Tips For Toilet Training An Older Dog?

[Lillynix]

I was just wondering if anyone had tips for toilet training an older dog? Lotta is a 2yo we adopted from the pound a week ago, she was found as a stray.

So far i've been treating her like a puppy, taking outside regularly to toilet, after eating, sleeping, playing, but if my timing is out, she will happily just use the floor. She tends to wander aimlessly when she needs to go outside, so I take her and click/treat if she does her business, but if i'm distracted by tending to a child or using the loo myself, she won't hold on, she'll use the floor and we're still having accidents overnight despite going outside before bed time.

Also, obviously it's only been a week and I know it's going to take a while, but how long should I give it before trying something else/seeking help?

Is it too unrealistic to expect her to get in the habit of going to the door and waiting/scratching it when she wants outside to toilet? This is what my childhood pets always did, went to the door and whinged/scratched to get out?

TIA!

[bedazzledx2]

You're instincts are right...treat her like a puppy. Crate or contain (even tether to you) when you can't supervise and take her out OFTEN. After a meal, sleep, play ect. I don't use the clicker or treats for toilet training. A calm quiet 'good dog - go pee' (insert the phrase you want to use) as they pee or poo will be enough. She will get the hang of it but everyone in the house needs to know that if they think she might want to toilet...TAKE HER OUT! Give her many many opportunities to be right and as few as possible to make a mistake.

Does she sleep in a crate? If not I would use some sort of containment system until she is reliable overnight. I ask my dogs "wanna go outside" when I'm taking them out and they learn to go to the door...that translates to the dog going to the door when they want to toilet which is a pretty good indicator to start with.

I was just wondering if anyone had tips for toilet training an older dog? Lotta is a 2yo we adopted from the pound a week ago, she was found as a stray.

So far i've been treating her like a puppy, taking outside regularly to toilet, after eating, sleeping, playing, but if my timing is out, she will happily just use the floor. She tends to wander aimlessly when she needs to go outside, so I take her and click/treat if she does her business, but if i'm distracted by tending to a child or using the loo myself, she won't hold on, she'll use the floor and we're still having accidents overnight despite going outside before bed time.

Also, obviously it's only been a week and I know it's going to take a while, but how long should I give it before trying something else/seeking help?

Is it too unrealistic to expect her to get in the habit of going to the door and waiting/scratching it when she wants outside to toilet? This is what my childhood pets always did, went to the door and whinged/scratched to get out?

TIA!

[Lillynix]

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to pop back in here yesterday!

Thanks for the reinforcement i'm doing the right thing re: when to toilet her. She hasn't been in a crate overnight, no, though the one I ordered did arrive on Tuesday and I set it up yesterday, popped her favourite soft bed inside, popped her in with lots of praise and some treats (leaving the door open) in the hopes that she would then go in herself to sleep in her bed, which I am happy to say that she did!

So last night she slept in the crate, door open (so we still had an accident on the floor), as our first step, hoping to get her a little more comfortable with the crate today and work on closing the door for short periods. I really hope it goes well because I really would prefer her to sleep in a crate overnight.

[poodlefan]

Lillynix, echoing the other "treat her like a puppy" advice I'd go one further and make a time to get up in the night and take her out.

My guess is that this won't be necessary for long but if you are asleep and missing the signs that she needs to go, then getting up will solve the accident problem. Put her on lead for this.. and take her to the spot you want her to toilet. Praise like hell when she delivers.

Edited April 28, 2011 by poodlefan