What you need to know to train your German Shepherd to go to the toilet outside
A puppy that gets into the house is not able to control its “toilet” needs the way the owner needs it. It makes no sense to demand this from him or try to punish him for “puddles.” Please be understanding about this. However, you can train your baby immediately upon arrival. Watch the puppy. As soon as he begins to get restless and spin around, take him to a prepared place and wait until he has a bowel or bladder movement. As soon as this happens, praise the baby.
The situation is complicated by the fact that only a vaccinated puppy can be taken outside. If you have a dog in an apartment, you will have to put up with temporary puddles at home. Another difficulty is frequent trips to the toilet. The first time after vaccination, the baby will have to be taken for a walk at least 6 times a day.
Dogs, by nature, are clean and tend to visit the “toilet corner” in the same place.
For some pets, “house surprises” stop by 6 months, while for others they reach 8-10 months.
With the East European Shepherd it is a little easier, since the service dog strives to “please” its owner.
Why does the dog keep shitting at home?
Almost all puppies sooner or later learn to go to the toilet only in a strictly designated place. But sometimes for some reason this does not happen, or, even worse, an already trained dog, as if out of spite, begins to dirty the house. Why does this happen?
Physiological reasons
If puddles and piles appear with enviable regularity not on a diaper or newspaper, but in places not intended for a dog toilet, this does not mean at all that the pet does this to spite the owner or that he is too stupid to get used to the place reserved for the dog. dispatch of needs. It may very well be that the reason for this behavior of the puppy is health problems due to which he does not have time or for some reason cannot use the same diaper for its intended purpose, not to mention the litter box.
What are the physiological reasons for a pet’s reluctance to use the dog toilet? First of all, these include:
- Diarrhea. With it, the puppy would like to, but he simply does not have time to reach his toilet place, or maybe he simply does not have the strength to do this anymore if the diarrhea continues for a long time and dehydration has begun.
- Worms. By causing itching, they can contribute to premature bowel movements in the animal.
- Sphincter weakness. With this pathology, which is most often congenital, the puppy is not able to retain feces in the intestines for a long time.
- Diseases of the kidneys and genitourinary system. With these ailments, the dog urinates very often, so it is not surprising that it is not able to wait until the next walk, and, in severe cases, simply run to the diaper or tray.
Important! A pet’s persistent reluctance to use the toilet intended for it, as well as frequent misfires, is a reason for a visit to the veterinary clinic.
Psychological disorders
An equally common reason why a dog does not want to learn to keep the house clean or suddenly “forgets” how to do it are psychological reasons. Most often, severe stress leads to such consequences, when the dog can actually forget not only that he needs to go outside to the toilet or to the newspaper, but also much of what he has already been trained to do. What should you do in this case? Help your pet cope with stress, communicate and play with it more, and later, when the animal’s psychological state returns to normal, try to “remember” forgotten skills and commands. If this does not help, then you will have to teach the dog again everything that it once knew and was able to do.
When a shepherd forgets how to use the toilet due to the stress it has experienced, the situation is not pleasant . But it’s even worse if the pet deliberately, to spite the owner and often in front of him, made a puddle or pile right in the house or apartment. And it’s really bad if he used furniture, such as a sofa or bed, as a toilet. And this is bad not only because the dog ignores the owner or even does such things to spite him. What is much worse is that the animal that has decided on such a method of revenge is already driven to despair or even to a mental disorder. After all, not a single predator in the wild would relieve itself near its den, and the fact that the dog did so is nothing more than a desperate call for the owner’s attention.
How to accustom a Veo puppy to the street “toilet”
And finally, the vaccinations were done, and the doctor allowed me to walk the dog. An apartment building is inconvenient because it is not possible to quickly take the puppy out for “toilet” needs: there are steps and an elevator. Taking this into account, the walk should be timed to coincide with the following events:
- morning awakening;
- feeding;
- long active game.
Walking should immediately follow the above events and additionally before bedtime. If you work, then conduct training on weekends. You can distribute 6 walks at a time convenient for you.
It's easier to train a dog when you live in a house. There is no need to calculate the time here, but you should watch the baby. As soon as he starts to get restless and spin around, grab him and take him out into the yard to the same place. After performing natural needs, praise the puppy without skimping on your enthusiasm. Next time, the Veo puppy will try his best to get praise from you.
In a city environment, it is necessary to train a shepherd to go to the toilet in one place, but here the process will take longer. When you bring the dog to the chosen area, you need to wait until it “does its business”, and then praise the baby.
Sometimes the puppy is interested in exploring new territory and wants to run and play. This should not be allowed during training. Keep him on a leash and walk around the chosen vacant lot.
Learning is facilitated by:
- lack of distractions;
- traces or smell of activity of other dogs;
- a diaper that the puppy wore at home;
- example of “senior comrades”.
Animals learn by imitating their mother or pack members, so the example of adult dogs can play a role. The smell of excrement also affects babies, and the aroma of their own diaper tunes the baby’s brain to the right actions. You should lay the diaper on the ground and let the baby smell it.
To get the desired result, you need to tame the dog, that is, not take actions that will turn the animal against you. We are talking about corporal punishment and “poking” one’s nose in a puddle. No matter how irritated you are by traces of human activity on the floor, refrain from rudeness and beatings. You can’t even scold a one-month-old puppy for this, he simply won’t understand, but he will be scared, and this will bring you new surprises.
A dog that experienced stress in childhood can “pee” in adulthood if shouted at.
Mr. Tail recommends: problems of adult dogs
Adult animals have a harder time relearning, but they can endure it much longer. This is worth taking into account, and if you have to make concessions with kids, using diapers and trays, then allowing an adult dog to go home once provokes him to constantly use the comfortable opportunity. Why endure it when you can go to a corner in the apartment.
If mistakes happen occasionally, it is recommended to reconsider the walking and feeding schedule; perhaps the dog cannot tolerate it due to irrational time management.
Often, owners of small breeds, such as Yorkies and Chihuahuas, are themselves to blame for the fact that the animals shamelessly shit everywhere. Lack of punishment and education in dogs is not uncommon. Such lapses can be corrected by mustering willpower and starting with light punishments for violations and praise for correct behavior. It is important to remember that animals are very smart and are excellent at manipulating their owner’s feelings; they should not be allowed to do this.
If a dog begins to commit outrages for no apparent reason, you should pay attention to his state of health. Contact your veterinarian. If the doctor considers the pet healthy, it makes sense to talk with members of the household; it happens that someone offends the animal, scolds or punishes, creating a stressful situation in which the dog behaves inappropriately. Such disorders are treated with care and attention, as well as a serious conversation with the person who provoked such circumstances.
Walking a German Shepherd among people
If you do not live on the outskirts or in a private house, then walking a dog is associated with difficulties in finding a convenient place for training. On the one hand, this should be an area frequented by other dogs, on the other hand, no one should disturb the puppy. Passing people do not always share the delight of a large dog “sitting on the potty.”
At 2 months, the baby can already leave impressive “heaps”, so arm yourself with auxiliary tools. In normal cases, a set of two bags is sufficient. One of them can be used as a glove. This kit is convenient to store in your pocket when rolled up. If you are too squeamish, purchase a dustpan from a pet store, although it is less convenient to use.
Special means
If possible, the site area should be thoroughly processed. Dogs follow their instincts and choose a place to go to the toilet based on smell. If the smell is unpleasant to the animal, the dog will not want to mark the place. Special odor-eliminating products come to the aid of breeders of indiscriminate pets. “Antipis” and “No Shitting!” are popular in Russia. and “Antigadin”, imported products are sold. It is easy to purchase at a pet store.
The principle of action of sprays: the products destroy the dog’s usual smell, which causes disgust. It is possible to do this: treat areas not intended for dog marks, leaving the only area with an odor. The animal will go to the place where the spray is not sprayed.
The option is expensive. It's possible to save money. An antiperspirant is a good alternative to special products, although there is no guarantee of effectiveness. Important: the spraying procedure must be repeated many times. When the smell disappears, the dog, not accustomed to the new place, will move around the area again.
An unpleasant aroma for a hypersensitive nose is the smell of menthol. It's easy to choose products that will be useful in combating the habit of marking everywhere. When choosing a product with menthol, make sure that it does not contain ammonia: the substance is considered toxic.
How to toilet train a German Shepherd puppy at home
In a city apartment, getting used to wearing a diaper is the first stage of mastering “toilet rules.” Place your baby on a diaper or newspaper several times a day if you see signs of anxiety. Praise your dog after completing the process, but do not overdo it. After several correct “landings”, you can express dissatisfaction with the puppy if he did not do it in the right place. It is acceptable to say to him: “Ay-ay-ay,” or something similar, but only one phrase. It is important that before this he has already mastered this procedure a little and understands that he needs to run to the diaper. After such a “threatening” phrase, you need to take the baby to the “toilet” place, sit him there and stroke him.
A large dog should be trained to use a litter tray, as it will “flood” the diaper. Place earth or fine soil in the container. When accustoming your puppy to the street, pour a handful of “used” soil in front of him in the clearing. The Caucasian Shepherd will look comical on a tray or diaper, so it is better to immediately train him to use the toilet outside the premises.
