The process of teaching dogs to use the bathroom is related to the timing in which the dog is able to control its bladder and intestines, and this stage is usually between the ages of 9 and 12 months if the dog has been in the house since its birth, but if the dog is brought in at an advanced age, the timing The appropriate thing is as soon as the dog enters the house. It should be noted that dogs do not have the instinct to control excretion and urine like cats, who search for a suitable place in order to make a hole and relieve themselves. Therefore, the issue of teaching the dog to relieve himself in specific places may be somewhat difficult. During this article, we will explain the most prominent methods used in teaching dogs to relieve themselves.
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Tips for teaching dogs to use the bathroom
The literal meaning of teaching dogs to the bathroom is not intended, but rather the concept is to teach the dog to relieve himself in specific places, whether inside a box designated for that or outside the house in specific locations inside the garden. Below are the most prominent tips that help in teaching dogs to do that:
Tips for teaching your dog to use the litter box
The following is an explanation of the methods used to teach a dog to relieve himself in the litter box:
- You must choose the appropriate box for the size of the dog, fill it with dirt or synthetic materials designated for this purpose, and place the box in a suitable place that is easy for the dog to access.
- The dog is placed in the litter box, and the command “Use the box” or any other appropriate command with the same meaning is given to it. If the dog leaves the box, it is returned and the command is repeated until he gets used to it and understands it.
- Food is provided to the dog on a regular basis, and it is monitored to detect any signs that indicate that it wants to relieve itself. If they appear, the command “Use the box” is directed to it in order to link the box with relieving itself.
- The process may not be successful from the first attempts and requires patience, and the dog owner must keep in mind that dogs sometimes relieve themselves inside the house without using the litter box.
Tips for teaching your dog to relieve himself outside the home
The following is an explanation of the methods used to teach a dog to relieve himself outside the home:
- Before starting to toilet train the dog, an area in the garden must be identified and marked so that the dog gets used to it.
- It is preferable to create a daily toilet routine, which includes sending the dog to the toilet area in the morning as soon as he wakes up, after eating, after playing, after waking up from a nap, before leaving the house, and before going to sleep.
- The dog may think that leaving the house means that his owner wants to play with him, so it is preferable that the toilet area be isolated, and not contain objects that will distract the dog. The dog’s owner should also greatly limit interaction with the dog.
- Every time the dog relieves himself in the designated place, it is preferable to reward him in order to encourage him to comply.
- The dog can be taught to tell its owner that it wants to relieve itself, and this is done by including a routine before sending it to the waste area during training so that a bell can be installed inside the house and rung every time the dog is sent to relieve itself.
