Can All Dogs Be Potty Trained?
Common Questions
Dog trainers are often asked – “can you potty train a puppy?” or “can you potty train a shelter dog?” or “how to stop my dog from peeing in my house?” or even “how to stop my dog from pooping in my house?”
Common Misconceptions
Shelter dogs and puppies are almost always perceived to be the most difficult candidate for behavioral changes – starting with potty training. Some might be surprised to learn, the most difficult to potty train dogs are often breed specific.
We CAN Potty Train Any Dog
The good news? Clients are often happy to hear my answer to all potty training questions is “of course, we can potty train any dog, at any age, from any background, at any time.”
The only limitation in training with dogs is the question “is it worth it?” And when it comes to potty training our dogs, the answer will always be yes.
Shelter Dogs
There are basically two scenarios where shelter dogs are not house trained:
First, a lot of the dogs that come through shelters have backgrounds which are “sub-optimal.” Many times, this means that the dog has lived their life outside all the way into adulthood, and so a dog which never lived indoors, cannot be expected to understand indoor behavior.
These dogs are easy to house train because they’ve never been in a house- and typically, dogs appreciate the “upgrade” to the indoor lifestyle and are willing to adopt new lifestyle choices. Additionally, they do understand that indoor is considered to be superior to outdoors, and as such, they tend to comply rather quickly.
The second dog, which is not house trained, lived indoors but without boundaries. These dogs had owners that either didn’t know how to house train or had a lifestyle which prevented house training- and either way, there is a distinct possibility that these are contributing factors to why the dog ended up being re-homed through the shelter. These dogs are also quick to accommodate house training because the best time to make changes is during a regime change, such as being adopted by a new owner. So, these dogs will always have some “accidents” in their new homes but they will quickly adopt the new rules and boundaries set forward by your leadership.
Puppies & Older Dogs
Does age matter in this discussion? Yes, because we have to acknowledge that puppyhood adds a twist to the cognitive ability of our pets. Additionally, the older a dog gets in years, the more they become stuck in their ways. However, it’s just not the case that these dogs present insurmountable challenges with training.
Breed
I’ve saved the final element of potty training for last, as it is the most influential variable in the discussion: dog breed. Some breeds possess natural dispositions to do things well, while other breeds place a very low priority on obeying the rules of the home. For example, the toy breeds are famous for being difficult with potty training. This isn’t because they wish to anger you, but rather they were bred to be companion dogs, and lack the mental fortitude of the working dogs. So, these dogs pick up bad habits like house accidents, because they don’t want to go
outside because it’s too wet, too cold, too hot, or too loud, etc. A lot of the toy breeds lack the mental fortitude to do basic housekeeping and personal care habits that the large breeds will volunteer with little to no effort. Though their natural disposition is to resist, it does not mean the toy breeds cannot be potty trained. In my experience, all of these toy breeds which presented their owners with potty training challenges, were able to do so because the owner “let them get away with it”.
Methods & Tools
Not all potty training methods or tools are equal! Some trainers recommend teaching your dog to go on puppy pads, others will encourage you to train your dog to ring a potty bell. If you’ve tried before and found little success we can help explain why and how to improve your outcomes. Because we believe, whatever the age of your pet, the background, or the breed- yes, you can basically always potty train your dog. We would love to teach you all of our tips and tricks for potty training. We offer potty training for all ages, stages and breeds through our basic obedience, behavior modification and puppy training packages.
