Toilet Training An Older Dog

[Cavstar]

We have a new cavalier joining our family next week

She is 8 months old and not toilet trained :eek:

When I got Lucy she was a puppy so had to pee every second lol but I guess older dogs have a bigger bladder so can hold on longer?

Obviously I'll use a command word every time she goes & praise & I have a crate that I can put her in if need be, but just wondering if anyone has any tips?

thanks

[julesluvscavs]

Hi

We had a foster dog a while back that wasn't toilet trained properly, but she was a lot older. She was pretty good actually. Every time I put Joey and Renae out, she would follow, so she soon picked it up. It helps a lot if you have other dogs around that they can learn by example ;) Of course I would take her outside quite a few times as well, but she would smell where the Cavs had been, so that helped encourage her as well :)

Im doing the same thing with Miah

Ps i find that strange shes not toilet trained at her age! Especially since shes not even a rescue dog ;-)

and yes lots of praise when she does go outside to do her no 1's and 2's :)

Edited April 10, 2013 by Jules❤3Cavs

[minimax]

You go about it the same way you would a puppy. They can hold on longer, but the less often you take her out, the more accidents you will let happen, so easier just to pretend she's 8 weeks old and start toilet training as you would a new pup.

[meggie]

My rescue whippet wasn't toilet trained at a year - he hadn't been an inside dog before.

We just did the usual puppy training routine of taking outside regularly & praising when he performed. Only one accident & completely house trained in less than a week. The older ones definitely learn faster.

[Cavstar]

Hi

We had a foster dog a while back that wasn't toilet trained properly, but she was a lot older. She was pretty good actually. Every time I put Joey and Renae out, she would follow, so she soon picked it up. It helps a lot if you have other dogs around that they can learn by example ;) Of course I would take her outside quite a few times as well, but she would smell where the Cavs had been, so that helped encourage her as well :)

Im doing the same thing with Miah

Ps i find that strange shes not toilet trained at her age! Especially since shes not even a rescue dog ;-)

and yes lots of praise when she does go outside to do her no 1's and 2's :)

Yes I know.. I think its weird too Jules Maybe she's not kept inside? I don't know. I meant to ask but forgot. I'm not too bothered. Cavs are pretty smart & I'm sure she'll pick it up soon esp with big sister Lucy to show her :)

My rescue whippet wasn't toilet trained at a year - he hadn't been an inside dog before.

We just did the usual puppy training routine of taking outside regularly & praising when he performed. Only one accident & completely house trained in less than a week. The older ones definitely learn faster.

Thats awesome! Thanks Meggie :) Can I ask if you changed your whippets name & how did he go with that? The name I have picked out is completely different to what it is now.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I've housetrained many dogs as a rescuer and foster carer and have my method typed out which I'll copy in a mo.

Re changing a dog's name, it usually takes a couple of days. I normally write a few different sounding names that I like on a list and read them slowly to the dog. Might sound silly but sometimes you will see them really respond to one of them and that's the name they get to keep!

If they've had a rough life beforehand, it's good to have a change.

HOUSETRAINING TIPS

Ok - first thing to do is decide on the command (I call it “do wees”) you will repeat over and over. You have to really focus on the dog for about 2-3 days to be successful. You have a pocketful of special treats on hand all the time for the first 2-3 days.

Walk the dog several times a day and every time the dog wees, you get very excited and keep saying “Good boy/girl, do wees, do wees” – give the dog treats every time.

First thing in the morning, last thing at night and every time you see the dog eat or drink (both precursors to weeing) whisk the dog into the garden and repeat the command “do wees”. Get very excited and present treats every time dog goes.

The dog’s aim in life is to please you. If the dog should have an accident inside the house – say NOTHING at all. The dog soon gets the idea that when he/she goes outside you are really, really pleased and he/she gets rewarded.

NB: Please note that the smell of urine must be properly removed for any housetraining to be successful. There are products on the market such as “Urine Off” but they are very expensive. A mix of white vinegar and water is a much cheaper alternative and should work for tiles and other surfaces although you should always take care with wood etc. For carpet/rugs, I use either a mixture of Napisan/water or bicarb of soda and water. I completely soak the stain using a dab on technique with a cloth. When it is very wet, I use an old towel to soak up the excess moisture. Again, be careful on any expensive carpet/rug, I have never had any problems but I cannot guarantee any method here.

[meggie]

Ooops, mucked up my reply.

Cavstar, no, we didn't change Sam's name as we were happy with it. His previous owners had already changed it to Sam from Sky & he'd adapted.

I can see dogmad's point about a new name & a new life, but Sam didn't have a troubled past. He had been shown as a pup, then rehomed to the country where he took to killing the neighbour's chooks, so he was rehomed again to us - in chookless suburbia.

dogmad, thanks for those tips on housetraining & especially the cleaning up. I always forget what's the best method, so will print that post.

[Cavstar]

Thanks dogmad :) That's pretty much how I did it with Lucy & she learnt fairly quickly as a puppy

I'll stick to what you've said & hopefully will be all good. I've let the breeder know what I'm changing her name to & asked her to start using it so hopefully that will help :)

[Poppy's mum]

Vigilance is the key! I found crating helpful at night. My pup was 8 mo too (from a breeder). Took a couple of months till one hundred percent reliable. Early on I started taking it for granted - that was a mistake. Keep up the routine of taking out regularly for longer than you think you need to. Having other dogs is a big plus.

Didn't seem to pick up the 'go pee' cue until the 2nd month. Wish I'd also trained 'go poo'. Started but wasn't sure they could discriminate - I've since learned they can. Worth putting it on cue.