Proper way to punish potty accidents?

[zoomer]

What's the proper way to punsih a 2 year old dog that has a potty accident in the house? Rubbing his nose in it is a little harsh... don't you think? Need help :(

[LeahMM]

Unfortunately unless you catch them in the act, there's nothing you can do. Just keep alot of Natures Miracle on hand.

My foster has occasional accidents so I have keep a very close eye on him and when he shows signs of getting ready to go I promptly make a very loud noise to stop him then put him outside.

[zoomer]

OK. Thank you.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Don't punish but give lots of praise when they get it right

[Jessika]

Unless you catch them in the act, even scolding them for it minutes after it happened will do no good as you will confuse them (they will think they are getting in trouble for coming to you or something). Confusing is never a good thing! Instead ignore all house accidents (unless you catch them in the act) and when they go outside, watch them (better yet, keep them on a leash), and when they go outside GO NUTS with praise!!!

Dogs CRAVE attention, positive and negative attention, so they will repeat the actions that get them the most attention. So by ignoring their actions in side the house and going nuts when they go outside, which do you think they will be more likely to repeat? ;)

If you catch them in the act, say "NO", then correct the behavior (as in, bring them outside, then when/if they go outside, give LOTS of praise!).

Good luck!!

[catnapper]

If its the occasional accident, clean it up and move on. If its constantly happening, where were you when it happened? If you were nowhere to be found, then blame yourself because supervision is key. If he continually does it in front of you without warning, then a vet visit is called for - that may signal and underlying health issue.

What might help is if we knew what you do now so that we can tell you what you're doing right and what you might need to change. A lot of people do something to sabatage potty habits without realizing they are.

[dab_20]

I agree with the replies above. You should never yell at them. It will only make them hide when they go potty so you can't catch them in the act.

[Misty_Pearl]

I agree with the other's comments. Maybe he needs a refresher potty training course. Go outside when he has to go when he does lots of praise and offer a high quality food like chicken, turkey hot dogs etc. when the behavior is gotten right.

Also, only give the dog 5 minutes to do his business. If nothing is done put the dog in a crate, no attention, no talking etc. With Pearl, I pick her up and return her to the crate that way she doesn't get confused and think she is being put in the crate for something like coming...

Do this for a week or 2 to encourage behavior that you want and ignore bad behavior. I have noticed that a spray bottle filled with water is a great correction tool at stopping behavior while it's happening.

[zoomer]

Thanks everyone. Buddy does it in front of me on the rugs and carpets.

[Jessika]

Are you watching for signs that he has to go, or does he just go and does not seem like he meant to do it?

If that is the case then please take him to a vet for a check up

[zoomer]

He doesn't seem like he meant to do it... it's kind of weird.

[Jessika]

He doesn't seem like he meant to do it... it's kind of weird.
Then he could be sick, or this could be another problem. I recommend taking him in for a vet check if for nothing more than peace of mind! :)

[zoomer]

I will do that. Thank you :)

[lisahumphreys882]

My dog did the same thing as well. He was potty trained and he was going to the bathroom outside with no problem. But then all of a sudden he started going to the bathroom inside, we don't know why he did, but we believe he wanted attention, and as some of the others have mentioned, "dogs love attention, even if its negative attention." And we knew he didn't actually have to go cause we would put him outside but he'd go to the bathroom as soon as would come in. What we did was ignore him, we made him sit in a corner for a minute while no one paid attention to him and that seemed to work right away, because he learned that if he went to the bathroom in the house he wouldn't get attention for it. But if this is not the case, as in attention seeking, then i suggest you do what everyone else is saying like if it may be a health concern or another problem. *Sorry for the lengthy answer, hope this helps* :)