how can i get stop my 4 yr old dog to stop doing the restroom in my house??

Question

I had this dog forever and i never got her trained to go outside....but now i am sick and tired of having to clean the carpet once a week, how can i get my dog trained especially this old??i know its harder but anything will help!! please? ;)

Answer 1

You don't need PetSmart or a training class. All you need is a crate, some patience and some Nature's Miracle.

Clean your carpets so you remove all traces of previous accidents, you need an odor neutralizer Nature's Miracle is one and is great for cleaning up messes. Regular carpet cleaner will only mask the smell to you, your dog will still be able to smell it.

Then you go about training her just like you would a puppy.

How long it will take you to house train your dog depends on your dedication to the training process and your puppy's maturity and learning rate.

Things you will need to housetrain your puppy are a properly fitted crate, a collar and leash, some treats, and time and patience.

You also need to pick a spot for your puppy to go potty. Using the same spot each time will help the puppy recognize that this is where he should go, and the smell from going there other times will help him go potty faster when you take him out.

I don't recommend using doggie litter boxes or those puppy pads. If you want your dog to always go potty in the house fine, then use this article to teach them to go there. But don't complain to me when your dog starts going other places in the house. Dogs often times cannot tell the difference between a puppy pad and your expensive rug. All they know is its ok to go potty in the house so any area with a roof is fair game for elimination. Also trying to paper train a dog and then trying to switch the dog to going outside is counterproductive and confusing for the dog. Doing this will only slow the training down. So forget the puppy pads and start teaching your dog to go outside from day one. If you have already been using them throw them out and start all over from the beginning, but keep mind the process may take a little longer the second time around since once your dog has bad habits they are hard to break. Its much easier to prevent them than to correct them later.

When looking for a crate you want one that is big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lay down. You don't want it so big that he can lay in one end and use the other end as a bathroom. If he can do this trust me he will. There are all kinds of different styles of crates: the two most common are wire and plastic. But they come in mesh, wicker, all sorts of different materials now. I would recommend choosing either a wire or plastic one, especially for puppies that like to chew. Here are some pros and cons of plastic and wire crates.

Plastic: These come in several sizes so can accommodate nearly every size of dog. They also give a more den like feeling to the dog and have less of a cage look. The disadvantage to these crates is that you may need to buy more than one to accommodate a growing puppy, and they take up more room if you want to store them even though they usually will come apart in halves for storage. There are also some newer plastic crates that will fold up similar to a wire crate.

Wire: Like the plastic crate these also come in a variety of sizes. They do look more like cages though, something that can be fixed by purchasing a cover for it. A cover will also help some dogs feel more secure in a wire crate. The advantage of these is that you can buy a size to fit your dog when it is full grown. Wire crates have dividers available for purchase so that you can make the crate fit your puppy. These also have a storage advantage in that most fold up very neatly and can be stored easily.

Next you will need to introduce your puppy to its crate. Just sticking the puppy in there without a positive introduction can be very stressful for the pup. I like to bring a new puppy home on a day off, and try to pick it up as soon as possible in the morning. This way I have all day to introduce the puppy to the crate so that by bedtime the puppy will feel pretty comfortable with its crate and shouldn't fuss to much.

Start by showing the puppy the crate and let him explore it. Next show your puppy a treat and then toss it inside. When your puppy goes in to get the treat praise him excitedly. Repeat this a few times and then end this session. If your pup won't go all the way in the crate to get the treat try throwing it closer to the door, or even outside the door and then gradually toss it farther back, until the pup goes all the way in.

After an hour or two have another session with crate. If your pup went all the way in the last time start there, if not start at the point you left off. After a couple times of going in the crate and coming right back out you can shut the door. But let the pup out after a second or two. Repeat this gradually increasing the amount of time the pup is in the crate. If you do this several times the first day by the time your ready for bed your pup should be pretty comfortable with the crate. I also like to repeat this process for a day or two after the pup comes home.

Also remember that whenever your dog is crated you need to remove any type of collar, even a buckle collar can catch on a crate and strangle a dog.

Now that you have your crate set up and your pup introduced to it you need to put your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies 8 wks to 6 months should be given three meals a day. After six months this can be cut down to 2 meals. Free-feeding (having food available all the time) is not recommended. It can lead to obesity and makes it harder to housetrain your puppy. Another disadvantage to this feeding method is that it will be harder for you tell if your dog is off food which can be a sign of illness. Feeding on a schedule allows you to predict when your puppy will need to go out. If you know when it went in you can predict when it will come out. You will want to divide your dog's full daily amount into three smaller meals. Give him the food and after twenty minutes take away the bowl whether there is food in it or not. Dogs will generally consume all they want in twenty minutes. Take your puppy to his potty spot about 15-20 minutes after he has finished eating. Repeat the go potty command while you are waiting for him to go. When he starts to go tell him good boy go potty, and when he has finished give him a treat and make a big fuss over him.

I'd also like to tell you how to tell if your puppy is getting to much or to little food. The recommendations on dog food bags are just a starting point. Start with that amount and then watch to see if your dog needs more or less. The way to tell is to do a rib check. You shouldn't be able to see the ribs, if you can add more food. You should be able to easily feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat, if you have trouble feeling the ribs, cut back the amount of food.

In addition to having to go out after meals your puppy will also need to go potty after he wakes up from a nap, after playing, and first thing in the morning and before bed. Signs that your puppy needs to go out: are restlessness and circling an area while sniffing. If your puppy does these things it's a safe bet to take him out. Remember though that individual dogs have their own signs of needing to go to the bathroom and you will soon pick up on these signals as well.

When you are out for potty breaks you should stand still, if he wants to play ignore him. You want him to know that it is time to go to the bathroom not time to play. If you allow him to play before he goes to the bathroom he may start to hold out on you to extend his playtime. Once he has gone to the bathroom however you can play all you want. Stay outside with your dog for about 10 minutes to wait for him to go, if he doesn't go in ten minutes just pick him up and carry him back inside matter-of-factly. No treats or playtime on the way in. When you get back into the house he will either need to be crated or watched like a hawk. Try again in ten minutes. Repeat until he goes.

Another mistake a lot of people make when they bring their new puppy home is to allow him free run of the place. This will only hurt your training and will also cause your dog to get into a lot of trouble. Young puppies need to be watched. When your puppy can't be watched he should be in his crate. This way he can't make a mistake or get into trouble.

Accidents:

The only time you can punish your puppy for having an accident in the house is if you catch him in the act. Even then it's less of a punishment and more of a redirection. If you see your puppy going to the bathroom in the house, startle him with a sharp NO and take him outside to finish the job. When he finishes outside, give him a treat and lots of praise. Back inside the house clean up the mess and use an enzymatic cleaner (such as OUT or Nature's Miracle) to remove all traces of the mess so he won't be tempted to use the same spot. Most carpet cleaners will leave traces of the mess that you can't see or smell, but your pet can.

If you find a mess after the fact, well to bad that one is your fault, you should have been watching the puppy. Simply clean it up and try to watch more carefully. If you try to scold your pup after the fact he will have no idea what you are mad about and will be confused and may even become scared of you. NEVER, NEVER rub your dogs nose in urine or feces. It is not only disgusting but it also has no training value what so ever. Hitting your dog with anything including a rolled up newspaper is also unacceptable.

Young puppies may need to use the bathroom during the night, so I advise putting the crate in your bedroom. This way if the puppy sounds restless you can take him to the bathroom. This will also make your puppy feel more secure because he is close to you. If you do need to take your puppy out in the middle of the night make sure you allow him to go to the bathroom only. No playtime for these outings. Still give him a treat and praise, but do so in a quieter manner than you would during the day. This way you won't get him all riled up the middle of night. Remember if you let him get away with playing in the middle of the night he will begin to expect it, and you don't want that. How long night time outings will last depends on the age of your puppy, and how fast his bladder matures.

It also helps to have his last meal of the day at least two hours before bed and take away his water an hour before bed. You don't want to put it in the crate with him, it would be unfair to the puppy to expect him to have a supply of water and then not have to go to the bathroom all night long. The only thing that should be in your dog's crate are a chew toy and maybe a doggie blanket. Although some pups will urinate on absorbant materials that are in their crate, if yours does remove it. Also if you see that your puppy is chewing on his blanket it should be removed. If the puppy ingests part of the blanket it could cause an intestinal blockage. If that happens emergency surgery is needed to remove the blanket from the intestines.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but that is what puppies are. They are also a lot of fun and that should make up for the work part of having a puppy. And just keep in mind that one day soon you will have a beautiful dog who is housetrained and is a joy to have around.

(Note: if you are going to use this article to train a dog that had previously been housetrained and is now having accidents, please contact your vet first. If your dog suddenly "forgets" his housetraining it can be a sign of infection, and that needs to be treated. Once you have confirmed that the dog is healthy with your vet, then refresh your dog with this article)

Answer 2

Training your dog isn't harder when it is older, just do some proper research!

And never EVER yell at or hit your dog for doing something wrong. This is proven to work against you rather than in your favor.

A good book to check out is "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training" by Pamela Dennison. It is VERY informative and will teach you a lot about dogs, as well as help you train your dog, in addition to a basic obedience class.

Answer 3

It will be harder as she is very set in her ways. However, you can do this, just need to go back to the basics of housebreaking . . .

First and foremost, when you cannot watch the dog, i.e., at night or when you are not home, the dog needs to be confined to a crate or very small area. A dog will not soil their “home”, as they don’t want to be near it, either!

As soon as you get home, or when you get up in the morning, put the dog on leash, and walk them outside to a spot where you want them to go. Always go to the same area. This will become their potty spot, and will make things a lot easier for clean up. As you go outside with them, tell them to “go potty”. They will soon learn what this means, which will help in the long run.

As soon as they go outside where they are supposed to, a lot of praise, petting, and an occasional treat. This will reinforce that you are happy with them. Do this praise immediately, as a dog’s attention span is very short and if you wait, they will be happy you are praising them, but they will not know why you are praising them.

If the dog makes a mistake and goes in the house –
If you are there and see them start to go, tell them “no” in a firm voice, immediately take them outside to their potty spot.
If you do not see them actually in the act, then do nothing. Scolding the dog after the fact will not teach them, as they will not remember what they did and will not know why you are angry.

Do not give the dog food or water within 2 hours of bed time.
Get the dog on a schedule as soon as possible for feeding and potty times. The dog’s internal system will soon learn this schedule and they will be able to wait until their scheduled time.

Answer 4

If you have a petsmart in your area take the class for potty training. Then Get a Crate. Just big enough for her to lay and trun around. No Bigger. Keep her in there no matter what. Take her outside every so often when home. Someplace you do want her to go. Same place everytime. Agrown dog should be able to hold it for up to 8 hours. This is a great safe way to train any aged dog. Dogs do not go where they sleep!! After a while make the crate bigger and bigger. Then put her into the bathroom, Lenolium area.

Answer 5

Puppy pads suck, a crate is your best bet. YOu just need to be consistent. Good luck,

PS make sure you clean up the urine smell with white vinager and water. that way she doesnt go back and think that is where she has to go potty. Take her outside to the same spot every time and she will know that is where she need to go potty every time. Take her on a leash or else she will just go outside to play instead of going potty. It will either be very easy or very heard. She's older so she can learn faster than a pup but bad habits are hard to break...sometimes

Answer 6

Well you could try this:
Whenever you clean up the mess take that rag or paper towel and take it outside, weigh it on the ground with a rock then later when she needs to go potty take her outside to sniff that spot where you put the rag or whatever. Be sure you stick on a STRICT schedule. Like take her first thing in the morning between naps and last thing at night.
Hope that helps

Answer 7

Put a puppy litter box in the spot where he pees. Train it to go in there if you can't get it trained to go outside.

Answer 8

well my dog turned 4 years old recently and he still pees all over the house. We have been told by numerous people that they stop doing that if you fix them.

Answer 9

Train it with puppy pads sold at your local Petco or Petsmart.

Answer 10

You have to train the dog! When it poops or pees on the carpet or whatever you loudly say "NO! Bad whatever his name is BAD!" Then you lightly hit him and take him outside. If this does not work it's not my fault. You should have trained him when you got him!