Potty Training Tips
Potty Training
By Shannon Wright
Animal Behavior College, Certified Dog Trainer
February 9, 2021
This is a potty training guide to help newly adopted dogs and their owners. If you encounter any repeated potty issues you should connect with your veterinarian first before continuing any training.
Preparation:
- Close all bedroom, den, loft and bathroom doors prior to the arrival of your new dog.
- If you’ve had a previous or visiting dog who had an accident in your house you’ll need to clean the area with an odor neutralizer prior to the arrival of the dog.
- Set up a crate in an appropriate area of your house
- Have tasty soft treats (no biscuit/hard type)
- Have a leash handy
- Create a potty schedule & routine
- Determine designated potty area:
For example, the far left side of your backyard or the neighbors front yard
Bringing home a new dog is an exciting time! Now that you’ve gone through the steps to prepare your home for your new furry family member, what’s next?
One of the most desired behaviors dog owners want is for their dog to be potty trained perfectly. It’s important to set your dog up for success the moment you bring them home.
Before exiting your vehicle, be sure to have some tasty treats in your pocket.
While keeping your dog on leash, walk them through the house to briefly observe the common areas and then continue swiftly on leash to the area where you’ll want your dog to potty on a regular basis.
In the ‘potty area’ wait with your dog on a leash until the dog eliminates. Once your dog starts their potty business- praise praise praise and give the reward immediately after they’ve finished. It’s vitally important that you follow up your praise with reinforcements, the first time and EVERYTIME until you know your dog will successfully potty in the area. Be sure to keep your enthusiastic response to their potty behavior each time the dog potties in the designated area.
Now that you’ve designated a space for elimination, it’s likely you’ll be eager to bring the dog back inside and take off the leash. I suggest that you continue to guide the dog through the house on leash. Allow your new dog to explore what’s behind the closed doors with you one room at a time.
After a brief tour of your house it’s back out (on leash) to the designated potty area.
Please keep in mind this is an entirely new environment for your dog, the smells, sounds and sights are sure to create a spectrum of emotions for your dog. Walk in the area with the dog until they do #2. Praise, “yes! Good job!” and give several treats for their success!
Repeat several times throughout the day and at night, your consistency and routine will help the dog gain the understanding of what’s expected when ‘we’ go outside on the leash.
Next you’ll want to add a cue (word) for the potty behavior. As soon as you see indicators of your dog eliminating, say the word you desire, “potty, business”, to cue the behavior. Then praise, “yes! Good job!”, and give several tasty treats (rewards) for their success! Your dog will start to associate the cue (word) with the behavior and as long as you give good reinforcements your dog will be happy to comply.
You’ll want to keep access to rooms limited until your dog gets the hang of the bathroom business. Begin to crate train your dog so you can set boundaries and limitations to space that would be inviting to soil on when your dog is unsupervised.
- Be sure to use your crate as a positive management tool and research how to acclimate your dog to a new crate space. Crates should not be used as a punishment tactic.
Once your dog becomes more reliable to eliminate in the designated area you can start to phase out the leash (if your designated area is fenced). Make sure to stick to the exact routine and reward system you’ve given while on leash.
Finally you can start to provide a little more freedom around the house but must continue with the same routine and reward system that has built up the successful behavior.
A common mistake when an accident happens is for us to show we are displeased with the dogs behavior.
Instead perform the following:
- Without any words or negative body language, remove the dog from the area.
- Ensure the dog cannot see you
- Clean up the mess, use odor neutralizer
- Start back at stage one with leashing your dog and escorting them to the designated potty area
- When they eliminate praise and when they finish their business handsomely reward.
- Repeat step 4 and 5 until you can phase out the leash. You may also find it helpful to go back to limiting access and implement the crate training.
- Keep with the routine, praise and reward handsomely for successful trips to the bathroom.
- Don’t ever punish your dog for having an accident, you could create a fear associated response which may result in more challenges behaviorally & medically in the future.
If you experience challenges throughout the process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your veterinarian or trainer for help.
Clinic Corner: February is National Pet Dental Health Month!
Everyone knows it’s important to practice good oral hygiene to benefit your overall health. Dentists have been incredibly successful at getting their patients to brush and floss regularly, but did you know dental care is important for your pets too?
Most pet dental disease occurs below the gum line, where you can’t see it. While most people think “Doggy Breath” is just part of being a dog (or cat), it’s not! Bad breath signifies dental disease. It’s very common, and very preventable! Between routine care at home like brushing and dental chews, and annual visits with your vet, your pets dental health can be managed easily, which is critical not only for the health of their teeth, but for their overall health as well. Like in humans, untreated dental disease can damage internal organs including the heart, liver, and kidneys.
For the month of February, the Butte Humane Society Clinic is offering a special to help your pet get on track to better dental health! Come in for a dental exam, book your pet’s dental procedure in the month of February, and receive 10% off! This promotion can be combined with the dental procedure discount that is part of our Senior Pet Package. Call our clinic for more details and book today! 530-343-7917 ext. 202
Sweet Success: Angus
Angus seems very happy in his new home and being part of our family. We could not be more thrilled with him, he is so sweet and such a good boy! We did change his name to Angus. No issues with Benson, we just thought Angus was a perfect name for a Scottish terrier. My daughter loves the Disney movie “Brave” and the lead character has a pet horse named Angus who has the exact coloring that he has. So he was Angus the moment the kids laid eyes on him.
I can’t say I have noticed any personality traits that differ from when we first adopted him. He is very smart and picked up potty training within two weeks. He is a creature of habit and loves his routine. He cracks us up each night because he puts himself to bed in his crate as soon as he sees us getting onto bed!
Our vet noted from his first visit that he has a great temperament and that has held true to today. Angus and our cat love to play and get along great. In fact, our cat has started joining us on walks (not on a leash just following alongside Angus). We make quite the sight… He is also very friendly towards other dogs we encounter on our walks!
The process to adopt on your end was very easy and the staff was so friendly and knowledgeable. They made the adoption a breeze and I cannot compliment them enough!We had been looking for a while, ever since our family dog passed away last May (he was almost 15). We were very discouraged with the process of trying to find a dog during COVID (it was so competitive to find a rescue). Our experience with the Butte Humane Society could not have been more night and day to many of the other shelters we looked at!
Sweet Success: Sadie
By Katrina Woodcox
We were heartbroken when we lost our 13-year old dog, Ruby. She had been with us since she was a puppy and was a reliable, stoic girl who joined us on family adventures and was a patient, gentle companion for our oldest daughter who has autism. When our youngest was born, she became a faithful shadow, always keeping a watchful eye on her from infancy, through the toddler years and into elementary school.
Suffice it to say – she had some pretty big paws to fill. So much so that after her passing, my husband said he did not want to get another dog. Three years went by, and while we filled our busy home with life, laughter, and four funny feline friends, nevertheless, I longed for the loyal companionship that only a dog seems to provide. Every now and then, I would talk to my husband about it, but he was still pretty adamant about his decision. From “they’re too much work” to “we’ll have to clean up poop in the yard again” he had several excuses to cover up the real reason: his heart wasn’t quite ready.
One afternoon, I was asked if I could foster two 3-month old brindle-coat puppies. They had been taken in as strays with their mom by the city animal shelter. They were born on the streets of Chico and were truly homeless animals. When their mother was reunited with her owner, the puppies ended up at Butte Humane Society. I offered to take them in “for a few days” until they were altered and then put up for adoption.
They were adorable: the male was beefy, rambunctious, and loud. The female was lean, quiet, and shy. She just wanted me to hold her on my chest and rest her head on my shoulder. It took about 10 minutes and I knew Sadie had picked her family. It took my husband a few days, but he knew it too. And it took no convincing my then-10-year-old – we were all hooked.
Today she is still a shy girl, but she is goofy and funny. She’s definitely not “a Ruby” – but she IS Sadie and we love her just as much. She likes to play “Is There a Puppy In Here?” – a phrase that causes her to spin in mad circles in the living room with a squeaky toy. She loves trips to the ocean, hikes in Bidwell Park, chasing squirrels, and car rides. She is gentle, a bit nervous, and very sweet. She sits by the door every morning so I don’t “forget her” when I leave for the office and makes friends with
everyone she meets. And on occasion, she suffers from an anxiety episode – that requires soothing music and a quiet space to regroup.
Aside from finding her forever home with us, the even better news is that her brother was adopted by a colleague so now Ru and Sadie get to see each other throughout the year, their favorite pastime: chasing each other and balls in a big open field.
After losing a beloved pet, we sometimes place expectations on those that come after them. I’m grateful that Sadie is so different from Ruby. Like humans – we are all unique – as we should be. I’m glad Sadie does what most animals can do for us if we just let them: teach us about ourselves, kindness, and unconditional love. Thank you, BHS for bringing us together!
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