How to Potty Train Female German Shepherds

The intelligent, willing-to-please nature of female German Shepherd dogs typically make potty-training an easy process. These attributes will contribute to your female shepherd's quick understanding of the aspects of potty-training, along with her desire to complete them in order to receive praise from you. By employing a combination of consistency and routine, it's fairly easy to potty-train your female German Shepherd.

Things You'll Need

  • Crate
  • Treats
  • Enzymatic cleaner
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a spot outside in which you'd like your female German Shepherd to eliminate, before you bring her home, suggests total-german-shepherd.com. Once you have designated this area, take her to that spot exclusively to eliminate. Eventually, she will associate that spot with "going to the bathroom" and will perform when taken there.

    • 2

      Leave your female German Shepherd in a crate when you cannot provide supervision, states worldclassgsd.com. If a dog eliminates in the crate, it is forced to lie in its waste. In addition, dogs generally do not like to eliminate in their resting and sleeping areas; therefore, crate training is typically successful because it combines these two elements.

    • 3

      Create a command to use when teaching your dog to eliminate. Worldclassgsd.com suggests using a one-word command, such as "poop" or "go." Speak that command when you take her to her spot and wait for her to go. Over time, she will associate that command with elimination.

    • 4

      Give your female German Shepherd dog a treat and enthusiastic praise when she goes to the bathroom in the appropriate area and immediately take her back inside, suggests total-german-shepherd.com. Give your girl a special treat that she only receives when successfully doing her duty to entice her to continue to do so. Your GSD will learn that eliminating outside in the designated area pleases you and earns her treats, so she will likely strive to keep it up.

    • 5

      Create an elimination schedule for your female GSD. Taking her outside at the same times during the day will help her to become potty-trained even faster. Take her out before and after she eats, sleeps and plays; immediately after releasing her from the crate and anytime she shows signs she needs to go. Sniffing the ground and walking in circles with her head to the floor might indicate she has to eliminate.

    • 6

      Clean any accidents indoors with an enzymatic cleaner designed to remove the smell of dog waste. Regular household cleaners do not completely eliminate the smell of dog urine and feces. Even if you can no longer smell it, your shepherd probably still can. If she detects her elimination odor, it will likely prompt her to go there again. Therefore, it is essential to use an enzymatic cleaner, or your pup will likely continue to eliminate at the same spot.