Many owners of toy terriers have pets of this breed also because they don’t require going outside in bad weather.
True, this is only possible if the dog knows how to use a tray or diaper as a toilet.
But later it turns out that if the puppy was not toilet trained in the breeder’s house, then teaching him to go to the litter tray or diaper is not always easy.
Why does this happen and how can you quickly teach your dog to do his business not just anywhere, but in a specially designated place?
Why does a dog relieve itself anywhere?
If we are talking about a newly purchased puppy that was not trained in the breeder’s house to relieve itself in a certain place, then the answer is obvious - the dog simply does not know where to do its business. There is no need to punish him for this, but you should start accustoming him to a diaper or to a tray as soon as possible.
It’s another matter when a dog, already accustomed to the house toilet, suddenly starts getting dirty anywhere. But even in this case, before moving on to punishments, you need to figure out what caused such behavior.
IMPORTANT!
You cannot scold even an adult pet for starting to relieve itself in the wrong place, if this is associated with some kind of ailment, or in the case when the pet is too small to understand what the owner requires of it.
Diseases
in which a pet may begin to get dirty in the wrong place:
- upset stomach or intestines (diarrhea);
- bladder sphincter weakness;
- urinary incontinence after sterilization;
- tumors or inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary organs;
- helminthic infestations.
A toy terrier may also begin to dirty houses due to extreme stress or fear. In this case, punishment will only make the situation worse.
It also happens that the dog does things anywhere to spite the owner, when he pays little attention to him, or as revenge, for example, for an unfair punishment.
Also, this can happen after the puppy reaches puberty, the only difference is that the boy constantly marks his territory, and the girl only during estrus. The solution to this problem can be sterilization or castration of the pet, unless, of course, there are plans to breed dogs in the future.
Step by step instructions
First, decide whether you will potty train or diaper train your pet and prepare everything you need. Next, decide on the time when you should potty train your baby. To do this, you should take into account some important features of the dog’s body: dogs, as a rule, relieve themselves of little need after sleep, but after eating they go big.
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So, wait until the puppy wakes up and carefully place him in the tray (or on the diaper). If for some reason the dog decides to leave, you should not hold it by force. Just wait until the puppy moves away a little and place him in the tray (diaper) again. Over time, he will give up and relieve himself in the right place. Immediately after this, do not forget to praise the baby so that he understands that he did the right thing. Do the same after eating, when the dog begins to behave in a characteristic way (restlessly walking around the room or looking for a secluded corner).
When placing your pet in a tray or on a diaper, do not forget to voice a command, for example, “Toilet!” Over time, the pet will learn it, and problems with potty training should not arise at all.
When should a puppy be diaper trained?
You need to start accustoming your little toy to a diaper as early as possible - from the very first day after the baby moved to his new home and began to get comfortable there.
If you put off training until later, your pet may get used to urinating in inappropriate places.
Also read about how to train a Toy Terrier.
What to choose - a diaper or a tray?
Pros of diapers:
- the puppy gets accustomed to a diaper more easily than to a tray;
- thanks to the lower moisture-resistant surface, they protect the floor from getting wet;
- can be used both at home and on the road by placing the diaper in the carrier;
- safe;
- absorb unpleasant odors and retain them well;
- if they are changed frequently, they do not become moldy and do not become a breeding ground for germs.
Pros of trays:
- aesthetic appearance;
- There are many models, among which you can easily choose the most suitable one;
- There are options for trays with posts designed for male dogs;
- long service life;
- The tray is washed every few days, which saves time.
In order to decide what to choose, you need to look at what your pet will get used to faster and what he prefers to use.
You can also combine a tray and a diaper - put it on the bottom of the tray and change it once a day. At the same time, the diaper will collect unpleasant odors, which is why the tray will remain clean longer, so you only have to wash it once a week.
Expert opinion
Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich
Expert dog handler.
The best way to train a puppy to use a litter box is to take him there after sleeping or eating. Hold it in place, wait until the pet does its business, and then be sure to praise it. You should remember that you should not shout at the baby or hold him in the tray by force. Such methods will lead to nothing but fear of the litter box, which is why toilet training your pet may take an indefinite period of time.
Training instructions
So, the place is ready. Now let's find out how to accustom a Spitz to a diaper. If the breeder has already trained a small Pomeranian to be clean, he will choose a suitable place for himself. If you are satisfied with it, place the selected type of toilet there and observe the behavior for some time.
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At first, he may try to take a liking to a new place (he will start sniffing the floor, spinning around and sitting down). In this case, immediately take him to the toilet. Most often, puppies relieve themselves after a change in activity (eating, waking up, stopping playing, etc.), and at this time they need to be monitored especially carefully. When your dog does something in the litter box, praise him and give him a treat. You should especially actively encourage your own initiative at first.
If the little Spitz has not received education in this area, you need to do something differently. Place newspaper or a cloth on all the places where he went to the toilet. If necessary, you can cover the entire floor. Place a cloth soaked in the puppy's urine in the tray - the smell will serve as a guide for him. As in the first case, take the puppy there when there are obvious attempts to find a place for the toilet and praise him for the work done there.
To protect the rest of the apartment, use special sprays, for example, Antigadin. Their specific smell will prevent the puppy from peeing in the treated area. Wipe floors frequently.
After about a week, start removing the rags or newspapers, leaving those closest to the tray, and eventually leave only that. If the house is large, then several, and then only for a while. To rid the rest of the room of the smell, you can wash the floor with ammonia or vinegar (1 tablespoon per 5 liters).
You can teach your dog to wear a diaper using a playpen. This is what breeders often do. This does not mean that you need to restrict his freedom all the time. You can move it there after games, during rest periods. Since puppies most often go to the toilet after sleep, active play, or shortly after eating, everything they need will be right there. You can place your puppy in such a playpen before leaving home so that he doesn’t chew anything in your absence.
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How to choose a place?
The tray or diaper should be located in a quiet place - not in the aisle, not in the main room where the whole family gathers and where it can be noisy and crowded. It is also forbidden to arrange a dog latrine in the bathroom, toilet, kitchen, balcony, unheated loggia or veranda.
NOTE!
The location chosen for the dog toilet should be away from heating devices and not in a draft or open sun.
The best place to place a tray or diaper is part of the corridor, preferably its compartment, but if the corridor is straight, then the animal’s toilet can be fenced off on both sides with furniture, which will create the illusion of privacy and safety for the pet.
How to train to a tray?
There are two main methods:
- training to go to the litter box immediately;
- First, the puppy gets used to the diaper and only then to the tray.
In the second case, the diaper, to which the dog is already accustomed, is placed on an inverted tray, so that the pet goes to the toilet on a slight elevation; after the dog gets used to it, the tray can be turned back, and the mesh insert from it can be wrapped with a diaper.
The most effective method for potty training your pet is:
- carefully monitor the puppy after sleeping or eating;
- if he starts spinning around and clearly looking for a place to go to the toilet, you need to pick him up and carry him to the tray;
- holding the dog there (in no case, without holding it with brute force), wait until it relieves itself;
- praise and reward with treats;
- While the puppy is on the tray, you need to repeat the word that he will associate with the tray. For example, “toilet” or “potty”.
In the event that there was a misfire and he accidentally did not reach the tray, you cannot scold him, much less punish him. You need to wash the place where the puddle or pile was and treat it with a special product that eliminates animal odors.
Effective ways
There are several effective ways to train a puppy.
How to accustom a toy terrier to a diaper? If you choose a swaddle, start by placing it in a suitable place - it should not be far from the dog's sleeping place. Young puppies are fairly easy to potty train as they go to the toilet more often than older dogs. Therefore, after the dog has slept, eaten or played, you should take it to the diaper and, if it leaves it, return it to its place until it has done its job. Also, don't forget to praise your pet, pet it, or even reward it with tasty food. Over time, this will become a habit and the dog itself will understand what it should do.
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Also, if you don't want to spend money on diapers, you can use newspapers. They cover a fairly large area, and then gradually reduce the number. In the end, the dog will only have one small area left to poop in. This method is quite effective and is suitable for those who want to save money, although the appearance of the room will not be very attractive.
How to train a toy terrier to use a litter tray? If you don't want to deal with diapers and newspapers, invest in a suitable dog litter box (or several if you don't think your dog will fit in one). To create the most favorable conditions, it is recommended to limit the dog’s movements to one room or enclosures. Every time the dog goes to the litter box, do not forget to encourage it so that it understands what the owner wants from it. Over time, you won't need to guide her - she will do the job just fine on her own, as her scent will remain there.
If you are not able to allocate a room or purchase an enclosure, do not be discouraged. In this case, the training will be somewhat delayed, but will be no less effective. You just need to purchase a few trays and place them in secluded places where dogs can relieve themselves. Over time, simply reduce the number of trays, leaving only one. A dog trained to relieve itself in a tray will not look for a secluded corner, but will do it in the right place.
How to get used to a diaper?
A puppy is accustomed to a diaper either by putting the pet on it after sleep and food, or by covering the entire room or area enclosed by an indoor enclosure with diapers. Subsequently, you can start removing 1 diaper per day, gradually reducing their number. And so on until there is only one left, which the puppy will follow.
If your pet wanders by, you need to wash the area and cover it again with a diaper, which you can try to remove again only after a few days.
Accustoming to a diaper begins by laying it close to the dog's bed. After the puppy eats or wakes up, he should be dropped off there and, after waiting for the pet to do his business, praise and reward him with something tasty.
After a couple of days, sometimes a little more, the toy terrier will understand what is required of him and will go to the diaper himself, without waiting until he is dropped off there.
At this time, you can begin to gradually move the diaper to the place where it will always be. In this case, you need to act slowly - move it no more than 20-30 cm, and the place where the diaper was previously must be thoroughly washed and treated with a special product.
IMPORTANT!
If he suddenly begins to refuse to wear the diaper after it has been moved, then you need to return the dog toilet to its original place and again, but more slowly, try to start moving it to the side after about a couple of days.
Some tricks
Here are a few tricks to help you toilet train your pet faster:
- do not scold, do not distract, and especially do not tease or frighten the pet when it is sitting in the tray. This needs to be explained to all family members, even the smallest children;
- if the pet sits down to do its business in the wrong place in front of the owner, you need to express dissatisfaction to it in a loud and stern, but not threatening voice and take it to the tray;
- at first it is better to place not one, but several trays, placing them in different corners of the room - in this case, if the pet does not have time to reach one tray, he will use another;
- after he has made a puddle on the floor, you need to blot it with newspaper, which should be placed in the tray. By the smell, the dog will find a place for the toilet and understand what it is intended for;
- for male dogs, it is better to purchase special trays with posts from the very beginning - this will not only make it easier for your pet to get used to the toilet and make the process familiar to him, but will also save furniture and corners in the house from dog marks;
- You can try using special tools for toilet training your dog, which you can buy at any veterinary pharmacy.
NOTE!
After the dog gets used to using the litter box, you need to continue to praise it for correctly solving the need, but you need to gradually refuse to give treats - first give something tasty every other time, then after two, and so on, gradually reducing the number of rewards with treats for using the toilet, in the end finally remove them completely.
What not to do during toilet training
To teach a Spitz to go to the toilet in a tray, you should never punish him harshly. Beating and loud voices can frighten a dog. She will not understand what they want from her and will continue to defecate anywhere.
Diapers are changed periodically. A dirty latrine will scare away your pet, and he will go to other places to relieve himself.
Not recommended! You cannot harshly punish a dog, this can break its psyche.
The dog needs to be provided with a comfortable psychological environment in the house. Screaming and harsh treatment from household members and other pets will break the Spitz's psyche. A neglected animal will become uncontrollable and aggressive.
The period of toilet training a Spitz depends on the correctly chosen tactics and understanding of the dog. It is necessary to adhere to clear rules and not give your pet any concessions. They will scold the dog for mistakes and continue to methodically train the dog. Every trip to relieve oneself in a place designated for the animal must be praised and rewarded with a treat.
