Sometimes, you will come across adult dogs still soiling in the house. This could be a result of several reasons. However, the important thing is that you should not give up on your dog whatsoever article not only are we going to talk about how to potty train a grown dog but also outline some of the reasons why some dogs are not house trained.
5 Methods to potty train a grown dog
- Establish a routine
- Be watchful for the need to go
- Long-term confinement
- Reward good behavior
- Get rid of the fear of going outside
If you have adopted a grown dog who is not potty trained, don’t give up on your dog. You can be able to teach him how to potty. It might take some time, but you will eventually have a potty-trained doggy. Well, the following tips are going to help you potty train a grown dog:
1. Establish a Routine
This is the most critical step you should take when bringing your dog home. Developing a routine that fits well with your schedule will help you potty train your adult dogs. In most circumstances, your dog will feed at least twice a day, which means that he will also need to potty in about 30 minutes to one hour. You have to be there to let him access the potty area. It does not matter whether you are using the crate or even long-term confinement to do so.
Use the same potty area over and over to avoid confusing your dog about where he is supposed to go. You should also ensure you take your dog outside to the potty as frequently as possible.
2, Be watchful for his need to eliminate
Potty training an adult dog is not only going to take time, but it will also require a lot of supervision. For instance, some dog owners will use crates for potty training. Now, training a grown dog might take longer than a puppy. While training your dog in a crate, you should watch him for any signs he is about to eliminate.
He might seem restless; furthermore, when you are on a strict schedule, you can estimate the number of times to take him out to the potty. If you are not going to be at home all day, you might consider introducing the long-term confinement potty training method. This works best with an adult dog because a crate might be too small.
To introduce the long-term confinement method to your dog, get a room, the store, or even your kitchen. You will also have to work in the room to dog-proof it. You can use baby gates to keep and control your dog. You can place as many paper pads as you can on the floor. You will not have to clean up all of his waste.
3. Long Term confinement
Long-term is quite a fair consideration when you are looking to potty train a grown dog. While crates don’t always work well, long-term confinement allows your dog to move freely, limited to a single room. You can set up his confinement area in the bathroom or laundry room. This is the first step you take when you want to introduce your dog to access the entire house.
You do not want to find your dog soiled in your room or, worse, on your f, furniture. Therefore, you will have to limit his access to different places. Remember that your dog might end up defecating on a surface simply because he likes how it feels on his paws.
Ensure that the food station and his bed are far from the potty area you have set up. If potty training a small breed of dogs, you might use a litter box as a potty place.
You should use baby gates to keep your dog from moving from one room to another. This might take a few months before you can expose your dog to other rooms. However, you should always ensure that he is supervised once out of the confinement area. If you do not have to work, you can use a long-term confinement method and still potty train your grown dog outside.
4. Reward good behavior
When you have been able to introduce your grown dog to an outside potty place, always carry a few treats in your pocket. Dogs tend to learn fast when we associate these lessons with a pleasant outcome. For instance, encourage him to do his business once you take him outside.
However, please do not allow him to get carried away and forget what he came there to do. To keep him focused, use a leash to lead and control him.
Once your puppy eliminates successfully, you may reward him using his favorite treat.
5. Get rid of the fear of the outside
Earlier in this article, we mentioned that an adult dog might sometimes be afraid of the outside. Now, if the potty place is outside, he might avoid it entirely and thus soil the house. In such a case, refrain from punishing your dog. Instead, figure out why he has a fear of the outside and approach this problem by eliminating the cause of anxiety. If he doesn’t accept going to that place complete, you can alternatively change the potty place and start potty training once again.
Your dog cannot get him to go outside all over again. At the same, new dogs will tend to soil the house. For instance, a dog might be afraid to go out for the first few times because he is unfamiliar with the surroundings. Gradually make them feel as comfortable to go outside by initiating play out and using rewards.
Reasons why my adult dog is soiling the house
Most dogs undergo housetraining during puppyhood. In most instances, you will never have to repeat the process of potty training. However, you might have adopted an adult dog who has never been house-trained. This will be challenging, but you can eliminate this problem within a few weeks. However, to potty train a grown dog, you must understand why he is soiling the house in the first place.
Medical Reasons for house-soiling in adult dogs
Now, if your dog has suddenly started soiling the house, you may need to understand why he is doing so. It is unlikely for a housetrained dog to pollute the place, but it is not unheard of. You may want to check on his health as well as his diet. For instance, just like us, sometimes dogs suffer gastrointestinal upset. If your dog is diarrhea, it could be that he is not feeling all well.
An accident with your dog could also result from changing your diet. Also, Overfeeding your dog could also result in house soiling. He might also change his elimination schedule, which leaves you clueless. And because he can’t be able to hold it for too long, he will end up spoiling your house.
While most dogs will have a hold of themselves until you can let them out to go and potty, he may not be able to if he suffers a UTI infection. Incontinence, which results in your dog leaking their bladder. Your dog might also void his bladder in his sleep. In most cases, he is unaware that he is soiling the house.
Should you recognize such symptoms, taking him to the vet-care center for a check-up is advisable. Your vet will provide you with the necessary treatment to help you get rid of these issues.
Age-related issues
Once again, if your dog suddenly stops going to the potty area and will pee or defecate anywhere in the house, he might get older. Senile dogs tend to lose control of the bladder and sometimes bowel movements. As a result, you will deal with several issues, among them house soiling.
It does not matter whether you had previously housetrained him all along. As dogs get older, they become more vulnerable to illnesses such as arthritis and diabetes. Therefore, age is the common reason your dog is suddenly soiling the house.
He has never been housetrained before
As sad as this might sound, some dogs have never been housetrained. This can result from your dog having been abandoned as a puppy. Well, it is said that we still have stray and lurking dogs out there. When they are rescued, they are most likely taken to the shelter, where they get to eat and co-exist with others. However, a dog may never undergo full potty training at the top. This, however, should not limit you from adopting the dog, as you can train him yourself.
Sometimes, your dog might have undergone incomplete house training, so he might occasionally soil the house. He might be triggered to do so by the floor type. For instance, if you leave your puppy outdoors on his own, there is a likelihood that he is going to poop anywhere, especially where there is soil.
Sometimes your dog might develop a particular liking for your carpet. This is especially common when you are training your dog to potty indoors. Unlike puppies, adult dogs sometimes choose their preferred place for elimination. This is especially if he is just from the paper pad training or when you are potty training him using a crate.
We can also attribute this vice to dogs suffering stress and anxiety as they tend to soil the furniture, especially parts that smell like you. This is common in dogs suffering from separation anxiety. Unfortunately, even if you have been working hard towards correcting anxiety, it could be that your dog is soiling the house because you are gone.
Your dog is afraid of going outside.
Sometimes your dog will soil the house because he is afraid of going outside. This might sound ironic, but dogs are also vulnerable to emotional disorders. For instance, if your dog has had an unpleasant while on a potty break, perhaps he was startled or hurt by someone or something, he might develop the fear of going outside. It does not matter how reliable he has regarded house soiling. If he is uncomfortable going outside, he will potty in the house.
Additionally, some dogs hate it when they have to go outside during rainy seasons. The fact is, all dogs hate getting wet or even walking on wet grounds. However, it would help if you kept encouraging your dog to avoid soiling the house even as it gets colder by the day.
Your dog is marking boundaries.
Sometimes, when your dog doesn’t stop soiling the house, it could b that he is marking territories. Dogs are particularly territorial and will not readily welcome a guest or another pet. Additionally, he will suffer anxiety if he is uncomfortable in his home. As a result, he may want to mark territories, especially when he feels they are being overstepped.
Usually, your dog will urinate on what he partakes to be his boundaries. He will most likely do so while raising one leg. You may want to get to the bottom if you suspect your dog is marking boundaries. Identify why he is doing so and solve it. You will return your adult dog to a well-behaved, fully trained dog.
Conclusion
Training an adult dog might be a little more complex than training a puppy. However, you can potty train a grown dog using the above-discussed methods. Monitor your dog, and depending on your everyday schedule, you will be able to figure out the best way to use to potty train your dog. Always ensure that your dog is under heavy supervision when he is in the house and even outside.
Do not let him choose his preferred potty place. Your dog should know that it is unacceptable to pee or eliminate any other sites but the designated potty area. Be patient and consistent until he is all trained and reliable, even though it might take some time.
