Older Dogs with Incontinence: What You Need to Know
Friday, January 31, 2020 15:37:00 PM America/Los_Angeles
When your perfectly trained dog starts having accidents in the house again, it can be frustrating. This habit is common among older dogs. Getting your dog back to the good old days of no accidents can be a tough journey. At some point, you've probably felt like you have tried everything, but your older dog is still peeing in the house.
The process of re-training a senior dog with bowel incontinence calls for a lot of patience. A simple way of getting your dog back to its habit of peeing outside the house is through potty training. Getting an efficient indoor dog potty is a great way of handling the problem. However, don't be too hard on your dog. They often feel just as bad about peeing the house, because they know it's not what they're supposed to do. So, how do you help your older dog to stop peeing in the house? Read on to find out.
Don’t Give your Dog Free-Range of the House During Re-Potty Training
Let's face it. An old dog can be likened to a small child, and nobody will want to leave their little kid roaming around without any attention. Although this strategy is short term, it can help your dog to start peeing out of the house. Keep an eye on the dog during the retraining sessions and pay attention to its behavior. You will realize that your pet will start getting it right after a given number of sessions. Once it starts doing it right, you can now leave it unattended. Always remember that the attention you give your dog during this exercise is a recipe to success.
Take your Pet to the Dog Bathroom or Out to a Chosen Pee Spot Often
You need to be smart and be able to read your dog’s body language for any signs of wanting to pee. You will need to remind your old dog where to go whenever it wants to pee. Even if you already have a dog potty and pee pads in the house, you will need to direct it to the bathroom whenever it shows signs of peeing. Be sure to purchase a good potty for dogs from a reputable company such as Bark Potty which provides the dog with maximum comfort. You can purchase real grass and put it indoors and always direct your dog to the area whenever it wants to pee. This way, you will have taught the dog to always pee on grass or bark, not any other thing. Signs such as raising legs or unusual sounds are clear indicators that your dog wants to pee. You can also develop a schedule of taking the dog out to its favorite spot to pee. You can do this as the first thing in the morning, the last thing before you go to bed, or every time you come home after work. Show your dog where to go repetitively, and with time it shall start going there whenever it feels like peeing. When they go potty in the spot, make sure to give them a treat or lots of praise, so they know they did what you wanted them to do.
Place potty pads under your dog’s bed and around the house
I'm sure you don't want to pick up your dog bed only to discover pee below it. That is the moment you realize that the pee has been lying there for some time. To avoid this, keep a Bark Potty beside your dog's bed. Bark Potty will be a better alternative to pee pads because the real bark neutralizes urine odor.
Learn to praise your dog whenever it pees out
One of the most excellent ways of changing your dog's behavior is by praising it every time it does something right, especially peeing outside and in the right spot. Give it a positive reinforcement. The above tips for incontinence in older dogs are crucial to a successful housebreaking of the old dog. Additionally, give your dog plenty of praise and approval whenever it goes outside the house to pee. Understand that your dog is getting older and it may not do everything right all the time, but with some practice, they can improve greatly!