By Michelle Mullins, CPDT-KA, Training and Behavior Education Department Manager

Most people think outside potty training is the only option for their dog. However, you can also train your dog to eliminate inside.

While most people think potty training a dog always involves teaching the dog to eliminate outside, in some situations going outside is either extremely difficult or impossible. Limited mobility, illness, or little to no access to outdoor space can make training a dog to use an appropriate indoor area the best option.

Think long term when choosing indoors as this needs to be a consistent and permanent change. It is difficult for the dog to change back to outdoors or alternate between indoors and outdoors.

Indoor potty training does have a few considerations:

• You must provide an area indoors with adequate space and convenience for the dog to eliminate
• Cleaning the area to control odor and avoid tracking will require extra effort
• Indoor elimination materials like pads, real sod, artificial turf cleaning materials will be an added expense

Training your dog to eliminate in an appropriate indoor area is the goal and providing an area that is different from any other surface will make a clear distinction for the dog and aid the training. A dog needs to be taught it is rewarding to eliminate in an approved area so set up the area and be consistent in leading the dog to the area for potty breaks.

Both puppies and adult dog can be house trained. While the training steps may be the same please note that puppies can only hold their urine for about an hour plus his age in months. So a puppy who is two months old can hold it for about 3 hours maximum. Every dog will be different and activity level, size and development all effect how long before a dog has full bladder control.

Know when your puppy/dog needs to eliminate: Supervision and observation are very important in house training and avoiding inappropriate elimination behaviors. It will take time to house train your dog and how long it takes is directly related to how well you supervise him. Your puppy/dog will need to eliminate after he eats, drinks, plays and wakes up. Maintaining a consistent feeding schedule will help regulate the dog’s elimination schedule. Watch for your dog’s signals that he needs to go – sniffing, circling, approaching the door or a spot he has used before – and take him to the potty area. If he urinates but you know he usually has a bowel movement during this time wait and give him time to finish. If he doesn’t go in several minutes take him from the area and watch him closely. Try again in a few minutes. Keeping notes on his normal elimination schedule can help you be consistent during the early stage of training.

Supervise: The dog should be supervised as much as possible during training. You or a member of the family should be assigned to watch the puppy/dog. That person’s responsibility is to be watching the dog and taking him to potty as needed. If you need to be doing other things while watching your puppy/dog tie a 6-10’ cord around your waist with the other end attached to your dog’s collar. You will be able to go about doing whatever you need to and supervise your puppy at the same time.

Confinement: You will not be able to watch your dog all the time. During the times you cannot supervise, he needs to be confined. It is highly recommended you purchase a crate, use a pen or small area for your puppy/dog and follow the rules for crate training. Your dog’s crate is a “safe place to call his own”. It is his natural instinct to keep his area clean and this can be utilized during the potty training period. Never force your puppy to eliminate in his crate by expecting him “hold it” longer then he is physically able or he may lose the natural instinct to keep his area clean. The area should only be large enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lie down. If the crate is larger than this, block part of it off until your puppy grows and or he has full bladder control

Reward your puppy for getting it right! Elimination is a normal and rewarding behavior for your dog. I have to “go” is followed by I “went” and now I feel better. Punishing a dog for accidents, marking and urination due to fear or excitement should be avoided as it only teaches them to not eliminate in your presence. Use a leash and lead your dog to the appropriate area. Take him to the area/surface you prefer he eliminates. Don’t play with him and give him attention until after he eliminates. If you notice he is about to go say something like, “Go potty” or Get busy” just before he eliminates. This will eventually be his cue to eliminate. Reward your puppy with praise, a tiny food treat and some play time (take him out of the potty area for play). Reward him every time he eliminates in the appropriate spot.

You need reward him the instant he eliminates and the only way you can is to be there when it happens or by having a pee detection/reward system which is there when you can’t be and is a great solution!

Accidents Will Happen

There will be accidents during a dog’s lifetime. Don’t yell at or punish your dog for an accident. This could scare him or simply teach him not to eliminate when you are present. It won’t teach him what is correct. If you catch him soiling in an inappropriate spot cue him to go to the potty area or lead him there. If the “accident” happens anyway or you were not there when it happened don’t show any reaction to your dog. Clean up any areas where accidents have occurred with an odor eliminator/enzyme cleaner to remove any smell that may draw your puppy back to the area. Your veterinarian should be able to recommend a good product.

Leaving your puppy for long time periods. Sometimes you may have to leave your dog alone for longer periods of time during house training. You have some options to keep house training on track:

• Leave your puppy in the elimination area or room that is just large enough for sleeping, eating and an elimination area.
• Indicate the elimination area with a litter box of sod (to mimic the outdoors/grass surface), or pee pads, or whatever you are using as the appropriate surface.

If your puppy or dog is not responding to the training or at any time regresses in their training, please see your veterinarian for a possible health related issue.

By Roslyn Ayers, PetSafe Web Content Specialist

Cats are some of the easiest pets to care for: they don’t need baths, potty breaks, or expensive toys (especially when they’ve got cardboard boxes to play with). But even cats can be difficult to live with, especially if they’ve developed a problem with the litter box. Most cat owners have faced this frustrating problem before, and can attest to how difficult it can be to solve. I’ve dealt with this problem with my own cats, so I wanted to share how I helped my cats stop using the carpet as a litterbox.

Diagnosing the Problem

Having multiple cats can make it hard to figure out who’s behind those pee spots.

In multiple cat households, the first step is figuring out who’s doing it. Separate your cats one at a time until you find the offender. You can keep each one in a separate room with their own litter box, or separate them one at a time. Check the room and litter box every day for pee spots. Repeat with each cat; you might have multiple offenders. If your cat doesn’t have any accidents when isolated, one of your other cats might be bullying the others, making your cat afraid to pee when other cats are nearby.

The next step is ruling out medical issues. Take the cat(s) to the vet to check for urinary tract infections or other health problems. Urinary tract infections are the most common medical cause of inappropriate peeing, and they can become serious if left untreated. Male cats tend to get UTIs more often than females. Other medical causes might include constipation or arthritis.

Once you’ve ruled out medical causes, try to think back to any recent changes in your cat’s life. Stress can cause your cat to stop using the litter box. Maybe you just changed what kind of litter you use or moved a litter box. Or maybe you added a new family member or changed your schedule significantly. With cats, it’s important to introduce changes slowly to reduce stress. If you need to move the litter box, move it a few inches a day. If you need to change your cat’s diet, mix the old food with the new food at first. Simple changes like these will make it easier for your cat to adjust to change and hopefully prevent litter box problems from continuing.

Solving the Problem

Cats will sit (or pee) on the weirdest things!

A few things to remember: it’s important to be patient and diligent. You might have to try lots of things to find what works. And don’t be shy in asking for help; talk to your vet and other cat owners for their advice. Also, remember to never punish your cat for peeing outside the litterbox. If you catch him in the act, you can startle your cat with a loud noise or a spray bottle, but punishment after the fact will just stress your cat out more.

1. Clean the spots right away. Once one cat has peed in a spot, they’ll want to keep peeing there, and other cats might follow suit. Do a “sniff check” of your house every day. If the smell persists even after you’ve cleaned everything, try using a black light to make sure you’ve truly found all the spots. Use a non-ammonia-based cleaner designed to clean up pet stains or neutralize ammonia and odor. Some cleaning products like Feliway mimic the hormones and glands of a cat, making them less likely to mark that spot. You might even need to clean the carpet padding and floor underneath the carpet.

2. Keep your cat away from the spots. Cover the spots your cat likes to pee on with tinfoil, a water bowl, or sticky tape. Try moving the litter box to that spot. You can also use a special pet proofing mat to keep them away from larger areas. My cat liked to pee in the corner and on clothes, so I put a box in the corner and made sure to pick up dirty laundry on the floor.

Cats don’t like to eat where they use the bathroom. Putting a food/water bowl where they like to pee will discourage them from using that spot again.

3. Clean the litter box more often. Some cats are fine with a slightly dirty box, but others won’t go in a box that’s been used. Start by cleaning the box once a day. Don’t clean it with strong-smelling chemicals either.

4. Add more litter boxes. You can get by with one litterbox per cat, but to be safe, go with one box per cat plus one more.

5. Try different kinds of boxes. It might be the hood, size, depth, or entrance your cat has a problem with. For example, most litterboxes are kept in closets, corners, or laundry rooms, but some cats hate hooded litterboxes or boxes in enclosed spaces because they can’t see what’s around the corner.

My cats like to pee in the bathtub, so I keep them out of the bathroom.

6. Use different kinds of litter. If your cat prefers to pee on soft surfaces, try using a softer litter, or even shredded newspaper or rags. Gradually add litter into the newspaper or clothing mix. Cats who prefer smooth surfaces might do well with an empty box or a box with a very thin layer of litter, so they can feel the bottom of the box. Try using dirt instead of litter for a formerly outdoor cat.

7. Move the boxes around. Keep at least one box on each floor of your house. Make it convenient to get to the box. Don’t put the boxes in high-traffic areas.

8. Prevent litter box bullying. Children or other pets might be scaring your cat near the litter box, which could cause your cat to avoid the box altogether. Try placing the box in a quieter location, or put up a child/pet gate to only allow your cat in. A selective entry cat door will allow certain cats into a room or area while preventing others from entering.

9. Reduce stress and change. Your cat might have started peeing outside the litterbox after a big change some time ago and kept up the habit, even after adjusting to the change. Preventing stress before it leads to litterbox problems is key. Establish a routine and make changes slowly.

10. Spay or neuter your pet. Fixing your cat will prevent spraying in 90% of cats. Spraying is a way cats mark their territory, and it’s not limited to male cats. It’s usually caused by stress. If you notice your cat peeing on walls or vertical surfaces, it might be time to go to the vet for the “snip.”

Help out your fellow cat owners by posting your tips for solving litter box problems in the comments below!

ABOUT ROSLYN

At PetSafe’s Knoxville headquarters, Roslyn Ayers is the Web Content Specialist. Roslyn comes from a family of animal lovers and has a B.A. in Writing/Communications from Maryville College. She has volunteered with various animal rescues in Tennessee and South Carolina. Roslyn currently shares her home with four cats.

By Robin Rhea, PetSafe Senior Brand Manager

When you love your pet, it’s easy to begin thinking that adding another pet to your home will only increase everything that you treasure about being a pet owner. I’ve recently had the opportunity to personally experience the process of adding a new pet to my home. Just like pets themselves, adding a new one to your home can be full of surprises.

Get down to business before doubling up

Of course another pet means you’ve got another mouth to feed, take to the vet, exercise and train. That means more time and money to care for them. When planning to add another pet to my life, it helped me to think through my typical week. I mentally added a second dog to all of my activities to get a feel for how my daily schedule would need to adjust. Finances are also critical to consider. I reviewed my budget and doubled the amount we set aside for Buckley for vet care, food, flea and heart worm, toys, treat, boarding and day camp.

Double up on patience

Buckley and Finn love each other just as siblings should! There is plenty of snuggles to go around.

Once you lock eyes with a pet, logic can go out the window. It’s so important to assess the appropriateness of a new pet without being influenced by the emotional side of wanting a new furry friend. Shelters and rescue groups understand that matching up the right pet to the right family is paramount. We got Finn, our latest addition, from a rescue in Indiana and we had many discussions about our home, lifestyle, and Finn’s behavior before we made the trip to get him.

Acclimating a new pet to your home requires still more patience. We introduced Buckley and Finn slowly and in a neutral environment. We gradually grew their time and exposure to each other. We also had to understand learn Finn’s “need to potty” cues and the most effective training method for his learning style. But we got really lucky because Finn loves to please and he is a fast learner.

More to love as long as it’s equal

Even with the best laid plan there is an emotional part of a new pet and exact how this will affect things is impossible to predict. Your new pet may not like your current pet and vice versa, or they may love each other and not care much about you anymore. I was worried Buckley might be jealous of a new dog but I was not prepared for it to be the other way around. Every time I go to love Buckley, Finn wants to get in the mix. He isn’t aggressive but Buckley responds by moving away. I’m completely falling in love with Finn one snort at a time, but in no way did I want it to negatively affect Buckley. With help from Kris, my husband, I make a special effort to give them both lots of love, together and separately. I’m hopeful that with a little more time, Finn won’t feel like he has to compete for my attention.

Plan carefully for a new additional to your pet family but remember to expect the unexpected. From this perspective of this pet-loving writer, a new pet means more love all the way around and it’s completely worth it.

ABOUT ROBIN

Robin Hawn is the Senior Brand Manager of the PetSafe Family of Brands for Radio Systems Corporation, head quartered in Knoxville, TN. She works to build a brand of products designed to give consumer more of the best moments they can possibly have with their pets. She has a MBA with a Marketing Emphasis, a B.A in English, and 10 years experience developing and launching marketing plans, brand strategy and PR campaigns across a variety of diverse industries. Her French bulldog Buckley typically logs the same hours at the office as Robin. She volunteers with the Most Pet Friendly Community initiative that has a mission of making Knoxville, TN the most pet friendly community in America.