Peeing, we all do it.

Fortunately, we humans were trained at a young age to urinate in a socially acceptable location.

 

To our pet dogs, “Where to pee?” is a bit of a puzzle.

 

There are good reasons for their confusion. To start with, many dogs are born inside, not outside in nature.

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So where was the first place they relieved themselves? Inside.

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What did they pee on? When they were old enough to do it without Mom’s help, they likely did it on some type of paper.

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Newspaper seems like such a great idea. It’s absorbent and protects the floor. We can dispose of it quickly, and it’s readily available. Most importantly, dogs accept it.

 

Then, many dogs graduate to a higher grade of paper. Potty pads! They are so much softer to stand on while they pee. Come on, tell the truth – you had a fuzzy toilet rim cover at some point in your life, right? A cushy place to sit. No wonder dogs like potty pads!

 

When the puppy leaves its birthplace to join your family, you provide pee pads to protect your carpet. Your dog accepts that because he or she is used to peeing inside on paper or pads. Seems normal.

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Then your cute little dog discovers the most high-quality pee pad they’ve ever seen in their little puppy life: your carpet. Oh, it's so cushy to stand on. Pee vanishes like magic and dries quickly enough to be ready for next time. And there is so much carpet!

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But when the puppy shares this discovery with the new family, otherwise friendly humans become aggressive monsters. Your dog probably thinks, “Why did they give us such wonderful pee pads – and then turn so…pissy?”

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To avoid your anger, dogs quickly learn to pee on parts of the carpet that are harder for us to find.

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Now that humans have created this problem, what can we do about it?

Step one: Decide where you want your dog to pee and poop.

Step two: Prevent access to the old place.

Step three: Reward your dog for peeing in the new place.

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Don’t punish your dog for making mistakes.

There may be medical reasons your dog is having accidents. A comprehensive training program will help you find kind, effective methods to change your dog’s behavior.

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Even older dogs can change. Please don’t give up on your dog!

Get some training to improve both of your lives!

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Sherry Clark with Brainy Dog can be reached at (707) 922-6344 or by email at train@brainydog.com.

 

Check out her website:

 www.brainydog.com.

Brainy Dog offers potty training by phone.