Dog Potty Training and Dog House Training Tips

Dog potty training is a task that is relatively straightforward – the problem is it takes times and lots of patience.  Here’s a very handy dog potty training tip that has been a real life saver at times for me in the past – and that is teaching your dog to potty on command.

Imagine the scene – you’re late for work. It’s raining, snowing, or brutally hot (take your pick). You don’t want to wait half an hour for your dog to potty; you want him to go, and go now.

As far as dog potty training goes, teaching your dog to eliminate on command is a way for you to make your life with your dog a little easier to say the least. Potty training dogs in this manner is not necessarily something I would use all the time, but if your dog understands it, it can come in very handy.

Going to the Potty on Command

 

Before you start training and using this dog potty training technique, decide what command(s) you’re going to use. You can use one command for both, or teach separate commands. “Hurry up,” “Do your business,” and “Get busy” are popular choices, but as always, the words you use aren’t important. Using them consistently is. Plan on taking two to four weeks of consistent reinforcement to teach your dog his new command.

When you’re potty training your dog, take him to his potty area, and be nothing more than an observant post. Don’t talk to him, or your neighbor, or let your dog entice you into taking him for a walk before he potties. The moment you see your dog assume the position, repeat your command several times, calmly and quietly (you don’t want to distract him from his task) “Hurry up, Gooood. Hurry up, Hurry up.”

After he finishes, don’t forget the most important part of your dog potty training routine – to give him praise and a treat, then give him some playtime or take him for a walk. Repeat this dog potty training technique for at least a week every time you take him to his potty area before you test your command. To test it, take him to his potty area and give him his command once. House training a dog in this way will teach your dog when to go, and that there’s a reward waiting for him once he’s completed the task.

If he starts looking for a spot and produces right away, give him praise and a treat like he’s the best dog in the world (well, he is, isn’t he?). If he doesn’t start looking for a spot, just continue as you were for another week before testing again.

Why Not Take a Walk to Potty?

One of my other dog potty training tips is concerned with walking and pottying together. If the object of your walk is for your dog to potty, rather than to exercise and spend quality time with her, then you’ll probably end the walk as soon as she goes. This teaches her to hold it so she can prolong the walk. The longer she can hold it, the longer walk she’ll get.

Let’s say you walk her until you’re tired, whether she’s gone or not, and head for home. By the time you’re back in house, she either has no reason to, or can’t, hold it anymore and does exactly what you were trying to prevent. By making the walk part of the reward for pottying, you can encourage her to potty quickly and in the right place.

As you’ll see, dog potty training is all about getting inside your dogs head, and understanding how she sees things.

What dog training equipment do I need for training a dog?

Buying suitable equipment from the start helps make the job of training your dog easier. You would be surprised at what a difference it makes having the correct length of leash for your particular size of dog.

Choose a ‘kind’ collar such as a half-check or a broad collar in leather or nylon, with the weight and width appropriate for the size of the adult dog or puppy. When fitted, you should be able to get two or three fingers under it: too loose and it may slip off; too tight and it will cause discomfort – especially when your pet is eating or drinking. Avoid using a metal ‘choke chain’ as it can seriously damage the trachea.

Leash type is important. First, it must be comfortable for you to hold; second, it must be of suitable length to maintain a slack tension. If the leash is too short your pet will be dragged along, and if it is too long you will have meters of leash to cope with. Choose a nylon leash that can be extended or shortened as desired, and then you have the best of both worlds

Dog Training Tips – Lying Down

Once your dog has learned to sit and stay, the next step, before progressing to rolling over on to his side, is to teach him to lie down on command. Instant reward is essential when teaching down, because a dog is at his most defenseless in a lying position. A reward will take his mind off that feeling and teach him that lying on command is both pleasant and non-threatening. Be patient: if you get annoyed your dog will sense it, and you are unlikely to achieve your goal.

Using Food Treats Wisely

A key element that forms the base for all training is food control; the method used to food-train puppies is exactly the same for adult dogs. However, dogs should not be rewarded with food treats forever, or they will become fat. Use treats as part of the daily food ration, not in addition to it. Once your dog understands what you want, give food rewards only intermittently. At other times, give lavish verbal and physical praise, which your dog will appreciate just as much.

1. With your dog in the sit position, get him to focus his attention on a
treat in your hand.

2. Put the treat under his nose, then slowly move it down to the floor or between his front paws. He will sink to the floor in his effort to get the treat. As soon as he does, say ‘down’ and reward him with the treat and praise. Practice this a couple of times and you will find that your dog soon learns to lie down on command in anticipation of a reward.

 

3. If all goes well, try extending the lie down into a stay. As you step away from the lying dog, say ’stay’ (with a hand signal as shown, if necessary), wait a couple of seconds, then go back to him and reward him lavishly. Gradually extend the distance between you and your dog as you command the stay. You will be surprised at how quickly he learn

Dog Training Tips – Teaching Sit and Stay Commands

Four principles apply to training your dog in the sit position, and these may also be applied to heel-training – the acronym ACER will help you remember them: Attention, Command, Execute and Reward.

Be patient when teaching the sit: dogs feel vulnerable in this position and, depending on your dog’s history, he may not be very comfortable with it.

If you wish to use treat training to teach your dog to sit, then follow these instructions. Stand beside your dog with a treat in the hand closest to him. Offer the treat, then give the command ’sit’ and at the same time move the treat up towards the dog’s nose and over his head. Move the treat back past his head slightly so your dog is looking up; he will automatically move into the sit position. As he does, reward him with a treat.

Stay

The ability to get your dog to stay where you want him, both indoors and out, is very useful. For instance, you can use this command if you have visitors and you want your dog to remain in his bed out of the way, or if he needs to stay put for his own safety and that of others while on a walk.

The free stay

Once you are happy with your dog staying on the leash, you can progress to teaching him the free stay. To do this, move away from your dog, command ’stay’ and drop the leash on the floor (put your foot on the leash if you are worried about him running off). Wait for a few seconds, then walk to and around your dog, finishing by his right side. Reward him with a pat or a treat – don’t hold the treat so that he tries to jump up to get it.

1. Command ’sit’ and simultaneously apply gentle pressure with your left hand on the dog’s rear end to push him down.
2. Responding to the pressure, the dog will execute the command by sitting.
3. When he does so, reward him with the treat. Always request that your dog sits before feeding him or putting him on his leash. This will reinforce good manners, and also your ‘number one’ status.

Teaching a dog to stay when on a leash

1. To teach stay, have your dog on a leash and put him into the sit position by your left heel.
2. To start, you are simply going to walk around the dog with him in a controlled stay, so command ’stay’, with the leash slack in your left hand. Hold your right hand with the palm open in front of the dog as a visual signal. Repeat the ’stay’ command and then take one step to his side.
3. Repeat the command, then walk briskly around the dog, staying dose to him so he knows where you are. Complete the circuit by standing at your dog’s right side. Reward him with calm praise.
4. Repeat the exercise, this time moving a little further away at the front but coming close again at the back to reassure the dog you are still there. If he stays in position, you can gradually increase the distance between you.