My Puppy Won’t Poop outside!

You have just adopted a puppy and you want to quickly teach it to relieve itself outside? Are you tired of mopping the floor every day and constantly finding a mess?

You’ve come to the right place because you’ll find in this article all the answers to your questions about this basic educational step.

You will finally find the solutions to be applied on a daily basis to make your dog relieve himself outside quickly.

Why he hasn’t succeeded so far, what you should avoid doing and, above all, tips on how to teach your dog to relieve himself outside: you’ll know everything!

Why won’t my puppy poop outside?

Before undertaking any approach to toilet training, it is essential to ask the following question: why doesn’t my dog (or puppy) go outside to relieve himself?

There are many reasons why a dog may not be able to restrain itself, the most common of which are as follows:

  • Your puppy may still be too young and therefore not have the physical ability to control his sphincters and therefore restrain himself.
    If this is the case, patience and a good attitude will be the key to succeed in gradually teaching him potty training.
  • Your dog may have medical condition (such as a urinary infection, for example) that lead to incontinence.
    If this is the case, he will show various symptoms such as defecating while walking or peeing very often. See your veterinarian promptly for a urine test.
  • Your dog may be anxious when you’re away, and this can lead to uncleanliness while you’re away. This is usually accompanied by destruction, particularly to objects that have your scent.
    If this is the case, it is more of a work against separation anxiety and the possible hyper-attachment of your dog that will need to be put in place. I recommend that you call on a professional or read articles specifically dedicated to this subject to find solutions adapted to your situation.
  • Following the same logic as above, your dog may find it difficult to manage his frustration when you leave, and this may also result in messy situations. They will often be accompanied by destruction, especially at the exit door of your home.
    If this is the case, again, I recommend that you call in a professional to find solutions adapted to your situation that will help you teach your pet to manage his frustration and loneliness.
  • Your dog can’t restrain himself because he hasn’t been outside enough.
    This is often the case for dogs who live in apartments and are left alone for a good part of the day. For these pups, housetraining may take longer.

What to avoid at all costs

Many reflexes we have, as humans, when we notice uncleanliness, are harmful to the good course of potty training. Here are the main ones, which you should control and avoid:

Scolding your dog for the mess he made in your absence…

Indeed, if you scold your dog for the mess he made in your absence, he will absolutely not understand your logic. He’ll only understand that you don’t want to see pee or excrement where he made it, not that he shouldn’t be there. In other words, your puppy will understand the fact that he must eliminate his tracks and if he doesn’t stop doing his business indoors, he may have to eat his excrement in order to avoid being scolded.

Putting the dog’s muzzle in his “stupidity”.

It is a reflex that many teachers have and it is, moreover, a technique that is all too often put forward by unsavoury canine educators. Putting your puppy’s nose in his poop is a violent and above all very humiliating act. Moreover, if it is combined with the reflex to punish without being caught in the act, it is the winning combo, or rather the losing combo!

Cleaning up the poop in front of the dog

It is recommended not to do it in front of a canine as he might see it as a game or as a victory in his desire to attract your attention. Instead, isolate your pooch or keep him busy while you clean.

Cleaning with bleach

It is a serious mistake to clean your puppy’s messes with bleach, because this substance, in your hound’s eyes, is similar to that of urine. He will therefore be attracted by this smell and will wish to leave an olfactory message.

Tips on how to get your dog to poop outside faster

There are various tricks that I’m going to explain here, but it’s important to know that toilet training can take more or less time depending on the dogs, their character, their sensitivity and their ability to integrate the learning process.

If you are unable, despite the advice that follows, to teach your dog to defecate outside, don’t hesitate to ask yourself the questions raised above and ask for advice from canine behaviour professionals (veterinarian or dog trainer) to help you solve your pet’s possible problem.

  • Always respect the rule of “not seen, not taken”. Only intervene if you catch your puppy in the act. If this is the case, say firmly “no” and accompany him outside.
  • Warmly reward a pee or a poop made outside. Never be to praising your hound for defecating outside
  • Always give positive reinforcement for good behaviour rather than punishment for bad behaviour.
  • Massage your puppy’s belly when he’s outside. This may stimulate him and help him to relieve himself faster.
  • Put a few drops of bleach where you’d like your pup to relieve himself outside. As mentioned earlier, this may attract him and encourage him to do so.
  • Take your hound outside at the right times, i.e. when you wake up, after eating and after an activity (playing, etc.).
  • Finally, I do not recommend, if you have a garden or a terrace at your disposal, to leave your canine free access because this will not teach him to restrain himself. And toilet training consists precisely in teaching a canine to restrain himself.

If you live in an apartment, it is often easier to resort to an easy solution, i.e. the “training mats”, which are sheets that are placed on the floor to teach your pup to do in a specific place.

This is practical, but it can be tricky in the long term because a pup may then have the reflex to relieve himself on a mat and will end up not being able to distinguish the training mat from the other mats in the house, for example.

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