How to House Train an Older Dog

How to House Train an Older Dog. Training an older dog may seem like a frustrating task. Unlike a puppy, old dogs may have bad habits. Here’s how to house train the older dog.

Instructions

Step 1

Pick a potty spot. Older dogs respond well to consistency. Pick a spot that you would like your dog to relieve himself such as in front of a pine tree in your backyard. Always take your dog to the same spot.

Step 2

Create a command. Older dogs can be very receptive to commands when potty training. For example, every time you take your dog outside say “go potty.” After a while, your dog will learn to relieve himself on cue. For older dog house training, this may take some time.

Step 3

Monitor food and drink. When potty training an older dog, it’s your job to anticipate when he’ll need to relieve himself. When you monitor his food and drink, you can better anticipate this. Take your dog outside approximately 15-30 minutes after he eats or drinks. If your dog has an accident before you get him outside, write down how much time has passed. For example, if only 10 minutes has passed since he took a drink of water, you’ll want to take him out sooner next time.

Step 4

Avoid punishing your dog. Dogs respond to positive reinforcement much better than punishment. If your dog relieves himself in the house, don’t say anything. Simply remove him from the house into the correct potty place and say “go potty.” This will remind him that the house isn’t the correct place to go. After time, your dog will get the picture.

Step 5

Consider neutering a male dog. If your older dog isn’t neutered, it can make house training difficult. The unuttered dog may find it irresistible to mark his territory. Neutering really helps this problem.

Warnings

• Remember to be very patient. House breaking an older dog takes much more patience than with a puppy. It often takes more time to break the habit but the rewards will be worth it.
• Emotional upsets can also cause a temporary regression in house training. You may have adopted a “house trained” dog from the shelter that isn’t very trained. Don’t worry, your dog just needs some time to adjust to his new environment. Moving can be very traumatic for a dog.

Warnings

• If your older dog is house trained but recently started having accidents, you may want to contact your vet. If a dog has a urinary tract infection, they often lose control over there bladder.