Athena
After our Min Pin, Athena, was potty trained in 2008, I didn’t think I would have to do it again, but I was mistaken. I have taken her to my parents’ house, and she doesn’t consider their house her den like she does at our house. Why? I have no idea. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
Regardless of the reason, I am out at 3am for another potty training lesson. Needless to say, I am not happy to re-learn the art of cheering over dog potty at this time of night. But, I am a dog owner, and so I am.
Here are the basic principles: Set her up for success and reward when she potties outdoors. Notice I do not scold her when she goes indoors. It would be fine to tell her “no” if I catch her in the act but useless to do it long after she has pottied.
Setting her up for success: She gets the privilege of being free in the house only 1-2 hours after she has both pottied and piddled. After 2 hours, she goes outside again and if she does nothing, I put her in her crate for an hour. (She sees her crate as her den and won’t potty in there.) This way, she doesn’t have much of an opportunity to go to the bathroom in the house.
Reward: She gets a treat as well praise when she goes outdoors. I usually give her dog food as treats. It is handy, stores well, and, for some reason, tastes much better if it comes out of the treat bowl than it does coming out of the sack. I am also her one-person cheering section. When we go out, I give the command “potty” or “piddle.” Usually, I tell her to piddle first and, after she has done that, I tell her to potty. When she does one, I tell her “good potty” or “good piddle” several times along with “good dog.” I do this in a high-pitched, enthusiastic tone. (The enthusiasm can be faked, especially at 3am.)
This is my strategy for potty training. If you would like to share your tips or strategies, please leave a comment.
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