How To Potty Train Your Dog

As much as how we love our dogs, it is quite frustrating when you have a inside dog that decides it wants to use your bed, the sofa or the carpet as it's toilet. I have a shoodle (shih-poo, mix of poodle and shihtzu) that gave me hell in my home. She pooed under the bed, on the carpet, peed on the sofa and anywhere she thought would soak it up. I can tell you that potty training your dog takes time and patience and it won't happen overnight,especially if you have a tough headed mutt that just want's to do his/her thing. But with time and persistence, i got my dog to start using the potty and as been doing so ever since.  Lets get starting on the basics of potty training your dog.

If you have ever been a parent and had to actually nurture the child from birth to teen, then you would have probably gone through a similar potty training with that child. Trust me, it is not that different with dogs. Lets now go into the steps of potty training.

1. Decide where you want the dog to poo.

• Do you have an area where you have created for your dog to relief itself? The first thing you must do is have a specific location where you want your dog to poo and pee. Mark out this area and place something which relates to your dog in that area, so the dog can identify that area as part of his little space. (do not place toys in this area)
  

2. Time your dogs Feed and Poo

• Develop a regular feeding pattern so you can estimate by timing the time from eating to the time your dog want's to poo. All you need to do when you ascertain that time is to bring the dog at the area where you have the potty   and secure the animal with its leash until it poos in it's pooing area.
  

3. Bring your dog's poo to the pooing area.

• When ever the dog poos or pees in areas he/she should not, bring the dog by leash to the area where it pooed. Scoop up the poo and tell the dog "No". Then bring the poo to where the dog is suppose to poo, let the dog walk with you there and place the poo there and let the dog see. Then release the dog from the leash, dispose of the poo.
  

Many dog owners have doggy doors where the dogs are able to go outside to release itself. But apartment dogs do not have that luxury and hence the only alternative is potty training.  Remember the three basic approach listed above will be repetitive and it will take time and patience. If you have a dog that is already trained to understand the basic commands, such as sit, stay, stop, go etc. The training may be easier as the dog as already had an appreciation for commands.