Potty Training

Update from last post: The last time we talked, I was explaining how my dog Rosie hated her crate. She never wanted to go inside and when she did, she seemed very scared and began to whine profusely. After applying the techniques of praising her and giving her treats after going into her crate, she seemed to warm up to it. Now we leave the door open for her so she can go in whenever she wants. Now, if I can’t seem to find her, I look for her in her crate and typically finding her in it fast asleep. Training strategies such as these are allowing her to progress and become more comfortable in her new forever home.

Within the past few weeks, Rosie has had the problem of having accidents in the house. I tend to keep a close eye on her to make sure that this doesn’t happen but it seems like every single time I turn away, she has another accident waiting on the ground for me to clean up. It was beginning to get pretty irritating and old really quickly.

At first, we placed “potty pads” throughout our house and tried to show Rosie that this was her designated area to go to the bathroom. After she began to catch on to what we were trying to teach her,  we transitioned her “by placing the potty pads in an area outside where you want[ed] [her] to go” (Swaim 94). As we started to do this, I think Rosie began to feel a little anxious due to being introduced to a new environment such as the outdoors and because of our wonderful Washington weather, which mostly consist of rain.

Once she was accustomed to this new setting, I “followed all of the preceding steps, taking [her] out on a leash and praising [her] as soon as [she] potties in the new spot. Block access to the area where [she] was going in the house so [she] won’t be tempted to go back to the same spot” (Swaim 94). After a few days, Rosie began to go on the potty pads without any issue. When this occurred, we began to make the pads smaller and smaller until she just went to the bathroom near where we originally placed the designated area (Swaim 94).

Rosie walking to her designated area

Rosie after going to the bathroom

While reading this chapter of potty training in an Idiot’s Guide to Puppies I learned many things that I probably would have never actually thought about. Such as teaching my small steps and eventually transitioning her into another step until I achieved my goal with her. To be honest I probably would have just stuck her outside and waited until she did her business.

My question to you: Did any of you potty train your dogs in a fashion similar to this? If not, how did you train your dog?