House Training Dogs

Is it true that some dogs try to “get back at you” by refusing to potty train? This is one of the biggest misconceptions about housetraining your dog. They do rely on past experiences to determine how they will behave in the present. But it purely based on emotion.

For example, when your dog pees on the carpet and receives a rather scary reception, it creates an emotional memory. If you continue to scold him for this behavior then eventually your dog will become fearful of using the bathroom outside. All he knows is that he is ‘outside’, not on the carpet. Your efforts will countermine your housetraining goals.

For this reason alone, it is important never to punish or yell at your dog when he uses the bathroom inside the house. Most housetraining problems actually stem from owners who completely instill fear in their pets when they go potty on the floor. This creates enough trauma to completely halt all of your housetraining efforts.

The key is trying not to react. Instead, remove your dog from the room and take him outside in a very calm and relaxed manner. Be sure that he does not see you cleaning up his mess. Quietly clean the area and be sure to use an enzyme-containing house cleaner. Vinegar or liquid soap will do just fine as well. By completely removing all of the older, this helps reduce your dog's need to urinate and mark the same spot over and over. Avoid using ammonia because the smell is very similar to that of a dog's urine and can stimulate him to pee in the same area.

When house training dogs, schedule a visit with your veterinarian so that the doctor can do a complete health checkup of your dog to make sure that there is not a health-related reason for his inability to become house trained.

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House Training Dogs Page