him.
Don't go home right away, give the dog a walk. A walk should be associated with positive emotions.
Praise your dog every time he goes to the toilet. This way, he will quickly understand that his behavior evokes positive emotions and praise from his owner, and he will try to bring you joy.
Walk with him on different routes, let him get acquainted with the world around him. Read about where and how to walk your four-legged friend here - Dog Walking Rules.

Punishment for misbehavior

Toilet training a dog is not at all difficult. When your pet has learned that if he does his business outside, this is good and the owner is very happy, you should begin to teach him that such behavior at home is no longer acceptable. On average, this process takes 2-2.5 weeks.

To do this, it is enough to react with the prohibiting command “Fu” every time the puppy is caught at the “scene of the crime.” The team should always be the same. The intonation with which you pronounce this command is very important. Don't scare your pet, don't shout. Speak calmly, loudly and clearly.

In general, as practice shows, there may be two prohibitive commands for your dog: “Ugh” or “No”. Moreover, if the “Fu” command should mean a categorical prohibition, then the “No” command may mean that such behavior is not permitted in this particular place, but is permissible in other cases. Read about how to teach your dog basic commands yourself.

What not to do

Most mistakes are a punishment for a puppy who has not yet understood anything. It is not perceived by the baby, who, instead of obedience, begins to fear the owner. The mistake is pointed out immediately, and not after several hours - the pet will not be able to understand why he is being scolded.

Important! Attempts at physical violence due to missteps cause coprophagia in some animals. Out of fear, children begin to eat their own excrement in order to get rid of traces of the crime.

Indication of an oversight

Inappropriate Punishment Methods for Misbehavior

You need to calmly and patiently train your dog to use the toilet outside. Under no circumstances should you do this:

Never take your puppy to a puddle or pile and poke his nose into it. This way, you will not only ensure that he will be afraid of you, but also that the dog may lose his sense of smell.
Never yell at or hit your dog.
Don't use belated punishment. This is when, after a few hours, they bring the dog to a puddle or a pile and begin to scold it for it. The dog was playing and frolicking a minute ago, and you take him to a puddle and start scolding him. She will think that you are angry with her for playing. As a rule, all dogs perceive reward or punishment for the action that they are performing right now. The dog has already forgotten about his crime. Therefore, if you did not catch your pet directly at the moment of committing an illegal act, then reconcile yourself, calmly take a rag and clean it up. As they say, a spoon is good for dinner. By the way, this method applies not only to puddles and heaps, but also to all misdeeds of your pet (be it an eaten boot or chewed furniture).

How to toilet train a puppy

For many, the process itself causes many difficulties. How to explain to your pet that he now has to relieve himself only outside? After all, dogs think differently.

Don't be afraid of problems, watch the puppy's behavior. Soon you will learn to understand when your baby wants to go to the toilet. At such moments, the ward behaves restlessly, spins around and looks for a place. This usually occurs after playing, sleeping and eating. You need to get ahead of nature: quickly take the puppy outside so that he can go there. Moreover, the whole process should be associated with positive emotions. Do not scream or panic under any circumstances.

After a successful hike, be sure to praise your pet and offer a treat or toy. Show that you are very pleased with his behavior. In the same way, you can accustom your companion to a diaper. This is a convenient compromise option: your pet doesn’t have to endure it, and you don’t have to clean up puddles and heaps. Later, you can simply gradually move the diaper outward to explain to the baby that the toilet is now outside.

One of the main mistakes owners make is trying to transfer a puppy already in the process. Firstly, your actions will only scare the baby. As a result, he may hide in a quiet, secluded place when he urges, which will worsen the situation. Secondly, this will not give any educational effect. Thirdly, traces will remain throughout the house. If you don't have time, let the baby finish and clean up after him.

Unexpected situations

Sometimes it happens that after some time, when the dog is already accustomed to the street, it again begins to walk at home. There could be several explanations for this:

You decided that you had already trained your dog to go to the toilet outside, and began to leave your pet alone for longer periods of time. It may be that the pet is not ready for this yet and simply cannot wait until the next walk.
Upon reaching puberty, male dogs can leave their “marks” in the apartment, defining their territory. If this happens, buy a “Do Not Mark” spray at a pet store and treat the area where the dog “marked” directly (after washing it with water and detergent).
If the dog begins to go to the toilet in the apartment, and the (already grown) dog urinates frequently, then this may be a sign of some kind of disease of the genitourinary system or kidneys. In this case, you should urgently contact a veterinary clinic.
With diarrhea, the dog also cannot control its urges. No other methods will work here. If a dog is diarrhea, it means that it is sick. Under no circumstances should you punish or scold a sick animal. On the contrary, surround him with care and affection, show him to the doctor.

Our Jackushka had such disorders a couple of times. When he pooped on the floor, knowing that he shouldn’t go to the toilet at home, he looked at me guiltily and tucked his tail. In such cases, I tell him: Dzhekushka is good, Dzhekushka is not to blame, everything will be fine. And you definitely need to feel sorry for the dog, because she’s already feeling bad.

Well, now you know the main important points, and you will not have any difficulties. If you walk your dog more often, your pet will quickly learn that the house is its habitat, and the street is neutral territory where it needs to go to the toilet.

How to stop your dog from peeing at home

Puppies sometimes urinate as a sign of submission . This usually happens during a meeting with the owner or an adult dog. With age, this problem goes away on its own. To help your puppy feel more confident, play with him on the floor often rather than towering over him (which he may mistake for dominance).

Some dogs mark certain places as a sign of their dominance in this territory. If a new dog appears in your home, the first one may begin to assert its dominant position with the help of marks. In this case, you should pay a little more attention to the “main” dog, feed him first, let him out for a walk first, etc.

The cause of puddles in the house can also be jealousy or the dog’s desire to attract the owner’s attention. This happens when a child or a new pet appears in the house, when the dog receives less attention than before. To stop this behavior, try not to show any special emotions when cleaning up after your dog, ignore it. The rest of the time, treat her as before attentively and kindly.

Sometimes dogs refuse to go for walks in cold weather , especially if the puppy’s toilet training began in the warm season. Try to increase the walking time in any weather conditions, paying attention not only to the toilet, but also to active games and interesting activities. A warm dog onesie may also be helpful.

If all of the above situations have been resolved, and the older dog continues to go to the toilet at home, discuss with your veterinarian the possible medical causes of this problem.