How To Teach A Dog To Urinate Outside The Home

Teaching a dog to urinate outside the home is one of the most costly tasks for dog owners,  especially first-timers. In this article, we try to synthesize how to proceed so that we can achieve success in this challenge.

things to avoid

First,  as responsible owners, we must avoid negative reinforcement or punishment. Many times, we leave our puppy alone at home and, when we return, we find a “surprise”. However, it is possible that the puppy urinated hours before we arrived. Therefore, it makes no sense to fight with the dog, show what he did or rub the animal’s snout in the “pee”.

Taking the pet out before it can leave is another mistake many owners make. If the veterinarian stipulates that for the first two months he cannot go out, especially if it is for vaccination reasons, he cannot go out.

urinate at home

Although there are many methods to teach a dog to urinate outside the home,  some experts point out that, before instructing him to pee in a proper place, it is necessary to establish where that will be.  This is especially convenient if the animal does not have all the vaccinations yet and cannot go outside.

A very useful practice to prevent our dog to urinate in unwanted places, such as the bed, sofa or rug, is to  purchase so-called hygienic dog mats.

Hygienic mats for dogs

The hygienic mat for dogs is made with a mixed composition, usually cotton and waterproof plastic, which absorbs pee and mitigates the smell. When our puppy pees, we should bring a clean mat and soak up all the urine with it. That way, although we can’t smell the unpleasant smell, the puppy will be able to identify it.

Once the mat is wet, we must take it to the area where we will allow our dog to evacuate, for example, the bathroom. Every time we notice that our dog has started to urinate or when we notice that this time is approaching, we should take him to the mat. Little by little, with time and patience, our pet will associate the rugs with the place to urinate.

Teaching a dog to urinate away from home

When our veterinarian authorizes us to take our dog for a walk, that is, when the animal has all the vaccines in order,  the mission will begin to teach him to urinate away from home. At this point, we’ll remove the bathroom rug.

Now, our puppy will already know that the mat is the place where he can go to bed. That way, we will know more or less the times when our dog usually empty its bladder. These times are usually 20 minutes after eating or drinking, after playing or waking up.

After putting the collar on and heading out into the street, we must wait to arrive somewhere suitable. Be it in a park or some area reserved for that. That way, let’s avoid the habit of teaching a dog to urinate on the sidewalk or at doors.

Once we have arrived at the chosen place to walk our puppy, we will place the mat, which may be stained with urine, on the floor. It is very possible that this first time we are not successful: “Rome was not built in a day”.

Consistency, key to success

After several tries and walks with the dog mat,  our puppy will begin to associate this mat that was already in the bathroom with the place on the street where he will have to pee. When the dog finally starts urinating on the rug, we’ll give him a prize. The best thing is to give him a snack suitable for his size and age.

We should continue this ritual for as long as necessary and  try to put the mat in the same place. We must remember to reward our dog every time he starts to urinate in the right place.

When the puppy succeeds several times, we will be prepared to go out without a rug. We’ll continue armed with treats to reward our furry friend every time he pees in the right place.

Remember that the key to success is perseverance, patience, positive reinforcement, and olfactory identifiers. Good luck!