When we first got Goldie, I was adamant that we train her to go outside for the toilet. That would have meant taking her outside at least twice – perhaps three times a day – in the rain, sun, sleet, hail, whatever! I thought it was the only way, given that growing up, my parents had made our dogs do precisely that!
My wife had other ideas, though. She wanted to teach Goldie how to potty inside. What a concept! After much heated discussion, I caved – which I always do lol – and we purchased an indoor pet toilet. This thing was ingenious. It was a tray, with two removable grids. The dog stands on the tray to poop or pee. The pee is collected in the tray, and the poop rests atop the grid. Too easy. We experimented initially with putting newspaper into the tray to soak up the urine so it wouldn’t slosh everywhere, but that wasn’t very successful.
In the end, we used puppy pads. We’d line the tray with puppy pads, and the pee would soak into the pads, with zero mess! Plus, it beats using the puppy pads alone, which is a messy affair in itself!
After years of this, Goldie has become well-trained. Even if she’s outside, she’ll make an effort to come into the house and use her potty. She’s still a dog, however, and she much prefers to use the grass outside. If we aren’t watching, and she’s outside by herself, we will still find special gifts that Goldie has left for us on the grass. Instincts will always prevail, after all!
We trained Goldie to use the indoor potty by a process of positive reinforcement. At the beginning, we would routinely guide her to the potty with her on a leash and encourage her with the words “Potty” and “Good girl!”. It was a struggle at first, and there were a fair few mishaps! In the end, though, we all prevailed, and the potty is Goldie’s go-to toilet area.
House guests are always amazed when they see Goldie wander to her potty and do her thing. It’s a bit of a party trick.
Another thing is, if Goldie ever wants a snack, she’ll mill around in front of us, and then wander to the potty, do her thing, and then come back wagging her tail, tongue sticking out, waiting for us to give her a treat as a reward. Goldie sure knows the value of good work!
Steps to Successful Indoor Potty Training
- Choose the Right Indoor Toilet: Select an indoor toilet option suitable for your dog’s size and preferences, such as a tray with grids or a designated area with puppy pads.
- Consistent Location: Place the indoor toilet in a consistent location within your home, preferably in an easily accessible area for your dog.
- Establish a Routine: Create a consistent schedule for bathroom breaks, including specific times throughout the day when you guide your dog to the indoor toilet.
- Positive Reinforcement: Use positive reinforcement techniques such as praise, treats, and affection to encourage your dog to use the indoor toilet. Reward your dog immediately after they eliminate in the correct spot.
- Patience and Persistence: Understand that training your dog to use an indoor toilet may take time and patience. Stay consistent with your training efforts and remain persistent, even in the face of setbacks.
- Monitor Behavior: Keep an eye on your dog’s behavior and body language to anticipate when they need to eliminate. Promptly guide them to the indoor toilet if you notice signs such as sniffing, circling, or squatting.
- Limit Access: Limit your dog’s access to other areas of the house, especially during the initial stages of training, to encourage them to use the indoor toilet consistently.
- Cleanliness: Keep the indoor toilet clean and odor-free to encourage your dog to use it regularly. Replace puppy pads or clean the tray/grid regularly to maintain hygiene.
- Accidents: Expect accidents to happen during the training process and avoid punishment. Instead, clean up accidents promptly and continue with positive reinforcement to reinforce the desired behavior.
- Transitioning to Outdoors: If desired, gradually transition your dog from using the indoor toilet to going outdoors for bathroom breaks. Continue using positive reinforcement and gradually decrease the use of the indoor toilet as your dog becomes more accustomed to outdoor elimination.
