Ok so I live in an apartment building. I cannot take the smell of piss and poop all over the house so I want (NEEDDDDD) to teach my chihuahua (3 months old) to pee and poop on the street and not in my house, but how do I do this? i know I need to walk her but how do i show her to hold it in and tell me she needs to go.
First Reply:
Answer by Natasha
It’s easy to toilet train a dog. To do this:-
– make a ‘toileting area’ for the puppy either with puppy training pads (available from supermarkets and pets at home, but cheaper in home bargains, in sources).
– if you can’t get puppy pads, improvise with some old newspaper.
– set the ‘toileting area’ somewhere the dog can access it easily, but in an area with lower levels of foot traffic like at the side of a room, not the middle.
– if you see the dog sniffing in a tight circle, it’s a sign they need to toilet. If the dog does this, take them to the ‘toilet area’ immediately. Also take them there immediately after they’ve woken up, had anything to eat or drink, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. These are the times when a dog is more likely to toilet.
– if the dog toilets in the ‘toilet area’, make sure you reward them with lots of praise. This way, they’ll associate toileting in the ‘toilet area’ as good.
– gradually move the ‘toilet area’ further towards the door and then outside. The dog will gradually learn that toileting is to be done outside.
– if the dog does toilet in the home, don’t get angry with the dog and never shout at or hit them, as this will only teach them to fear you. Instead, mop up any urine, pick poop up with a tissue, some loo roll or a plastic bag and throw it in the bin or flush it down the loo (not the bag, as it can block it). Immediately clean the soiled area with a solution of biological washing powder to remove the smell. That way, the dog doesn’t associate the area with toileting, so they hopefully, won’t ‘go’ there again.
– getting a ‘pee post’ (available from pets at home, also in sources) can be of great help too. This is a plastic post which the dog toilets onto. The smell then remains on it which the dog can detect, thus they toilet in the appropriate area again.
– Be consistent and patient. Toilet training is a slow process which can’t be rushed.
– If you have difficulties training the dog, get a vet to examine them, as it could be down to a medical problem.
Hope this helps.