HOW TO POTTY TRAIN AN OLDER DOG

When it comes to how to house train an adult dog, it is not without its challenges. While older dogs have larger bowels and bladders and better control of these parts than puppies, without a history of housetraining, these doggos also have a strong habit of pottying wherever and whenever they want. They might also find it hard to understand why the rules suddenly change.

Whether you have adopted an older dog or already own a well-trained dog, confusion around how house training in your home works is always a challenge you might face when considering how to house train an adult dog. If you have recently moved homes, you might also find your dog doing its business in your home instead of outside. We're here to help you overcome these issues with the right training!

Successfully learning how to potty train a dog that is older has a lot to do with your preparation. Taking the time to ensure that you, your home, and your doggo are ready will help ensure success! Take note of these tips:

Set up a 'Permissible Bathroom' for your Dog

Let's face it; if your dog needs to go, it must go. There may be situations where your doggy has to be left alone for longer than they can hold it, so it's important to give them a legal bathroom. Wee pads work really well for this. They give your furbaby a better option than just using the floor (less cleaning up for you).

If you live in an apartment and don't have access to a garden, you can also put a grass patch on your patio or try an indoor dog potty. This will help provide your doggie with a spot just for their potty needs and make things easier for you!

Right, now that you're prepared, we're ready to begin with the potty training! Whether you're going to potty train dog with bell or use a spray for potty training, these basic steps will help guide you and your doggo on your journey. By following these steps, you will also be able to create a potty training schedule for dogs that actually works!

Step 1: Take Hourly Potty Breaks During the Day

This is the first step to start your potty training journey. Although taking your dog out every hour might seem like a lot, it's all part of the process. Take your dog outside to their designated potty area, and wait 5 minutes for them to relieve themself. Give them treats and praise if or when they do.

If your dog does not go, take them back inside to their designated area and try again 15 minutes later. Repeat this process until they go.

Step 2: Allow for Some Playtime After Potty Time

You want your doggo to have a paws-itive association with their potty time, and allowing for some playtime after they have done their business is the purrfect way to achieve these. Spend at least 10 minutes outdoors after your dog relieves itself, and have some fun with your bud!

Step 3: Provide Playtime when Returning Indoors

You don't want your furbaby to associate going outdoors with being immediately created once they return inside. We suggest allowing them 15-20 minutes of supervised playtime when you return to your home before returning them to their designated area. Doing this makes your doggo more likely to be happy to go out and potty when you want it to.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 1-3 Throughout the Day

Potty training older dogs is a process, and repeating these steps will help you and your dog develop a routine that works. By keeping track of when your dog potties, you will also be able to create a potty training schedule for dogs, just like this one for puppies. It is best to start the training over a weekend when you will be at home. If you work in an office during the week, see if you can get a neighbor or dog walker to help take your dog out every 3-4 hours.

Once you've tracked your dog's potty times and created your potty training schedule for dogs, you might not need to go out so often if your dog only needs to relieve themselves at certain times during the day. If your dog responds well to this training, you can try to potty training dog with bell.

You've now got all the information you need to help potty train an older dog, but we're not done yet! We've got a few more tidbits to share with you that'll make the training process smoother for every-pawdy:

• Don't punish your dog when they have an accident. Although it can be frustrating, rather clean it and pretend nothing happened. If you do punish your dog, they might start hiding their pees from you around the house.

• Take advantage of your doggos instinct to scent mark. Collect your dog's pee (or something they have peed on) and sprinkle or rub it in the area you'd like your dog to go. Next time you take your dog there, let it sniff – it will almost certainly urinate.

• Potty training dogs at any age takes time. Have patience, and you'll get there together.

We hope you're feeling a little more confident about learning how to potty train an older dog. Armed with these steps and our top tips, we've no doubt that you and your best bud will have this whole thing mastered in no time!