| Question
1: The dog never potties in the house except at night while everyone is asleep. |
Answer: You may be feeding the dog too late at night.
Start putting the dog in its carrier next to your bed at night. Most dogs won’t go in
their sleeping area. This would be a good arrangement for at least a couple of months. It
teaches the dog control during the night. |
| Question
2: How often should an adult dog have to go outside to go potty? |
| Answer: |
| 1. First thing in the morning |
| 2. After every meal |
| 3. Right before bedtime |
| Question 3: How
often should a puppy be put outside to go potty? |
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| Question
4: We have a new baby and it’s starting to crawl; all of a sudden, my male dog is
marking in the house. |
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| Question
5: My nine-week old Poodle won’t tell us when she has to go potty. |
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| Question
6: I live in an apartment, and my dog thinks that it’s supposed to go to the bathroom
every time I take it for a walk. |
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| Question
7: I work and don’t have time to housebreak my dog. Is there a quick and easy way? |
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| Question
8: I have a 14-year-old spayed miniature Schnauzer, and she’s started going to the
bathroom in the house. |
| Answer: The first step is to get a complete physical for
her from your veterinarian. Take a urine specimen and a stool sample. If the dog is
healthy, start your housebreaking training as though she were a young puppy. (see Housebreaking Tips) |
| Question
9: How do I get a urine specimen from my dog? It’s a female. |
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| Question
10: I have two dogs, and I can’t tell which one is having bowel movements in the
house. |
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| Question
11: I’ve been trying to housebreak my puppy, but I’m not sure I’m making
fast enough progress. |
Answer: Keep a record of every accident on a calendar for
a month. Each week, total the number of accidents. If the number is less each week,
you’re making progress.
(see Consequences under Rules and Consequences) |
| Question
12: My puppy is eight months old and seldom has an accident in the house, but I’m
still finding a spot about once every two weeks. |
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| Question
13: Why does my dog go to the bathroom (urinate) on everything along the path or in the
park when we go for a walk? He also digs and kicks dirt with his back feet.
What’s going on? |
| Answer: Chances are, he’s marking territory exactly
where all the other dogs are marking. Then he "beats on his chest" by kicking up
dirt. It’s normal behavior, but it can be discouraged if you break into a trot just
as he lifts his leg to mark. Talk happy! |
| Question
14: I can smell urine in the house, but I have a really small dog and I can’t find
the spots. |
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| Question
15: I take my dog for a walk so it will go to the bathroom, but it won’t go right
away. |
| Answer: Don’t go for the walk until after the dog has
urinated and had a bowel movement. The walk is the reward for going right away. |
| Question
16: My puppy won’t go to the bathroom unless I stand and watch it. |
