Espresso Dog Training

This is the most common reason I’m called in for training. Whether for puppies or adults, if you’re having potty training woes, this is the general method I use!

If your adult is having potty training issues, this means that you have to go back to Potty Training 101, and treat the adult dog as if he was a puppy. And of course, if your puppy is having potty training issues, you treat her… like a puppy! Here are the key things to keep in mind:

HEALTH
Health is an extremely important, often overlooked problem. If you have an adult dog who just started having potty issues, and was once completely potty trained, it’s likely that it is health related. I went over some health issues in this blog post: Potty Training; “My Puppy Pees Outside, Then Comes in and Pees Again!”

If your dog is just now experiencing potty training problems after a year or more of success, your first step should be to seek a veterinarian. If your dog is cleared, you can continue with potty training. This “rule” goes to puppies who are seriously struggling to learn potty training, and the steps below haven’t helped limit these problems at all. Something else to ask yourself is: “Has anything changed?” Even the smallest change could cause a dog to suddenly start peeing. A move is generally the most common “new thing” that causes a dog to pee indoors.

Remember! Young puppies will not be able to hold their bladders for longer than three hours! Some puppies may only be able to hold their bladders for an hour. Have realistic expectations for your puppy – you’ll be much happier, and you’ll definitely enjoy your new puppy more when she’s finally meeting your expectations!

MANAGEMENT
Perhaps the most often overlooked feature in potty training (aside from health) is management.

Management is a system that, as the name suggests, manages a dog or puppy’s environment so that he or she doesn’t have the opportunity to practice the behavior that you don’t want him to practice.

In potty training, what this means is you will be limiting your puppy’s freedom. If you have an adult dog, the same rule applies. Remember, if your adult dog is having potty training issues, and has been cleared of health issues, you should fall back to the basics.

So, how do we manage a dog’s environment to keep him from using the bathroom inside? My preferred method is crate training, as I’ve just found it easier as long as the crate isn’t abused(more on crate training in a separate post). If you don’t want to use a crate, that is totally understandable, and doesn’t mean your dog can’t be potty trained. But limiting freedom is still going to be incredibly important to this particular training plan. Set up baby gates, use an x-pen or child’s play pen, keep a leash on your dog when you’re inside. If you can’t supervise your dog, it’s important for him to be somewhere where he’s less likely to use the bathroom, or, at the very least, is easy to clean up if he does use the bathroom.

Your dog doesn’t have to be locked away or kept on a tight leash. But he does need to be watched, and access to rooms out of your sight should be limited.

Key points: Your dog should be directly supervised. If you cannot keep eagle eyes on your dog, then he should be in a crate, x-pen, play pen, or in a tiled room, such as a puppy-proofed bathroom. When your dog is in such a place, be sure to provide him with some chew toys and treat toys like Kongs. One of the greatest things about Kongs, is that you can stuff them with tasty treats, kibble, peanut butter that doesn’t have xylitol in its ingredients(xylitol is deadly to dogs, so check your ingredients before using!), plain yogurt, etc. Kong even comes with its own filling, though some people report that their dogs didn’t have much interest in it. Try different things, see which your dog prefers.

Note On Toys During Alone Time! Using a Kong or other toy can help prevent boredom. If your dog is stuck in a room, this will help keep them from chewing on inappropriate things(however, inappropriate things should always be removed first, which is also part of management). If your dog is in a crate or x-pen, this can help prevent crying and barking for attention or freedom. If your dog is going to be in their crate for a long time, I would even suggest some kind of interactive feeding puzzle – or several, ha! – using your dog’s meal. *Make sure the toy is safe before leaving your puppy alone!* Watch your puppy with his new toy/puzzle before leaving him alone. Try to see if he can rip off tiny pieces that he could choke on or that could cause an obstruction, sharp edges he can hurt himself one, biting off sharp pieces that could hurt him, etc. In other words, be proactive and keep your little puppy safe.

TRAINING
Technically, I would say management is a part of the training plan. When we’re talking about habit building and habit breaking(which is essentially what training is), we really want to limit the access the learner(that is, your dog) has to habits(behaviors) that we don’t want him doing – like peeing in the house! So with puppies, I make it a point to build up that strong, positive association with using the bathroom outside, while limiting the chances for my puppy to start making a habit of using the bathroom inside. Now, of course, as the puppy gets older and starts to learn, we can start giving them more freedom. But too much freedom too soon can really set back training(though typically, potty training can be pretty fluid, and should be pretty easy, once you know what to do/how to train this thing).

STEP ONE: THROW A PARTY
What does this mean, you may ask? Well, I’m glad you asked! What does your puppy or adult Fido really, really, really love? Is your canine companion a big foodie? Or do toys really get him excited? Would your dog ignore both of these things waving in his face for attention and pets from you? Whatever your dog loves – use it! If you’re struggling with an adult dog, I would suggest only using “The Best” rewards for after potty time. Give lots of treats, play a game, play with some toys, run around – whatever your dog loves the most. Dog uses the bathroom, mark with a clicker or a verbal “Yes”, and a reward – which can be one, a mix of, or all of the previously mentioned rewards. Even if you aren’t struggling, I would really make pottying outside rewarding. Even if you just use verbal praise. Trust me, it’s always a good idea!

What we’re doing here, is creating a really positive association with peeing and pooping outside! Yay! By repeating the act of taking your dog outside, waiting for them to use the bathroom, and then playing with them, you are instilling a new habit in your dog! That habit is: Using the bathroom outside! Great habit for any dog to have!

STEP TWO: LIMIT ACCESS
As I mentioned, management is a part of my training. When it comes to potty training, dog trainers are pretty universally in agreement – don’t give a puppy the opportunity to build this habit! Use crates, use x-pens, use baby gates, use puppy-proof rooms… Whatever you need to do. I prefer crates, personally, but x-pens can be super awesome! (Unrelated note: I do plan on using an x-pen and crate combination with my next puppy. I’m pretty sure results won’t change, haha, but still exciting to try something new!)

Getting back on topic. Limiting access means you should be actively watching your puppy – especially a very young one! Learn her patterns: Does she circle around before squatting to pee? Dos she sniff and a spot for longer than usual? Figure out what she does before she pees. Then you can watch for that, interrupt before your puppy pees, and immediately bring her outside! Most puppies are not going to pee right away. Wait 30-ish minutes, if pup is still dry, come back inside for 3-5 minutes, then go back outside again and wait. Pretty much repeat until puppy pees – usually the second time they’re brought out, if they didn’t finishing peeing already. Then refer to Step One and reward that poochy like crazy! Make her think “Oh my gosh, peeing outside is soooo freaking awesome! Look at all this stuff I’m getting!” Again – we’re habit building!

STEP THREE: INCREASING FREEDOM, DECREASING REWARDS
Which of these you do first depends on the individual dog or puppy. I typically start removing food fairly quickly, depending on the dog. Once the puppy is more reliable, I’ll start only rewarding with praise and/or play about once every 5 times, then every 7, 10, etc. Personally, I still reward with food randomly. Maybe on the second successfully potty, or the twentieth. I really want my dogs to know that I appreciate this habit a lot!

Then gradually increase freedom. If using a crate, increase to an x-pen. If using an x-pen, increase to a room. If using a room, increase to two rooms. Remember you can also use baby gates to block off areas or rooms of concern. Puppy proof whatever “free” area your puppy is in! Pick up trash, food, anything with fringe, anything that dangles, anything that your puppy might want to chew on. Yes, this post may be on potty training, but good chew habits are important too! So remember those chew toys! Research chew toys to get the best for your puppy! A favorite of most trainers is the Kong – given to your puppy stuffed and frozen! You can use peanut butter(that doesn’t have toxic xylitol) or plain yogurt and treats or kibble or anything you want! As long as it’s healthy and your puppy loves it, use it. You will be happy you did.

Continue increasing freedom gradually as your puppy is successful. If puppy has an accident, you may want to decrease freedom again, depending on the circumstances. If you were really late home from work, that accident is certainly understandable! The key thing here is to increase freedom when your puppy has been successful for a week, and decrease freedom if they have three or more accidents.

How long does this take?
The length of time it takes to successfully potty train a puppy is going to depend on the individual puppy, and your own dedication to training. If you are consistent, use management well, use your rewards well, and are pretty on top of things, you should see a pretty immediate improvement. In the professional world, a lot of dog training professionals don’t consider a dog “potty trained” until they can go six months without having an accident(that is with frequent bathroom breaks, of course; we don’t expect any animal to go even 12 hours without having to use the bathroom, and that is highly improbable for puppies under six months of age anyway). But again, as long as you’re consistent and reasonable with your expectations, you will absolutely see results within the first week.

What do I do if puppy does make a mess?
If your puppy does pee, just clean it up. Rubbing your puppy’s nose in their mess does not teach them to pee outside. In my own childhood, this was how my parents tried to potty train dogs. Most of the dogs ended up confused, our house still smelled like pee, and eventually the dogs were kicked outside permanently. In my experience, rubbing their nose in their mess does nothing to teach a dog where to use the bathroom. Just use a cleaner like Nature’s Miracle, and remind yourself to be more on top of your puppy’s potty training. Don’t stress out! Remember, we’re creating habits here. It’s okay if you have a few accidents, as long as you are consistently rewarding for the habit that you want to instill.

Your puppy will make mistakes. She will potty on your floor. She will poop on your carpets. Be consistent, be fair, be patient. Remember, your puppy is the equivalent of a human baby. Just as some human babies remain in diapers until they’re four years old, your puppy may not be ready to have full reign of the house without making puddles for several months.