Ways to toilet train a toy terrier

Many owners of toy terriers have pets of this breed also because they don’t require going outside in bad weather.

True, this is only possible if the dog knows how to use a tray or diaper as a toilet.

But later it turns out that if the puppy was not toilet trained in the breeder’s house, then teaching him to go to the litter tray or diaper is not always easy.

Why does this happen and how can you quickly teach your dog to do his business not just anywhere, but in a specially designated place?

Why does a dog relieve itself anywhere?

If we are talking about a newly purchased puppy that was not trained in the breeder’s house to relieve itself in a certain place, then the answer is obvious - the dog simply does not know where to do its business. There is no need to punish him for this, but you should start accustoming him to a diaper or to a tray as soon as possible.

It’s another matter when a dog, already accustomed to the house toilet, suddenly starts getting dirty anywhere. But even in this case, before moving on to punishments, you need to figure out what caused such behavior.

IMPORTANT!

You cannot scold even an adult pet for starting to relieve itself in the wrong place, if this is associated with some kind of ailment, or in the case when the pet is too small to understand what the owner requires of it.

Diseases
in which a pet may begin to get dirty in the wrong place:

upset stomach or intestines (diarrhea);
bladder sphincter weakness;
urinary incontinence after sterilization;
tumors or inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary organs;
helminthic infestations.

A toy terrier may also begin to dirty houses due to extreme stress or fear. In this case, punishment will only make the situation worse.

It also happens that the dog does things anywhere to spite the owner, when he pays little attention to him, or as revenge, for example, for an unfair punishment.

Also, this can happen after the puppy reaches puberty, the only difference is that the boy constantly marks his territory, and the girl only during estrus. The solution to this problem can be sterilization or castration of the pet, unless, of course, there are plans to breed dogs in the future.

How to litter train a puppy

After choosing a tray, place it in a convenient place, preferably close to the bed. Avoid places with a lot of people to give your pet some quiet privacy.

After placing the tray in a suitable place, show it to your dog. During the show, arouse your animal's curiosity by allowing him to smell and explore a new object. This way, the dog will not be afraid of him. Then place a toy there and give the dog a specific command - for example, “toilet.” When the puppy enters the ditch, reward him - treat him with a treat, praise him.

Spend a lot of time with your baby and monitor his behavior. As a rule, puppies go to the toilet after they wake up and a couple of minutes after eating. At this time, you need to place them in the tray and gently hold them until they do their job.

The next task will be to create a strong association of the tray with physiological needs. To do this, put a napkin soaked in urine in it. Thanks to this, your dog will understand what this place is intended for.

Every time your dog uses the litter box correctly, you should remember to reward him. Positively reinforce the behavior and encourage the animal to repeat it.

Never punish a dog for getting out of the litter box without relieving itself.

Gradually, the puppy will learn to use the litter box. The most important thing is to be patient and persistent while learning. Thanks to this, you will quickly discover that such an indoor toilet for a small toy terrier is a really great solution.

When should a puppy be diaper trained?

You need to start accustoming your little toy to a diaper as early as possible - from the very first day after the baby moved to his new home and began to get comfortable there.

If you put off training until later, your pet may get used to urinating in inappropriate places.

Also read about how to train a Toy Terrier.

What to choose - a diaper or a tray?

Pros of diapers:

the puppy gets accustomed to a diaper more easily than to a tray;
thanks to the lower moisture-resistant surface, they protect the floor from getting wet;
can be used both at home and on the road by placing the diaper in the carrier;
safe;
absorb unpleasant odors and retain them well;
if they are changed frequently, they do not become moldy and do not become a breeding ground for germs.

Pros of trays:

aesthetic appearance;
There are many models, among which you can easily choose the most suitable one;
There are options for trays with posts designed for male dogs;
long service life;
The tray is washed every few days, which saves time.

In order to decide what to choose, you need to look at what your pet will get used to faster and what he prefers to use.

You can also combine a tray and a diaper - put it on the bottom of the tray and change it once a day. At the same time, the diaper will collect unpleasant odors, which is why the tray will remain clean longer, so you only have to wash it once a week.

Expert opinion

Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich

Expert dog handler.

The best way to train a puppy to use a litter box is to take him there after sleeping or eating. Hold it in place, wait until the pet does its business, and then be sure to praise it. You should remember that you should not shout at the baby or hold him in the tray by force. Such methods will lead to nothing but fear of the litter box, which is why toilet training your pet may take an indefinite period of time.

How to choose a place?

The tray or diaper should be located in a quiet place - not in the aisle, not in the main room where the whole family gathers and where it can be noisy and crowded. It is also forbidden to arrange a dog latrine in the bathroom, toilet, kitchen, balcony, unheated loggia or veranda.

How to train to a tray?

There are two main methods:

training to go to the litter box immediately;
First, the puppy gets used to the diaper and only then to the tray.

In the second case, the diaper, to which the dog is already accustomed, is placed on an inverted tray, so that the pet goes to the toilet on a slight elevation; after the dog gets used to it, the tray can be turned back, and the mesh insert from it can be wrapped with a diaper.

The most effective method for potty training your pet is:

carefully monitor the puppy after sleeping or eating;
if he starts spinning around and clearly looking for a place to go to the toilet, you need to pick him up and carry him to the tray;
holding the dog there (in no case, without holding it with brute force), wait until it relieves itself;
praise and reward with treats;
While the puppy is on the tray, you need to repeat the word that he will associate with the tray. For example, “toilet” or “potty”.

In the event that there was a misfire and he accidentally did not reach the tray, you cannot scold him, much less punish him. You need to wash the place where the puddle or pile was and treat it with a special product that eliminates animal odors.

How to toilet train outdoors

It is much more difficult to train a puppy to use the toilet outside. In such a process, the main thing is the sequence of actions. The puppy should first be accustomed to walks in general. At 2 months, it is advisable to go outside for air once every 30 minutes. Otherwise, the carpet will definitely be marked. Frequent trips to the yard will provoke an association in your pet with the idea that he should relieve himself exclusively there. At some point, the puppy and owner will begin to understand each other. When you notice the first signs that the dog wants to go to the toilet, you need to immediately go outside. During this period, it is important to make sure that the pet is not left alone in the house, because he will not be able to guess where to go to the toilet. You can involve all the people living in the apartment in the training procedure.

Feeding a puppy of this breed must be carried out strictly according to the schedule. The mode is useful exclusively for everyone. The dog will develop a reflex when it should eat, and the owner will decide at what time the dog needs to be walked. It is recommended to decide on the corner of the street where she will relieve herself. A small pet will learn much faster if, immediately after going outside, you take it to the place where a permanent toilet is planned.

The place for the toilet should be chosen close to home.

It won't hurt to get a special team for your dog. It should only be given outside in winter or summer. For example, the following are suitable: for a walk, toilet, potty, etc. You should not skimp on praise for the baby, because only a well-chosen system of rewards for coping with natural needs will lead to a positive result in the shortest possible time. Unsuccessful attempts to toilet train an animal do not indicate its stupidity, but rather the owner’s inept approaches to the learning process.

Toy terrier toilet training is a process that requires patience and judgment. If a pet is trained to use a litter tray, the owner's life becomes much easier.

How to get used to a diaper?

A puppy is accustomed to a diaper either by putting the pet on it after sleep and food, or by covering the entire room or area enclosed by an indoor enclosure with diapers. Subsequently, you can start removing 1 diaper per day, gradually reducing their number. And so on until there is only one left, which the puppy will follow.

If your pet wanders by, you need to wash the area and cover it again with a diaper, which you can try to remove again only after a few days.

Accustoming to a diaper begins by laying it close to the dog's bed. After the puppy eats or wakes up, he should be dropped off there and, after waiting for the pet to do his business, praise and reward him with something tasty.

After a couple of days, sometimes a little more, the toy terrier will understand what is required of him and will go to the diaper himself, without waiting until he is dropped off there.

At this time, you can begin to gradually move the diaper to the place where it will always be. In this case, you need to act slowly - move it no more than 20-30 cm, and the place where the diaper was previously must be thoroughly washed and treated with a special product.

IMPORTANT!

If he suddenly begins to refuse to wear the diaper after it has been moved, then you need to return the dog toilet to its original place and again, but more slowly, try to start moving it to the side after about a couple of days.

How to train a toy terrier to wear a diaper

The diaper is spread in the place where the dog peed upon arrival at the new place of residence. If it is very small, the owners will have to put up with some inconveniences at first. The fact is that the more “points” there are in the house, covered with diaper toilets, the faster the puppy will figure out what they are for.

The number of toilets is gradually being reduced. When the dog is 4 months old, he should already have learned that he can relieve himself only in one place and only where the diaper is laid.

First you need to teach your puppy to pee on the diaper.

Experienced dog breeders immediately purchase a special cloth or rubberized diaper that can retain urine. Subsequently, it is placed on the bottom of the tray.

Important! For dogs of short breeds, the diaper can be used as an independent closet.

Some tricks

Here are a few tricks to help you toilet train your pet faster:

do not scold, do not distract, and especially do not tease or frighten the pet when it is sitting in the tray. This needs to be explained to all family members, even the smallest children;
if the pet sits down to do its business in the wrong place in front of the owner, you need to express dissatisfaction to it in a loud and stern, but not threatening voice and take it to the tray;
at first it is better to place not one, but several trays, placing them in different corners of the room - in this case, if the pet does not have time to reach one tray, he will use another;
after he has made a puddle on the floor, you need to blot it with newspaper, which should be placed in the tray. By the smell, the dog will find a place for the toilet and understand what it is intended for;
for male dogs, it is better to purchase special trays with posts from the very beginning - this will not only make it easier for your pet to get used to the toilet and make the process familiar to him, but will also save furniture and corners in the house from dog marks;
You can try using special tools for toilet training your dog, which you can buy at any veterinary pharmacy.

NOTE!

After the dog gets used to using the litter box, you need to continue to praise it for correctly solving the need, but you need to gradually refuse to give treats - first give something tasty every other time, then after two, and so on, gradually reducing the number of rewards with treats for using the toilet, in the end finally remove them completely.

How to accustom a toy terrier puppy to a diaper?

First of all, you need to decide on the place that will be used as a dog toilet. It should be located close to the sleeping place, but not too close. Cover the area with a waterproof diaper. Small puppies go to the toilet very often. This is what you need to take advantage of. Immediately after sleeping, feeding, or active play, you need to put the puppy in a diaper and not let her out, not allowing her to go anywhere until the job is done. After each successful time, do not forget to praise and treat him with your favorite treats. Thus, act regularly and be persistent. Soon the terrier will understand what they want from him, and it will become his habit. This issue can be resolved by purchasing an enclosure. The floor in the enclosure is covered with diapers or newspapers. As the puppy gets used to a certain surface used as a toilet, you need to reduce its area to the required minimum.