Your dog looks up to and depends on you to show it that you are the alpha leader. Dogs have strong "pack" instincts in the wild and always follow after their leader. Potty training your dog requires a loving, yet firm, demeanor from you. When you show displeasure toward your dog minutes after the fact, it tells the dog that you are displeased with the mess on the floor, but the dog doesn't make the connection that you are displeased with it putting it there.
Things You'll Need
- Dog pooper scooper
Instructions
Place your dog on a leash and take it outdoors immediately after meals. Dogs experience the urge to eliminate most frequently after meals. Watch the dog closely and, each time it soils outside, praise it when it is finished. Keep the dog outdoors for at least a half hour to provide it ample time to complete its "mission." The total amount of time you need at meals is 45 minutes--15 minutes while your dog eats and the additional 30 minutes outdoors following meals.
Closely watch your dog when indoors between meals. You must catch the dog in the act of soiling on your rug. When you catch it in the act, scold the dog with a low shameful tone in your voice, saying something such as "No, no! Shame, shame, shame. You don't do that on the rug!" Make your statement in a reasonably loud tone of voice with a degrading sound quality, walking rapidly toward the dog to interrupt it. Place the dog on the leash and take it outdoors to finish its elimination process. Immediately after it completes its elimination outdoors, provide it with supportive praise statements, such as, "Good dog! You make me so happy! Yes! Good dog!" Provide your dog with a tasty dog treat at this time, pointing to where it eliminated, and pet it generously.
Continue steps 1 and 2 for approximately three to four weeks until your dog has been trained to understand that asking to go outdoors for elimination will gain it praise and reward. This continual positive reinforcement is absolutely necessary when educating your dog during the housebreaking instruction. When your dog "misses the mark" and accidentally soils the floor when you aren't watching, scold your dog shamefully and, using the pet pooper scooper, pick up the droppings, take them outdoors and place them in an area where your dog has eliminated in the past. Don't offer a treat after an accident.
Clean up the droppings you transferred once your dog is back in the house, and discard the droppings accordingly.