Teaching The Dog To Go To The Right Place

Unlike cats, dogs are not born with the instinct that helps them to know where is the ideal place to do their business:  for them this is a habit that they will have to learn by living with humans. And here is one of the fears that most worries those who decide to adopt a dog: how to teach them to do their business in the right place and at the right time? In this situation, patience, perseverance and consistency of the owner must prevail, virtues necessary to be able to better educate a dog. 

Tips for teaching your dog to do his business in the right place

First of all, take advantage of your dog’s innate behavior: as a good descendant of wolves, he will want to keep his “den” clean, and it is for this reason that since he was a puppy he moves away from it to do his own needs. By keeping their burrows clean, the dog’s ancestors prevented the onset of many parasitic diseases, as well as reducing the odor that could reveal their presence to potential enemies.

Another strong point to exploit in this training process is certainly the reward factor: your dog will do everything to indulge you in exchange for a reward. For this reason, when he does his business in the right place and at the right time, you will have to reward him with caresses, praise and some treats for animals.

If your dog is a puppy, keep in mind that it is from 4 months when the animal begins to control its sphincters. If at 6 months you don’t notice any progress in this aspect, then it is best to consult a veterinarian.

To achieve your goals, take a look at these tips:

• Set up an area of ​​the house (always the same), for the needs of your friend and cover the floor of this area with newspaper or similar. This space will need to be located away from his food and water bowls and also away from his kennel. If you have a courtyard or a garden, the ideal will be to take advantage of this space so that your dog can evacuate within a confined area.

• We advise you to let your dog choose the ideal place: in this case, you will have to cover the floor with newspaper sheets at the point where he first went to his toilet.
• Try to keep an eye on your furry puppy for as long as possible and when he manages to get dirty in the area you have established, let him know that you are satisfied with him and show him your contentment.
• Also try to match the times of his walk with the most appropriate moments to evacuate: after drinking and eating, when he wakes up or after playing. If you see him starting to spin around, sniffing on the ground, it is the best time to take him out: in this way, in fact, he is communicating to you that he has an urgent need to relieve himself. By doing so you will see that, little by little, your trusted friend will get used to doing their own needs at certain times. This is where your consistency comes into play: don’t alter this routine and always take it out at the same time.

• If you have adopted an adult dog that has not been used to doing its business at certain times and only in certain places, then you will have to make an effort and increase the limit of your patience and perseverance, without losing heart. You will do it for sure: remember that with clear orders and commands, sooner or later your four-legged friend will get used to his new routine.

Any problems

If, despite your best efforts and persistence, your dog is unable to control his sphincters, perhaps you should seriously consider the possibility that your furry friend is suffering from some physical ailment that should be evaluated by a veterinarian. So be careful if your dog has symptoms such as fever and weakness.

Sometimes it may even be that the animal goes about its needs where it shouldn’t intentionally, to get your attention, perhaps because it thinks that you are not giving it enough attention.

During the first few outings, your dog is very likely to be afraid. Until he gets used to his daily walks, it is normal for him to decide to evacuate to a place where he feels safe, that is, inside the house.

Also pay attention to nutrition: if you introduce sudden changes in his diet, episodes of diarrhea in which, obviously, your dog will not be able to control his sphincters , cannot be ruled out.

In any case, remember that it is completely useless to scold him for dirtying where he shouldn’t, unless you catch him in the act. Keep in mind that it is always much more productive to reward and reward him when he behaves in the right way rather than chastising him. And to conclude, one last thing, no less important: when you go out with your four-legged friend, never forget to bring the bags with you to collect his excrement!