•
Purchase a small bell, and set it near the door
through which you usually take your dog out
for elimination. Ring the bell immediately before
opening the door to go outside with the
dog. Your dog should already be leashed so
that you can step outside with her as soon as
you ring the bell. Do this every time you take
your dog outside for several days. Allow your
dog to only explore the designated elimination
area, otherwise your dog may associate ringing
the bell with play time instead.
• Next,
suspend the bell at the height of your
dog’s nose right next to the door. Gently touch
the bell to your dog’s nose, causing it to ring,
every time you take her outside. Repeat this
step for several days.
• At
this point, depending on how quickly your
dog makes associations, she may begin approaching
the bell on her own when she
needs to eliminate. If she doesn’t, smear a little
bit of cheese or peanut butter on the bell each
time you prepare to go outside, and use this to
lure your dog toward the bell. Allow your dog
to lick the bell, causing it to ring, and then
praise your dog as you take her outside.
Once your dog begins ringing the bell on her
own, you must take her outside every time so
that she learns that making the bell ring reliably
predicts being allowed outside.
1. Prevent
undesirable elimination by not allowing your dog to
wander all over the house without supervision and by
keeping your dog confined in a small area when you can’t
observe him constantly.
2. When your
dog sniffs the ground or circles around, quickly but
calmly take him to the desired elimination area.
Ideally, don’t wait for these behaviors. Take your dog
outside regularly as described below.
3. Feed your
dog a measured amount of food at the same time every
day. When your dog walks away, or after about 10 to 15
minutes, pick up the bowl.
4. Be aware
that puppies instinctively desire to eliminate after
eating, drinking, playing, resting, sleeping, or being
confined. These rules apply to most adult dogs as well.
5. Five to 30
minutes after any of the above activities, take your dog
to the selected place for elimination.
6. Use a
specific verbal cue that you want your dog to associate
with desirable elimination, such as “Go potty” or “Do
your business.”
7. When your
dog begins to eliminate, quietly praise him.
8. When your
dog is done, praise him enthusiastically, pet him, and
reward him with food immediately. Don’t wait until he
heads for the house. If he doesn’t eliminate, return him
to his confinement area, and take him outside again in
about 15 minutes.
9. Reward each
time with praise, but as your dog learns, give food
rewards intermittently.
10. Remember,
it is your responsibility to prevent accidents!
Prevention is the key to success, but if someone fails
to prevent your dog from having an accident, don’t scold
the dog, and quietly clean up and deodorize the soiled
area. Preventing accidents requires that you become
aware of how often your puppy needs to eliminate. Young
puppies (8 to 10 weeks of age) may need to be taken
outside every 30 to 60 minutes.
