Potty Training

    • Puppy

    Potty Training

    Help! I have a 5 month old rat terrier who i can't seem to get trained to potty outside only. She does real good for a long time,then she loses it and potties in the house. She will do that for days and days , then she will do great again. I don't get it.
    • Bronze
    Soldierswife,

    (i hope i'm not telling you what you already know)  Be patient! 

    First off, dogs have different urinary/bowel systems than humans.  They're pretty much ready to go potty right after their meal.  So, maybe right when you wake up (before you go)  lol.  take her out, right after breakfast take her out, etc.---(many times a day) after meal, play, and nap times.  Give her a command of some sort like "lets go outside" or "lets go potty" something like that so she can associate it with going outside.  If she goes outside praise her like she's done the best thing in the world (which she has!)  I'd also maybe recommend giving her a treat if you feel she likes to do things for treats.

    Just be patient---It took my roommate til her dog was 8 mo. old to complete his potty training. 

    For punishing, my best recommendation is to pick a method (which you might already have) and stick with it.  Either verbally scold, a can of pennies, a water spray bottle, or a rolled up piece of paper (nothing big enough to hurt her, just make noise).---i've heard of many methods--its for you to pick one which you may feel may be good for your dog.  When she goes potty in the house, press her nose toward her mess to smell it (you don't need to push it too close!), punish, then take her straight outside and praise her for a couple minutes for being outside.  You must do this EVERY time and NEVER falter.  If you let it slide even once, you can slow the process months, if not fail completely. 

    Your dog may have a potty spot.  (some dogs like to go potty in the same place every time)  In my experience, I found that once you find this potty spot, no matter how old it may be, punish her.  She does remember and can smell her potty scent.---again, take her straight outside and praise. 

    NOTE:  There is much debate over this though.  Some pet owners may say this is cruel or that the dog doesn't understand.  My sister-in-law shows dobermans and having 4 that live inside, she swears they do remember. (she used the squirt bottle method).  I used this method on my Sassy and she was potty trained by 4 mo old.

    I hope this helps!

    ~Becky (Sassy's mom)