Pre-potty Signs

So I'm not sure how many posts I've created on potty training, but I would love to add some more. This time I'd like to talk about taking notice to what your puppy or dog does before he potties. What are his tell-tale signs? Sticking to a schedule can be difficult especially on the first couple of weeks of having the doggy. Unless you're an expert or experienced trainer, most of us just couldn't perfect the art of potty training.

So first of all, it's important to understand that most dogs do certain things before they potty. Do you know what your dog does before he does the deed?

1. Does he pee in the same spot? The thing with puppies is, some of them prefer peeing or pooping in the same spot. Milk, my dog, has a couple of spots she goes back to. There isn't a specific schedule on where she does it (like Monday here, Tuesday there and Wednesday on the corner), but whenever I go near that spot, she knows that that's her potty spot. The act of consistency can also help them trigger the potty ritual.

2. Will he poop or pee after meals? Or do you have to wait for a couple of minutes before he'll give you the potty dance? Thankfully, Milk goes right after meal time so it's not that hard to decipher her schedule.

3. What is his pre-potty action? Sniffing around, circling in the same spot, doing a figure eight, or simply stopping right then and there?

These are just some of the things that you should know about your dog. Aside from being prepared to rush outdoors once the doggy beacon lights up, knowing will also help you determine Fido's health and improve your housetraining skills to best suit you and your dog's lifestyle.