Toilet training usually occurs during puppyhood, however some puppies and adult dogs have never been toilet trained. It breaks my heart that so many people end up banishing their dog to the back yard because every time they come inside they pee!
If you have (or want) an inside dog, then it is important to toilet train your dog. Dogs don’t automatically ‘know’ that they can’t go to the toilet inside. Firstly, you must allocate a ‘toilet spot’ in your yard for your dog to do his business which is away from where they play, eat or sleep and they must be shown where that dedicated ‘toilet spot’ is.
You can start to toilet train your dog when he is a puppy, usually from about 10-16 weeks of age, any earlier and your puppy probably hasn’t yet developed bowel and bladder control. Not saying you can’t start them earlier, but remember there will be accidents along the way. Whilst in training give them plenty of opportunities to go outside. It is equally important not to punish them for accidents while they are in ‘training’.
If you bring an adult dog into your home, don’t assume he’s toilet trained. You will need to show your dog to their toilet spot in the yard and where they should go. An adult dog will sniff around to find his ‘toilet spot’.
It is equally important to establish your dogs ‘toilet schedule’ which is crucial if your dog relies on you to let him out to go to the toilet. The schedule will usually consist of first thing in the morning, after eating, after waking up, after playing and before bed. Adult dogs are usually pretty good at ‘hanging on’ but remember when they first come into your home, they will be disorientated and unsure of their new surroundings, some may also be extremely anxious or suffering from dog separation anxiety, so you may have a few accidents along the way.
3 Simple Tips To Successfully Toilet Train Your Dog
Tip No. 1 Frequent ‘toilet’ stops
Providing lots of opportunities to go outside is imperative to toilet train your dog. This applies to both puppies and adult dogs. Take them outside often. For a puppy this means every 30 to 60 minutes throughout the day, this is especially critical after they wake from a nap or have just eaten.
Tip No. 2 Stay with them
Don’t just open the door and let them out. It is important for you to watch that they go so you can then praise them and reward them for going ‘in their spot’. This is also so you can watch they go in their dedicated toilet spot. If they deviate and go 
somewhere you don’t want them to go (like in the patio area), just watch as soon as they start sniffing, which is a sign they’re about to go, either pick them up (if they’re a puppy) or re-direct them to where you want them to go.
It is also helpful to use word association when they go, for example say ‘toilet’ or ‘wees’. This will help later on when you need them to go to the toilet they will associate the word and be able to go on command.
Tip No. 3 The three Ps – Praise Poo & Pee
When your pooch does its business, make sure you praise them each time they go in their toilet spot. Be over the top in your praise so they are very clear they have done the right thing! Remember dogs just want to please you!
Follow these simple tips to toilet train your dog and you will see result in no time. Just remember patience and consistency are the key!
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Sharon Stanton
My name is Sharon Stanton, dog behaviour specialist and founder of yourobedientdog.com, a place to find solutions to all your dog behaviour problems. I am passionate about helping and educating dog owners to understand their dog’s behavioural problems and provide the best training solutions using positive reward techniques. Click here to read full bio ...
