In this article, we will answer the following question: Should you punish your dog for pooping in the house? We will teach you how to potty train a puppy, how to correct wrong behaviors in adult dogs, and how to remove the smell of urine and feces from your house, because, hey, accidents happen when you have a dog!
Should you punish your dog for pooping in the house?
You shouldn’t punish your dog for pooping in the house, it is traumatic and counterproductive. Never, never, never, rub your dog’ snout against his needs. This method is unhealthy and disrespectful to your friend.
If it is an adult dog that was doing his needs outside, consult your vet. If it is an adopted dog or has just arrived at your house, start with frequent trips outside, and the problem will soon become history.
If your puppy is peeing and pooping in the house until he learns that he has to hold until outside, you can place old newspapers in the area where you want our dog to relieve itself.
Put newspapers away from where he sleeps, as well as his food and water, and be alert, especially in the morning or about 10-20 minutes after eating, as these are times when the puppy will want to go out. If you see him go around sniffing the ground, he is probably looking for the right place.
Distract your puppy with a call, pick it up, and quickly take it to the newspapers. If he urinates or defecates in the right place, praise him with joy.
If your puppy has already chosen a regular place to drop his stools, start by putting the newspapers there. When you get him to relieve himself on the papers, you can move them a few inches until you reach the place you want to use as an evacuation area. As there is little space at a time, the puppy will not notice and will move around without major problems.
When will my puppy be able to relieve itself on the street?
Once you vaccinate your puppy, you can take him outside. Do it about 10 minutes after eating and if he urinates or defecates outside, reward him. At first, take him for a walkabout 6 times a day, gradually reducing the number of outings.
Do not forget to collect the stool with a bag and throw it in the trash. Leaving it out there, besides being unpleasant, is unsanitary and unhealthy. Surely you do not like to step on the grass when you see it full of excrement, nor would you let your children run around those places. Do your bit so that this does not happen.
If your puppy endures during the walk without relieving himself and does so as soon as he returns home, it is because he considers that his evacuation place is there. When he goes out, he resists the urge until he reaches the place he learned: inside the house. Don’t worry, it’s easy to fix the issue.
For the dog to modify its choice of place, we can go for a walk and after a while return home. But when we reached the door, we turned and continued our walk. Repeat this trick a few times a day. The dog will not be able to hold it, it is about to arrive at its chosen place, so it will relieve itself. Congratulate and reward him, with treats or caresses.
And remember: Rubbing the dog’s muzzle in its stools is unsanitary, ineffective, and sometimes traumatic. Never do it.
My dog is an adult and he is still pooping in the house
If your dog has been with you since he was a puppy and begins to relieve himself at home now, he may have a problem that you need to address. Consult your vet.
If you just adopted or brought him home, start a routine of frequent outings (at least 6) at the same time. Once he does his business outside, praise him, reward him, and reinforce this action. Continue the walk for a while, so that the dog sniffs quietly and enjoys the exit. Otherwise, you could identify the time of evacuation in order to exit and begin to hold on.
Dogs often feel like it in the morning, after eating, or after vigorous physical activity. Keep it in mind to go out at those times.
A two-month-old dog can go 3-4 hours without eliminating. This voluntary control time increases as the dog grows. Find out how long your dog can take to get it out before it reaches its limit.
Take it out at least three times a day. Dogs need to run and breathe fresh air, sniff trails, chase balls … Make walks a time of fun and relaxation.
If after 2-3 months of attempts you do not see progress, go to a professional.
Why is my dog relieving itself in the house?
There are a number of cases that can cause your dog to urinate at home:
Your dog pees to mark. Marking is common in a male dog, especially if there is a female at home. The amounts of urine are small and a stimulus of aversion (if we catch the dog red-handed) and cleaning the place on the spot can work.
Your dog pees as a sign of submission. When the owner enters the house, the dog urinates as part of the greeting sequence, regardless of the sex of the animal. Flattery reinforces the behavior. We must counter-condition it, teaching the dog to sit, not lie down, since lying down is an action that implies submission and enhances the problem.
Your dog pees from excitement. Play, noise, etc. can excite the dog and cause it to urinate. The treatment is the same as in submission.
Your dog pees out of fear. It may be associated with a phobia or with the owner applying exaggerated punishments. Never deal with punishments as it aggravates the situation. In the case of a phobia, you should ask for the help of a professional.
Your dog urinates because of separation anxiety. Dogs are very sociable and show dislike of separation from their owner, being able to relieve themselves in his absence. To avoid this, run to exhaust the dog before making a long outing. Either way, you should treat the anxiety problem.
How do I remove the smell of urine from my home?
The smell of urine is very strong and should be eliminated as soon as possible. Keep in mind that their smell is more powerful than ours and they will be able to detect their trace even when we do not already do it, identifying that place as suitable to go back to relieve themselves.
Do not use products with bleach or ammonia, as their smell is similar to urine, they will aggravate or cause a problem.
There are products on the market to eliminate the smell of urine. A combination of vinegar with sodium bicarbonate is very effective also since it acts on the acidic and alkaline components of the urine.
A combination of water with vinegar or lemon with a subsequent rinse is also effective. In the case of lemon, it will leave a pleasant clean smell.
Final tips
As a final reminder, do not punish your dog for pooping in the house! It is traumatic and counterproductive. Never, never, never, rub his snout against his needs. This method is unhealthy and disrespectful.
Use newspaper or soaking wipes to get your puppy used to use the place you have determined. Once he is vaccinated and used to the newspaper, he begins to make frequent trips outside.
If he does his business when you return home, use the technique of going back to the door and turning to continue the walk, repeating this mechanic until your dog evacuates outside. Reward and reinforce the successes.
If it is an adult dog that was evacuating outside, consult your vet. If it is an adopted dog or has just arrived at your house, start with frequent outings. Take it out in the morning, after meals, or after vigorous physical activity. Go out at least three times a day and enjoy the walks.
Do not clean with bleach or ammonia. There are products on the market to eliminate urine odors. Water with vinegar or lemon is a very effective product in eliminating odors.
The dog may urinate from marking, submission, excitement, fear, or separation anxiety. Study these cases to treat them in the most appropriate way.
If you have any questions or comments on the content, please let us know!
FAQ on Should you punish your dog for pooping in the house?
How do I stop my dog from peeing in the house?
To stop your dog from peeing in the house you have to educate it. Reinforce good behavior and ignore bad behavior. It may take a while, but it is a method that works in most cases.
Why does my dog keep peeing everywhere?
Your dog keeps peeing everywhere either because he suffers from separation anxiety or he wants to mark his territory. There are some things that you need to take into consideration. Are you bringing many strangers home or a new pet? Are you leaving him alone for long periods? have you not paid so much attention to him lately?
How often does a Yorkie need to pee?
An adult Yorkie needs to pee up t0 4 times a day, while a baby Yorkie needs to urinate about 10-12 times a day. It may seem a lot to you, but they are small dogs with big needs, and they cannot just hold it in.
Why is my dog peeing on my bed?
Your dog may be peeing on your bed for several reasons. He may be anxious or overexcited and cannot hold it in. Also, he may just be incorrectly trained or he just wants to leave his mark on your bed.
References
Petsworld.in
Animalwised.com
