Signs That a Dog Has to Go to the Bathroom

When dogs live indoors, it is necessary to train them to go to the bathroom outside, during their walks. Once the dog has been trained, and the wetting problem is over, some owners seem to forget that their dogs still have to go. If a dog has to spend too much time holding it, he will eventually relieve himself, thus inviting the bad habit of wetting indoors one more time. Dog owners should learn to read the signs of when a dog has to go the bathroom so that they can avoid messes in the house.

  1. Sniffing and Posture

    • The tail posture is an indicator to detect if your dog needs to go to the bathroom. If you own a dog with a tail that is cropped, you will be able to see just a small indication in his back when he is getting to ready to perform a bowel movement. Also, your male dog will get close to a vertical object and will start sniffing it. That is an important indicator that he is going to lift his leg and pee there. This event happens really fast, so you should be prepared.

    Walking Around

    • A typical sign or indicator that a dog has to go is when he unexpectedly wakes up, stands up and starts walking around or dances in circles frantically chasing his tail. A dog can do these things in order to get your attention. It's his way of telling you that he needs to go to the bathroom. If you don't notice it, your dog can perform these actions more intensely.

    Whining

    • Your dog may suddenly start whining a lot and may sit by the door quietly waiting for someone to take notice. Other dogs are more expressive, and if they don't get noticed they whine and scratch or slap the closed door. If that happens, take your dog out immediately. If not, you might end up cleaning up all the mess produced by your little buddy.

    Nipping, Licking and Pulling

    • There are dogs that instead of sniffing, walking around the house or whining near the door, prefer to catch the attention of their owners in other ways. For example, if you are seated on your couch watching TV, and your dog gets closer to you, it can nip or pull on your pant legs to indicate he needs something. Some dogs could act differently, like sitting at their owner's feet and start licking their legs to get the necessary attention. In other cases, your dog can show all these signs together. So, if you observe any of these signs in your dog, be fast and take action before it's too late.