A dog owner like you would very much like to raise their dog obediently so that it would be easier in most caring aspects. This seems to be true especially in potty training.
Dogs that are not potty trained properly tend to do “accidents” inside the house. This means more mess, pee on hidden places, poop on the floor, and many more. This is not convenient and ideal especially in households where there are kids.
As you see, the need for the proper potty training of your canine companion is almost necessary in your home. Although it seems that potty training is a hassle at start, it is very rewarding for both the dog and the owner.
Training serves as both mental and physical exercise for the dog, while at the same time being convenient for the dog owner as he gets to learn more about his canine companion. However, dog owners who are not used to training their dogs may have difficulties in potty training, and they could somehow make mistakes in their training regimen.
Below are the usual mistakes that dog owners should avoid if they are potty training their fur babies.
1. Hurrying your dog or puppy up
Dogs are like us. They don’t want to be hurried up whenever they are having a toilet break. Our canine companions usually gravitate first around a certain spot to go potty. This means that you have to walk your dog around the area before finding his perfect spot. Hurrying your dog will just overwhelm him and may cause him not to poop before getting home.
What you can do is to wait patiently for your dog to finish his business. Do not tug the leash around or even shout at your dog “hurry” or “faster” because it will just prevent him from going on with nature’s call.
2. Not paying attention to your dog
Dogs can communicate, by barking. And as humans, we can’t understand what those barking sounds really mean. This is why we have to look and read certain clues about your dog and what are the actions that he is doing. Dogs can’t tell in words that they have to go potty or pee. But, they definitely show subtle hints that they are needing a potty break any time soon.
Some dogs bark at you. Others would paw at your or even stay put and whine a little if they need to go. It is recommended that you learn these subtle hints even before you decide to potty train your dog. If you still haven’t done so, then you should learn and understand his behavior now to speed up the potty training process.
3. Getting angry at your dog
Dog owners, when pushed to their limits, can’t help it when they feel angry at the dog. Unknown to most of us, getting angry is not advisable, especially when you take it out on your dog. If he manages to have an accidental poop while inside the house, you should not be angry at your dog in any way.
Shouting or speaking in angry tones or hitting your puppy after an accident is not good. Training that relies on fear is not training in itself. It also creates additional problem behaviors in your dog that may manifest when they are adult.
What you can do is to focus on positive reinforcement training which is very effective not just with dogs, but on some animals too. If you are paying attention to your dog, you would notice that there are behaviors to take note of that indicate your puppy’s going to poop.
If you have noticed some of these behaviors, do a loud clap or even a sharp whistle. This is to distract our dog from continuing his potty, so you will have just enough time to take your dog outside.
4. Getting your dog outside after an accidental potty
If you think about it, this action does not help in any way to potty train your dog. Why? If you take your dog outside after an accidental potty, it would have no sense to take him outside because he has already done the deed in your house.
Letting your dog go outside after an accidental potty will just encourage accidents. This usually happens because most indoor dogs love to play outside. If you make them go out after an accidental potty, they would associate that as a positive action since they get to go outside after accidentally pooping inside.
What is recommended to be done is to immediately clean up the mess thoroughly. This is done in order remove the residual smell from the poop. The presence of these residual smells will make the dog smell it again, thus enticing them to poop or pee in the same area. This is why you have to remove the residual smell by cleaning with bleach and soap.
5. Overusing pet diapers
Some dog owners prefer the use of diapers or what we call belly bands. For most people, this is more convenient and easier rather than to train little by little using commands. Dog diapers become a necessity especially if you have a female dog that is in heat. This allows your dog to have freedom inside the house while reducing the risk of having a mess in your furniture.
Even though doggie diapers are convenient, the extra costs may not be practical for most dog owners, unless you have money to spare. Thus, you may limit the use of dog diapers to the beginning of the training. Once your fur baby progresses in the potty training, you may now completely eradicate the use of diapers for your doggie.
These are the common mistakes that most dog owners tend to overlook when trying to potty train their dogs and puppies. Once you have taken note of these common mistakes and resolved them, you are now one step ahead in potty training for your dog.
Just remember to be consistent and patient all throughout the training. Enjoy potty training and avoid these common mistakes!
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