Free Information on House Training Scottie Dogs

Scottish terriers, originally from Scotland, are an American Kennel Club (AKC) breed. The Scottish terrier is a medium-sized dog that generally weighs less than 25 pounds, which makes house training easier as you can pick up your dog and take it to where you want it to potty. Unfortunately, the smaller size also makes it easier to miss squatting behaviors unless you watch carefully. Other than size considerations, house training a Scottie is the same as for most breeds.

  1. Significance

    • House training your Scottie is important to protect your floors, rugs, furniture and to have a good relationship with your dog. Training problems are usually due to the owner, not the dog, but can lead to frustration and the dog being re-homed.

    Times

    • Your Scottie needs to go outside at regular times. Take it outside when it wakes up in the morning and after naps, meals, play, exercise and walks. Puppies need to go outside at least every three hours during the day and may need to go during the night, according to Mary Woodward, dog trainer and writer for Clicker Lessons. Do not give water after 9 p.m. to help eliminate potty needs during the night. A Scottie-sized dog can generally go one hour for each month of age up to six months old, when it should be able to wait up to eight hours during the night.

    Prevention

    • Accidents in the house may make training take longer. The easiest method of house training is to use a crate and a leash to prevent accidents. Unless actively watching the dog, put it outside, in its crate or tie it to you on a leash. This method allows you to watch for any signs that it needs to go to the bathroom and quickly get it outside before any accidents. This increases training your dog that outside is the only acceptable place to potty.

    Training

    • When your dog potties, use a happy voice saying a phrase such as "good potty" while giving a treat to help your Scottie train faster. Give very small treats to avoid overfeeding. Rewarding your dog helps "mark" the behavior so it understands that pottying outside is a good behavior.

    Misconceptions

    • Dogs do not know it is bad to potty in the house. A dog is not feeling "guilty" for a bad behavior. The dog has learned to anticipate punishment because you found the accident; dogs link the punishment to the action (finding the accident). Whether it is a puppy or older Scottie, housebreaking is something it has to learn, according to Scottish Terrier World. Do not punish a dog for an accident, as it will not help train the dog.

    Considerations

    • Scottie's feet and even stomach may need cleaning after going outside, especially in taller grass. Keep a damp cloth or baby wipes by the door to make cleaning easier.