Potty training is a unique experience and there are different training practices made for different breeds of different ages.Potty training an adult dog is not easy, especially when it has already learned to do certain things. It is really difficult to unlearn previous behaviors and get trained in new ways of behaving.Pet dogs need increased levels of patience and positive reinforcements during potty training. Taking care of a puppy and training it is very different from training an adult dog. This is mostly because you do not know what that adult dog has experienced in the past or how it was treated by humans. All these things play an important role in how each adult dog responds to the different training exercises, learning the behavior by being taught through training.It is interesting to know, however, that sometimes it is in fact easier to train an adult dog to listen to you and perform certain activities because it is keener to listen to you whereas puppies are always jumping around and have absolutely negligible levels of self-control.After you read all about potty training an adult dog, do read about why do dogs shiver and why do dogs sneeze when excited?Can an older dog still be potty trained?Teaching requires a lot of patience, determination, and treats. The owner needs to establish certain ground rules when adopting an older dog. Older dogs can be trained to take their business outside the house. House training an adult dog can take a couple of weeks. It will be frustrating at first but remember that in the long run, this potty training will make your life simpler.House-trained adult dogs are prevented from house soiling and taken for a walk each day so that they can understand a schedule and take their business outside whenever required. Once the new dog gets the hang of the schedule, he/ she will follow it regularly. Training a new dog always takes time, whether they are puppies or adult dogs. It is important to teach them to go outside to prevent house soiling and also ensure that the new dog does not undergo any sort of anxiety.How to use a crate for potty training an older dog?A crate can be used to train an adult dog in the same way people use it for puppies. Providing a crate to your adult dog would help it to release anxiety. Routine needs to be formed so that the adult dogs get into a habit of taking their business outside. Accidents may occur in the beginning if the adult dog has not undergone housetraining before. It is always better to retrain the older dog to make sure that accidents do not occur in the future. Sometimes, accidents may even occur because of medical conditions that the older dog is suffering from.It may take weeks but it is important to select a crate of the right size. The crate proves useful whenever the owner is out or is busy and cannot pay attention to the adult dog. Adult dogs once trained at using the crate go to it whenever they want to feel safe or relieve themselves of anxiety. The setup should be such that the crate feels like a cave. The top can be covered by either a blanket or a similar cloth. The size should be devised according to the need of the dog. Adult dogs should be able to stand up straight and wag their tail, they should be able to turn around, lie down comfortably at different positions and also have access to food and water. The dog should not feel confined or restricted in any way. The main purpose of building a crate for your puppy or adult dog is that they feel comfortable and have a safe haven to go to whenever they feel anxious. The crate should be placed in such a way that there is minimum intrusion and noise. It is a place just for your adult dog and no puppy must chase him/ her there.How do you potty train an older dog without a crate?Using a crate is a good idea for potty training, but of course, it is also important to know what to do and how to train your older dog without a crate for going potty. Routine is of major importance here. Everybody needs a routine to ensure that they develop the right habits. The same is true for potty training an older dog. Forming a routine and sticking to schedule is essential for making the older dog understand that they need to do their business outside. Once a routine has been formed and the schedule is created, it is important to use the same phrase or word every time you want your dog to go potty. Going potty outside makes the dog understand that urine and potty are to be done outside. Eventually, they start giving signs to their owners whenever they wish to relieve themselves. They might start barking at the door or pulling you towards it or simply start pawing the door.These signs must not be ignored. Each time the older dog performs his business outside, reinforce the positive behavior by giving them a reward or a treat. The older dog must be taught that the bathroom is only for his/ her owners from the very start if the owners do not want their dogs to go potty in the bathroom. Housetraining involves a great deal of patience and calmness. Shouting at your dog whenever they have an accident increases their anxiety and makes them feel scared. Raising a healthy well-trained dog requires a great deal of hard work and understanding. Try to establish a bond with your puppies and older dogs in between these house training sessions.Signs Your Dog Needs To Go To The BathroomPuppies and older dogs understand after undergoing housetraining that they need to go potty outside. Whenever they are indoors and need to go to the bathroom, they have signs that can alert the owner about the need of the dog. A dog is an excellent loyal pet. He will take his business outside after being housetrained. The owner needs to supervise housetrained dogs while they are outside, eliminating their fear of being abandoned. While the owner would supervise the older dog, they can watch and teach their beloved pet a few new tricks.The older dog may start circling around you, jump on your bed while you are sleeping, scratch the door, start barking towards the door, and so on when they need to go outside for his/her business. Whenever the owner sees such signs, he/she should immediately take the dog outside. This helps establish trust between you and your older dog. Eliminating hostility is a good start for all owners and their pets. Do not give the older dog or your puppy any chances of house soiling. Supervise them properly and take them outside immediately. Even at night watch them and note their routine behavior. You have adopted the older dog and therefore you should not punish it for accidents. The older dog might not have been trained by the previous owner and therefore deserves your love and care. Positive reinforcement, encouraging words, and treats for good behavior go a long way in successful housetraining.Possible Medical Reasons For Potty AccidentsThere are several medical reasons that could be responsible for such accidents. House-trained dogs are properly potty trained and would not knowingly engage in house soiling or make the indoors dirty with their urine. They know the smell is supposed to be in an outside area and not indoors. As owners supervise their dogs’ routine behavior, they will become aware of the fact that there might be some medical reason behind the soiled carpets and smelly rooms.The best thing to do is visit a veterinarian and get your older dog checked. The most commonly found medical problems in older dogs and sometimes even in puppies include, urine infection, bladder stone, diabetes, bladder tumor, prostate, and kidney infection. Also, for males, older dogs that have not been medically neutered have an instinctual need to leave urine marks on different areas indoors as a way to mark their territory. Since the smell is too much, owners often punish the dogs. However. This would not help in the long run, it is better to get your dog neutered if this behavior of spreading urine in different regions does not seem to be trained. Another medical reason could be the development of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD). Just like human beings may suffer from mental health illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Dementia, older dogs are also sometimes affected by CCD. In these instances, the older dogs tend to forget their training, which leads to increased proneness to potty accidents. The older dog might even get lost indoors or fail to recognize their owners. All such varied medical problems require the owners to immediately seek help from the veterinarian and take appropriate medications.Why your adult dog might be having potty accidents?So there are several medical reasons for adult dogs having potty accidents. Most of them are listed above. It is important to praise the dog wherever they are on schedule and following the routine. This ensures that there is no anxiety or pressure on the older dogs. Whenever the dog shows signs of wanting to go outside, do so right away. This helps in building trust and ensuring that your dog knows you are there for them. Sticking to the schedule and following the routine helps in eliminating instances of potty accidents.Adult dogs might be having potty accidents because of a recent change in the routine and structure of their schedule. Probably the owner moved to a new place or got a new job enabling a new set of routines and schedules that the dog is unaware of. It is also possible that the adult dog was not house trained properly the first time around and therefore keeps soiling the house. Make sure to remove the smell of urine from the indoor area because adult dogs follow the smell. If the smell of their urine is left indoors, they tend to follow it and carry out their business on the same spot. If the accidents always occur when you are away and the dog is left alone, then it is possible that your dog is suffering from Separation Anxiety problems. The dog feels abandoned and is anxious. It might run towards the door every time he/she hears something and might even stop eating properly. Dogs and puppies are very loyal beings. Once they bond with their owner, they are emotionally attached to them.The Challenges Of Potty Training Older DogsIf an older dog continues to eliminate indoors even after checking that there are no medical reasons for the same, it becomes essential to re-train the older dog. It is possible that before you adopted the dog, he was not trained properly. Even at night, dogs require constant watch and may need to be taken outside at odd hours. Eliminating at odd hours is a clear sign of a lack of routine and schedule. The most challenging task with training older dogs is forming their schedule and developing a routine.There are times when older dogs and puppies get excited and therefore might urinate indoors. Retraining is required only when such accidents occur on a regular basis without any medical issues. The owner should not punish the dog for doing so. Instead, treat them and praise them for doing things the right way. Assist them in following the routine and the schedule that is created for them. Another challenge is that, unlike puppies who do not have any past experience with their owner, older dogs do. It is important to overcome the challenges of house training older dogs without punishing them. Handle them with care and provide time to bond. Another challenge of training older dogs is to make them exercise. Exercise would help your adult dog stay healthy and fit. Exercise would assist the dogs in getting better digestion, resulting in timely potty and urine.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how to house train an adult dog, then why not take a look at why do female dogs hump, or boxer dog facts?
Potty training is a unique experience and there are different training practices made for different breeds of different ages.
