Dealing With A Dog That Has Refused To Potty Outside

Potty training your dog isn’t a simple process, so if you have recorded a few successes, you deserve a pat on the back. Many dog owners have a hard time training their dogs, especially when it comes to potty habits. Dogs have a mind of their own, and puppies are known to be full of energy. Training a dog to pick up potty habits can be challenging, especially when they have shown signs of being shy of going outside. A great way to address this problem is to pay extra attention and devise other training methods different from your regular schedule.

For puppies that hate going outside to potty, the chances are high that they may have lived outside and encountered traumatic situations that scarred them. There is also a possibility that they have lived their lives entirely indoors, thus making it harder for them to adapt to the outdoor space. Another possibility is that they may have come from a compromised background, especially from a hoarding situation or a puppy mill. These experiences are capable of shaping how your puppy responds to potty training.

If you have noticed this habit in your puppy, there is a high chance that you are already worried about the huge mess you may have to come home to daily. This article offers you some practical suggestions to address the problem.

Steps To Manage This Housetraining Problem

Step 1 – Create a Small Outdoor Confinement Area

Getting your puppy to pick up your house training hints may be harder, especially when they are scarred and scared of the outside space. The first step you should take is to create outdoor confinement to adapt your dog to the outdoor area. This step is perhaps the most critical one in the success of your mission.

Start your housetraining by taking your dog into this confined space early in the morning, around the time your dog needs to go. Place them in the confined space and remain within the area to supervise their activity. While your puppy is in the new pen, set a 10-minute timer and ignore it entirely for the duration. Your dog is likely to do its business in the confined space within the set time. If you have recorded success doing this on the first day, ensure that the habit is formed. You can also reward your puppy with treats for a job well done.

However, if you experienced difficulty getting your puppy to go within the first 10 minutes, you may need to go back inside with your dog tethered to you with a leash. During the time indoors, pay close attention to your dog and watch out for signs of discomfort. Repeat the process until you have successfully gotten your dog to go outside and within the confined space.

To aid the process, you can put potty pads in the confined space to make your puppy a little more relaxed for the elimination. You can also laminate the area or put down a strip of carpet as a last resort to encourage elimination.

Step 2 – Wean Your Dog Off The Confinement Area

If you have recorded an early success with the confinement area, the chances are high that you will have a relatively easy experience weaning your puppy off the area. However, sometimes, weaning may be a little difficult, especially because it means your puppy needs to get used to other areas. However, you may choose to maintain the confined area habit if it suits your lifestyle. People who do not have the luxury of a yard may find confinement to be a space-saving advantage.

To wean your puppy off the confined space, you need to start slow and pick pace over time. You can start by gradually removing the items you’ve placed in the confinement to ease the process. Begin by eliminating the laminates, flooring, or pads. You can also make the pen smaller by the day to discourage its use. Once the pen is too small for your puppy, introduce them to a newer location and watch their reaction.

In some cases, you may have to battle a little bit of resentment similar to when you introduced your puppy to the pen. Ensure that your puppy is tethered with a leash while you introduce it to a new area. If you aren’t recording any sudden successes, you can leave the pen door open to gauge your puppy’s reaction.

Step 3 – Perfecting The Process

If you have recorded successes doing steps 1 and 2, you are almost through to the finish line. All you need to do now is make the process long-term. To make this happen, you need to commit to a routine. A part of the routine involves discipline, both on your part and on your puppy’s. You cannot afford to regress by recording an accidental indoor discharge. Accidental indoor discharge recalibrates your puppy’s memory and helps it see the indoor space as a welcome place to go.

To prevent accidental indoor incidents, you need to maintain a routine for the longest possible time. Note the time around when your dog needs to go and make sure that it is taken outside to get things over with. You can also make a temporary habit of rewarding your dog each time it relieves itself outside, whether in the confined space or other designated outdoor locations. The reward will reinforce the behavior and encourage your puppy to relieve itself only when within the confined or designated location.

While you are perfecting this housetraining habit, you’ll require a lot of patience and vigilance. You may also need to take some unconventional steps as each puppy is different. You may need to remove and re-introduce the pads or flooring materials if your puppy finds it hard to relieve itself without it. Overall, you should take things gently and steadily. Sometimes, some puppies adapt faster than others, and you should be prepared for this.

While these steps above have been proven effective, you may sometimes need a little bit of professional help to get the desired results. Visit https://phoenixk9trainers.com/ for professional help and to speak to a professional dog trainer.

Off Leash K9 Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona 85001
8884130896

Find us on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/OLK9Phoenix/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDZodW995eLcxkvFuzoP_kw
https://www.instagram.com/olk9phx

Leave a Comment

Skip to content